Did You Think Prog Was Dead?
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Topic: Did You Think Prog Was Dead?
Posted By: The Truth
Subject: Did You Think Prog Was Dead?
Date Posted: August 26 2009 at 21:44
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I certainly did! For awhile there I thought all the creative bands out there had totally gone away. Yes, Van Der Graaf, Pink Floyd, you know the rest... I thought they were all one of a kind and their type of music was never to be heard again after prog disentigrated away from the popular music scene. Then one day, quite awhile after I had given up on looking for new prog CDs, I wondered across a band called The Mars Volta (interesting band to start with) and realized prog was still alive and well! After awhile I saw how silly the Mars Volta really was compared to other bands that were keeping prog alive such as Porcupine Tree, the Flower Kings, and actually Frogg Cafe were some of the first modern prog bands I found. From there my interest in finding new music was replenished and I was sooo happy. Did anyone else here think that prog had died? I know some of the younger people won't but interested to hear some stories. ------------- http://blindpoetrecords.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">  
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Replies:
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: August 26 2009 at 21:47
| I maybe did, before I discovered this site. Actually I would say the answer is no, more like my interest in music had waned, but I had started listening to those classic bands again and thought "there's got to be other bands doing this sort of thing." Turns out I was right! |
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: August 26 2009 at 21:50
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Never thought it was dead. Just not as good as the 70s. And now it's pretty juicy again though nothing tops the classic period.
------------- ...that moment you realize you like "Mob Rules" better than "Heaven and Hell" |
Posted By: The Switch Blade
Date Posted: August 26 2009 at 22:20
| I still think it's dead. Modern prog bands are of a different breed than the classic lineups. I certainly can appreciate modern prog music, but for different reasons. |
Posted By: WalterDigsTunes
Date Posted: August 26 2009 at 22:30
| Yes and VDGG and a host of other top-notch classics are still around to keep the flame burning. While hapless imitators bumble about making inordinate noises, the real prog artists of yesteryear remind us how great the golden age truly was. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: August 26 2009 at 22:45
It was coughing up a little blood for a while but it got better.  The big names disintegrated or went commercial but some carried on and did not. I think there was a revival starting in the '90's that I missed out on but am enjoying today. v v v  |
Posted By: jammun
Date Posted: August 26 2009 at 22:48
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It was like Jazz. It wasn't dead, it just smelled funny, to quote FZ. ------------- Can you tell me where we're headin'? Lincoln County Road or Armageddon. |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 03:29
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If it weren't for Roine Stolt and Fish, prog would still be dead. ------------- 
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Posted By: fusionfreak
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 03:39
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Prog is not dead!If it were to die,It would come back to life like Dark Phoenix. ------------- I was born in the land of Mahavishnu,not so far from Kobaia.I'm looking for the world of searchers with the help from crimson king |
Posted By: paulwalker71
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 03:41
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The re-emergence of prog was surely largely due to the rise of the Internet. I think without the Internet I'd have long since given up even looking for decent music |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 04:07
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good for you.. I was lucky that my reinvigorated interest in prog occurred around 2000 when this great second prog age had really begun to take hold, suddenly all these forgotten groups and album started to resurface on CD ..enjoy it while it lasts |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 05:28
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I was born in 1975 ... when I first became interested in prog, it was about 1990 and I was primarily interested in prog metal (and Pink Floyd). About a decade later I lost my appetite for rock/metal/jazz for a few years ... I became mostly interested in electronic music. And in 2003 I re-discovered prog ... I never thought it was dead though.
------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Firdous e Bareen
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 06:19
I can't even imagine how you would find out anything about progressive music if it weren't for the internet. Seriously, what would you do? Stay tuned to the least commercial radio station available 24/7 and hope that once every year or two you hear something by a band you like? Honestly, if China take down the internet one day I am gonna be so pissed. ------------- 
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paulwalker71 wrote:Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 06:25
Amen
I don't have ANY idea what I would've done as far as prog goes without the internet... I found Marillion on PA I found Porcupine Tree on PA I buy about 95% of my prog CD's online aswell... ------------- 
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 07:18
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In the good old days of prog, we had to rely on friends suggestions and artists interconnections (so and so played with so and so and then went on to play with so and so). The internet did change things. My first round of major new discoveries came from finding AOL's streaming progressive "radio" station. I discovered PA while Googling an artist (I forget who). PA is pretty much only source now for new discoveries. And I'm in that 95% or higher for buying stuff off the internet. Less hassle than going to the store and requesting a special order.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: friso
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 08:24
| Thought prog is alive and well, I still prefere the oldies. I love the recording/sound of the seventies. |
Posted By: TerLJack
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 08:26
| I lost touch for awhile and came back after hearing DT's Falling Into Infinity. I went back to the independent record store I bought it at and asked for "more like this only with a less annoying singer." He directed me to a list that Mike Portnoy had in the current issue of Modern Drummer of all his favorite bands. There I found Spocks Beard and some others. After that I found all this great new stuff on the internet. Up until then I satisfied my prog jones by listening to all my old 70s records. What's great is that through the internet, I have discovered more wonderful bands from the 70s that I somehow missed the first go 'round. |
Posted By: angelmk
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 09:11
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No, Prog was never dead. never it will be. ------------- www.last.fm/user/angelmk 
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 10:14
You sir get a gold star.  |
Posted By: Anirml
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 10:54
I found Prog Via Youtube! 
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 11:06
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As long as just one band is producing prog rock, and us lot keep listening to prog, old and new, then it's still very much alive.
