PA's Battle to Stardom A7: VDGG v. The Mars Volta
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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Polls
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51855
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Topic: PA's Battle to Stardom A7: VDGG v. The Mars Volta
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Subject: PA's Battle to Stardom A7: VDGG v. The Mars Volta
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 06:59
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A battle of the ages! The daring and innovative Hammill and his crew against easily one of the most innovative prog bands of today. Both can be known for inaccessibility to certain audiences, but the similarities most likely stop there. Which will advance from this epic battle? Who do you like more and why? Please: If you are not familiar with one or both of the band's material, I urge that you use the links provided and at least listen to the samples on their respective pages. VDGG's PA page: ../artist.asp?id=90 - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=343 - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=343 TMV's PA page: http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=1033 - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=1033 As always, discussions are encouraged. Recap: Round 1 A1: A2: A3: Emerson, Lake and Palmer v. A4: A5: Can v. A6: A1: forum_posts.asp?TID=51423&PN=2 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51423&PN=2 A2: forum_posts.asp?TID=51492&PN=1 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51492&PN=1 A3: forum_posts.asp?TID=51567&PN=1 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51567&PN=1 A4: forum_posts.asp?TID=51630&PN=1 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51630&PN=1 A5: forum_posts.asp?TID=51711&PN=1 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51711&PN=1 A6: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51778 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51778 ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: Astrodomine
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 08:02
| VdGG all the way! |
Posted By: GosudO
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 09:10
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This one is a nobrainer. ->VdGG! |
Posted By: Alberto Muņoz
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 11:02
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VDGG of course -------------  |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 11:11
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I knew this would happen, but for me The Mars Volta is the clear winner. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph  
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 11:19
| Really enjoy both, but for me the clear favorite is VdGG. |
Posted By: LinusW
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 11:21
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Even though I have certain reservations about VdGG's music, there's no way in hell I'd choose TMV. Not my kind of music really. |
Posted By: Bern
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 11:23
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No brainer for me though I enjoy both. VdGG -------------  
RIP in bossa nova heaven. |
Posted By: ProgBagel
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 12:35
| Volta, VDGG hasn't really hit me yet. |
Posted By: Hercules
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 12:37
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This might be the only match up where I might just consider voting VDGG! ------------- A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life. |
Posted By: Equality 7-2521
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 12:38
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Unlucky matchup for TMV they should progress furthers, but VDGG is stopping that right here.
VDGG ------------- "One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. " |
Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 13:01
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As much as I like TMV, VdGG are just plain amazing. VdGG |
Posted By: Norbert
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 13:06
| This is getting ugly. I'd rather vote for TMV even if I actually like VDGG even more than TMV. |
Posted By: The Pessimist
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 13:36
| Two of my favourite bands, this is a toughy. But VDGG win for me this time. |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 13:49
Mmm... the battle of overratism...
But VDGG is actually brilliant at times.... The Mars Volta's queslity lasted for.. one album....
VDGG ------------- 
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Posted By: febus
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 14:00
Exactly my thoughts.......................The brillance of H to HE and most of Pawn Hearts over any Mars Volta
http://imageshack.us/">  http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=85883473"> |
The T wrote:Posted By: Statutory-Mike
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 14:02
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VDGG, I've been listening to them a whole lot lately, and The Mars Volta are a bit overhyped to me. ------------- 
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Posted By: crimson87
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 14:10
| NO CONTEST |
Posted By: Nightfly
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 14:22
| Easy....VDGG |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 14:35
| VdGG were probably the better band, but TMV are much more important to the contemporary scene than VdGG were for their perioad. So my vote goes to the more influential band. |
Posted By: trackstoni
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 15:47
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if you have bands in thousands in PA , and you have also albums in thousands , i'll choose Van Der Graaf Generator all the way as number one Progressive band for all times , including 40 years behind , and 40 years ahead , so keep it quite , I'M GONNA VOTE NOW . And if yu're clever enough , find out why by yourselves dear progheads !!!!!!!! ///////// Tracks Toni ///////// ------------- Tracking Tracks of Rock |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 16:38
This is the biggest blowout yet.  Maybe I'm just a silly TMV fanboy.   -------------
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Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 16:49
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volta vote here though they're gonna get the sh*t beat out of them in this ------------- 
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 16:58
Well, more like Mars Volta is a hit or miss around here - plenty of fans but plenty of people that can't stand them. Whereas VdGG is one the big pillars (although of course even they have their detractors, as does every artist). |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 17:46
Yeah, that definitely makes sense. I was just anticipating it not to be this lopsided. -------------
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Posted By: horsewithteeth11
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 17:47
You're not alone. Some of us actually exist.  ------------- 
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Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 17:48
 De-Loused in the Comatorium alone makes me vote TMV, let alone their other 3 albums. -------------
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Posted By: horsewithteeth11
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 17:49
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Even though I like both bands, TMV is one of my top 10 bands and I think VDGG are somewhat overrated, although still quite good. It doesn't matter much at this point, but TMV for me.
