Now THAT'S a good poll. I'd like to see it in a few days.

Not music snobs, the difference between us and most commercial genre fans is that we care for the music we like, we want to know everything, we investigate what we can and know exactly why we like prog' music.

We usually know or at least have an idea what is the main difference between the style of Steve Hackett and Steve Howe or Neil Peart and Bill Bruford, most music listeners like Britney or N'Sync and don't have the slightest idea who plays guitar or drums, but what is even worst, they don't care, they just see the performer and don't  even care for who composed the music.

And don't tell me it's because we listen bands and they only care for soloists, because most progheads know that David Rhodes and Manu Katche played with Peter Gabriel or that an obscure (but great) drummer like Tony Fernandez plays with Rick Wakeman and Ashley Holt sings with him.

The average music listener doesn't worry at all, most of them listen what's being played in the radio so they see someone who cares so much and knows about the genre as a snob who believes he/she knows everything.

Every music fan of every genre thinks that what he listens is the best, the difference is that we have arguments that are valid for us when most people simply like what they listen in the radio without any reason, argument or even the minimum knowledge.

Iván

Hopefully it’s obvious that the poll was made in jest. A bit of satirical commentary, if you will.

The other day I was playing King Crimson at my work, and received some odd looks and negative comments. A bit defensive, I began to bash the ordinary garbage that was played in the office. All of this was done light-heartedly on behalf of both parties, but when I went on to explain exactly why the coma-inducing dribble that spewed from the radio was totally invalid and creatively dead, I had to laugh at my self and respond to their raised eyebrow looks... "I know, I know, I’m a music snob."

Some people, in fact MOST people, only identify with vocals and only care to expose themselfs to what mainstream media offers. I do know people who can explain exactly why they prefer Whitney Houston over Madonna... I think these people care about music, perhaps even as much as I do... but maybe they just don’t feel the need to listen to technical sophistication or layered melodies and complex compositions. I can jive with that, but personally I need to be able to listen to a song 5 times and notice something new each turn.

I do know people who can explain exactly why they prefer Whitney Houston over Madonna...

Of course there are, but from my experience only a minority.

Even if they do, ask them who plays the guitar for their albums or who composes the music and lyrics for them and all you'll get is a loud "Who cares?".

And it's not wrong, because they only care for the main artist (Vocalist in 99% of he cases), but when one of us can tell the formation of each and every Yes album, they say we're snobs.

Iván

I find the label of "snob" usually comes from the bashing of mainstream music... "their" music...

After all, what gives us the right to criticize the 17 year old punk who can't sing and can only play 3 power chords? Just because we listen to music that nobody likes?  

we are music snobs...........but rightfully so! 

We are even snobby to each other about various prog bands!!!

The main difference to proggers and commercial music lovers is that we actually LISTEN to the music.

I must seem like a horrible snob to my work colleagues, when it comes to music. I cant/wont listern to daytime radio. My colleagues listern to the worst possible daytime radio. LOCAL RADIO!! So there is a playlist of about 20 tracks which are seemingly just repeated in a loop, punctuated by news bulletins about village fetes, cats stuck up trees, and depressing travel information hi-lighting how awful our roads are.

Luckilly I am able to play my CD's quietly in a side room, and its never attracted many comments, although strangely enough I was playing Jethro Tull once and one of my team said 'That sounds quite good. Its a bit different' I told her it was JT and she pulled a face and said 'Oh God they were terrible'

Generally I dont think prog fans are snobs. I understand why they may seem that way to 'outsiders' but it is, as ivan says, because they care about the music and regard it to be more than just frivellous entertainment. To be honest I have friends who are DJ's and are experts on Chicago House, and Detroit Techno. Believe me, in terms of snobbery they could give any of us a run for our money. Listerning to that lot harping on about rare vinyl, and intense beats is like being at a convention of trainspotters on speed!!

I'm open to all Rock Music well the real artists anyway! Whether it's Prog, Psych, Punk, Metal etc etc I like them all so I guess that dosen't make me a snob!

Well I HOPE not.