Some prog bands even still fill up stadiums; Rush, Radiohead and Dream Theater spring to mind..! |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 13:12
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Prog has never died, and there is a multitude of fantastic modern music for us to cherish. I love the classic period, I love the second neo period, and I am getting a huge kick out of listening to modern, third wave, prog. This site has been the catalyst for the latter, in the main.
------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Marty McFly
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 13:24
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Interesting question. Last 40 years was made so much music that can be considered as "good" that you can listen it till death. So even if prog is dead, you have big stack from which you can choose. Not talking about prog is not dead at all, just different.
When you said it, how is current period of prog called ? Modern, yeah, but can we found better name ? By the way I agree with you completely. ------------- There's a point where "avant-garde" and "experimental" becomes "terrible" and "pointless," -Andyman1125 on Lulu  Even my |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 13:32
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Hi,
"Prog" .. or whatever other word you must use to describe music ... was never dead ... I would say that more people lost sight of their tastes in music than otherwise ... and that's ok ... I'm not gonna tell you or anyone else they are stupid for listening to Metallica, or King Crimson or any other band out there ...
The problem is, that we're so empty inside ... so damn empty ... that we have to have some re-assurances that something exists and our friends agree ... well, I can tell you that if that was the type of inspiration that drove all the musicians that we love, I guarantee you they would have quit by now ...
What was dead, was bored folks that did not know enough music think that prog died because Genesis was a pop band now and Pink Floyd told prog'rs where to stuff it! And some folks had nothing to write about!
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Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 13:53
Cheers Marty. I'm struggling to think of a better word than modern, but, as I indicated in my post, I have always thought of prog coming in three waves. The original classic period, the 80s revival with bands such as Marillion, and the third wave, predominently overseas from UK. So....how about the third Wave ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Marty McFly
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 14:08
Damn, this post is so good. So right, so philosophically right. I have some things in my mind: 1)prog is just word. Musicians do the best music they can (there's no point of doing otherwise) and they don't care if it's symphonic prog, if it's little bit jazz influenced, they just create it. But we, as humans, we, as listeners needs categorizing to organize our tastes. We needs to know what we like, what are similar bands to our favourite ones. Well, I know many people in real life (talking with proggers is nothing like real, boring life which only music, movies, books and my girl enlighten) that likes listening to radio, some pop station. They don't care what they listen, they say that they listen "everything". Show them prog and they will be bored, or aphatic, because they are used to think like that. 2)You started it, I'll finish it. Some nice formulation my mind just ran thru: Prog was never dead, just one's personal tastes. When someone loved 70s and then music of 70s was gone, his taste died. He had two choices, ether grief over it and listen over and over again this genre (which is quite big and also good), or add some new, try to get used to something different, for example neo-prog, jazz-prog, maybe even prog metal. 3)We are empty, that's true. In fact I'm 20 years old and music is main thing which keeps me running, working, studying. ------------- There's a point where "avant-garde" and "experimental" becomes "terrible" and "pointless," -Andyman1125 on Lulu Even my |
Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 14:48
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Nah. The first King Crimson album I bought was one of their 1990s albums, though it's only been very recently I've gotten into prog/psych bands started after the 1970s I've been aware of those for as long as I've been seriously into less known music. ------------- "The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook |
Posted By: The Sleepwalker
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 15:06
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Can a music style actually die? I don't think so... Prog was much less popular in the late 70's and 80's than ever, but that says nothing at all, there where lots of prog bands in the 80's too, they just where much more "underground". There will always be people who like a music style that's not mainstream, they will tell it to their friends and some of them will like it. they'll start a band and release a few records. They may not be as "succesful" as any popular artist, but they will keep the specific music style moving and alive. I can't think of any music style that is "dead" now. If a music style is over it's peak of popularity, like prog in the early 70's and punk in the late 70's, it certainly isn't dead, it's just a bit more difficult to find. The creativity has never been gone too, if you compare today's prog to prog from the 70's, you'll notice some significant changes. Prog, and any style of music, has always been moving, and a music style can't move without any creativity. take, for example, Marillion, on of the biggest prog bands from the 80's. Of course, one could clearly hear the Genesis influences... But in the end they where a totally different band, using their creativity to create something "fresh" and thus keeping prog moving. ------------- 
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Posted By: Tony R
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 15:10
| I thought that, if not actually dead, it was certainly terminal during the 90s. Mind you I dont think I was listening too hard. I remember hearing PT for the first time in the mid-90s, Up The Downstair I believe, and dismissed it as rubbish. They're just about my favourite band now and that track is one of my favourites. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 15:13
| Reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated. |
Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 15:47
I never thought it dead because it was never dead to me. Since I no longer pay any attention to popular trends and the hype machines that spawn them,   I don't really care what's supposed to be in style. If people are still listening and enjoying, then it's alive, no matter what the payola soaked magazines and radio stations say.------------- The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty" |
Posted By: himtroy
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 16:02
| At one point in my life I definitely thought prog was dead. Now I'm aware of modern progressive music, but I still think the majority of quality prog comes from the very late sixties and early seventies. Theres obviously always exceptions though |
Posted By: King Crimson776
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 16:31
| Nah, because I came into it differently. I found out about more of the classic prog first, but soon after that I found Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Tool, Spock's Beard, Opeth, The Flower Kings, Transatlantic, Rocket Scientists, Frost*... ok you get the picture. :P But yeah, there's a ton of modern prog I like, I think the movement is doing well. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 17:50
You cottoned-on to PT a while before me - not sure why or how I missed them for so long considering I bought No Man's Flowermouth when it came out.
