most overrated alleged prog rock band

flowerchild wrote: Dream Theatre (if they are prog...)...

first learn to spell them right

There is a rather easy way to settle this entire debate. Instead of arguing what band is overrated, underrated, too weird, too technical, too metal, not "prog" enough... Why don't we just put an end to prog-rock for good!

That's right, no more prog...just punk and adult alternative music for everyone (and of course rap!) No more arguments on who is and who isn't prog... no one is prog anymore! Problem solved 

But seriously... this thread just shows how pretentious and pompous we prog listeners are...I admit I do my fair share of bashing certain prog bands for not being up to snuff, for not being "prog" enough for me to listen to them constantly....and then I turn on MTV or VH1 and realize the sorry state our music industry is in. I'll take a crappy prog band over anything on TV right about now.

I bet from an outsider's point of view, all of us prog-listeners must seem like a very strange bunch> If we love our music so much and feel so elite, then why do we spend most of our times either 1.) forcing our opinions on others about who isn't prog ("All prog-metal isn't prog at all! It's just metal that's...not...yeah!!) and 2.) Trying to prove why one band or another is "more prog" than another... I know of NO OTHER music fans of any other genre that fight as much as we do (before the backlashing, I am aware that other fans of other genres do fight over bands... being a former fan of punk music I know the scene is pretty ruthless when it comes to being 'punk enough' or not).

Anyways...I don't think any prog band is overrated in the grand scheme of things. If Spock's Beard is a steaming pile of turds to us, then what does that make the likes of Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, ANY RAPPER, all emo music, etc.? Are they more tolerable and listenable than Spock's Beard? The answer for me is no.

All these attacks on the prog world by ourselves, the listeners, is wearing thin, and I must confess that if things don't shape up around here I will be forced to no longer return to these forums, as music is a thing that I cherish. Music is my life. And I don't need some old prog snob yelling at me and telling me Dream Theater isn't prog enough and that I should be ashamed for listening to them; I'm ashamed at that man for having such a bitter outlook on his music.

(For the record, I liked Octvarium very much )


Edited by Deadwing12

Borealis wrote: Neo-prog...

Just LOVE that sort of comment in a thread like this!!!

Wormboy wrote: Garion81 wrote: Then you will be happy to know that Two  For the Show is being Remastered this year and will include Closet Chronicals that was left off the orginal CD release. The reunion album the did in 2000 with Kerry Livgren writting all the material was a pretty good album.  You might look into Poto-Kaw who take the raw writting of Livgren and add a bunch of improv using sax/flute, organ and guitar.  Lots more raw and the new CD coming out in Sept should have more of that feel to it.   Thanks! The funny thing is that "Closet Chronicles" is on my original vinyl, which I transferred to tape.  I never got the CD :( Maybe I should do so after this re-release. I've heard some poto-kaw on satellite radio, and it didn't move me.  Seemed sort of sterile.  but I've been meaning to listen to some clips online...

All the samples I have heard online are fairly striaghfoward and mainstream. There are three cuts on BBA like that.  If you want some meat and potatoes let me know ie PM me.

bluetailfly wrote: geezer wrote: Trouserpress wrote: One could actually argue more successfully that King Crimson, Zappa, Yes, Floyd or indeed any other "BIG" names in the prog world are overrated though. In fact, I'm almost inclined to agree those who do, as long as they're not saying that merely because they don't like them at all. Personally, I acknowledge the huge impact such names have had in prog, and indeed the wider world of music, but most people must get a little fed up once in a while with the seemingly ceaseless praise and EXPOSURE they get, thus getting in the way of talking about the slightly lesser well known musicmakers. None of them have had a perfect track record, just like any practicioner of any art form. This doesn't mean to say they're not vastly important, and indeed essential, but perhaps some people do actually rate them RATHER TOO HIGHLY. Yes, I agree complitely with you. It's very confusing to see all the praise these "big" names get. I think that most of "big" prog bands are very worthy of the praise they get. I believe in praising artists for achieving excellent work, even if they really have no idea how powerfully their music has impacted the world. Artist/musicians, imo, are the modern-day equivalent of magicians and shapeshifters and when they unleash the power that creating music can evoke, I say they are worthy of high praise (I won't say worship, but it approaches it).