I can see by the responses this thread generated, that it is a valid topic. Perhaps it hits a little too close to home? Again, I hope my humor wasn’t lost (if anyone noticed, I made all possible responses to be snobish replies), but I do see the points expressed, and can agree with ivan when he says its because "we care for the music we like".

With that said, I would like to present my definitive thesis on the topic at hand.

Why prog fans are superior to all other music fans.

By Jeremy Spade

1. Superior Intellect.

It is apparent from the articulate and educated posts circulating on this site, that we admirers of progressive rock are in every way more endowed intellectually. Rap and RnB artists alike have atrocious grammar skills, and inspire the same traits in their fans. Just consider some of these embarrassing errors:

50 cent - The plurality of the number "50" demands cent to be cents, BAFOON!

NSYNC - This is apparently an attempt to spell "In Sync" Sync being an abbreviation for "synchronization" which they so clearly do not have, with the exception of their sheer stupidity.

OutKast - need I say more???

2. Superior Skill.

As noted earlier on this thread, a strong majority of progressive rock fans are musicians themselves. This would give listeners of the prog genre an obvious advantage in determining what music is "good" and what music is fit for ridiculing. Imagine regular laymen trying to dictate the engineering science behind NASA! This would result in terrible disaster! Leave the rocket science to the rocket scientists fools! Conclusion: Prog fans are the "Rocket Scientists" of music fans.

3. Superior Hygiene.

While I have not accumulated enough evidence to argue this point sufficiently, it should be taken as fact nonetheless.

4. Superior Senses.

Prog fans are able to pick up on every small detail in the music we listen to. When was the last time you heard a discussion on the subtle nuances of Green Day? Regular music fans have neither the finely tuned hearing, nor the receptive instinct that comes innate with prog fans.

Final Conclusion:

Just as man rules over animal, so the prog fan should rightfully rule over the inferior breed. The overwhelming evidence presented in this thesis is irrefutable. All disagreements of this thesis will be disregarded.

Jeremy Spade wrote:   3. Superior Hygiene. While I have not accumulated enough evidence to argue this point sufficiently, it should be taken as fact nonetheless.

It's a longshot, but it might gives us a clue to why we are here...

AngelRat wrote: The main difference to proggers and commercial music lovers is that we actually LISTEN to the music.

Hmmm...not true I think. I think it doesn't matter that you can explain why you like something, or that you think that you ''really'' listen to something. Someone who thinks that 50cent is cool, is just as right as someone who can exactly tell you why Bruford is the best drummer in the world for example. It's the way you enjoy something. We enjoy by complete endulgence and severe investigation, others enjoy by thinking music is just cool. Being a snob has to do with fear. If you fear the 'normal' people for whatever reason, you are likely to pretend to be better as a defense mechanism. And knowing a lot about music, and claiming to be artistic etc is pretending to be better. So, being a snob is for some people needfull, because they are afraid that prog will not be accepted, and thus they give it artistic weight, so it MUST be accepted. Snobbism is just a defence mechanism to cloak fear.

I just enjoy my music, I too investigate into styles etc. But I no longer give prog more artistic value than other styles. What makes Mariah Carey less good than YES?? If it is enjoyed by people it is good. There is no better, there is only personal taste.

mirco wrote: A big difference between proggers and poppers is that we can listen to music made thirty years ago and still enjoy it, but pop music has expiration date. Every season a new bunch of tunes is release and substitutes at the stores shelves the "old" ones, which are rapidly forgotten. How many classic pop songs are still out there, and cherished by pop fans? Very few. We proggers, on the other hand, believe that older is better...

Not sure about that. Kids still know ABBA songs, 'classic' disco tunes live through re-mixes and re-releases and Elvis 'f***ing' Presley seems to always have some rubbish in the charts. The retro thing is BIG business...just not for prog. Sadly.

It's because the music that we listen to is almost aggressively anti-single.  With pop, the emphasis is on selling the "single," and therefore people that listen to it are contempt to simply listen to the radio or download a song or too... A lot of people often ask me why I bother to buy so many albums, to which I respond back "Well, why don't you buy albums?"  Their response is almost always "because there are only one or two good songs on albums."  That's simply the way their genre functions...  two or three hit singles, and the rest of the album is almost void of entertainment for even those who call themselves rabid fans.  It's also no surprise they feel that way, since the radio only plays the hit singles... when was the last time you heard a Britney Spears song on the radio that wasn't commercially released?

