Do foreign vocalists ruin your prog experience?

profanatio wrote: Easy livin says.. sure it is your preference to prefer male singing... but when you edge into the shades of 'man's territory' vs. 'a woman's place' It will be the peference of others to a) tear you a new one.. b) lose respect for you. Or both. It won't be me but can't speak for others. You got off to a good start here.... whether you care or not to keep that ... is up to you. Ok, first off all I said nothing about "A womans place". The statement that I did make is based upon not only my own feeling but what has been conveyed to me by many female friends over the years that know my preference for prog. Over the years they have all said the same thing.. "Oh that stuff is just for guys" or " Stop trying to get me in to your music!! Chicks dont like that kind of music" and many other variations on those themes. My apologies to any females here who may have been tweaked by my remark. But now ask your self.. would you prefer that the vocals to all of your favorite prog CD's be wiped out and replaced by female vocalists?

Mike.. my point is... from having seen it time and time again.. is people will put words in you mouth if you are not clear and as you note.. .your posts are not clear.  What I have posted twice now  is how the first came across.. and how the second would have..  if you speak of a 'man's terittory... then it stands to mean.. even if you don't come and and directly say it.. that there is a place for women.  As I said...  with all the different language, cultures, and yadda ya around this forum.. if you are not clear in your posts..  most likely you WILL be misunderstood. 

as far as your question....  could give a sh*t.. .as long as it matches the music.. have heard female vocalist that match the music from the light to  the heavy.. to the spacey.  It doesn't really matter to me.  I listen to prog for the music.. if a 'singer's' singing fits the music.. .it could be a goddamned transvestite for all I care. 

jimmy_row wrote: constructive advice re: semantics   "prog is a man's territory"   = (translated by Jimmy Row at the Institute for misunderstood American White Men) most of the prog I have heard over the years is sung by male vocalists, so I have grown to prefer them...but I would be glad to give female singers a chance to grow on me, it's just that I'm not used to them.

quite

I agree with Micky that by saying you believe that prog is "man's territory" is why people aren't responding happily to your thread

No offense to anyone on this board because I really like you all, you've all been very gracious and helpful to me and I LOVE it here but why should I have to post to get people to "respond happily" to my threads?

Is it not ok on this forum to toss around what might be politically incorrect ideas or opinions that might offend others as long as its not done in a mean spirited way?

I will NEVER say anything on this board in a rude, crude or disrespectful manner but isnt prog music in many ways about putting forth musical ideas that shake people up and create intense emotional reaction? Why should conversation be any different?

I have realized in writing this post that I wimped out in a previous post and backed down on something I feel strongly about so that people wouldnt be pissed at me and I want to correct that by saying ........
face melting Hammond B-3 solos,
blazing "end of the world" mellotrons underneath dark distorted angular guitar riffs with rhythm sections pounding out incomprehensible time signatures within the context of a 30 minute apocolyptic epic is a MANS world.

Will I now lose the respect of this board for my opinion?

Mike: I'll say one more thing and then go away...

Edited by jimmy_row - December 16 2007 at 18:11

profanatio wrote: I agree with Micky that by saying you believe that prog is "man's territory" is why people aren't responding happily to your thread No offense to anyone on this board because I really like you all, you've all been very gracious and helpful to me and I LOVE it here but why should I have to post to get people to "respond happily" to my threads? Is it not ok on this forum to toss around what might be politically incorrect ideas or opinions that might offend others as long as its not done in a mean spirited way? I will NEVER say anything on this board in a rude, crude or disrespectful manner but isnt prog music in many ways about putting forth musical ideas that shake people up and create intense emotional reaction? Why should conversation be any different? I have realized in writing this post that I wimped out in a previous post and backed down on something I feel strongly about so that people wouldnt be pissed at me and I want to correct that by saying ........ face melting Hammond B-3 solos, blazing "end of the world" mellotrons underneath dark distorted angular guitar riffs with rhythm sections pounding out incomprehensible time signatures within the context of a 30 minute apocolyptic epic is a MANS world. Will I now lose the respect of this board for my opinion?

to cut to the chase... I hope not, there have been more thought provoking discussion in your threads recently that most the recycled sh*t floating around here.. but that is the risk of bringing such delicate subjects like this up... you don't know how people will react.   Whether you chose to accept it or not.. it is a politically correct world.. you can live safely within it.. or risk offending people or losing said respect ... or gaining it... by living outside of it by bringing such topics up.   Male singers are the vast majority of prog singers.. we all know it on some level.... and accept it... where problems happen is my making issues of it.  That is what you did here.  After the genie has been let out... who is to say where it goes.  That is the danger of overanalzing  things... some thing are just best alone. Some people perfer male vocals.. most don't care and have never given it a second thought. It is all personal preference.. .same as the notion of foreign vocals in you original post.  Not sure if I am making any sense.. trying to burn my dinner in the oven here.

For me, it usually depends on the singer, not on the language they sing in. I quite enjoy PFM's early albums for example, but I believe the singing style (in the original Italian versions) is their weak point, not because my Italian is hopeless (I listen to a lot of opera which I can follow quite a bit) but because the vocalists sound terribly lazy and (in my view) rather undistinguished. On the other hand, I don't understand a word of Indonesian, and I can only guess at the real meaning of Discus's best songs, but these sound incredibly exciting because the vocalists (especially Nonni, their female singer) are thrilling!
By the way, I don't know if many people will agree, but I've always thought German was a really cool language for rock! I adore Can, and Novalis' "Wer Schmetterlinge lachen hört" just KILLS me. (Not to mention Bap, Nena or even Udo Lindenberg! )

I've known many women who absolutely love Tull, Yes, Floyd, King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, etc..., so it hurts when you suggest women don't appreciate these things

Sorry, I keep forgetting to say that when I make a blanket statement, its a given that there are ALWAYs exceptions to the rule.

To listen to english/male vocal  bands only is to be missing out on a ton of incredible music.

Chameleon wrote: I might be an odd man out here, but when I listen to prog in a different language, I think it would ruin it if I knew what they were saying.

I'm with you there!  Sure the lyris are important in music but someone also mentioned how lyrics conjure up images.  For me, I think they conjure up more images when I don't know what they are saying, or only have a vague idea.  If I knew the substance of it, it might actually be more constricting.  The voice is primarily an instrument for my listening pleasure.  I wouldn't want them to always sing doo doo da da because I can  tell that is not lyrics in any language!  I also don't have much problem withj accented vocals in English if that is the language a singer chooses to use.  As far as male and female vocals, my answer to that would be, yes.  Meaning that I like it best when they are together in the same song 

No, not at all. In fact most of my music has lyrics sung in English. And I don't see as a real problem not knowing clearly what the song talks about; I'm just accustommed to it, and like it very much.

AND YOU GOT TO SEE THIS (which is, btw, very on topic)!!!!!!!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOPKMeCeO58

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mac_dD_1DEA