Anyway - in answer to the OT - no I didn't think it was ever was dead - I may have shifted my allegiance to Gothic Rock and Metal for the most part of the 80s and 90s, but I still followed Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Peter Hammill, Mike Oldfield, Phil Manzanera and Eno, along with Marillion and Pendragon of the "next generation". I also regard much of the "intelligent" rock music of that period as owing a lot more to Prog than people give it credit for. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Jake Kobrin
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 18:08
By the time I found prog it was already dead... 
------------- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Neil-Kobrin/244687105562746" rel="nofollow - SUPPORT MY FATHER AND BECOME A FAN Jacob Kobrin Illustration |
Posted By: progmatic
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 18:50
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Around 1978, almost all of my favorite bands, particularly in the U.S. and U.K., began "dumbing down" and homogenizing their sound. By the early 1980s, I not only thought that prog was dead but that music was dead, period. There were almost no creative musicians or bands. I gave up on the radio and listened to the music I'd already acquired.
Then one night I was making a long late-night drive; I was hoping to get some baseball scores and put on a Sandusky, Ohio, radio station noted for news on the hour and the worst pop music ever recorded.
What I heard blew me away. First, I heard a cut off of Suzanne Vega's first album, which had just come out -- it was the first new "real" music I'd heard in years. That was followed by a song which I thought must be off of a new Peter Gabriel album -- I was excited because it sounded like classic Genesis.
Turned out it was Marillion.
I realized that neither prog nor music was dead; you just had to look a little harder to find it. Today I think it's a renaissance of sorts: There is more great music available now than at any time in my life. (I'll be 52 next week). Virtually everything I've ever heard or owned is now available in one form or another, and there are dozens of new groups cranking out fantastic albums.
But in the late 70s/early 80s I thought music was dead. ------------- PROGMATIC |
Posted By: SMSM
Date Posted: August 27 2009 at 19:11
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Prog was never dead, the problem was if you wanted a recording contract or to keep one, the record execs insisted you sound like a pop new wave band, or create music like ASIA's heat of the moment, YES's owner of a lonley heart, etc
The Neo prog bands like Marillion, IQ, Pendragon either refused to become a pop act, or got tired of it, and decided to make the music they wanted to play.
Same with the latter day prog bands like the Flower Kings, Spock's Beard, Anglagard, Ritual, Everon etc
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Posted By: clarke2001
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 01:02
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When I discovered prog, but not the Internet (it was a new thing) I though prog was almost exclusively 70's thing and entirely dead. And I didn't had a clue about "progressive rock", I knew only for "symho rock" or "jazz rock" or "art rock"...even "space rock" (thanks to the French History Of Rock comic book)...but most often it was just "70's music that I like". The music of The Black Crowes raised my hope there might be a new music around that is influneced by 70's rock...and perhaps sympho&art rock. This was before Internet, mind you..and I was not aware of existence of prog metal or post rock (although I was aware of some connections between prog and classical heavy metal more than majority are giving them credit for...). And then a few names appeared that made me think So ,there are bands still doing somewhat similar music which I might like, although in a modern way! Those bands were...Ne Zhdali, Kopecky and Anastasia. (Macedonian band) And then came the Internet, and with my first Altavista searches of Pavlov's Dog, Jethro Tull, PFM, ELP...the term progressive rock started popping out, and I thought Rock that is...progressive? Progressive Rock? Yes, that sums up nicely the bands I like! What a nice term! And the rest is history...prog is alive and well. |
Posted By: harmony
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 09:20
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That last paragraph I always thought was interesting. When did the term "progressive rock" start being used and who first used it? When we first started digging ELP, Tull ,Yes etc. we never called it prog. We called it "weird stuff" and the fact that we listened to it was like a badge of honor. To our amazement it became popular.
Anyway back to the topic. I`ll have to admit that there was about a 5 year window between the late 70s and Marillion where I thought it had died. Even Marillion being played on the air was a brief hiccup so I figured it was just a freak thing. I always found creative music to listen to like Steve Morse etc. but it wasn`t prog. It wasn`t until the internet that I realized that it had just moved underground. Now all these unknown bands (past and present) are being discovered and my love for prog has been renewed. So many new bands to discover and so many I missed.
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 09:56
I may have mentioned this before once or twice - here in the UK the term was in regular use in the early 70s by those who were buying the albums at the time - in much the same way as the word "Emo" was regular in use in the early 90s before it became popular (ie by the mainstream music press) 10 years later. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Badabing666
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 10:23
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One of the patterns emerging in these posts is that many of us listened to prog up to a certain age and then lost track. Obviously prog never went way, more a case that many of us were tempted away by other genres and, dare I say other distractions (partners, kids, stuff to fix etc). A significant factor for me was moving away from my home town where a couple of older mates were a constant source of prog music in the late 70's. That and the trips to London to dig up music gold in the second hand record stores of Soho. A quick glance at the discographies of many bands proves that there has been a constant output of prog music throughout the years demonstrating that it never went away. Let's face it, even now you have to put some effort into finding out about new albums and bands and praise be to the internet and the likes of PA & Progfreak for making it possible. That said I am betting that the average Joe on the street genuinely believes that prog passed away decades ago. I was out with some old mates the other night when the subject of music came up. I proudly declared my love of prog which was met by the usual pregnant pause and some embarrassed shuffling on their parts. What do I care. This has been a great year for many excellent new albums and having seen the likes of Dream Theater, Frost*, Mostly Autumn and due to see Steve Hackett in the autumn I am delighted that I rediscovered prog. Did i think that prog was dead? Yes, I used to until about 5 years ago. Now I know that it is very much alive, if a little off the beaten path. ------------- 
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 10:33
^ that's a three clappies post David 
 ------------- What? |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 11:19
The first use I came across was on the Fidonet newsgroups in 1989 ... they did not have a description for the music, and area, and it was named "progressive" for lack of a better term. I created a similar thread on Rosenet and one other smaller newsgroup styled setup. These eventually became the shame of the internet when spam hit them in 1995 and started killing these newsgroups and their ability to function properly. But the term stuck.