Prog, on the other hand, is more album-centered, and that also goes for other album oriented rock (not only that particular genre, but also hard rock, metal, psychedelic, and other uncommercial music like classical, jazz and blues).  Because of this, the listener is forced to purchase albums instead of singles, and this in turn eventually leads to the listener being a completionist, because we're not only satsfied with one or two cuts on an album but usually almost all of them, and therefore we have more incentive to seek out other albums from the same artists.

The more that we become experts on our particular bands or subgenres, the more we become somewhat arrogant to our knowledge of the genre... this leads to snobbery.

Those are my thoughts anyway... 

I agree with the assertion that prog is very much an album-orientated type of music.  The vast majority of prog albums I own I can listen to all the way through without having to skip anything.

The point is IMO that prog just makes so much more of music, uses all the potential of the musical canvas, if you will.  While listening to Neal Morse earlier today, I was struck by just HOW MUCH was going on in his music, not necessarily at the same time, but throughout the course of an album.  Popular music is based very much on a simple chord progression and melody.  It almost seems a waste to listen to something like that when you could listen to something that pushes music to it's limits, and uses many interesting melodies and chords.

Why are commercial music listeners such obtuse morons?

Exactly!  Why would you ever call hip hop and emo music?

That is sometimes true (some of the otherwise fine folks here seem to be rather narrow in their tastes and views) but it's rather a broad generalization, no? We are typically serious, dedicated music fans, but that does not necessarily mean that we like only "serious" music. I'm sure that serious fans of genres like classical, folk, traditional, (pure) country, jazz, bluegrass, early music, metal, etc., can be quite knowledgable/fanatic about their loves too.

I was a "progsnob" in my teens, but my tastes are quite diverse now.

I like music to have heart, or at least intelligence, and those traits are by no means exclusive to prog.

Jeremy Spade wrote:   It is apparent from the articulate and educated posts circulating on this site, that we admirers of progressive rock are in every way more endowed intellectually. Rap and RnB artists alike have atrocious grammar skills, and inspire the same traits in their fans. Just consider some of these embarrassing errors:

Favorite rythm section

the best porg bands ever

and that's just from "active topics"

James Lee wrote: Jeremy Spade wrote:   It is apparent from the articulate and educated posts circulating on this site, that we admirers of progressive rock are in every way more endowed intellectually. Rap and RnB artists alike have atrocious grammar skills, and inspire the same traits in their fans. Just consider some of these embarrassing errors: Favorite rythm section the best porg bands ever and that's just from "active topics"

James can you change that naughty entry at the bottom of your posts..it's really un-called for & who ever told you that whant's stringing up

I'm enjoying the responses to this thread. Keep them coming.

I don't play an instrument, but I don't think that has impeded my ability to enjoy Prog. What really sets us apart from the mainstream is our desire to ask questions; our desire to explore; and our desire for perfection in music. Progressive Rock offers that. I'm not afraid to ask questions. I always want to try to understand something that is foreign to me in music. That's why I've joined these forums.

The grammar argument doesn't really hold up. Many albums are grammatically incorrect. The ConstruKction of Light?

I'm not afraid of showing off my musical tastes to those who would say that it's overblown and pompous. I actually relish in mentioning the music I enjoy, and then getting a snide remark by those individuals. It bestows a sense of uniqueness knowing that I'm part of a handful of people who listen to music not part of the norm.

I agree that Prog is album oriented. The way I see, us Proggers get more bang for our buck. Not only do we have ten plus minute tracks, but we also have concept and double albums to choose from. Pop gives you no more than four minute songs with a few (and that's stretching it) hit singles on each album. Maybe ten minutes of worthwhile music on each album to those who listen to it.

It's difficult for me to accept the argument that Pop music is just a much a valid form of music as Progressive Rock is. Call me close minded, but I cannot go back to MTV.

James Lee wrote: But I'm attached to it now.  Oh, very well...in the name of bygones being bygones...

