Neo prog bands, is there a real problem?

I'm not fan of Neo prog. It's really not my thing.

It's absoloutely fine that he does not like the album !!! Never had a problem with people not liking things, but liking (or not) is an emotional response to something - trying to "intellectualise" that simply misses the point and is a trap I think many reviewers fall into. the "this is wrong" rather than "I don't like"  trap is a a dangerous one to fall into, it merely makes the reviewer look like a dick, rather than the outcome I suspect they wish for and that is to make the music look poor!

Although this gem still has me chuckling....
"if I was reviewing this without considering my Prog needs,"  
Do you, does ANY one, think that ANY music would be better if the composer considered the listeners "prog needs"   
Very dangerous territory for a musician to fall into, although I suspect a few that do, this is certainly NOT something you can accuse Nick Barrett of, indeed I suspect he couldn't give a wizards hat for your "prog needs"  

I agree also that diversity makes for an interesting world, and with that thought I'm going to listen to some unadulterated POP music!

Certif1ed wrote: ^I certainly don't hear any boundary pushing on Pure - it's a very run-of-the-mill album to my ears, with nothing new on at all. I fail to hear it as "Neo" or "Prog". I'd agree it sounds lazy, and I felt a bit ripped off when I heard it.   What's so new?   Which boundaries are being pushed?

Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M - October 21 2008 at 14:47

Ivan_Melgar_M wrote: Certif1ed wrote: ^I certainly don't hear any boundary pushing on Pure - it's a very run-of-the-mill album to my ears, with nothing new on at all. I fail to hear it as "Neo" or "Prog". I'd agree it sounds lazy, and I felt a bit ripped off when I heard it.   What's so new?   Which boundaries are being pushed?         Pendragon is traditionally one of the most melodic but predictable Neo Prog bands (I love their foirst albums though), very close to the Fairy Tale inspired A Trick of he tail,. even the use of Mellotron used to be almopst exact to the one in Genesis.   But pure is a different thing, it's absolutely aggressive, at some po8ints dark and even haunting, playing in the botfer that divides Neo, Symph and Heavy Prog.   Instead of melodic pieces with soft female mellotron vocals "a la Ripples",  now it's used to provide hard almost Gothic (not Goth) vocals, The guitar has a very important roile, the friendly atmosphere has ceased almost completely to be replaced by almost metalic guitar riffs.   If that is not pushing the boundaries, I don't get what is.   Ivàn   BTW: I',m far rom being a Pendragon or any band fanboy, but I rated it with 5 dstars, because I bel8ieve they made a healthy move, so please, dobn't attack those who disagree with you calleng us fanboys.

Certif1ed wrote:   I wasn't aware that it was fighting talk, although I seem to have been put onto the defensive, as far as my review is concerned.

Windhawk wrote: When reading up on this thread and the one I wish was strangled, I start to understand why there hasn't been much of a community feeling in the prog environment, that's for sure. The "this isn't prog because I say so" mode on discussion is really disheartening at times, same goes for "if you don't see this as prog you're lacking in intelligence and understanding" approach seen elsewhere on the site today. We're talking music here folks, an art that entertains us and gives us something. We have differences in personal taste, in musical perception as well as appreciation - is it so hard to have peace with the notion that one can't be an expert on all aspects of the music that is a part of this site? Discussing ones personal understanding of this form of art really shouldn't be important enough to result in hurt egoes, big emotions and melodrama. We're adults after all, not attending kindergarten...

Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M - October 21 2008 at 18:58

I'm listening to these Myspace songs for Pure, and they're pretty damn boring. You have disappointed me prog chick!

Edited by Henry Plainview - October 21 2008 at 19:38

I purposely stayed away from this thread because the title alone is asking for trouble (and my hunch was spot on in this case).

Why are we still having this discussion? We can all go 'round, and around and around and nothing gets accomplished. The biggest reason I've stayed away (and something tells me I wished I would've stayed away completely) is it's the same tired argument over and over. Sometimes I truly wonder if people pile on because it makes them look good to the other prog snobs, when in fact they've only heard a wee little bit (not saying it's fact, but just a wonderment). I'm not saying it in every case, but wonder if the 'mob mentaility' takes over in some.

I like neo progressive music. It makes me feel good and I feel like I'm hearing something special when I hear my favorite bands within the genre. The same goes for Genesis, Kansas, Barclay James Harvest and Yes. It all boils down to personal taste because some neo I cannot tolerate <<cough....Galleon!!!>>.

I don't care who likes it and who doesn't. It's like the Obama vs. McCain thread: you're not changing my opinion and I'm not changing yours. Moreso, I could give a frog's fat a** who likes what and who doesn't. It doesn't sway me in one way or another. As long as I enjoy it, who cares???!!!

And as for the Pendragon comments, it's another case of opinions. Personally, I found it to be brilliant and it sounds nothing like their music in a 10 year span. But that's me. If you find it boring, whoopty friggin' doo!!! If I find it to be awesome, well whoopty friggin' doo!!! At the end of the day (you'll be lying in a suit of grey...sorry...Spock's Beard moment) my opinion only matters to me.

E

E-Dub wrote: I purposely stayed away from this thread because the title alone is asking for trouble (and my hunch was spot on in this case). Why are we still having this discussion? We can all go 'round, and around and around and nothing gets accomplished. The biggest reason I've stayed away (and something tells me I wished I would've stayed away completely) is it's the same tired argument over and over. Sometimes I truly wonder if people pile on because it makes them look good to the other prog snobs, when in fact they've only heard a wee little bit (not saying it's fact, but just a wonderment). I'm not saying it in every case, but wonder if the 'mob mentaility' takes over in some. I like neo progressive music. It makes me feel good and I feel like I'm hearing something special when I hear my favorite bands within the genre. The same goes for Genesis, Kansas, Barclay James Harvest and Yes. It all boils down to personal taste because some neo I cannot tolerate <<cough....Galleon!!!>>. I don't care who likes it and who doesn't. It's like the Obama vs. McCain thread: you're not changing my opinion and I'm not changing yours. Moreso, I could give a frog's fat a** who likes what and who doesn't. It doesn't sway me in one way or another. As long as I enjoy it, who cares???!!! And as for the Pendragon comments, it's another case of opinions. Personally, I found it to be brilliant and it sounds nothing like their music in a 10 year span. But that's me. If you find it boring, whoopty friggin' doo!!! If I find it to be awesome, well whoopty friggin' doo!!! At the end of the day (you'll be lying in a suit of grey...sorry...Spock's Beard moment) my opinion only matters to me. E

LiquidEternity wrote: That said, arguing is probably the most useless thing the human race has ever come up with, second to only prose poetry, maybe.

Man alive. I said pretty much the same thing (in regards to arguing). The only difference is our approach. I wished I would've taken yours.

E