It had been considered progressive music but not labeled as such, and even Archie Patterson of Eurock (we're talking 70's and 80's now) and his early publishing coments about various music would say something like "progressive" as a way to describe music that was more advanced than the simple rock'n'roll ,,, and since he was catering to an audience that was far more advanced in musical choices and preferences, the term made sense. But I do not recall, Archie or anyone else ever calling/considering anything progressive music like we do now ... and then create a veritable cannon and dismiss other music's as not good enough or not progressive enough ... none of the folks that I know that have been there 40 years, and have been writing and discussing a lot of this music for that long ... ever even considered limiting the music ... they already knew that this was MUSIC ... and it didn't matter if it was called Beethoven or Dream Theater, or Genesis, or ELP or ... Sex Pistols, or Brittany Spears ... it's music ... regardless! It might be comsidered, compositionally wise more advanced and difficult, but to limit its growth is plain wrong ...
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 11:28
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Exhibit #1:
 ------------- What? |
Posted By: tamijo
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 11:29
I was kinda following your thinking up to the point where you think Mars Volta is silly.
I still thing they are one of the few new prog bands actualy able to make new prog.
Without copy and paste too much from the classics.
Im not saying i dont like Porcupine Tree, or a lot of the other great Prog bands around.
But still The Mars Volta is very original in their approach compared to most other bands. ------------- Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours |
Posted By: harmony
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 11:37
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Posted By: harmony
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 11:46
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I disagree somewhat. I never felt I left prog. I felt prog was taken from me. A quick glance at the discographies will also show that many older prog bands quite simply stopped making prog music. They were changing with the times to survive. When it was no longer popular we no longer had articles in the mags, newpapers. I suppose there might have been some little known prog publications but I sure didn`t know about them. It wasn`t until I finally had a means to find information that I finally started finding out what was out there. That means was the internet.
The only reason I sought out other genres was because I was forced to and it always seemed like second best to me.
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 11:55
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While I was leafing through those old Friars Club flyers looking for documented references to the term "progressive rock" dating back to 1969, I came across one where the editor lamented the commercialisation of progressive rock that was pricing some of the bands out of the club's budget ... dated January 1970! ------------- What? |
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 12:00
 ------------- ...that moment you realize you like "Mob Rules" better than "Heaven and Hell" |
Posted By: sealchan
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 17:03
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I, like many, think that I would have continued to go on thinking prog was dead without the internet (and this web site). |
Posted By: sealchan
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 17:08
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I should add...right now I'm sampling albums from 1987 preparing to pick one to purchase from that year...this was precisely when the early 80's commercial re-invigoration of progressive rock bands clearly shows that the progressive was largely removed from those bands. For example, from 1987...
Crest of a Knave, Jethro Tull
Clutching At Straws, Marillion
Hold Your Fire, Rush
Wildest Dreams, Saga
Big Generator, Yes
I'm looking at the following albums as the more innovative from that same year...
Within the Realm of a Dying Sun, Dead Can Dance
Neo Geo, Ryuichi Sakamoto
Yikes, right now I'm listening to remixes of songs from Big Generator on Amazon.com...lol...yeah, progressive rock died.
But I would say it has been reborn since 1987.
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Posted By: paulwalker71
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 17:21
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I think its easy - with the benefit of hindsight - to see that prog never actually went away and that there were decent prog releases every single year from the late 60's right through to the current day. But it sure didn't seem like at the time! That's because, in the late 1970s / early 1980s, the large commercially-orientated record companies very largely moved away from prog. A lot of the historic prog bands / artists either broke up, went on hiatus, adapted their musical sound or moved to much smaller or even homespun recording labels. In an era when there was no Internet, the fact that nobody was releasing stuff into mainstream record shops or writing about it in the main music media meant that it effecitvely 'disappeared' for most of us who were around at that time. Then, allayed to the fact that many of us who remember that 1970s era were getting into work / family / kids etc, further served to distance us. Speaking for myself, I had little spare money, time or even inclination to go hunting around for prog in obscure specialist music shops! In reality, quite a bit of decent stuff was being released in that whole era, but until the Internet came along and revived interest, most of us were in total ignorance. At least we now have a huge body of work to discover! |
Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: August 28 2009 at 17:43
Oh Lordy ! that little artefact must be worth a bob or two now methinks ? and 'Closed' were not a drag act then ? ------------- 
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Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: August 29 2009 at 04:21