-------------
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Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 17:50
Maybe we can gradually rise up and overthrow the VDGG fan overlords. -------------
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Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 20:18
Unless we just crush you now |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 20:19
 Dang. -------------
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Posted By: febus
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 20:27
This is the revenge of the GONG and MAHAVISHNU ghosts that have been eliminated earlier with no mercy 
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=85883473">
http://imageshack.us/">  |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 20:39
Screw you, Febus.  -------------
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Posted By: memowakeman
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 20:48
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The easiest battle to stardom so far, VdGG of course! ------------- Follow me on twitter @memowakeman |
Posted By: Dim
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 21:16
| I only have the Bedlam and Pawn Hearts, but they're both so obnoxious that I cant even vote. |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 21:20
Try getting De-Loused in the Comatorium if you're willing to give TMV another chance.  -------------
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Posted By: febus
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 22:07
And i am not even
a VDGG fan by any means!Just they have 3 and a half good albums to one great TMV, you know which one!
so it makes the difference http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=85883473">
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Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 22:08
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^^^ He's got a point there
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Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 22:11
Yeah, I understand your outlook there. I'm not a VDGG hater or anything, I just think all of TMV's albums are really good... and De-Loused and Bedlam are absolute masterpieces. Closest thing VDGG has to a masterpiece, IMO, is Godbluff. And that's still like 4 stars. Yay opinions! -------------
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Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 22:15
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Opinions are overrated
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Posted By: febus
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 22:15
Who's he????
 http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=85883473"> |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 22:16
Facts are overrated. -------------
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Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 22:17
Does he mean Richard Wright's ghost? -------------
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Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 23:59
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Another TMV voter right here!
I love both these bands, but TMV speaks to me a lot more than VDGG does. TMV are also great fans of the Graaf. |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 00:10
Both "Pawn Hearts" and "Godbluff" are 5 star albums in my book, and "Still Life" and "H to He..." come close. Not to mention the fantastic live album "Vital", which in my opinion is one of the very best live albums of all time. -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: mono
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 04:58
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Easiest poll yet
------------- https://soundcloud.com/why-music Prog trio, from ambiant to violence https://soundcloud.com/m0n0-film Film music and production projects https://soundcloud.com/fadisaliba (almost) everything else |
Posted By: mono
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 04:58
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Oh yeah, I voted Van der Graaf of course
------------- https://soundcloud.com/why-music Prog trio, from ambiant to violence https://soundcloud.com/m0n0-film Film music and production projects https://soundcloud.com/fadisaliba (almost) everything else |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 10:41
Pawn Hearts is easily my least favorite of those 4, for reasons I could never understand. I can't get into Lemmings at all and Plague is okay at best... however, Man-Erg is pretty good. Godbluff is great, Still Life is close (but I have to be in the mood for it more so), and then H to He is a solid 3 star release. Then again, they're just not the band for me I suppose. -------------
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Posted By: trackstoni
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 10:45
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i had one album for tmv and 8 for van der graaf before this poll . after reviewing all reviews concerning tmv in 24 hours and getting another album for tmv , and all their clips from you tube , i can say now for sure , they have no chance to beat VDGG by any means , not even close to , so try another tricks while throwing yur opinions PunkProgers ///////////////////////// it's obvious !!!! ------------- Tracking Tracks of Rock |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 10:51
It's all opinion.  I absolutely love The Mars Volta; they're extremely talented (Omar knows alot of music theory) and they create something completely unique that I personally love with all 4 albums. VDGG never hit me, but that's all just my experience. I do like them okay though. You act like I'm a heathen for not absolutely loving VDGG.  -------------
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Posted By: febus
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 11:41
A lot of unnecessary nastiness here
 .....Not liking VDDG doesn't mean you are a punk ...and your first name is Antoine too...my gosh.........................good job Alex!Antoine
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=85883473">
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Posted By: Alberto Muņoz
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 11:58
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Both bands are good.
But Van Der Graff is BETTER than The Mars Volta.
