How many members actually read about Prog?

First I want to talk with LORD. I never want to upset you. I know You dont know me but You attack to me. I just tell my opinion about THIS TOPIC. I dont know you too and when I dont know you why I want to personalize. If I upset you please forgive me my friend. ( sometimes I headbanging too . )

O666 wrote: Henry Plainview wrote: O666 wrote: Progressive music  WITHOUT structure?  Do You think experimentation and improvisation have'nt structure? I think Progressive music or other genre of music have STRUCTURE. Quite a lot of music doesn't have any structure, or at least not structure in the sense that a normal person would define it. Why you say this? One guitarist ( for example) before start playing has structure in mind. every notes play after another notes and these notes build melody has structure. what is different between 2 musicians? technique, compose and..... theses are build structure. Music WITHOUT structure is not music. Drummer without timing is not drummer. I hope you undrestand me

I am sorry if this comes across as a little nasty but it seems that you, Dick Heath, didn't read Anthony's OP in the 'Lamb' thread too properly:

Anthony H wrote:   This probably isn't a particularly original observation, but does anybody agree the Genesis's The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was the first neo-progressive album? The term obviously hadn't been coined at the time of its release, but "The Lamb" contains many neo-progressive motifs: it consists of vocally-driven prog with expressive guitar and lush keyboards.

So, he clearly did know that neo-prog as a term didn't exist at the time of that album's release and was simply raising a question about some similarities in the music, which by itself was a rather interesting question.  It's unfortunate that you think any use of the word neo-prog out of context even for comparison and not for a factual discussion is so blasphemous.

I'd like to think one day i'll read more about Prog but for now i'm way too busy with work,family and listening to music. I read very little except the newspaper. One day i'd like to read some of Peart's books and general books on the seventies progressive movement.Oh and Krautrock. I don't know if i'll make the time though when listening to music means so much more to me than reading books.To each his own i suppose.

Gerinski wrote: I just started a thread with the question "How did Genesis fans react to The Lamb" so I guess I'm being directly refered to here... r.

Finnforest wrote: Prog and rock in general, as much as I can put my hands on.  But we can't be too elitist or stand-offish to new people, if they don't have much experience with music, what you do is be friendly and help them in their education.    We sure don't want "thread police" dictating what people can and can't talk about.  As long as people aren't breaking any rules or posting in the wrong area, they will talk about what they wish to talk about.  Scroll on by if not interested

Edited by VanVanVan - August 14 2010 at 13:19

O666 wrote: I'm sorry Dick to call you DEAN!!!!

10cc sung about us in : The Dean & I: 'hey kids let me tell you.......'

Henry Plainview wrote: O666 wrote: Progressive music  WITHOUT structure?  Do You think experimentation and improvisation have'nt structure? I think Progressive music or other genre of music have STRUCTURE. Quite a lot of music doesn't have any structure, or at least not structure in the sense that a normal person would define it.

Why you say this? One guitarist ( for example) before start playing has structure in mind. every notes play after another notes and these notes build melody has structure. what is different between 2 musicians?

jammun wrote: Back to the original topic, which was less about reading this or that book but actually about doing some research prior to posting.  As I've repeated to the point of nausea, I'm old and grew up with the music we call prog, which is a decided advantage. I don't mind participating in a thread where a n00b is asking a reasonable question, i.e., where's a good place to start with Frank Zappa or King Crimson or Miles Davis, my assumption always being that they've never heard these bands.

The thing that always surprises ME is that newcomers will start new threads asking things like "Which Gentle Giant album do you recommend" or "What are the best Canterbury albums".

Once they've bumped into Progarchives, all it takes is a few clicks in our reviews section to find out ALL they could ever want about such subjects AND MORE!!! No "Search" button needed. Just click on some of links at the top of the Start page, for Prog's sake!

But apparently today's youngsters won't even do any research (even if PA can provide them with all the information they need), no, each and every answer to their Dreary Little Questions has to be SPOONFED to them, in the forums...

[I guess I've got essentially the same gripe with them as Dick Heath. Oh what do you want - I just turned fifty two days ago! ]

Edited by fuxi - August 14 2010 at 04:25

Back to the original topic, which was less about reading this or that book but actually about doing some research prior to posting.  As I've repeated to the point of nausea, I'm old and grew up with the music we call prog, which is a decided advantage.

I don't mind participating in a thread where a n00b is asking a reasonable question, i.e., where's a good place to start with Frank Zappa or King Crimson or Miles Davis, my assumption always being that they've never heard these bands.  For me, the obvious answer is simple:  their first album.  But in some sense, that may or may not be the best answer for someone just discovering the genres that make up prog or jazz.  I try to give the members of the forum the benefit of the doubt.  If someone has never heard FZ or KC or Miles, all of whom have formidable catalogs, and if that person may not have unlimited discretionary income (so that buy 'em all is not a particularly helpful answer), well I don't mind pointing the way to one of the more accessible and better (to my ears) albums of the band.  Certainly if someone chooses to start from album one, or even randomly buy Zappa's 200 Motels or KC's Earthbound, they may choose not to look nor go further, at least until they've recovered, in which case they'll miss much of the best.

I can never get the search function here to work.  That being said, you don't need the search function to go read the reviews here; just click on the letter.  (It took me a while to figure that out ).  If it's an "expert" (ha) opinion you desire, well there's always All Music for the core bands.  If you want really "expert" (double ha) opinions, just Google or Bing or Yahoo "<insert album name here> reviews". 

Now that being said, I doubt I would have ever heard an album from The Decemberists were it not for discussion on the forum.  Being the type who just refuses to click on "D", twas my good luck, I guess, stumbling into a thread about them, and having some kind souls suggest where to start.  So it cuts both ways for us old farts.

Long long ago, in a galaxy far far way, The Smithsonian Institute put out a six-LP box set of Classic Jazz.  The sucker runs the gauntlet, from Scott Joplin (Side 1, Track 1) to John Coltrane (Side 12, Track 4).  In between is a sampling of every major jazz artist of the 20th century.  Yeah, you can argue with a few choices, both in terms of who was included or excluded, and yes even the song choices for those who made the cut.  But what a remarkable way, for a n00b or in my case, one who came to jazz in the very early 70's, to experience and understand the history of the genre.

It's really unfortunate that there can't be a similar effort for prog.  I've seen threads that try it (the Prog canon), but don't we disagree!  Some authoritive dude at The Smithsonian needs to undertake the project, and put it to CD (if they even do that anymore).  We can then argue about who or who didn't make the cut, or that this or that song just ain't representative of this or that band.  But...then it's too late; the deal is done and the bits are in the plastic.  And...it gives everyone who cares a starting point.

Sorry, I'm ranting...