testosterone orientated music

 I first discovered Floyd (dsotm), Yes(Awaken) and Genesis (Nursery Crymes) at the tender age of 12, via a friend's father's LP collection. It was 1980 and little did I know, the dawn of the most artistically devoid decade since the dark ages. Throughout my teenage years I clung desperately to the heavenly sounds and expanded my knowledge of music, while all about me raved about the latest Spandau Ballet/Duran drivel.

 I was not entirely on my own in this, and like most fans of elite (unfashionable) music I set about meeting people of a like mind. I soon discovered a rather disturbing side to prog and it is this aspect I would like to discuss:  CHICKS DON'T DIG IT!!

Everytime I'd whip out my Tales from Topographic it would be "Haven't you got the new Wham/Kajagoogoo etc." Any girlfriend worth keeping would require "grooming" in the ways of prog. I lost my virginity to Close to the edge, but she said it was putting her off! I Get Up, I Get Down, it's not brain surgery.

It has been said that Genesis turned coat with "Follow You, Follow Me", as that was the first single by the band that turned the female ear, thus doubling their potential fan base.  

Is prog testosterone driven, or is it a right brain/left brain thing, or what? Are there any female prog fans out there? (By which I mean females who discovered prog other than via a boyfriend and/or genuinely love it?)

Hope no one takes me for a sexist. I'd love to hear from fans who can proove me wrong, or if not at least suggest reasons for this phenomenom?

Where's Tauhd? We could get her perspective. I do agree, most women do not care for Prog or music that you can't dance to. Thsi is a similar thread at the Holdsworth site. Chicks at a FUSION gig are basically, "rare."

Jim "twinkle toes" Garten may have some valuable information since he spends sooo much time writhing about the nubile young hard bodies, whilst flogging his whippet on the dance floor of the local Techno establishment.  

Well, so I'm a Lucky Man!

I know a lot of girls who loves PROG, I personally know the webmaster (woman) of Le Orme site!

Oh yeah, Italy is a very strange place to live on...

My wife is a music teacher, (she teaches voice) and she likes a lot of stuff by Focus, Gentle Giant and stuff like that. Sometimes when Ihave someonee over who is into these bands I get her to sing along to a madrigal in a Gentle Giant track and it freaks them out. Should hear her do Hocus Pocus!

Hmmmm.......

I have long had the feeling that music, no matter the genre, effects people first and foremost at the emotional level.  I think this is true even for the most intellectual of jazz fans, classical music aficionados or progholes in general.  The older I get, the more experience I embrace, the more truthful this becomes to me.

No matter how much we intellectualize our music appreciation after we accept it on the emotional level, this seems to hold true.

I'm starting to think that our music loves are involved with how our brains are wired through birth and through early environment; simply because of the complete inability of some people to be able to appreciate, say THE JAZZ MESSENGERS, J. S. BACH or KING CRIMSON.  Just as many progholes are unable to tolerate what to us are the inanities of pop music or hip-hop.

In fact, I believe there is a doctoral thesis there for someone willing to do the research.

 

raggy wrote: To a great degree I believe you are correct in this belief, but in what way does it explain the apparent inaccessibility of (noncomercial) prog to the fairer sex?

Why do the "fairer sex" statistically tend to have more problems with math skills than do males with equal levels of education?

Current theory says it's a combination of genetics and environment.  Just the same as I theorized concerning ability to assimilate certain types of music.

There are women who "get" prog, just as there are women who "get" mathematics.  But the statistics seem to say that more women don't "get" math than otherwise.  Experience suggests the same scenario in the music realm.

 

I know a girl who likes two GG tracks. "Think of me with kindness" and "aspirations", of course.....

I know females, huge fans of Yes and Gong, but they didn't discover them by themselves. One of them is a true genius, another one has listened to diverse music (rock and classic in particular) since she was young. Coincidence or not? I'm not really sure, but I believe that a part (how big?) of the female population has a trigger to understand or like progmusic or similar. I'll guess that the part of the male population with this trigger is greater than the female. But, is it hormons or intellectuallity? Both, perhaps....

My dear departed sister loved Yes, Floyd, Elp etc but could not tear her freinds away from Tiffany, New Kids On The Block or any of those pretty boy bands with some blond haired pimple jocky.Back in the early nineties i actually got into one of her freinds bedrooms(what a babe!!!)AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT COLOUR IT WAS DECKED OUT IN.........PINK..DAMMMIT,FLIPPIN PINK!!! AND WITH EVERY BOY BAND UNDER THE SUN AT THAT TIME PLASTERED OVER THE WALLS!!!AND WHEN I TREID TO TURN HER ONTO PROG(DARK SIDE OF THE MOON!)DO YOU KNOW WHAT SHE SAID.............."WHATS THAT TRIANGLE THING WITH THE COLOURS COMING OUT OF IT ON THE COVER"...YOU GADDA BE KIDDIN ME!!!!

EVENTUALLY!!

DID YOU NOTICE THE THREE M'S IN DAMMIT (sorry, it is hard enough to read everyone elses entries let alone my own)

Edited by dude