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Umm.. I didn't know it was called Prog... Maybe I was a little thick or something, but when I was younger, when people asked me what music I liked I said "sort of hippy music like Pink Floyd, Genesis, Jethro Tull and stuff like that" - I certainly never knew it was called Progressive rock. Time went by and we passed through the 80's and I must admit that I didn't think Hippy music was about any more - I was a little aware that Marillion were a kind of Genesis-like band but that's all I thought. Into the early 2000's (20 years on now) and I had a major Pink Floyd and Genesis revival and bought up all my old vinyl albums on CD (I didn't have a record player any more). It drove my wife mad - "not another bloomin' Pink Floyd album" "you're living in the past!". I couldn't help it though - I couldn't listen to anything else. In fact I liked their music this second time around a lot more than the first! Maybe it's because I was older and more cultured. Even at this stage I thought that there wasn't any music like that any more. ....Until quite by chance I stumbled across PA when I first had the internet in 2004. I was interested if anybody evre wrote reviews on Pink Floyd albums and I keyed in Meddle into Google, and a review for the album came up in PA. I was fascinated and hooked. I also discovered it was called "Prog" - wow, at last I thought - now I know what it was actually called!! With a little more time I was become a little embarrassed about my living in the past jibes (indeed my sons bought me a CD of Living in the Past by JT and thought it histerically funny!) - Umm I was happy though - I love that album. So... I thought, I wonder if there any modern bands who try and emulate the sound of Pink Floyd, then maybe I can get into them - be less "living in the past" and then I would even get the chance to see them live!! Note I was also a little frustrated that Pink Floyd weren't producing any other albums and certainly I would never be able to see them live. So I turned back to PA to try and find out if they covered such new bands - and here I first discovered Porcupine Tree - as there was a bit then on the website that kind of said "if you liked this, then you'll like that..." well, not exactly, but it was something like that. I think it was because Porcupine Tree were under the "psychedelic/ space rock" category then - a category I think they should still be under. (I also saw a magazine in the shops entitled "Prog Rock" which discussed all those early bands (since the dawn of realisation of the word Prog from PA!!!), and then in an article at the back discussed modern bands who try to play it today. I discovered the Mars Volta through that article.) Fascinated, I found by surprise in an HMV stall a copy of "Coma Divine" by Porcupine Tree - and a new age of discovery started for me. Since then, I have become fascinated by the new Prog rock scene, which is still very much alive and kicking - and actually developed considerably (moved onwards that is) from its roots. There is now - in the 2000's a new wave of Prog music which is very powerful and exceptionally good - don't miss it! Yes, I think as many of you have said it kind of died in the 80's (all bar Marillion), and with it the Hippies passed away. The styles and fashions - and the "beardy weirdies" as my wife calls them - and the Old Grey Whistle Test - have all gone - but that doesn't matter, it's the music that counts really - and that music has been re-born. Personally, on my vovage of discovery I have delved back into the recent past to try and figure out where/when that re-birth happened. I have discovered that it happened very quietly (and barely anyone noticed) with the issue of "On the Sunday of Life.." by Porcupine Tree. Since then, bit by bit, it has developed - with many new structures and facets - into the fabulous tidal wave of great new music now, which certainly equals the greatness of the past at the present time I think in terms of beautiful music (now with superior recording facilities and technology) Get out there, and enjoy - this is true "New Wave" not that of Punk rock at the end of the 70's - and you'll even get to see these bands live!!! My dream came true in April 2007 when I got to see Porcupine Tree in Bristol... Oh..And my wife did say recently when I said about me "living in the past" - she said "oh, you're not so bad on that now" Yey - I'm a happy man....But I still listen to Pink Floyd sometimes! (I just don't tell her! )pp (PS - Great thread and lush posts from everybody - sorry this one is so ridiculously long - I'll be proud of anyone who reads it all !!! ) |
Posted By: DangerousCurves
Date Posted: August 29 2009 at 06:25
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^ I read it (and found it very interesting)!
I don't think it died, I think it just died to the mainstream. Being born in 1981 I obviously missed the first wave. It was only when after finding musical direction just over ten years ago, through late Genesis into early, that I had ever heard of the term 'Progressive Rock.' I think Pink Floyd was the only other prog band I had heard of at that point and that was only from 'Another Brick In The Wall Pt 2'. Then a friend who was around then, showed me Yes, King Crimson, ELP and others and the rest is history, as they say.
I think that a certain 'spirit' of prog was carried through with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.
|
Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: August 30 2009 at 04:09
Proud of you! (I said I would be!)Interestingly - for me Another Brick in the Wall Pt 2 was the beginning for me - when it hit the charts in 1979 (yes, sad isn't it? - not the most glamorous beginning for me) Yes, agreed - Heavy metal now has vastly moved on from what it was - and in a way the best place to look for musical virtuosity is in metal nowadays - as my sons keep telling me - but I say that has come influenced from Prog. But it's not always musical virtuosity that's the best... |
Posted By: DangerousCurves
Date Posted: August 30 2009 at 15:43
| I totally agree. (and listen to that Pink Floyd with pride!) |
Posted By: johnobvious
Date Posted: August 30 2009 at 21:33
|
Yes, I thought it was dead. But I didn't really think of myself as a prog guy when I was heavy into Rush, Yes, Kansas, Floyd, Alan Parsons and some others in the 80's. I bought a bunch of used stuff and a lot of it happened to be prog (also got TAAB on vinyl for $2 new). I went thru a heavy metal phase and then soured on that; got into the whole grunge thing but as the years went on, I bought less and less music because nothing appealed. It never occurred to me that there might be prog bands still out there, making music that I would love. Thank goodness for Vapor Trails. The album is not one of my favorites, but I bought it on Amazon at the end of my dry period and got Dream Theater, then Transatlantic and Flower Kings recommendations off that shaky album and it was a short step to buying hundreds of prog albums from there. ------------- Biggles was in rehab last Saturday |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: August 31 2009 at 20:07
I totally agree with you. There are many good bands today, but for some reason, prog lacks something that the bands of the classic period had. However, I'm glad that I can find good music from new artists who are willing to risk main stream exposure for the love of good music. |
Posted By: Frippertron
Date Posted: September 01 2009 at 14:26
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I have to agree that this site has opened my eyes to a hell of a lot of bands that would have passed me by.