Just replace t**ser with t**t.that'll do

Choice #3 all the way!!! Most kids listen to rap. I'll start there. If kids aren't listening to rap, they are probably listening to musicianship-simpletons like punk and pop. Finally, there are the choice-few who dig heavy metal which is not music (art) but STATICKY BUZZING!!)

Fantômas wrote: Well, prog fans usually thinks their tastes is better than anyone's.

It seems to me  that any person thinks that his taste is  the best.

I like most types of music but I am still defensive of my opinion.  I listen to mostly experimental type music and that is looked down upon so I get really defensive. It really annoys me when someone says that an entire genre is complete crap (except for a lot of the mainstream genres.  There are a lot of problems there, but still some good) when they haven't even researched the genre (we don't really need to research most of the mainstream genres, as we are exposed to enough to formulate a logical opinion).  I will admit that I am very arrogant but  I feel as if the people I am surrounded by at school are completely ignorant and don't really understand music.  For example, I saw a video someone filmed for cinematography class of this local Armenian metal band called Medaugh or something.  I was watching it with this (ignorant stoner) guy I know and he turns to me, unprovoked and said "I bet none of your crap bands could do that" as the guitarist goes into a guitar solo that is basically the same crap over and over and over for ten minutes.  So, I went into defense mode, which I so often do, and told him that I like long songs but they are simply not doing anything. I then proceeded to explain to him that the bassist was a worthless piece of sh*t and he had been doing the same thing since the beginning of the whole bland ordeal.  He then told me that I don't understand music and that basically set me off. I had another discussion with him (this time, I provoked it ) and I told him that Slipknot sucks, which they do (I've told this guy many times that Slipknot is crap and he always argues with me and gets shot down.  It's so fun!)  He then proceeds to tell me that I am a conformist for saying so and I just shot back and told him that 1) it is impossible to be completely nonconformist and 2) He shouldn't be telling me what conformity is when he listens to a chart topping band, which led him into saying that I listened to the Beatles, making me conformist, which was beside the point since  I didn't really care.  So I just told him that the Beatles deserve all the credit they get and they influenced a lot of music, even metal (Helter Skelter anybody).  So  to get to my point, I am arrogant and I think a lot of us are but that's because we are surrounded by closeminded sh*theads.  Thank you for reading my rant!

Prog or die!

It all comes down to this: if you don't like it, don't buy it. There's no need for agression in terms of what kind of music you like best. If you're a "snob" is because of you. Music is music. You are supposed to listen it for fun, not to show everyone else how "superior" you are. Now, about prog rock: most bands are nothing but lame copycats of other bands or themselves.

I notice a lot of bickering on here over preferences regarding the same type of bands ie:YES fans don't like ELP & so on...I really can't get my head around that at all.

You can give me virtually any prog outfit wether it be Prog/Jazz,Jazz/Fusion or just plain old Prog,i'll love it all.

But what get right up my arse are these newer bands passed off or self labled as prog,this is when i start getting the big all mighty head on.If find them a total mis fit to the whole progressive scene damning them to death as i would any commecial,dance,rap sh*t  etc.

Early prog in my view is the greatest form of music,for the greatest minds...be said.

Karnevil9 wrote:   Prog or die!

That's great!  

I'm liking this new KE9 more and more. Nobody with a healthy sense of irony can be ALL bad.

greenback wrote: hey! there are too many bloody avatars here!

Do us a favour change yours

henri_ds wrote: And, you guys can try something : try catching someone who's listening to commercial rap/rnb sh*t, like 50 cent etc.... and ask them : So, what is that you find really good, and why do you enjoy it ? 99,999999999% of the answers you'll get will be something like : owh, it's *cool*, it makes me *cool*.

Nothing more true could be said.

Jim Garten wrote: To: Jeremy Spade Out of the mounths of babes, sucklings and Newbies comes forth wisdom; your thesis is purest genius (especially point 3 ) and I bow my head to your intellect, wit and insight. Welcome to the Forums, Jeremy - don't be a stranger!

Thank you for your most un-snoblike hospitality. It is appreciated.

TBWART wrote: Snobbism is just a defence mechanism to cloak fear.

