Genesis vs The Residents - Progressive Rock Music Forum

I have always found it difficult to connect with the music of The Residents, except for some occasional sparks. Genesis played in another league until Hackett left.

Héctor Enrique

Boojieboy wrote:

Stupid stuff. Sorry.

No worries, we all have our off days. (just kidding)

Seems some may be voting preference rather than answering the poll question "Which of these groups is the proggiest?" I think the answer is obvious when talking classic Genesis at the least. "Which is more progressive?" would I think have elicited more support for The Residents than they have had.

Edited by Logan - February 02 2024 at 20:01

Although I've heard of them since around 1988 I know next to nothing about the Residents (and have heard very little if any of their music) so no vote.

Logan wrote:

"Which is more progressive?" would I think have elicited more support for The Residents than they have had.

I don't actually buy into the distinction between "prog" and "progressive". To me, "prog" is simply an abbreviation of "progressive rock". As I said in the OP, this poll is not about preference between the two groups, but about what you think "prog" means, using the two groups as representative of two distinct meanings.

Although the poll result may be tainted by people voting for their preference instead of answering the actual question, I don't see the poll result as a win for Genesis, but rather as an indication that the people here tend to adopt the relatively narrow view of prog (although it is possible that I'm inferring too much from a vote of Genesis given that people may view Genesis as proggier than The Residents for a variety of reasons).

Edited by I prophesy disaster - February 03 2024 at 13:30

No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.

Originally posted by I prophesy disaster

I prophesy disaster wrote:

Logan wrote:

"Which is more progressive?" would I think have elicited more support for The Residents than they have had.

I don't actually buy into the distinction between "prog" and "progressive". To me, "prog" is simply an abbreviation of "progressive rock". As I said in the OP, this poll is not about preference between the two groups, but about what you think "prog" means, using the two groups as representative of two distinct meanings.

Although the poll result may be tainted by people voting for their preference instead of answering the actual question, I don't see the poll result as a win for Genesis, but rather as an indication that the people here tend to adopt the relatively narrow view of prog (although it is possible that I'm inferring too much from a vote of Genesis given that people may view Genesis as proggier than The Residents for a variety of reasons).

Although I would generally capitalise for this meaning, when I see the term proggy or proggiest that to me generally indicates being like the Prog-genre and most like the Prog genre. It is the old progressive (noun) vs. progressive (adjective) thing. This is an interesting topic to me and to see how how people answered/ approached this. To me progressive rock can have various connotations, and I often think of it as synonymous with unconventional rock, and The Residents would win that for me. It can be seen as rock without boundaries, non-generic, non-canonical, genre bending, genre-breaking, bring in anything rock. I got what you were asking/going for, however, which is more important to me than how I define in such cases, and did vote The Residents. Funny thing with the Prog term, which of course is short for Progressive Rock, is that the more codified as a genre it becomes, the less progressive as in it is the more generic.

You probably heard of them but did not store the information. I'd be very surprised for someone who joined in 2005 and has posted in the forums as much as you have that you would have never heard of The Residents. I knew of them years before I joined this site as they popular with several people at the sci-fi site (lexx.com as FunkET) I belonged to before joining this one. I had heard music by them before that from watching late-night music vids and UBC university radio. That said, I spend too long at this site so I read lot of topics on music from many people even if those topics do not automatically look to be of interest to me and I have the kind of brain that stores such things.

It is band that I have expected long time forum members with sizable posts counts (unless they stick to Just for Fun) to know of at the very least, but then I think you were not very active for years. And That is the kind of stuff I get wrong in my assumptions about again and again.

^ I was just surprised that you would not recognise the name because the band name does come up in threads, but not thinking you would recognise their music. But probably you have not read nearly as much at the forum as I do. I know plenty of names from every category here, including those that I am not keen on. I have spent too much time here.

They are pretty out there avant-prog (not RIO which is a specific thing). I would not expect you to like them. This is the first thing I saw from the band that I recall, and I would not expect you to know it or enjoy it.

Edited by Logan - February 04 2024 at 09:43

Logan wrote:

The four songs of the video come from "The Commercial Album". The story goes that The Residents paid a radio station for 40 one-minute advertising time slots to have the album played on the air. So, whereas one might think "The Commercial Album" is named ironically, in fact the album is literally 40 commercials.

No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.

Logan wrote:

Jared wrote:

^^ Oh dear God, not my thing at all, Greg!! Seriously, do people actually 'enjoy' music like this??

Sounds like a complete ordeal to me... Ouch

did manage to reach the end, though...

To me it's fun, weird in a good way, and interesting, and I prefer the music with the images. I have grown to appreciate The Residents nore and more over the years, but then the strange has always appealed to me. Eskimo was the breakthrough album for me about 20 years ago when I was more into experimental music than now. I like The Residents when it's more conventional musically often. This is a fave of mine:

Thanks for your dignified response, Greg and I'm sorry for my disrespectful outburst above... Embarrassed

I'm afraid I will always enjoy more conventional prog, with VDGG, KC and GG being on the periphery of my tastes in that regard. I'm pleased that you and others here find enjoyment in such idiosyncratic art, but now in my mid-50's, I seriously doubt I ever will. I will try to give your suggestions a listen, every once in a while... Smile

Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson

Genesis.

"PROG IS MY FERRARI".
Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Poll Question: Which of these groups is the proggiest?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Genesis	44	[77.19%]
The Residents	13	[22.81%]
You can not vote in this poll