The main one being PORCUPINE TREE.
bravo to progarchives.com love ya dearly! ------------- The Cheerful Insanity of Prog Rock |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: September 01 2009 at 15:36
| Until I poked it with a stick and it flew away. |
Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: September 02 2009 at 14:04
|
I dearly hoped it had died. Let me explain At the end of the 80's, beginning of the 90's, my friends and I began discovering "prog". All of it was from the 70's, with the exception of a couple Rush albums. When I looked at MTV, listened to radio, it seemed to me that prog had died long ago (even on college stations I didn't hear symphonic prog......though I heard lots of weird and interesting stuff, much of which may well have been music now on this site). I decided to turn my band into a prog band. I thought that it was up to me to singlehandedly revive prog music and bring it back to world acclaim and popularity. In retrospect, this was pretty silly, but I was young and very idealistic (and quite fond of fragrant green flowers that are dried and smoked through various devices purchased in "head" shops ). And you have to admit, the pretensiousness of it was all so very "prog", don't you think? It was terribly naive to think that epic length songs with exotic metres and multiple, named sections would somehow take the country (USA, of all places) and the world by storm. After a few gigs, it became apparent this was not going to be a viable endeavor (though I noticed that half a dozen teenage boys would stare, with mouths agape, at my fretboard as I tore out my often several minute long guitar solos..........though the corresponding females were nowhere to be seen).But for years, I plugged away, writing longer and more complex pieces, only now with no other musicians willing to undertake the arduous task of learning these monstrosities (let alone getting them to a state of perfection) for absolutely no monetery gain. I was actually a bit dissapointed, when in the late 90's, I got on the internet and started to discover that there had been bands making prog (and generallly superior prog to what I had been doing, at that) straight through the 80's and 90's. I was quick to criticize every new band I heard.........not as good as Yes, or too much like Genesis, or a poor rip off of Gentle Giant, etc. But as I got over my pride issues, I started to realize that all these band were a good thing (for the most part). Finding musical compatriots showed me that I wasn't alone in my love of this thing called prog (or in my obsession with writing my own version of it). I've made great new friends and discovered great new music. I came across this site back in 2005, when I was firmly entrenched in modern prog and obscure older prog. Imagine my surprise to find there was EVEN MORE prog than I had thought! Best prog related discovery I've ever made, no joke. So now, I'd say no, it's not dead, never was dead and probably never will be dead. But yes, there was a while (almost 10 years actually) when I thought it really had died at the end of the 70's (with the brief blip of Marillion in the early 80's, and the anamoly of Rush making a few prog albums in the early to mid 80's). |
Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: September 02 2009 at 14:06
|
I dearly hoped it had died. Let me explain At the end of the 80's, beginning of the 90's, my friends and I began discovering "prog". All of it was from the 70's, with the exception of a couple Rush albums. When I looked at MTV, listened to radio, it seemed to me that prog had died long ago (even on college stations I didn't hear symphonic prog......though I heard lots of weird and interesting stuff, much of which may well have been music now on this site). I decided to turn my band into a prog band. I thought that it was up to me to singlehandedly revive prog music and bring it back to world acclaim and popularity. In retrospect, this was pretty silly, but I was young and very idealistic (and quite fond of fragrant green flowers that are dried and smoked through various devices purchased in "head" shops
). And you have to admit, the pretensiousness of it was all so very
"prog", don't you think? It was terribly naive to think that epic
length songs with exotic metres and multiple, named sections would
somehow take the country (USA, of all places) and the world by storm.
After a few gigs, it became apparent this was not going to be a viable
endeavor (though I noticed that half a dozen teenage boys would stare,
with mouths agape, at my fretboard as I tore out my often several
minute long guitar solos..........though the corresponding females were
nowhere to be seen).But for years, I plugged away, writing longer and more complex pieces, only now with no other musicians willing to undertake the arduous task of learning these monstrosities (let alone getting them to a state of perfection) for absolutely no monetery gain. I was actually a bit dissapointed, when in the late 90's, I got on the internet and started to discover that there had been bands making prog (and generallly superior prog to what I had been doing, at that) straight through the 80's and 90's. I was quick to criticize every new band I heard.........not as good as Yes, or too much like Genesis, or a poor rip off of Gentle Giant, etc. But as I got over my pride issues, I started to realize that all these band were a good thing (for the most part). Finding musical compatriots showed me that I wasn't alone in my love of this thing called prog (or in my obsession with writing my own version of it). I've made great new friends and discovered great new music. I came across this site back in 2005, when I was firmly entrenched in modern prog and obscure older prog. Imagine my surprise to find there was EVEN MORE prog than I had thought! Best prog related discovery I've ever made, no joke. So now, I'd say no, it's not dead, never was dead and probably never will be dead. But yes, there was a while (almost 10 years actually) when I thought it really had died at the end of the 70's (with the brief blip of Marillion in the early 80's, and the anamoly of Rush making a few prog albums in the early to mid 80's). |
Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: September 02 2009 at 14:07
|
I dearly hoped it had died. Let me explain At the end of the 80's, beginning of the 90's, my friends and I began discovering "prog". All of it was from the 70's, with the exception of a couple Rush albums. When I looked at MTV, listened to radio, it seemed to me that prog had died long ago (even on college stations I didn't hear symphonic prog......though I heard lots of weird and interesting stuff, much of which may well have been music now on this site). I decided to turn my band into a prog band. I thought that it was up to me to single handedly revive prog music and bring it back to world acclaim and popularity. In retrospect, this was pretty silly, but I was young and very idealistic (and quite fond of fragrant green flowers that are dried and smoked through various devices purchased in "head" shops
). And you have to admit, the pretentiousness of it was all so very
"prog", don't you think? It was terribly naive to think that epic
length songs with exotic metres and multiple, named sections would
somehow take the country (USA, of all places) and the world by storm.
