Keats for Prog Related

yam yam wrote: A Special Collaborator has to put together a convincing case for inclusion of an artist in Prog Related, and present it to our admins, who would then decide yay or nay. I'm not sure if suggestions for PR have to pass through one of the genre teams first though, and to be judged by the majority of that team to be suitable for consideration as a potential candidate for inclusion in the category. Listening to this album now, I'm not personally hearing any prog to be honest. It sounds like another slick but fairly bland AOR album that was typical of the mid-eighties, reminding me of bands such as Toto or Foreigner...and of course Alan Parsons. I guess I could pass it over to the Crossover Team for a listen, but I'm pretty sure the band would get three straight 'no's from them. Apart from the obvious connections to the Alan Parsons Project and Camel, I'm not sure that this band ticks too many of the other boxes that would be required for inclusion in Prog Related either, such as having an influence on the ongoing history of progressive rock or being influenced themselves by progressive rock.  They weren't really an integral part of the prog rock scene of the day either, as Keats was essentially a side project created to exist separately from the Alan Parsons Project mainly to give some exposure to the key side members of that project. Ian Bairnson and David Paton had previously been members of pop group Pilot, Stuart Elliott was the drummer of Cockney Rebel and Colin Blunstone was formerly the lead singer with The Zombies. The band is on Proggnosis categorised as "AOR Styles (Prog Related)", and is tagged as Pop Rock, AOR and Progressive Pop on RYM, so they do at least have some references to prog out there in the wider World. It would be interesting to hear what a few others on here think of this album, and whether they reckon the band is worthy of a place on PA in Prog Related.

^ OK, noted. Let's pass the band over to the Crossover Team for an initial evaluation. 

yam yam wrote: A Special Collaborator has to put together a convincing case for inclusion of an artist in Prog Related, and present it to our admins, who would then decide yay or nay.

Edited by SouthSideoftheSky - Yesterday at 00:49

yam yam wrote: They weren't really an integral part of the prog rock scene of the day either, as Keats was essentially a side project created to exist separately from the Alan Parsons Project mainly to give some exposure to the key side members of that project.

I just want comment that I used to vote Prog Related at ProgFreak/ RatingsFreak (now AwesomeProg) if I felt the music sounded... I wish Mickey was around to hate on this word, Proggy. Like it sounded related to actual Progressive Rock (rather than AOR albums by acts that had made Prog) or seemed experimental, art music, and progressive somehow. As a member of the duo that looks into Prog Related submissions, it should tick off various Prog Related boxes. Shared personnel with Prog is significant, but not enough. It is meant for "exceptional" cases, and we do have someone like Phil Collins who is not in PA despite being so significant in Prog. I would hope that the music sounds progressive (even if not Prog proper) or experimental and/or like art music of some sort and ideally has had an impact on progressive music scenes. As for sounding like contemporary to that Camel and Alan Parsons Project, that is not the material that got those projects in. To me it just sounds like typical AOR/ Pop Rock of its day, and the kind of Camel and APP where it had gone mainstream and is making typical music of its day (not progressive or art music) Nothing remarkable to it that I can tell, lacking experimentation.... Now as I speak of experimentation, I am reminded of Glenn Branca who is out, now that guy was ahead of his time. Have to research why he is not in. Not trying to sound negative, and sorry if I do sound too dismissive, but I just don't see this getting into Prog Related at this time for this one album project. I don't think it's significant or exceptional enough. Would like more creativity and innovative qualities perhaps, more artsy possibly....

Edited by Logan - 9 hours 38 minutes ago at 15:40

Logan wrote: I just want comment that I used to vote Prog Related at ProgFreak/ RatingsFreak (now AwesomeProg) if I felt the music sounded... I wish Mickey was around to hate on this word, Proggy. Like it sounded related to actual Progressive Rock (rather than AOR albums by acts that had made Prog) or seemed experimental, art music, and progressive somehow. As a member of the duo that looks into Prog Related submissions, it should tick off various Prog Related boxes. Shared personnel with Prog is significant, but not enough. It is meant for "exceptional" cases, and we do have someone like Phil Collins who is not in PA despite being so significant in Prog. I would hope that the music sounds progressive (even if not Prog proper) or experimental and/or like art music of some sort and ideally has had an impact on progressive music scenes. As for sounding like contemporary to that Camel and Alan Parsons Project, that is not the material that got those projects in. To me it just sounds like typical AOR/ Pop Rock of its day, and the kind of Camel and APP where it had gone mainstream and is making typical music of its day (not progressive or art music) Nothing remarkable to it that I can tell, lacking experimentation... : : ...Not trying to sound negative, and sorry if I do sound too dismissive, but I just don't see this getting into Prog Related at this time for this one album project. I don't think it's significant or exceptional enough. Would like more creativity and innovative qualities perhaps, more artsy possibly....