Prog Band you tried to get in to , but can't.

Gentle Giant after Octopus (or actually, almost besides their first two albums).

ForestFriend wrote: Jeffro wrote: I really don't give a flying fornicate whether a band lacks soul or is derivative. What matters most is do I like the music. Is it pleasing to my ears. Do I connect with it or does it effect me in some emotional way.  I don't get why some people dismiss bands for reasons that go beyond, and have nothing at all to do with, the enjoyment of the music. I can't imagine hearing a song that I like but then dismissing it because it lacks soul.  I suppose if someone says a band "lacks soul", it could be their way of saying they can't connect emotionally with the music. Granted, I've noticed a trend (especially amongst musicians, most likely jealous ones) for people to dismiss anything on the basis of it being too fast or complex, which I think is stupid. There's more to emotion than a slow blues. I do agree about the derivative comment... It seems on here, as soon as a band uses a Mellotron and a Hammond organ they're retro prog. But it's fine if they're using heavy distorted guitars because no prog band has ever done that before...

Edited by Jeffro - November 15 2019 at 06:53

M27Barney wrote: What is derivative and what isnt? To dimiss every symphonic prog realease after 1977 as derivative is ludicrous. People are mistaking INFLUENCE for DERIVATION in these arguments...surely...

Jeffro wrote: BarryGlibb wrote: I do give a flying f***. If a band is derivative, then I will not enjoy the music. Pretty simple really.   I truly can't wrap my brain around that. Anything derivative is unenjoyable to you? Does that apply beyond music?

Gong is one I've had trouble with in the past. Does any know a good place to start with them?

Mortte wrote: YESESIS wrote: Gong is one I've had trouble with in the past. Does any know a good place to start with them? If I remember correct, I have recommended "You" to you. If you find it too calm album, then you can try "Camembert Electrique". To me Gentle Giant is the only band from classic prog bands that I just can´t get into at all. I have tried many times. Not a big fan of ELP too, but they have some really great songs. Also I don´t like much new prog, specially heavy prog is not my piece of cake (can´t stand Dream Theater, only band I like is Opeth).

Gong's You is my favourite, plus the rest of the Radio Gnome Invisible albums, Angel's Egg and Flying Teapot. I like Angel's Egg about as much as You. I;m guessing you would have tried You as that's one of the most acclaimed albums. These are the tracks that made me fall big-time for Gong:

You can be quite calm, I love this:



Then crazier and more energetic, like this:



Always best to listen to albums from start to finish though.

As for Gentle Giant, Mortte, I guess you've tried their early albums. My favourite is Acquiring the Taste.

As for Dream Theater, I quite like "Ytse Jam" off the debut since it reminds me of Spinal Tap's "Rock 'n Roll Creation", but that's about it. I'm not a big one for heavy prog or metal, although there are classic heavy prog bands that I do like very much.

It's been a long time since I tried to get into a band but couldn't, but I had some difficulty with Can when I started with it some time before I joined this site. I grew to love Can after getting Soundtracks, and then grew to appreciate more albums. And Thinking Plague back then... I really didn't like In Extremis, but then I got the Early Plague Years compilation and loved that. I can't think of any that I really tried to get into that I didn't find at least a level of success.

I rarely try to get into albums, and I try not to judge bands without hearing a fair amount of material across albums if the band has much material, and without researching the discography. I can usually tell if any album is likely to interest me early on. Sometimes it needs little time and space for the moment when I'm in the right mode. I can think of quite a few albums that I grew to love that didn't do very much for me at first (maybe cause I was in the wrong mode or particularly into another style at the time). I do like to try to give band's a fair ear even if it's not really my thing (sometimes down the road it has been my thing), and again, I try not to judge a band harshly based on too limited listening. Quite a few times I've seen people express utter disdain for acts without much exploration or based on first impressions, and then later on after exploring more music by the act their tune was changed. Id rather feel knowledgeable enough to make value-judgments (even if those judgments are just based on my taste which says nothing about the objective quality of the music).