After a few gigs, it became apparent this was not going to be a viable
endeavor (though I noticed that half a dozen teenage boys would stare,
with mouths agape, at my fretboard as I tore out my often several
minute long guitar solos..........though the corresponding females were
nowhere to be seen).But for years, I plugged away, writing longer and more complex pieces, only now with no other musicians willing to undertake the arduous task of learning these monstrosities (let alone getting them to a state of perfection) for absolutely no monetery gain. I was actually a bit disapointed, when in the late 90's, I got on the internet and started to discover that there had been bands making prog (and generally superior prog to what I had been doing, at that) straight through the 80's and 90's. I was quick to criticize every new band I heard.........not as good as Yes, or too much like Genesis, or a poor rip off of Gentle Giant, etc. But as I got over my pride issues, I started to realize that all these band were a good thing (for the most part). Finding musical compatriots showed me that I wasn't alone in my love of this thing called prog (or in my obsession with writing my own version of it). I've made great new friends and discovered great new music. I came across this site back in 2005, when I was firmly entrenched in modern prog and obscure older prog. Imagine my surprise to find there was EVEN MORE prog than I had thought! Best prog related discovery I've ever made, no joke. So now, I'd say no, it's not dead, never was dead and probably never will be dead. But yes, there was a while (almost 10 years actually) when I thought it really had died at the end of the 70's (with the brief blip of Marillion in the early 80's, and the anomaly of Rush making a few prog albums in the early to mid 80's). |
Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: September 02 2009 at 14:09
|
I dearly hoped it had died. Let me explain At the end of the 80's, beginning of the 90's, my friends and I began discovering "prog". All of it was from the 70's, with the exception of a couple Rush albums. When I looked at MTV, listened to radio, it seemed to me that prog had died long ago (even on college stations I didn't hear symphonic prog......though I heard lots of weird and interesting stuff, much of which may well have been music now on this site). I decided to turn my band into a prog band. I thought that it was up to me to single handedly revive prog music and bring it back to world acclaim and popularity. In retrospect, this was pretty silly, but I was young and very idealistic (and quite fond of fragrant green flowers that are dried and smoked through various devices purchased in "head" shops
). And you have to admit, the pretentiousness of it was all so very
"prog", don't you think? It was terribly naive to think that epic
length songs with exotic metres and multiple, named sections would
somehow take the country (USA, of all places) and the world by storm.
After a few gigs, it became apparent this was not going to be a viable
endeavor (though I noticed that half a dozen teenage boys would stare,
with mouths agape, at my fretboard as I tore out my often several
minute long guitar solos..........though the corresponding females were
nowhere to be seen).But for years, I plugged away, writing longer and more complex pieces, only now with no other musicians willing to undertake the arduous task of learning these monstrosities (let alone getting them to a state of perfection) for absolutely no monetary gain. I was actually a bit disapointed, when in the late 90's, I got on the internet and started to discover that there had been bands making prog (and generally superior prog to what I had been doing, at that) straight through the 80's and 90's. I was quick to criticize every new band I heard.........not as good as Yes, or too much like Genesis, or a poor rip off of Gentle Giant, etc. But as I got over my pride issues, I started to realize that all these band were a good thing (for the most part). Finding musical compatriots showed me that I wasn't alone in my love of this thing called prog (or in my obsession with writing my own version of it). I've made great new friends and discovered great new music. I came across this site back in 2005, when I was firmly entrenched in modern prog and obscure older prog. Imagine my surprise to find there was EVEN MORE prog than I had thought! Best prog related discovery I've ever made, no joke. So now, I'd say no, it's not dead, never was dead and probably never will be dead. But yes, there was a while (almost 10 years actually) when I thought it really had died at the end of the 70's (with the brief blip of Marillion in the early 80's, and the anomaly of Rush making a few prog albums in the early to mid 80's). |
Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: September 02 2009 at 14:10
|
I dearly hoped it had died. Let me explain At the end of the 80's, beginning of the 90's, my friends and I began discovering "prog". All of it was from the 70's, with the exception of a couple Rush albums. When I looked at MTV, listened to radio, it seemed to me that prog had died long ago (even on college stations I didn't hear symphonic prog......though I heard lots of weird and interesting stuff, much of which may well have been music now on this site). I decided to turn my band into a prog band. I thought that it was up to me to single handedly revive prog music and bring it back to world acclaim and popularity. In retrospect, this was pretty silly, but I was young and very idealistic (and quite fond of fragrant green flowers that are dried and smoked through various devices purchased in "head" shops
). And you have to admit, the pretentiousness of it was all so very
"prog", don't you think? It was terribly naive to think that epic
length songs with exotic metres and multiple, named sections would
somehow take the country (USA, of all places) and the world by storm.