I have already had this argument with my psychiatrist, and have thoroughly proved him to be wrong. When he would not admit his gross incompetence, I fired him, proving I was superior.

hopelevre wrote: i think its threads like this that make the awareness of you people as snobs a self-perpetuating phenomena....and jeremy im sorry but if you bothered to listen to the love below side of the last outkast album im sure yud be very surprised at how progressive and anti-industry it is...i consider that a prog album ...maybe the best one of the year it came ou tjust because it seems to be soemething both innovative and seminal(introducing an entire genre to experimentation)

Those who have a hard time distinguishing my wit from reality, may have trouble communicating with me. I actually like OutKast. While it isn’t likely that I will spend any money on their albums, from what I’ve heard on the radio (when I’m forced to listen), they are extremely diverse for a hip-hop outfit. I thought the smooth-jazz guitar was a refreshing addition in I Like The Way You Move, and I welcome anyone who will come along and shake up an otherwise stagnant genre.

Has anyone noticed that hip hop has replaced glam-rock as the leading copy-cat, over the top, music industry product?

John Gargo wrote: A lot of people often ask me why I bother to buy so many albums, to which I respond back "Well, why don't you buy albums?"  Their response is almost always "because there are only one or two good songs on albums."  That's simply the way their genre functions...

Sadly this is true. It is not so much the genre, but the record industry in general. They scout out new bands, and find one that has maybe 7 or 8 radio friendly songs. Then they sign this band and have them put 2 good songs on the first release, then instruct them to write filler music for the rest. This way they can stretch a career out over a longer period of time and capitalize on the profits. It’s just business. I’ve done similar things in profit making ventures, but never with something so precious as music. And that’s ultimately what’s wrong with mainstream. It’s controlled by corporation, not necessarily by public opinion. I guarantee, if you spun the latest Spock’s Beard release on the radio 200 times a day, their album would go platinum.

Spanky wrote: This is a bad poll.  I was able to vote 40 times on it; therefore, it must be bad.

That certainly explains why 51% of the voters believe I’m a half-wit.

Yams wrote: The grammar argument doesn't really hold up. Many albums are grammatically incorrect. The ConstruKction of Light?

My grammar argument is as valid as my hygiene argument, that is all I have to say.

NetsNJFan wrote: Let's not forget Prog is looked down upon by purist Jazz and Classical music fans/snobs, since, in a way, we dilute they're music.

This is perhaps the most insightful response in the entire thread.

Karnevil9 wrote: Early prog in my view is the greatest form of music,for the greatest minds...be said.

I quietly think to myself... "How can music stay progressive if it never leaves the past?"

Hierophant wrote: Its about bein pimp yo, its about hearing your subwoofer from down the block,its about having 30 inch rims - "rollin on dubs" , its about pimpin' all the young ho's at the cluub and drinkin bacardi yo.

I don’t really mean to single out this post, but it’s a nice segue into my final thought. The only redeeming quality rap music has in my opinion, is the lyrics. I’m definitely not talking about pimping hos and smackin dat... well... anyway... I come from a low income area in Los Angeles. I think a few hip-hop artists actually spill their guts and convey true emotion concerning life on tough streets. This has my respect. Of course, the vast majority is simply regurgitated and trend-following garbage.

"Our superior taste just makes us come off that way."

Prog fans are snobs.

Fantômas wrote: you wanna know why? Because there are no parameters to point who is the best

Originality, composition, virtuosity, exploration, interplay, athmosphere...

You may like something the most, but that has absolutely nothing to do with who's best. A lot of people are confusing these things. As is evident from this thread.

Karnevil9 wrote:   I notice a lot of bickering on here over preferences regarding the same type of bands ie:YES fans don't like ELP & so on...I really can't get my head around that at all. You can give me virtually any prog outfit wether it be Prog/Jazz,Jazz/Fusion or just plain old Prog,i'll love it all. But what get right up my arse are these newer bands passed off or self labled as prog,this is when i start getting the big all mighty head on.If find them a total mis fit to the whole progressive scene damning them to death as i would any commecial,dance,rap sh*t  etc. Early prog in my view is the greatest form of music,for the greatest minds...be said.

Agreed !!

Love that Cressida artwork!

For the benefit of those who are oblivious to satire...

