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laplace
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Topic: bands with a message Posted: February 28 2008 at 13:59 |
One of the popular criticisms levelled at prog during the punk period was that it was borgeouis. That wasn't entirely fair, but punk's directness did make a lot of prog look ponderous and enigmatic. Quite honestly, a lot of progressive rock is intentionally meaningless, or else has one but keeps it tightly encrypted behind invented languages or florid vocabulary, or else layers and layers of metaphor.
That's neato and all. Sentence for Magmaluv.
But can you think of any bands who conveyed worthwhile ideas with their music? I'm not talking about bands who played at political rallies or charity events, but rather those who wrote songs containing implicit, unmistakeable messages. This does *partially* rule out bands who only made instrumental music - you can see that Henry Cow have something to say on "Unrest" and "Western Culture" when their desolate songtitles are paired with music that can be bleak and hard to digest, but it's only on "In Praise of Learning" (as well as when they mutate into Art Bears) where they go ahead and say it.
Let's name some blunt, outspoken bands, and see if we can notice a pattern. Messages aren't limited to political opinion; these opinions can range from "Hail Satan" or "Be excellent to each other", if it's commandingly said. Tool have moments where they step outside of personal philosophical considerations long enough to make you think about them too. Yes have appealed for sanctuary in the case of certain cetaceans. Area have bleated for communism. What else? =)
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BaldJean
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 14:12 |
Mother Gong comes to my mind with their outspoken feminism, which can especially be seen and heard in their "Robot Woman" trilogy.
Edited by BaldJean - February 28 2008 at 14:23
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A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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Raff
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 14:13 |
Besides Area (whom I wanted to mention when I saw you had already done so ), other RPI bands have conveyed 'messages' of various kinds in their lyrics. The other most obvious choice as regards political content are Stormy Six, as you know very well. Jumbo's Vietato ai minori di 18 anni has very bleak, thought-provoking socially aware lyrics, tackling such topics as prostitution and drug addiction. Banco wrote some politically-charged lyrics as well, like "Canto nomade di un prigioniero politico".
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stonebeard
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 14:17 |
One of my favorites is Midnight Oil, who fight for indigenous rights for aborigines in Australia. But they're not prog, so....
Queensryche (though I question their relevance as a prog band often), rail against corporatization, urban slumming, and centralized government, especially in the early days.
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mpomy
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 14:25 |
stonebeard wrote:
Queensryche (though I question their relevance as a prog band often), rail against corporatization, urban slumming, and centralized government, especially in the early days.
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That kind of theme is certainly present in 'Get 'em Out By Friday', but whn I think about a prog act that has a theme throughout the body of work, I hate to say it, but I think about the gospel of Neal Morse . I may not agree with all of his message, but he's definitely got one. A few pretty good solo albums too.
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rushfan4
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 14:34 |
I'm not sure if you're meaning the same message throughout all of their work or message within specific songs. If you mean messages within specific songs than definitely Rush, despite your pure untethered hatred for them. If you're meaning a sort of same message throughout most of their songs then oddly enough I would say Yes, which doesn't make much sense because they are widely criticized for writing nonsensical lyrics. But I think that their universal message throughout their history is love your wife, love your friends, love your spirtual beings, and the time is now and the word is love.
Edited by rushfan4 - February 28 2008 at 14:35
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WideAngleWatcher
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 14:37 |
Much as I love David Lee Roth I always hated this quote from him;
"A lot of bands mature, which means they get square; they start delivering messages. Hey, you got a message, use Western Union."
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stonebeard
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 14:41 |
rushfan4 wrote:
If you're meaning a sort of same message throughout most of their songs then oddly enough I would say Yes, which doesn't make much sense because they are widely criticized for writing nonsensical lyrics. But I think that their universal message throughout their history is love your wife, love your friends, love your spirtual beings, and the time is now and the word is love. |
I think this criticism of Yes is usually leveled with only a few songs in mind, likely "Awaken." Or it could be that Jon Anderson's style of writing is very fluid and generally goes through many different similar topics within a song, not always being connected fluidly, especially on later works like "Open Your Eyes" and "The Ladder." They are almost always not nonsensical.
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stonebeard
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 14:43 |
WideAngleWatcher wrote:
Much as I love David Lee Roth I always hated this quote from him;
"A lot of bands mature, which means they get square; they start delivering messages. Hey, you got a message, use Western Union." |
"A lot of singers get a big ego and leave/are kicked out of successful bands and end up as washed up ambulance drivers." - Stonebeard
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rushfan4
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 15:16 |
stonebeard wrote:
rushfan4 wrote:
If you're meaning a sort of same message throughout most of their songs then oddly enough I would say Yes, which doesn't make much sense because they are widely criticized for writing nonsensical lyrics. But I think that their universal message throughout their history is love your wife, love your friends, love your spirtual beings, and the time is now and the word is love. |
I think this criticism of Yes is usually leveled with only a few songs in mind, likely "Awaken." Or it could be that Jon Anderson's style of writing is very fluid and generally goes through many different similar topics within a song, not always being connected fluidly, especially on later works like "Open Your Eyes" and "The Ladder." They are almost always not nonsensical.
