What makes people find Prog boring? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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mrcozdude

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 19:50

Prog bands that bore me seem to have aload of w**kery and no passion or general song writing skill *cough DT

camilleanne View Drop Down

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 19:54

mrcozdude wrote:

Prog bands that bore me seem to have aload of w**kery and no passion or general song writing skill *cough DT

DT??

The planet is fine the people are f**ked.
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PROGMONSTER2008 View Drop Down

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 19:59

manofmystery wrote:

I'm pretty sure the answer lies in Camel's The Snow Goose and Soft Machine's Third

These albums have always bored me to tears but are held up by the majority of proggers as each band's greatest achievement. Maybe there's just a large percentage of masochists in in the prog world who want every note of music to be as long and drawn out as it could possibly be.

Snowgoose has some moments which don't excite me much

I love the cool parts of the album though. The start and the middle of the album are very good

DASistGrantTeeL View Drop Down

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 20:00

i thought this was prog-archives, but this seems like a bunch of people talking about how bad prog is

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The Quiet One View Drop Down

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 20:02

At least a 80% of my school, or 80% of all the people who goes to the clubs I go to dance, just say that "prog"(they don't even know that word though) is boring, just because the fact that it's not in the mainstream right now.

If they were living in the 70's, they would definitely "dance", sing-along, and play all day stuff like Floyd.

I don't think they even listen to the music. Not insulting them, all of those are friends of mine, so.... Just telling my observation.

I could give a highly danceable or catchy song to a friend of mine who listens to music that all people like, and still wouldn't "like it" just because the rest doesn't like it.

mrcozdude

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 20:12

camilleanne wrote:

mrcozdude wrote:

Prog bands that bore me seem to have aload of w**kery and no passion or general song writing skill *cough DT

DT??

I'm sorry lol

It's stupid for me to summarise music within a couple of lines but Dream Theatre sum it up for me lol I don't dislike them.I just think they've brought the part of prog which I was hoping to forget.

DASistGrantTeeL wrote:

i thought this was prog-archives, but this seems like a bunch of people talking about how bad prog is

No,just constructive criticisms.Making a purpose for being on a forum.

Tengent

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 21:19

NotAProghead wrote:

I guess I like some prog Wink

, but there are lots of prog songs and albums that bore me to death.

There are different reasons:

1. Lack of emotion. It's probably the main reason. Music is rather constructed than comes from the heart, as a result it is artificial and, yes, boring.

2. Lack of variety and writing skills. There are ideas but musicians fail to keep the listener's attention during the whole song (piece, album).

3. Lack of originality, lots of bands without their own sound.

4. Simple case, when I understand: music is great, but it's not my cup of tea.

The length does not matter - almost side-long "Echoes" never seemed boring to me, while some 3-5 minute songs seem endless.

1. Sadly true. Only a few bands have gotten to me emotionally.. Porcupine Tree, King Crimson, Focus, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, some Yes, and Van Der Graaf Generator. Doesn't music = emotion? Thinking about that makes me want to learn more about music psychology.
2. Urgh.. also too true.. the lyrics for Golf Girl - Caravan crack me up it's so bad.
3. Agreed with BaldJean, most prog bands in the 70's really did have their own unique sound. I find it difficult to be unique now.

Finnforest View Drop Down

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 21:22

Prog isn't boring, it just requires an attention span, which some folks don't really possess. Big smile

Failcore

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 21:54

^ +1

Dellinger

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 22:01

Most people find prog songs too long and just don't understand it. And if it is not liked by other people, then they'll just go with the flow. I guess that sums it all. Yet, I don't think prog is not emotional, on the contrary, I think prog often reaches peaks of emotion very hardly achievable on pop or other styles of music, just because they take the time to develop the ideas. I wouldn't say that prog bands lack variaty and writing skills either, I mean, what I love of prog bands is that they are completly different from other bands, have great music and melodies, and aren't afraid of coming with something new. Ofcourse, just as is the case with pop, rock, metal, and any other kind of music, there are good musicians and composers, and others that just haven't got the ability. And different people will like different things, it's a matter of taste.

WalterDigsTunes View Drop Down

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 22:02

NotAProghead wrote:

1. Lack of emotion. It's probably the main reason. Music is rather constructed than comes from the heart, as a result it is artificial and, yes, boring.

Isn't this the definition of the prefab pop/r&b decried in the original post?

TheProgtologist View Drop Down

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 22:09

DASistGrantTeeL wrote:

i thought this was prog-archives, but this seems like a bunch of people talking about how bad prog is

The topic creator was asking why we think OTHER people find prog boring.

Some of the people listing bands that they can't get into are just giving examples of how they can understand why some people find prog to be boring.

Like me,I cannot get into VdGG.They do absolutely nothing for me,simply bores me to tears.But I am not going to say they are bad,just not to my personal taste.

MrPlow

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 22:35

Probably because most people think they should like what they hear on the radio, which is a bunch of bells and whistles and instant gratification. They don't have the patience to listen to complex music.

stonebeard View Drop Down

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 23:40

I think it's the combination of horrible lyrics about dragons, the endless w**king, and the ridiculous air of pretension heavy in the air around every prog band.

Or, you know, not.

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Ivan_Melgar_M View Drop Down

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Posted: August 10 2009 at 23:59

DASistGrantTeeL wrote:

i thought this was prog-archives, but this seems like a bunch of people talking about how bad prog is

The worst enemy of Progressive Rock is a Progressive Rock fan.

Now if you ask me why other people find Prog boring, I believe because they don't understand it or can't hook chicks with it.

Iván

Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M - August 11 2009 at 00:01

stonebeard View Drop Down

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Posted: August 11 2009 at 00:03

DASistGrantTeeL wrote:

i thought this was prog-archives, but this seems like a bunch of people talking about how bad prog is

I think most people are joking.

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Synchestra View Drop Down

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Posted: August 11 2009 at 00:21

King Crimson776 wrote:

WalterDigsTunes wrote:

The fact that a good amount of it is not in 4/4 might confuse less adept listeners. Unable to compute the complex rhythms, their less-developed music receptors will interpret the sound as mush.

Another thing is that you can't dance to prog and often can't rock to it either, it's never sexual and often expresses its ideas in an intellectual way, it's something that was never meant for the masses (in or current world anyway).

My sister has been dancing to alot of my prog lately, she said that its more fun to dance to than the stuff on the radio... Although we are talking Porcupine Tree and The Mars Volta and not, say, Gryphon

but the point is not all prog is undanceable

What makes prog boring? the short answer is: Nothing

'Yeah, thats.. Whatever you're talking about for ya' - Zapp brannigan

npjnpj

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Posted: August 11 2009 at 02:37

It's just a fact that there are (and were) a lot of people who just aren't musically-minded. Just a fact of nature. Some are cursed with it as we are, and some will never get it because they're not wired that way.

For them music is something rythmic to dance to and the short sounds on the radio between 12 minute advert blocks.

Just the same now as it was 40 years ago.

Edited by npjnpj - August 11 2009 at 02:38

friso

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