Sounds like ..... Gosh

When observing prog music discussions on internet all over the world the most used word in all the reviews of albums and bands in the last 15 years is "... sounds like....". For example: STYX, or even SPOCKS BEARD (ok, partially).

Or in discussion with friends you say " .... their music remembers me a bit of ...."

Isn't that boring? Does it mean, that rock is going to wash out? Is it the spring of the decade. Or do I over estimate that feeling?

What bands don't "sound like"? What are the names of those artists that had their own style?

For me:
- Yes
- Genesis
- Gentle Giant
- King Crimson
- The Beatles
- UK
- Jethro Tull
- Mike Oldfield
 
just to name a few.
What are yours?

A

Froth wrote: i do worry. i think rock music has been struggling to come up with new stuff since the mid 70s which is partly why prog rock dissapeared, because there wasnt much left to do. now in 2007, this is much more of a problem and i personally think that the only way for more innovative music to return is to stop looking at Jazz, Classical and rock as seperate enterties. i know it probably sounds like quite an obvious solution but these genres have all reached a dead end by refusing to recognise each others contributions to music. I dont mean just some lame 'fusion' thing or 'symphonic rock' or anything so nieve as that, i just think the time has come to get rid of the idea of genres once and for all

Your wishes are already coming true in many ways. For example, the hour-long composition 'Blood on the Floor' by Mark Antony Turnage, a British 'classical' composer, makes good use of John Scofield's electric guitar and Peter Erskine's drumming. It's a far more convincing fusion of jazz-rock and contemporary classical than, for example, Deep Purple's Concerto.

Other examples:

- Zappa's 'Dog Breath Variations' were prog-rock when they first appeared on UNCLE MEAT, and I guess they're 'classical' music when played by Pierre Boulez or the Ensemble Modern.

- Most European jazz pianists who are now in their twenties or thirties got a thorough grounding in classical playing at the conservatoire. Their improvisations reflect the traditions of jazz, blues, rock AND European concert music. (E.g. the chap who now plays the piano in Bill Bruford's Earthworks.)

- Astor Piazolla's tangos were clearly influenced by jazz AND late-romantic orchestral music.

I'm sure there's much, much more...

Edited by fuxi - February 16 2007 at 08:13

There are plenty of unique sounding bands around if you look. If you mention one of these bands to someone who hasn't heard them, the obvious question they're going to ask is "what do they sound like?", so it's hard to avoid. Personally I find it hard in most cases, I'm still trying to work out who Deus Ex Machina sound like.

anthamatten wrote: Isn't that boring?

No, that's actually useful.

Easy Livin wrote: I'm not sure that I'd interpret the "sounds like" references as any sort of signal that music is dying.   Statements that one bands sounds like another more famous one are usually only given to offer an indication of the type of music you can expect to hear. It's a bit like describing someone by comparing their looks to a famous actor or actress (in my case George Clooney!).

MikeEnRegalia wrote: It's amazing when a band has their own, totally distinctive sound ... but it's not a must. I mean, there's no point in being unique just for the sake of being unique.

All music sounds like something previoulsy recorded. All music is made of seven notes, therefore every new song is a ripoff of all previous ones. I just enjoy music for what it is. 

I'll give you two extremes -

The Miracle wrote: All music sounds like something previoulsy recorded. All music is made of seven notes, therefore every new song is a ripoff of all previous ones. I just enjoy music for what it is.

What do you mean by "bulbous"?