Rednight wrote: Just don't have the money to invest in new prog .

Guldbamsen wrote: Skullhead: There are heaps upon heaps of modern day bands that sound like they're from the 70s: Agusa Electric Orange Wobbler Causa Sui I could on for a very long time but won't. There are thousands of these bands out there for those of you insist on living in the past (I do so as well but like to keep the line open to the future and beyond)

Agusa sounds better, doesn't sound processed, but the 4 minute intro of the same thing over and over just lost me.  Just not very interesting.

Electric Orange, 8 minutes of psychedelic noodling over straight 4 x 4 meter.  Pretty boring.  Just sounds like a recorded jam.

Wobbler sounds better than the others, but the metal sounding guitar doesn't sound authentic.  It has that modern crunch which feels desperately pandering to the prog metal crowd.  But it has a complexity that sounds interesting. 

Causa sounds like modern neo prog.  Nothing original about it. 

Wobbler wins for me of those.  With a guitar sound that sounded more 70's authentic, it would grab my vintage ear more.

What else we got?


Edited by Skullhead - January 26 2015 at 11:39

I think you are missing my point.

I can go out and see a classical music symphony and see 50 musicians using vintage instruments and no one is screaming "get over it with those archaic instruments"

Same thing for a classic jazz ensemble.  I see a nice acoustic piano, upright bass, trumpet, sax, maybe even some classic ES series Gibson guitar.  No one is complaining about it being retro and outdated.

Yet the idea of prog being created with similar instrumentation, everyone gets their panties in a wad because it's not changing with the times and being progressive.

I don't get it personally.

Classical and Jazz use instruments from the era when that style of music was most creative and in vogue.
Why can't prog follow a similar protocol?

The thing is that with DAW, with enough spare time and patience, anything can be done as far as editing, pitch shifters, copy and pasting, auto tune, etc.  When does an artist stop using it?

How were all these great albums done in the past without it? 

I get that they punched and used click tracks, but nothing like what is available today to artists.
So there seems to be this expectation of perfection far and beyond what is reasonably possible for a band to execute live.  Most rhythm tracks on modern releases are so tight they squeak.  It hurts my ears.  It just doesn't sound good and I can't connect to the artist when I hear it.
If I close my eyes, I visualize the artist copy and pasting sound files, I don't visualize then on a stage playing music. 

Roger Waters once made the comment that "if music doesn't move a person emotionally, what is the point?" 

Somehow the older prog seemed to blend emotion with chops and virtuosity much more seamlessly. 

It seems the DAW approach can give the illusion of chops that aren't really there in reality, and it also often takes away from the emotion for various reasons.  So it's often a lose - lose.  But that is just my take.  I know it's not most peoples take.

One of my ultimate favorite songs in prog history from the 70's to date is July Morning by Uriah Heep, from the start that Hammond Organ by Ken Hensley and David Byron vocals kill me, no matter how many times I hear it, everytime feels so special and good  Great guitaring and bass too awww and more awww and wow!

Skullhead wrote: I think you are missing my point. I can go out and see a classical music symphony and see 50 musicians using vintage instruments and no one is screaming "get over it with those archaic instruments" Same thing for a classic jazz ensemble.  I see a nice acoustic piano, upright bass, trumpet, sax, maybe even some classic ES series Gibson guitar.  No one is complaining about it being retro and outdated.

Skullhead wrote: Classical and Jazz use instruments from the era when that style of music was most creative and in vogue. Why can't prog follow a similar protocol?

I think the people who can pull off old style prog melodies with old style sound are the ones who aren't interested in music from the last 30 years. I have no problem thinking up busy bass lines, odd timed keys, brass and guitar and busy drums. You've got to think up fun, interesting and nice melodies to be a true progger

dr prog wrote: I think the people who can pull off old style prog melodies with old style sound are the ones who aren't interested in music from the last 30 years. I have no problem thinking up busy bass lines, odd timed keys, brass and guitar and busy drums. You've got to think up fun, interesting and nice melodies to be a true progger

Do you like Allan Holdsworth?

Any of the more recent King Crimson stuff? Construction of Light etc?


Edited by Skullhead - January 27 2015 at 02:18

Don't mind Holdsworth but he's a bit monotonous though. He's cool with gong and tony Williams

Edited by dr prog - January 27 2015 at 04:46

Skullhead wrote: I don't have an issue with what bands do.  It's their music, and I'm sure they are all doing what they think is best for their music. But I do wonder if there is interest from the prog community in music made in the tradition of the 1970's.  Clearly the 70's prog is going to be at the top of any best of prog list.  I just don't understand why it is so difficult to re create that vibe in the music?  But my feeling is that if a band actually did that, they would be panned by the prog community for being out of touch, out of time, outdated etc.  But the same people who would write them off still love all the old stuff.

I have to disagree with you on the bolded part. A lot of prog fans are firmly stuck in the past (no offense intended), and will rave about anything that sounds like the classics. Those who, like me, actually want the genre to move forward (as its original name implies) are in the minority.

Anyway, I agree with what David wrote in his post. It seems to me that you (and the others who agree with you) have already decided that no prog produced after the '70s will match anything from that era. Therefore, offering suggestions becomes a bit of a pointless exercise.

Personally, as much as I love the classics (and I grew with them, like many others on this board), I realize that era is gone and will never come back, so I have developed a keen appreciation of the new directions progressive rock has been taking in the past few years. However, I realize we are all different, and that everyone has a right to his/her own tastes - even if this "living in the past" attitude may well mean the end of this vibrant modern scene.