25 bands I like. Choose a least/less liked by you

^ I have a strong feeling there are other bands on your list that I'd dislike even more than the Swans - such as Art Zoyd, Mr. Bungle & Univers Zero for instance - but I'm not familiar enough with their albums to vote for them. 

^ Yes, it's the first three albums by the Swans that I disliked most of all. Life is too short to listen to a full album by Art Zoyd, Mr. Bungle or Univers Zero, so I can't really compare them. 

^ Sadly, I haven't made any YouTube playlists for over two years, ever since YouTube deleted three of my six Prog Britannia channels without warning or explanation. 

An important thing to me is to be fair to an artist/ band, which means if making overall claims of the worth of the material one should be sufficiently familiar with the oeuvre (collected works) to be able to justify it. A limited superficial listening commonly won't cut it. And sometimes in some cases it does take time to acclimate to the music, and can depend on one's mood, and may require multiple listenings to really absorb the music. I would rather start with an artist where I have reason to believe that the music will most suit me, and then other music by the band might open up to me.

Some are too prone to generalisations, too prone to quickly judging artists and styles, and giving and thinking in specifics can help give comprehensible meaning to the claims and feelings. Like if one were saying that x band with many releases over the years with diversity sucks or is not for you based on listening to too limited material. Many artists change style over time, learn new skills, try new things (for good, neutral or ill depending on the listener).

^^ Your musical tastes are much more adventurous than mine. I generally avoid anything that's labelled as Avant Prog or Zeuhl.  

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - June 02 2024 at 23:27

^Nothing about Magma is avant-prog. Constant repetition, what Magma play (Zeuhl), is not a trait that defines avant. Complex, weird, and constantly changing rhythms, nuances, and time signatures define avant-prog.

Mellotron Storm wrote: If Zeuhl wasn't a sub-genre where would Magma fit best?

Eclectic. But I would label it Shrieky Trance Opera.

Grumpyprogfan wrote: Mellotron Storm wrote: If Zeuhl wasn't a sub-genre where would Magma fit best? Eclectic. But I would label it Shrieky Trance Opera.

Eclectic would fit Magma, of course Zeuhl is just category based on a Kobaian word by Magma for various inspired and similar bands. Many of those could fit in the RIO/Avant Prog category, and some JRF. Magma has played in RIO fests and inspired RIO bands (Art Zoyd for instance) and so it could be in RIO/Avant Prog too. It could be in JRF, especially for the early albums.... Shrieky is an aspect sometimes when Christian Vander is singing, especially when he seems to be doing Hitler impersonation. Said it in another post, but to me Magma really peaked with its debut album from 1970, which I think is such and audacious, adventurous, exuberant, eclectic album that still sounds fresh and exiting to me today. And I find Vander such an accomplished drummer. Still wows me to this day. And I do think it so masterful compared to the vast number of debuts in PA, including those classics of Prog such as Genesis, Yes, Rush, not to mention later ones like Dream Theater etc.

Of course to each his or own, but I think Magma is brilliant across its career (even if the debut is my favourite) and so good live. I have 20 or so Magma albums (live and studio), and I think some complaints I have heard are absurd reductions and hyperbolic when it comes to Magma. And a lot of serious musicians respect Magma and its leader Chistian Vander. To me it is one of the greatest bands in PA and has proved itself over the years both with its studio albums and live concerts. Of course I'm biased.

Grumpyprogfan wrote: Mellotron Storm wrote: If Zeuhl wasn't a sub-genre where would Magma fit best? Eclectic. But I would label it Shrieky Trance Opera.

That makes sense to me.

Speaking of avant-prog, I'm seeing the Flying Luttenbachers tomorrow.