This thread and the topic herein, along with my "thesis" and any other sporadic thing I might say on the subject, is purely for the purpose of humor and does not reflect my true feelings or opinions. I will continue to include my actual thoughts on the issue in a coherent manner that should be obvious to all who might agree.

If you are confused as to where my "true" thoughts begin and my sarcasm ends, please disregard everything I say from this point on.

Interesting topic! Welcome Jeremy!

One of my concern about the style of music we like , is that it does appear snobbish or nerdish! This thread will not help matters whatsoever! 

It seems that most progheads are happy to be nerds , intellectuals and snobs! I do not recognize myself in these character traits.

I am not a musician (I did try bass and flute and some percussion but lack the drive to get better at it) but have clearly loved this music from the age of twelve and have not cared wheteher it was cool or not, since!! I listen to many styles of music but buy mainly prog albums. What prog does is provoke reflection about music, environment , life and love etc... Most of the public do not want to think about those things : their ideals are set and going back on them is unsettling. I do not think that there are heated religious threads on rap , easy listening or Mariah forum sites. Those religious threads appearing  in specialized religious forums whom are frequented by people to whom religion is their main concern. Archives forum is reflecting a wide array of subjects in non-related prog subjects because progheads like to ask ourselves questions including religion , hot dogs (sad but true) sex orientations, political ideals, favorite sodas (true too!) cars, football and ABBA! But do not think that we are the only ones doing this. We are often seen as intellectuals by others , but calling ourselves intellectuals is being snob.

Snobberry is more to do with avant-guardism than being in fashion or in tune with the times! True! But systematic denigration of what we do not like is condescending.

Popular radio has been on of my worst nemesis and would rather listen to non-musical radio (BBC radio style) or classical music radio. Clearly , if we are to listen to radio at work , it cannot be too interesting or else our attention will be drained from our jobs and productivity will decrease. This is probably why daytime radio is clearly debilitative during weekdays and partially better on WE. If Yes comes on, I will probably stop my cerebral activities directed towards my professional tasks and start listening to the music.

I agree! Punk is music but there is more emphasis on the message than on  the music. This also tells me that Genesis is musically better because they put more effort in music. Good music requiers some effort, practise, talent...

This is precisely the opposite of punk message and that message is valid to my eyes, too!! Punk is about anger and confusion! Rael in The Lamb On Braodway is a punk.

I actually liked the Stranglers, Police, Ramones, Clash, Jam when I was young and still do! The problem is sectarianism.

While I’m not even remotely as arrogant as my condescending mockery... I have to say... I truly do believe that prog is the "best" modern music... in the same way that a V8 engine is superior to a V6. More work goes into its creation, better results are achieved from its performance. Now, obviously a V8 engine isn’t right for everyone. I wouldn’t want my grandmother driving one. She does just fine in her 4 cylinder economy car. But personally, I would enjoy the experience. Just because prog is a better offering, because of its layers, and difficulty of production, does not make it "better" in the sense of what someone should listen to.

I am not disgusted at the existence of boy bands or mega pop stars. These have their place, and I am fully willing to live and let live. What does concern me, however, is the suffocation of everything else besides. The major record labels are basically soulless money machines. They exploit bands, turn a profit, rinse and repeat. Prog bands, with their passion for originality and rebellion to the mainstream, are very difficult to control. So the major labels ignore them. Fortunately, the universe balanced itself out a bit, and made recording technology more accessible as the major labels became more corrupt. So now you have a chance. Prog bands sign with small indie labels, and when they’ve proven to fill a small profit margin, a major label might give their distribution power.

But despite good music surviving, it still faces difficult odds and the threat of extinction because of the market being flooded with processed cheese. Music is nothing more than a product to the major labels. They are primarily interested in the product that has a low risk factor and a high profit margin. Prog then becomes like the Beta video cassette. Superior in quality, but hard to market. I sympathize with Porcupine Tree when they say... "one of the wonders of the world is goin down... and no one cares..."

Problem in your satiric poll is that :

A)our tastes are not superior

B)prog since the early 80's and artistic integrity is a lure => plagiarism/cloning plagues prog also!