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Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 12:15
That's what I meant. Or is that just even more confusing |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 13:13
Thanks! The results of this get more upsetting every time I look though. Oh, and with your signature/picture combination... it actually makes me want to bring out some old Floyd CDs... I haven't listened to them in at least over a year and a half. I just might do that. -------------
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Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 13:13
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Sigh. H To He, Who Am The Only One - 6 stars, my second favourite album of all time Godbluff - 5 stars (top 20 albums of all time) Pawn Hearts - 5 Stars (top 20 albums of all time) Still Life - 5 Stars (top 20 albums of all time, just about) ... will give a listen to the samples, but seriously, I'd be stunned if TMV even came close. |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 13:14
I would be stunned too. You love VDGG way too much to vote for anything else; I don't blame you. Thanks for listening to the samples though! That's one of the main points of these polls. -------------
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 13:15
Not an uncommon opinion it seems. |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 13:17
Well, at least it's been an interesting result. There are even many more other matches that I'm looking forward to since I think they'll be alot closer. Overall I've been happy with the voting turnouts so far, especially since a decent amount of the matches have been pretty close. -------------
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Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: September 19 2008 at 06:35
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Van Der Graaf Generator, with masterpieces such as 'Godbluff' and 'Still Life', but not by a mile. The Mars Volta switch to and fro between irritating and real good music, but they are one of the most interesting and innovative prog bands of today.
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Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: September 19 2008 at 08:49
My thoughts exactly. I prefer TMV anyday, but they aren't as well known in prog circles anyway. ------------- 
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Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: September 19 2008 at 08:52
If you're implying TMV is punk prog, you're not even in the playing field, missed the mark by miles. Anyone that knows anything about punk knows TMV have some post hardcore elements, but it's hardly a huge feature of TMV's sound. -------------
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Posted By: horsewithteeth11
Date Posted: September 19 2008 at 10:57
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Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: September 19 2008 at 11:20
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Though I really like The Mars Volta, its hard not to vote for Van der Graaf Generator.
------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: September 20 2008 at 01:02
No it isn't.
In theory, at least. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: September 20 2008 at 01:33
I really like VDGG. They were prog pioneers, and they still have it. Good dark, spooky music (but with generous amounts of beauty, too), great lyrics, unique, never-boring vocals.
(But admittedly a "difficult" band for many, polarizing even as prog bands go.)
I really couldn't stomach the Mars Volta I heard here before. It seemed to me that they were just being weird & chaotic for the sake of being weird & chaotic -- I found them distinctly non-musical, and the vocals particularly grated on me. Perhaps they are talented musicians, but the music was sheer sonic torture to me. I need more structure, melody, majesty, beauty and meaning in my prog. I heard precious little of that in the tracks I tried.
 Sorry.
Edit:
Yep -- I just tried to get through the one working video, the supposed "Mussogorsky" thing, and those screamy vocals make me want to blow my brains out!
 On top of that, the music and drumming are way too fast and grating for me, though I CAN tell that they are capable of playing music I would find accessible.Call me too old for it, if you like. I find it nightmarish, like Bagdhad & terror-type war or a massive traffic accident rendered as "music."
But you young'uns enjoy -- each generation has to come up with music to drive their parents up the wall, it seems, and I guess TMV is yours.
 The guitar is not too bad when things slow down, but as with death-type growling vocals a la Opeth, I can't wade through all of that noise just for a few fleeting moments of what I consider decent music.
No disrespect intended -- just very far from my thing, at least at this point in my life.
 .....
Yeah -- I want to shoot the singer! Must turn... it ...OFF!!!click!
 ah!WTF wazzat? zzzzzzzzzzz....------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: September 20 2008 at 02:19
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^You watched what? And I don't think watching a random video is a good way of checking out a band. I doubt, based on your tastes that you would love them, but their first album is very melodic and structured. Also, it's far less dissonant and there are no obnoxious vocal effects. There's definitely dissonance, but it's not put in the foreground as much as the new material. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: September 20 2008 at 10:54
Don't worry -- that was not a rushed, one-source-only judgement. There used to be more sonic samples, which I listened to before, and someone sent me some once to check out.
The video (the only one still available on that page link) was something with "Mussogorsky" in the title.
Yeah, my tastes don't extend in that direction, but I CAN hear the talent in TMV, so I am open to conversion re other material, but (understandably) sceptical.
I did not want to ruffle any fans' feathers last night -- I was just trying to be honest, and give my gut reactions as I heard the music. ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: The Doctor
Date Posted: September 20 2008 at 10:58
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No contest! I imagine TMV will have the same chance against VDGG as NSync would have up against Gabriel-led Genesis. ------------- I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you? |