How important is originality?

Obviously, in music everyone has a right to their taste, and there's nothing bad in trying to get more of the stuff you know you like.

Still, this attitude looks very worrying to me:

In some of the metal sub-genres, you don't try new things. You aren't allowed to. If you try a new idea in your music, you're not True and you're not pure.

How very dogmatic, and how very bad for the people in the community who dare to feel something slightly different from the community mainstream and who may even consider expressing it! This looks to me like how extremist religion works. Express some doubts and you are an outcast and may even be the worst enemy. OK, these metalheads will not normally bring war to others, but still...

On a different note, I also sometimes think that many approaches and ideas in music are not played out enough and not allowed to mature enough because too many people (of those who are at least adventurous enough to try out these ideas once and have therefore the potential to let them mature) think they've got to do something more original and delve into something else rather than developing mastery in one area that still has all too much space for such mastery. 

When I show my wantlist to a record seller, first time he says : "Well, hum, I don't know a thing. Sorry." Second time : " You have already shown this to me. I told you I didn't know these bands." Third time : "You always ask me impossible things to find ! Don't try again ! ".  Morality :  Originality is a disease of loneliness, shame and isolation. 

Dean: If this is meant to refer to my posting, I was discussing the attitude that I quoted from paganinio; I didn't mean to say anything about metal in general and certainly not about metal fans who have an attitude different from the quoted one.

What exactly is 'originality' anyway..?  Most of the 'newer' prog bands I listen to sound like they were influenced by other classic prog bands from the past. How many bands are truly original..?

hellogoodbye wrote: When I show my wantlist to a record seller, first time he says : "Well, hum, I don't know a thing. Sorry." Second time : " You have already shown this to me. I told you I didn't know these bands." Third time : "You always ask me impossible things to find ! Don't try again ! ".  Morality :  Originality is a disease of loneliness, shame and isolation.

This happened to a friend of mine too!  He was actually banned from a brick and mortar store for bringing in too many "special order" requests. 

dr wu23 wrote: What exactly is 'originality' anyway..?  Most of the 'newer' prog bands I listen to sound like they were influenced by other classic prog bands from the past. How many bands are truly original..?   Can someone please name some truly original prog bands and specifically why they are so original...?

Doc, I believe the description of "originality" in prog is a matter of difference by degrees. We wanted something that grows and evolves from a known entity. For example, where was KC going to next after their debut album. We expected a growth going forward from that, not a recording of a set of drums being thrown down a flight of stairs and tagged with the name progressive rock.


Edited by SteveG - August 29 2016 at 12:19

Mascodagama wrote: SteveG wrote: Atavachron wrote: ^ People often find something they're comfortable with and never look back, it's unfortunate but I suppose I understand; I don't like eating things I won't enjoy, though it is the only way to learn . Word. I only know that I like 90% of the things that I do like (whether it be in food, music, books, or whatever) because at some point I was willing to take a chance on something that I didn't know whether or I'd like or not. Not only that, quite a lot of the things I now like, I actively disliked at first trial - but decided to persevere because I knew other people found something in it, and I wanted to know what it was. I'd like to think that I'm willing to go through some discomfort and puzzlement to see if I can find that out. I can understand comfort zone thinking, and like pretty much everyone I've fallen into that in some regards. But on a personal level I have to say that enduring the "shock of the new", when I have done it, has proved overwhelmingly worthwhile.

yes, I agree with that. I was generalizing in my last post. I was in narrow lane for many years until I decided to take a leap of faith and go Avant/RIO, etc. But I still believe that we're initially drawn to what we're familiar with until we take that leap. Remember, some never have and never will.

^No problem. We're on the same track but moving at different speeds, as my old Mum used to say!

Anyone who says originality has no bearing on the level of quality or enjoyment could not possibly be consistent. The knowledge of its originality is another issue, but the lack of complete knowledge doesn't negate what happens when we do know something is unoriginal.