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Just for clarity, it is not my criticism but what I read throughout the threads such as best song writer or vocalist or lyrics. There are plenty of comments about how Yes lyrics make no sense. Their lyrics which are meant as much as voice as another instrument versus conveying a message. The words sound good together and they rhyme but they don't necessarily mean anything.
As an aside, I always thought that a flying purple wolf hound was some made up word like Led Zeppelin's "hedgerow " until I recently read that it was a slang term for warplanes flying overhead.
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Finnforest
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 15:30 |
Well, what comes to mind instantly is Water's "Animals" lyrics railing against the system, establishment, Mary Whitehouse, the public "sheep." The veil is pretty thin. Great stuff though.
Funny thing is, Punk ripped Floyd at the very time Water's unleashed this diatribe. The messages weren't that different, and the punkers should have realized Floyd were an ally, not the enemy.
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rushfan4
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 15:40 |
My apologies in advance for this stupid comment, for I am not certain but I think that the theme of many Opeth songs is "let them eat cookies".
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LinusW
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 15:42 |
The answer is found below and to the left of this text.
Edited by LinusW - February 28 2008 at 15:42
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Yorkie X
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 17:18 |
Peart writes lyrics for the thinking man and that's a big part of the reason why I love Rush I think. Jon Anderson also has a pretty strong message and perhaps the world would be a better place if we took some of his advice. Kerry Livgren from Kansas is also a worthy candidate for this thread though he may now be Christian hes always managed to be an inspiration to me as a song writer. The Band Threshold have the ability to make me think as well. So many artists fit this catogary from Crimsons "Epitaph" to Floyd's "Dark Side of The Moon" thinking is firmly stamped all over prog.
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WideAngleWatcher
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 19:24 |
stonebeard wrote:
WideAngleWatcher wrote:
Much as I love David Lee Roth I always hated this quote from him;
"A lot of bands mature, which means they get square; they start delivering messages. Hey, you got a message, use Western Union." |
"A lot of singers get a big ego and leave/are kicked out of successful bands and end up as washed up ambulance drivers."
- Stonebeard
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Dean
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 19:42 |
rushfan4 wrote:
As an aside, I always thought that a flying purple wolf hound was some made up word like Led Zeppelin's "hedgerow " until I recently read that it was a slang term for warplanes flying overhead. |
Pardon? "hedgerow" is a made up word?
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What?
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King Crimson776
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 22:30 |
^^ Sure, all words are made up.
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tszirmay
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 22:31 |
Finnforest wrote:
Well, what comes to mind instantly is Water's "Animals" lyrics railing against the system, establishment, Mary Whitehouse, the public "sheep." The veil is pretty thin. Great stuff though.
Funny thing is, Punk ripped Floyd at the very time Water's unleashed this diatribe. The messages weren't that different, and the punkers should have realized Floyd were an ally, not the enemy. |
Thank you Finn! As usual, youre spot on ! I witnessed first hand how vitriolic and blind was their fury against the "wunderkinds" , calling them elitist arses! If you youngers guys don't believe it look it up its somewhere on the net ! Punkers spent more time vomiting than addressing IMPORTANT issues. At least Geldof cared! What pains me is that only a handful (such as Magazine and Ultravox ) kept the prog vibe going, in the meantime.
As far as social comments go, Ian Anderson, Fish and recently Steve Wilson have certainly tackled corporate idiocy, social morass and youth apathy.
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I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth.
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micky
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 22:40 |
stonebeard wrote:
One of my favorites is Midnight Oil, who fight for indigenous rights for aborigines in Australia.
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same here...
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The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip
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Finnforest
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Posted: February 28 2008 at 22:53 |
tszirmay wrote:
Finnforest wrote:
Well, what comes to mind instantly is Water's "Animals" lyrics railing against the system, establishment, Mary Whitehouse, the public "sheep." The veil is pretty thin. Great stuff though.
Funny thing is, Punk ripped Floyd at the very time Water's unleashed this diatribe. The messages weren't that different, and the punkers should have realized Floyd were an ally, not the enemy. |
Thank you Finn! As usual, youre spot on ! I witnessed first hand how vitriolic and blind was their fury against the "wunderkinds" , calling them elitist arses! If you youngers guys don't believe it look it up its somewhere on the net ! Punkers spent more time vomiting than addressing IMPORTANT issues. At least Geldof cared! What pains me is that only a handful (such as Magazine and Ultravox ) kept the prog vibe going, in the meantime.
As far as social comments go, Ian Anderson, Fish and recently Steve Wilson have certainly tackled corporate idiocy, social morass and youth apathy. |
Thanks Tom, though I know I'm not exactly the first to point out the irony of the punkers.
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