Mortte wrote: Logan wrote: Mortte wrote: YESESIS wrote: Gong is one I've had trouble with in the past. Does any know a good place to start with them? If I remember correct, I have recommended "You" to you. If you find it too calm album, then you can try "Camembert Electrique". To me Gentle Giant is the only band from classic prog bands that I just can´t get into at all. I have tried many times. Not a big fan of ELP too, but they have some really great songs. Also I don´t like much new prog, specially heavy prog is not my piece of cake (can´t stand Dream Theater, only band I like is Opeth). Gong's You is my favourite, plus the rest of the Radio Gnome Invisible albums, Angel's Egg and Flying Teapot. I like Angel's Egg about as much as You. I;m guessing you would have tried You as that's one of the most acclaimed albums. These are the tracks that made me fall big-time for Gong: You can be quite calm, I love this: Then crazier and more energetic, like this: Always best to listen to albums from start to finish though. As for Gentle Giant, Mortte, I guess you've tried their early albums. My favourite is Acquiring the Taste. As for Dream Theater, I quite like "Ytse Jam" off the debut since it reminds me of Spinal Tap's "Rock 'n Roll Creation", but that's about it. I'm not a big one for heavy prog or metal, although there are classic heavy prog bands that I do like very much. It's been a long time since I tried to get into a band but couldn't, but I had some difficulty with Can when I started with it some time before I joined this site. I grew to love Can after getting Soundtracks, and then grew to appreciate more albums. And Thinking Plague back then... I really didn't like In Extremis, but then I got the Early Plague Years compilation and loved that. I can't think of any that I really tried to get into that I didn't find at least a level of success. I rarely try to get into albums, and I try not to judge bands without hearing a fair amount of material across albums if the band has much material, and without researching the discography. I can usually tell if any album is likely to interest me early on. Sometimes it needs little time and space for the moment when I'm in the right mode. I can think of quite a few albums that I grew to love that didn't do very much for me at first (maybe cause I was in the wrong mode or particularly into another style at the time). I do like to try to give band's a fair ear even if it's not really my thing (sometimes down the road it has been my thing), and again, I try not to judge a band harshly based on too limited listening. Quite a few times I've seen people express utter disdain for acts without much exploration or based on first impressions, and then later on after exploring more music by the act their tune was changed. Id rather feel knowledgeable enough to make value-judgments (even if those judgments are just based on my taste which says nothing about the objective quality of the music). I really love the whole Radio Gnome-trilogy, also Flying Teapot! Yes, I have tried four first Gentle albums, only song that I like is Wreck. Also I have listened music so long, that I can tell quite soon, will I like some music. But I tried Gentle Giant many times, because many here say it would open me more listenings. No it didn´t. Can Soundtracks is my big favourite with Tago Mago.

Yep, that and Tago Mago are my Can faves too. As for Gentle Giant, my favourite off Acquiring the Taste probably is "The Moon is Down". I also love "Pantagruel's Nativity" and "The House, the Street, the Room". Least favourite may be "Plain Truth". I used to adore GG, but then I got totally sick of the band. I can happily listen to various GG music now, but it's not something I readily return to. It's a band that for years I put in the "I used to love, and now I don't anymore category." Unlike say VdGG and Magma, and Gong, which I discovered at the same time and remained interested in. I still like GG considerably, but it doesn't strike me as nearly as great as I once thought (but then I was a major fanboy at one time, overplayed it, and discovered a lot more music after that).

YESESIS wrote: ^ Ok I just listen to You all the way through twice lol. Good stuff, I also really like the track 'A Sprinkling of Clouds' 'A Perfect Mystery' is good too but short. Right now listening to Soundtracks by Can, 'Tango Whiskeyman' is cool has kind of a 60's vibey kind of vibe. Good stuff all around man. Edit: 'Don't Turn the Light on, Leave Me Alone' is pretty groovy too.

Great you have gone into Can, I believe you will have great times with them, I still listen their albums every now and then, because I have started listen them more somewhere 2000`s ( before that I used to have only Monster Movie in the cassette). Mostly listened albums I´ve recommended earlier. Also, if you want to listen some more Gong, listen those other Radio Gnome-albums, they´re all great!

Edited by Mortte - December 24 2019 at 23:27

YESESIS wrote: ^ Well I love ELP and GG but if you don't then.. oh well it is what it is, we all like what we like. Hey! I just listened to Angels Egg all the way through. That was good! I liked it better than You, definitely. The only track on the whole thing that I didn't care for was 'Selene' and I was jammin' out big time to 'I Never Glid Before' Wow, I'm a little blown away by that album actually. Wasn't expecting it to be that good and that's for sure. What a pleasant surprise!

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - December 25 2019 at 19:41