C) People listening to commercial music are not morons (they might have moronic musical taste , though)

D)the poll is not moronic and you are certainly no half-wit!

However your poll has one problem it remains open once you have voted. Probably on your satirical intent?

Sean Trane wrote: Problem in your satiric poll is that : A)our tastes are not superior B)prog since the early 80's and artistic integrity is a lure => plagiarism/cloning plagues prog also! C) People listening to commercial music are not morons (they might have moronic musical taste , though) D)the poll is not moronic and you are certainly no half-wit! However your poll has one problem it remains open once you have voted. Probably on your satirical intent?

Your points are well noted. However, I wouldn't call them a problem, but rather the reason the poll is a "satire"

Anyone who didn't understand the humor behind this thread: let's discuss it over a meal at Swift's Irish Baby Restaurant.

Oh Lord, I am a tremendous snob.
Grant me the humility to recognise my error,
And mend my errant ways.

Give me the vision to see that
Music from all quarters holds your divine light,
And is a gift from your heart to mine.

Lord help me lessen my grip on this
Young teenybopper's throat and grant me
The wisdom not to throw his worthless, Eminem buying arse from this speeding car...

Amen.

Peter wrote: That is sometimes true (some of the otherwise fine folks here seem to be rather narrow in their tastes and views) but it's rather a broad generalization, no? We are typically serious, dedicated music fans, but that does not necessarily mean that we like only "serious" music. I'm sure that serious fans of genres like classical, folk, traditional, (pure) country, jazz, bluegrass, early music, metal, etc., can be quite knowledgable/fanatic about their loves too. I was a "progsnob" in my teens, but my tastes are quite diverse now. I like music to have heart, or at least intelligence, and those traits are by no means exclusive to prog.

Hey I think Peter really nailed it here. Any genre of music can be good, Prog has no monopoly of "good" music. Being a Prog sob IMO simply means that one is more discerning with music - that is whatever you're listening to has got to be more fulfilling some way or another, otherwise it's not worth listening to it.

I was dubbed a "musical snob" by an English colleague (who had watched Crimson and Yes perform live in 1968 - and wasn't impressed!!!), man it made my day.

sigod wrote: Oh Lord, I am a tremendous snob. Grant me the humility to recognise my error, And mend my errant ways. Give me the vision to see that Music from all quarters holds your divine light, And is a gift from your heart to mine. Lord help me lessen my grip on this Young teenybopper's throat and grant me The wisdom not to throw his worthless, Eminem buying arse from this speeding car... Amen.

Oh Lord, please be an interventionalist God
and help Sigod in his prayers to make them come through,
or help him see the light that you aren't an interventionalist God
and make him choose to lessen his grip on my throat on his own account

Ameeeeeeeeeeeeeelp

Arteum wrote: Prog listeners are intellectuals, and intellectuals do not mix up with riff-raff and imbeciles -- all intellectuals are more or less snobs. I am more

Well I'm as thick as a timberyard full of short planks and I've got tons of prog albums, so that   that argument right up.

James Lee wrote: Anyone who didn't understand the humor behind this thread: let's discuss it over a meal at Swift's Irish Baby Restaurant.

As usual a very modest proposal.......

well I cant help being an effete snob.

I'm just off to listen to some wonderful opuses....Low End Grin anyone?

NetsNJFan wrote: Let's not forget Prog is looked down upon by purist Jazz and Classical music fans/snobs, since, in a way, we dilute they're music.

We don't dilute their music--we fuse it with rock-n-roll.

1. Snobs are fast to name something 'a crap' only because they do not like it. And you can definitely find this word and even !!!worse ones!!! in the reviews on albums which do not deserve it at all.

2. Snobs are slow to try something different.

James Lee wrote: my favorite is the anti-snob type of snob, usually characterized by overuse of the word "pretentious" as a put-down.

Ah" the anti ELP folk

James Lee wrote: ^ exactly!

Im an ELP fan

Well, when most bands start sounding more like ELP, then I'll be less of a snob.. well maybe, then again I hated Triumvirat... so... hmmmm

When most bands start playing their instruments as well as ELP.. then....

threefates wrote: When most bands start playing their instruments as well as ELP.. then....

Not much chance of that then