After a few gigs, it became apparent this was not going to be a viable
endeavor (though I noticed that half a dozen teenage boys would stare,
with mouths agape, at my fretboard as I tore out my often several
minute long guitar solos..........though the corresponding females were
nowhere to be seen).But for years, I plugged away, writing longer and more complex pieces, only now with no other musicians willing to undertake the arduous task of learning these monstrosities (let alone getting them to a state of perfection) for absolutely no monetary gain. I was actually a bit disapointed, when in the late 90's, I got on the internet and started to discover that there had been bands making prog (and generally superior prog to what I had been doing, at that) straight through the 80's and 90's. I was quick to criticize every new band I heard.........not as good as Yes, or too much like Genesis, or a poor rip off of Gentle Giant, etc. But as I got over my pride issues, I started to realize that all these bands were a good thing (for the most part). Finding musical compatriots showed me that I wasn't alone in my love of this thing called prog (or in my obsession with writing my own version of it). I've made great new friends and discovered great new music. I came across this site back in 2005, when I was firmly entrenched in modern prog and obscure older prog. Imagine my surprise to find there was EVEN MORE prog than I had thought! Best prog related discovery I've ever made, no joke. So now, I'd say no, it's not dead, never was dead and probably never will be dead. But yes, there was a while (almost 10 years actually) when I thought it really had died at the end of the 70's (with the brief blip of Marillion in the early 80's, and the anomaly of Rush making a few prog albums in the early to mid 80's). |
Posted By: akamaisondufromage
Date Posted: September 02 2009 at 14:14
|
Infandous have you fallen asleep on your keyboard? INFANDOUS WAKE UP!!! ------------- Help me I'm falling! |
Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: September 02 2009 at 14:23
|
On a related note, I would not mind hearing his band. What's it called?
------------- "The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook |
Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: September 02 2009 at 14:27
Heh, heh. Apparently there was some temporary issue with site/forum. I first got an error message, then it just hung when I hit post. I must have hit post more than once  I tried to delete them, but it only let me delete one of them. |
Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: September 02 2009 at 14:32
Well, you can't We called ourselves Rain (not terribly original I know, but the drummer insisted it be 4 letters and start with "R" )However, I have some of my music up at www/myspace.com/gusrain. This is mostly more recent stuff, though the third and forth tracks are old recordings from the Rain days that recently were digitized. None of my most epic stuff is there though, I'll warn you |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: September 02 2009 at 14:42
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What was the middle part?
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: September 02 2009 at 14:46
Oh, yeah, forgot about that one That is the middle section of an 18 minute piece. Not the best recording, and lacking a significant number of other instruments/parts. |
Posted By: Drummerboy
Date Posted: September 03 2009 at 11:57
| I didn't think it was dead, but maybe in an old-age home, and only got out infrequently. However, my view changed by attending the Nearfest last June and being exposed to some great younger bands. |
Posted By: Lionheart
Date Posted: September 03 2009 at 14:36
|
I thought prog was pretty dead in the 80's and early 90's. But the truth is, I wasn't really looking in the right places. What I did know is that Yes, Genesis, Banco etc had reformatted themselves to a more "radio friendly" style, and for completely understandable reasons. Radio had changed, and audience tastes had changed (or at least the bulk of the record buying public, anyway). I think that part of the resurgence of classic prog has to do with the fact that the age group has pretty much gotten older (I am over 40), and we can afford to spend money on the classic stuff, as it continually gets remastered, reformatted and reissued. We will also pay to see the shows. In other words, I think there is a direct relationship between the resurgence of classic prog and the age group (or in marketing terms, "target audience") that loved it the first time around also.
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Posted By: mohaveman
Date Posted: October 26 2009 at 17:07
|
The internet has without a doubt helped keep the
life signs of Prog alive. I've been able to discover some
great new bands. However, "Classic" prog (whatever that
mean) is for all intensive purpose DOA. But "new" prog
(whatever THAT means) may still be alive and kicking.
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Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: October 27 2009 at 04:16
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First off the bat, the following description is I admit overly simplistic, but does serve to illustrate a point: The nucleus of the 1st classic wave of prog was populated to a remarkably high degree by ambitious musicians who learned their trade in RnB during the 60's eg; Jon Lord, Arthur Brown, Keith Emerson, Rod Argent, Brian Auger, Graham Bond, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Manfred Mann, Dave Greenslade, Carl Palmer, Chris Farlowe, Lee Jackson, Brian Davidson, proto Floyd, Ritchie Blackmore, the Sulman brothers, Pete Townshend etc . A similar lineage is evident from the origins of much RPI. The so-called Neo-Prog renaissance of the 80's was hardly a rebirth (more like induced labour) as I cannot see what contemporaneous musical genre it drew upon and advanced as an equivalent to it's forbears RnB platform (apart from referencing the original classic prog bands themselves that is) Before we reached the eighties, the prevalent contemporary flavour was the aggression of punk, and to be consistent with my first argument, it is those ambitious musicians who learned their trade in punk who are perhaps more deserving of the term progressive i.e the so called post punk bands like Magazine, Pere Ubu,Television, Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Cure, XTC, Talking Heads, Echo & the Bunnymen, Wall of Voodoo, Devo, Patti Smith, Joy Division etc. These bands sprouted from punk soil yes, but they produced music that at its peak, bore little resemblance to the original source of their inspiration. Ain't that what progressive really means ? So I guess that what I'm babbling on about here is that without a prevalent contemporary musical platform to jump off, in the noughties what we call progressive is tantamount to a backwards looking retro-progressive y'all. Until such time as there appears a style of popular music that serves to inspire the current generation of ambitious musicians, Prog ain't dead, it's status is just that of.... to be continued Time for my nap now... -------------
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Posted By: miketheorganist
Date Posted: October 27 2009 at 16:00
I really want to recommend Hold Your Fire by Rush!!! ------------- A spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission! www.facebook.com/kineticelementband |