Your attitude towards Neo-prog?

Slaughternalia wrote: Marillion is awesome, and that's pretty much as far as the genre goes

Incorrect.

Eloy82 wrote: Noak wrote: Marillion makes me want to puke. I've given the genre many chances, and it keeps failing on me. I don't doubt that there is some Neo-Prog album which I might enjoy, but so far I haven't found it. IQ - Subterranea You're welcome. Oh, and Arena's "visitor" album. You're welcome again.

Not being a fan of "melodic rock" certainly doesn't help not being a fan of the genre.  I am the opposite and prefer "melodic rock" so I am mainly a fan of symphonic prog (especially The Flower Kings). If repeated listens don't make you a fan than you probably won't ever become one.  I personally don't get King Crimson (except their debut) and Gentle Giant despite numerous listens.  IQ's Frequency took me 5 or 6 listens before I loved it. 

To some that will be why it is unappealing, but I had no particular preconceptions about Neo-Prog before trying Neo-Prog music.  I'd never heard of Neo-Prog before checking out music.  Actually, I guess I did have preconeceptions, just not based on what others said, but based on the classic prog I liked and knew already I had certain prog expectations and it sounded watered down to me with AORish (melodic rock) elements and arena rock type characteristics in some music. 

I had big disappointments at the time when trying more modern symph included bands that I had read good things about as well: Spock's Beard (had heard it likened to Gentle Giant which I loved then) and Flower Kings I really disliked and bought albums of without hearing.  Perhaps hearing a lot more negativity about Neo Prog after my dislike from hearing the music reinforced negative feelings I had for the category.

That said, I've listened to scarce few albums, and know that for me it is often best to listen to music that I am unaccustomed to using headphones without distraction to really experience it.  I've said or felt fairly negative things about a few albums that I grew to love which I hadn't listened to properly (in the right conditions, which ideally should include not having the kids yelling at me). For some reason, for instance, I hadn't thought Offering good, but then I really listened to it and loved it.  Can's Tago Mago I initially thought too amateurish-sounding, but with subsequent listens I grew to love it.  Henry Cow's Western Culture took more than one spin to really click etc.  For a category which encompasses the kind of music one is not used to, it can take a while for the brain's wiring to re-adjust before the person can get interested in it.  Often there's good gateway music to help a person on that journey.  When I was new to this forum I asked for Neo-Prog recommendations and got some excellent ones based on my then tastes.  I was recommended Discipline's Unfolded Like Staircase (It was subsequently moved to Symph) as  a good gateway, and it was a good recommendation.  So was The Watch.  An album I like where the artist is included in Neo Prog is Marc Ceccotti's Sometimes Around Saturn (I don't love it, but I do like it, but I don't think it's really Neo Prog itself even if it has some Neo Prog elements.  I quite like Edhels, a Neo Prog band, which features Marc Ceccotti.

There is music that I think of  high quality in Neo-Prog that has qualities that simply does not personally appeal.

There is music I have discovered that I like inlcuded in every category, including Neo-Prog (music that is not so Neo-Prog by artists included in Neo-Prog), but it seems to me that the qualities that seem to indicate that music is Neo-Prog are not qualities that appeal to my ears.  It doesn't help that I'm not a so-called "melodic rock" fan, and that I'm not a big Symphonic Prog fan.  When I discovered Neo-Prog, I was big on  alot of classic Symph, but my tastes moved in other directions (still like Symph qualities in music).  I tended to gravitate towards more eclectic and avant oriented music (favourite styles in PA include chamber rock/ music, acid folk and kinds of jazz-rock, Kosmische/ electronic/ Krautrock, Canterbury Scene.... I also love musique concrete, Tropica, jazz, experimental generally, psychadelic, folk, and classical music, as well as "world" music.  I like  a lot of pop, erspecially 60's French pop.

For me, my lack of enjoyment wasn't about Neo-Prog being derivative, but being of a style, or referencing styles that don't appeal.  I think it would be very interesting to correlate the music we like with other arts (favourite films, literature, paintings etc.) and with non- so called Prog forms of music we like.

When I discovered this site I used the mp3 lists to discover a lot of music -- I would go through the lists and discovered s much new to music that was great, but Neo_prog did not seem to fit my tastes.

I don't think Neo-Prog is bad, and I don't think what I like is objectively good in large part, but the music does not speak to me -- I am not inclined towards it.  It seems to largely be outside the kinds of music that I am accustomed to or would want to grow into. My ear is not trained to enjoy such music easily.  Ever since I can remember, I've liked "quirky" music (and not because others I knew liked it, but becuase I related to it at some level  - it communicated with me).  If Neo-Prog resonates with some people, great.  I don't think the majority here would like a lot of the music I love.

I know that I have expressed that I think Neo-Prog too unsophisticated before, but I can love simple music and don't consider prog that sophisticated to begin with (though some is quite complex).

I have learned to never judge the quality of a prog cd's by his genre. There is some excellent neo-prog like there is some excellent RIO/avant-garde also. I am always open to listen to any genre, as long as the quality is there. And i want to listen to as much as possible genre to avoid being bore by the music.  

I don't understand what the big deal is about Marillion... they are OK but that's it.

I'll take any better known neo prog band over them any day. If neo prog is judged solely based on Marillion, my fellow neo proggers and I are in trouble :(

Noak wrote: Marillion makes me want to puke. I've given the genre many chances, and it keeps failing on me. I don't doubt that there is some Neo-Prog album which I might enjoy, but so far I haven't found it.

IQ - Subterranea

You're welcome.

Oh, and Arena's "visitor" album.

You're welcome again.

1791 Overture wrote: Apparently, a lot of people really hate the genre, and I've never been able to figure out why. Is it because it's considered "watered-down" progressive music? The cheesy 80's synths used at its inception? Not enough folk, jazz, or avant-noise? Personally, I think it's one of the best genres of popular music around because of its strict focus on excellent songwriting as its only hook. It uses prog elements in a smart and conservative way and devotes itself to those elements of prog that were developed uniquely as part of the genre, rather than borrowed from others. I also enjoy how it has become heavier recently, embracing a blend of grit and sophistication that prog metal attempted but in my opinion never really realized. The bass is generally highly melodic yet very forceful, which is one of my favorite aspects of rock music. The tendency toward a conceptual and professional atmosphere is the icing on the cake. So, what do you guys think? I know there are quite a few reviewers here who like it, but I don't know if it's as universally accepted as "good" music as, say, Zeuhl or RIO, which I think is unfair.

I'm with you. I love neo prog. Been a fan of Arena, Pallas, IQ, Pendragon, etc. for years... Thanks to the good noobaronis at this site, I've gotten introduced to some other great neo prog bands.

I've heard people say that they don't like the genre because these bands are redoing something and aren't original. I couldn't care less about this "accusation." If something is redone well, who cares? And I even doubt the accusation is correct to begin with in most cases.

I love Twelfth Night, though I don't really think of them as neo-prog. Live At The Target certainly isn't neo-prog, and the Geoff Mann era is stellar and edgier than what Marillion, Pallas, Pendragon and I.Q. were doing at the time. Lyrically and vocally, Mann had a leg up on those other singers. Then Andy Sears came in as lead vocalist for the Art & Illusion mini-album and I'd say that's neo-prog. After that, they went more or less mainstream amd even got a short-lived contract with a CBS subsidiary before the label folded and the contract got deep-sixed.