Firth of Fifth Frustration

Dissing prog is NOT a new phenomenon, it was also very powerful back in the 70s as well because most rock reviewers (Lester Bangs, Chris Welch, Mike Clifford,  the morons at NME and Melody Maker, as well as newspaper critics) loved to heap insult on talent , coining terms such as Jethro Dull, Out of Focus, No, Emerson, Lake and Puddle, etc...). Being frustrated non-musicians they felt complexed by the Wakemans of the world and thus bashed them insanely while propping up HUGE (snort) talents like Sid Vicious, Ian Dury, the Ramones, etc... So I am glad that many people hate prog because it's the only guarantee that it will live and prosper ! Nothing is worth defending more !

No, you're not overrating it at all.

lazland wrote: tszirmay wrote: Dissing prog is NOT a new phenomenon, it was also very powerful back in the 70s as well because most rock reviewers (Lester Bangs, Chris Welch, Mike Clifford,  the morons at NME and Melody Maker, as well as newspaper critics) loved to heap insult on talent , coining terms such as Jethro Dull, Out of Focus, No, Emerson, Lake and Puddle, etc...). Being frustrated non-musicians they felt complexed by the Wakemans of the world and thus bashed them insanely while propping up HUGE (snort) talents like Sid Vicious, Ian Dury, the Ramones, etc... So I am glad that many people hate prog because it's the only guarantee that it will live and prosper ! Nothing is worth defending more ! Welch was a massive Genesis & Yes fan, in fact of prog in general. He was one of its biggest supporters in the music press.

everybody is talking about the godly guitar solo in the song, but Phils drumming during the solo is the best drumming (finesse) he have ever done IMO; so freaking subtle, stil extremely crazy in its unpredictabilaty, and constantly changeing, never hitting the same symbal twice or tam-tam twice always moving while Steve is sonoring his guitar,

try to only listen to the drums in the solo, it is spectavular. take note to the simple yet magnificent drumfill at 7:48 - 7:50, in the song, it is one of the best drum fills i have ever heard

tszirmay wrote: Dissing prog is NOT a new phenomenon, it was also very powerful back in the 70s as well because most rock reviewers (Lester Bangs, Chris Welch, Mike Clifford,  the morons at NME and Melody Maker, as well as newspaper critics) loved to heap insult on talent , coining terms such as Jethro Dull, Out of Focus, No, Emerson, Lake and Puddle, etc...). Being frustrated non-musicians they felt complexed by the Wakemans of the world and thus bashed them insanely while propping up HUGE (snort) talents like Sid Vicious, Ian Dury, the Ramones, etc... So I am glad that many people hate prog because it's the only guarantee that it will live and prosper ! Nothing is worth defending more !

I agree with the sentiment in the post but puzzled why you put Chris Welch in the 'anti-prog' camp. He was a big supporter of prog and well known ELP/Yes fan. EDIT - I should have read the posts that followed

Edited by richardh - June 21 2012 at 13:56

I am so sorry, I confused Chris Welsh with the reviled Alan Jones, I am getting senile with old age!

Will you all forgive me?

Especially Chris? Please

Edited by tszirmay - June 21 2012 at 14:09

tszirmay wrote: I am so sorry, I confused Chris Welsh with the reviled Alan Jones, I am getting senile with old age! Will you all forgive me? Especially Chris? Please

"Firth of Fifth". Boring? A prog listener has to be a lifeless human not to dig that piano-then-flute theme. As Jim Garten pointed out, it might be a template for generic prog. A couple of themes and some variations on those themes. Besides, all those negative comments made about the song - that's just a way of not appreciating all the hard work Tony has put into it. He was pleased with it, I am pleased with it.

The part that "ruins" the song for me is the intro. Still a great song, i just skip past it.

A perfect song for me too, but it's also one I have tried a few times as introduction to prog for some non-prog people thinking that it would work because it's so beautiful, and it didn't work. Others have said why it may not work with people alien to prog values so I'm not going to repeat here.