Why old prog - for me - is better than new prog

The issue for me is, I rarely find the inspiration and brilliance of ideas which the old classics had in their prime. I mean, when I listen to songs like The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging, The Lamia, Trilogy, Long Distance Runaround and tens or even hundreds of others... it's not the analog sound or the technical wizardy which captivates me, it's just that I think "how the hell could they come up with something like this?!". It's the mix of originality and straight brilliance of the compositions which really amazes me, then as the icing in the cake comes that those guys were excellent players and the sound is natural and warm, but these are only accessories. It's the inspiration they had which amazes me.

And, I say very sadly, in modern prog I find many good music, sometimes original, sometimes with great skill, sometimes with good sound... but very very rarely do I find that kind of brilliant inspiration. In the 70s some of the known names released an album and you could buy it with confidence, many times you made a great purchase. In the last years I have spent quite a lot of money in albums I finally do not listen to because even if they are good, they don't really inspire me, and I become more and more wary of spending money in modern prog, I tend to listen to what I can in bandcamp, progstreaming etc, but not so much buying I must admit, because I'm afraid it's a waste of money, something I will not listen to anymore within one year, it's just adding jewel cases to my collection.

A proof that the key was 'inspiration' and not the competence of the musicians is that those same musicians who made all those great albums in the 70s, for the biggest part have been unable to produce comparable music once the muse of the time and the place and the spirit was gone. It's not enough being a good musician, you need to be touched by the muses in order to produce real masterpieces. And for whatever reason, the muses are not busy with prog right now. But kudos to the modern bands who try, we need them.

And yet, when I see them playing Heart Of The Sunrise or And You And I, I can't help a smile on my face and thinking 'what a great song this was'

My first real musical love was Pink Floyd, but instead of captivating me in a craving for a particular sound it's continued to push me into new and untried areas of music: electronic because of Rick Wright, avantguarde and Krautrock because of Ummagumma, metal because of the riff from In The Flesh, folk and all of it's compatriots because of albums like More and Obscured by Clouds. 

In fact, I see my own history with music like a tree with huge and intricate branches - all of it starting out in the roots where Floyd resides. 

....and because discovery more than often leads to new discoveries, this tree will likely see space before I snuff it.

                  Recordings from the older period have a certain atmosphere (or what some call a "vibe") that is missing from the newer ones. 

                      Now, some may like the atmosphere created in newer music more than old, and I am ok with that. To each his or her own, I guess.

                        In classical music, as well, atmosphere plays a VERY important role in my appreciation of it, and I love Historical recordings (those recorded before 1960) mainly because of the inimitable one created in recordings of the 1930s, 1940s, etc.

                      This is my slant on things, and it is just me, and I am no more right or wrong about it than anybody else, I guess.

 

excellent - the only thing missing would be the inventive intriguing lyrics, the sense of humor, the keyboards, gabriel's voice, the slow build to a climactic finish, the soul,

 

 

but other than than - it'd be pure Genesis