I believe in that too, bluetail, but I feel too often these lucky few get idolised and steal the glory from other groups who deserve as much praise as them. The point I'm making is that there's a big difference between disliking a band and suggesting they're overrated. Example:

I adore Yes. When Yes are good (and yeah, there have been recent times when they have been good) they are untouchable. However, they've also produced some sh*t in their time. I own almost all their albums and a couple of DVDs - I'm even registered on the Yesfans forum! HOWEVER - Yes are overrated. People talk about their more mediocre work as if it were superior to countless smaller band's masterpieces and the reason why is because it's Yes. Bands as big as Yes are incapable of being criticised honestly and fairly any more. All you'll see is one person saying they love them and another saying they're rubbish. The fact is that Yes recorded some prog rock masterpieces but that doesn't mean to say their other output should be judged in a more lenient manner. When you get fans trying to argue that Big Generator isn't actually such a bad album, or that 90125 is progressive... well, that's what I mean by overrated.

Garion81 wrote: Then you will be happy to know that Two  For the Show is being Remastered this year and will include Closet Chronicals that was left off the orginal CD release. The reunion album the did in 2000 with Kerry Livgren writting all the material was a pretty good album.  You might look into Poto-Kaw who take the raw writting of Livgren and add a bunch of improv using sax/flute, organ and guitar.  Lots more raw and the new CD coming out in Sept should have more of that feel to it.

Thanks!

The funny thing is that "Closet Chronicles" is on my original vinyl, which I transferred to tape.  I never got the CD :( Maybe I should do so after this re-release.

I've heard some poto-kaw on satellite radio, and it didn't move me.  Seemed sort of sterile.  but I've been meaning to listen to some clips online...

Wormboy wrote: Not really fair to Kansas, IMO.  They do some good music.  Not great, but good, and clearly progressive. But, I must confess that I never liked Kansas studio albums--I always found them kind of sterile, though a couple of individual songs are OK.  But what makes Kansas for me is the live album "Two for the show", which is far more energetic than any of their studio material.  They are very tight and crisp on this album, but still have a lot of energy.  Frankly, it brings all of their songs alive.  So, I think they are much better live than studio. But then they went the ex-prog pop route, like Yes did....  The less said about that the better.

 

Then you will be happy to know that Two  For the Show is being Remastered this year and will include Closet Chronicals that was left off the orginal CD release.

The reunion album the did in 2000 with Kerry Livgren writting all the material was a pretty good album.  You might look into Poto-Kaw who take the raw writting of Livgren and add a bunch of improv using sax/flute, organ and guitar.  Lots more raw and the new CD coming out in Sept should have more of that feel to it.

 

 

Not really fair to Kansas, IMO.  They do some good music.  Not great, but good, and clearly progressive.


But, I must confess that I never liked Kansas studio albums--I always found them kind of sterile, though a couple of individual songs are OK.  But what makes Kansas for me is the live album "Two for the show", which is far more energetic than any of their studio material.  They are very tight and crisp on this album, but still have a lot of energy.  Frankly, it brings all of their songs alive.  So, I think they are much better live than studio.

But then they went the ex-prog pop route, like Yes did....  The less said about that the better.

JCProg wrote: Bj-1 wrote: King Crimson and Zappa are gods!! Talk about proving the point...

hehe

Bj-1 wrote: FishyMonkey wrote: Somehow my other psot got deletd, so I'll say it again. Genesis. The ysound like a cheap YES clone with some other stuff thrown in. I only like Supper's Ready and The Cinema Show, the rest just bore me. Firth of Fifth sounds like a cheap Awaken clone, Dancing With the Moonlit Knight...bleh, don't like it. And trust me I've tried to get into them. "Firth of Fifth sounds like a cheap Awaken clone"??? What have you smoked?? Your socks??? arrgghhh!!

I know neither Firth of Fifth nor Awaken ... there's so much stuff one should know, but who's got the time to listen through ALL of that? The other guy obviously got the timeline confused, I don't think it is that big a mistake. Although he should come forward and admit it. But the mistake is not as big as if someone called Yes a cheap Spock's Beard clone

Edited by MikeEnRegalia