Eclectic Prog Friends' Imaginative Club

Edited by David_D - May 11 2022 at 13:46

I was an early member of the Eclectic Prog team, a category, as said, that was created with the great Art Rock split in 2007. We, Ricochet (Viktor) and I (and later Moris/ Clarke as I recall), didn't describe it as a proper genre or subgenre, instead we thought of it just as a category which worked reasonably well for PA purposes. Multi-tagging albums with various genres would have been much better methinks, but this site's architecture doe not support that apparently.

Of course there are many Prog acts that are truly eclectic outside of Eclectic Prog, and I tend to think of Prog commonly as inherently eclectic (eclectic by nature), but we used it for ones that we felt would have been appropriate for the Art Rock category, and crossed several of the Prog subgenres (for instance, if it mixed JRF, Symph, and Prog Folk) without leaning to much towards any of those. Often those acts would have fit other categories quite well, and quite often I found that our team, the Avant Prog team, and Crossover Prog would be discussing which one it would best fit, which lead to some fun suggestion threads with more discussion than one commonly finds now. If an eclectic Art Rock prog act was more on the pop, mainstream or "alternative rock" side, then often it would be chosen for Crossover Prog, If it was more experimental, weird or out there, then Neo-Prog. Just kidding, Avant-Prog.

I'm not looking to be an honorary member of the club, as I am content in being a retired member of the Eclectic Prog team, but there is a lot that I like in the category. And quite a lot that I don't that is included in Eclectic (mixed bag).

Some of my favourite albums in the category are (I could list many for GG, VdGG and KC and others but I usually only like to list one per band in such things but will go to three for the big names) and there are way more that I could list, but some of my faves included in PA's category...

Jean-Claude Vannier - L'enfant assassin des mouches
Bubu - Anabelas
Haikara - Haikara
Play du Jour - s/t
Kultivator - Kultivator
Jean-Paul Prat - Masal
Ma banlieue flasque - Ma banlieue flasque
Island - Pictures
Gnidrolog - In Spite of Harry's Toe-nail
Peter Hammill - The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage
William D. Drake - Briny Hooves
Carpe Diem - En regardant passer le temps
Jean-Philippe Goude (et Olivier Colé) - Jeunes Années
Gosta Berlings Saga -
Jean-Pierre Alarcen -st
Gentle Giant - Acquiring the Taste, Three Friends, Octopus
Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts, The Least We Can Do..., H to He...
King Crimson - Lizard, Islands, Larks' Tongues in Aspic

And as I am very into Swans, to me that is more of an Eclectic Prog band than a post-rock band. A lot of acts that I like I could describe as eclectic. Whatever people think of the category, clearly some of the acts in it are very respected. Putting things in boxes is handy for classification, it especially can help in finding musically related albums and acts, but eclectic is by its nature a pretty mixed bag. Still there is a certain kind of Art Rock core about it, which especially if one had been working with it in those early days one would likely be very receptive too. I often would think when evaluating music for Eclectic Prog:
a) Is it Prog?
b) Is it Art Rock?
c} Does it cross several subgenres at PA without leaning too heavily towards any of them and what other categories could it fit?

There were other considerations too.

Edited by Logan - May 11 2022 at 12:22

^ Don't pay attention to rumors. Their loss if they don't want to join.

Psychedelic Paul wrote: I just hope I don't receive a dishonourable discharge from the club for not being a fan of Gentle Giant, King Crimson or Van der Graaf Generator.

David_D wrote: Yes, I can follow your meaning. All members of this club are Honourable.

Grumpyprogfan wrote: Here's some Adrian Belew lyrics. "Lone Rhinoceros"

Edited by David_D - May 09 2022 at 12:52