To what extent are Muse considered 'prog'? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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AnchovyRun View Drop Down

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Posted: December 16 2009 at 15:44

inrainbows wrote:

~~YES~~ is Sooooo prog! Embarrassed

Your MUM is soooo prog!

<>< The Anchovy Run ><>
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Caravaning For Your Convenience

mrcozdude

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Posted: December 17 2009 at 18:52

Kazza3 wrote:

As I had said earlier, I don't think they're prog, but prog-related. However, I also said that these are some of their more progressive, not that their other songs don't have progressive elements.

Did you actually go and listen to them?

I was a big Muse fan in highschool.I've heard everything before.

SgtPepper67 View Drop Down

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Posted: December 19 2009 at 09:49

I have not been into this band for too long, but listening to albums like Absolution or Black Holes & Revelation it really feel like a prog band to me, but I haven't overanalyzed their music.

In the end the love you take is equal to the love you made...

Citizen Erased View Drop Down

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Posted: December 23 2009 at 09:38

I should also just point out, as a lot of people are mentioning their last 3 albums, that the general consensus on Muse forums/fansites is that Origin of Symmetry is their best record.

I thoroughly advise you to check that album out. Showbiz too but only to an extent (it sounds a little amateur and isn't remotely progressive).

And lo, the mighty riffage was played and it was good

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Kazza3

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Posted: December 23 2009 at 17:42

Citizen Erased wrote:

I should also just point out, as a lot of people are mentioning their last 3 albums, that the general consensus on Muse forums/fansites is that Origin of Symmetry is their best record.I thoroughly advise you to check that album out. Showbiz too but only to an extent (it sounds a little amateur and isn't remotely progressive).

Definitely, Origin of Symmetry and Absolution are condsidered their best albums by the majority of fans. D

SgtPepper67 View Drop Down

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Posted: December 24 2009 at 09:14

've only listened to Origin of Symmetry once but it didn't grab my atention in the same way as Absolution, or even Black Holes. Surely I need to listen to it more, but I didn't find it as interesting as later albums.

In the end the love you take is equal to the love you made...

Citizen Erased View Drop Down

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Posted: December 25 2009 at 10:55

Give it another listen then :P.

There's more depth in Origin than any of their other albums imo. Citizen Erased is my name for a reason - it's the best track they've ever done.

And lo, the mighty riffage was played and it was good

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Kashmir75

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Posted: December 31 2009 at 21:41

I don't think its that important if theyre prog or not. They are, however, a very creative and entertaining alternative rock band with Queen-esque touches.

Prog, alternative, metal, etc, etc, are all subgenres of ROCK anyway.

Hello, mirror. So glad to see you, my friend. It's been a while...

Certif1ed

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Posted: January 05 2010 at 15:56

Rick Wakeman says they're Prog.

You gonna argue with him?

In response to the last post, their first 2 albums sound far more like Radiohead than Queen to me (probably because of the John Leckie production and falsettos more than anything else though).

The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Kazza3

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Posted: January 05 2010 at 22:20

Certif1ed wrote:

Rick Wakeman says they're Prog.

You gonna argue with him?

In response to the last post, their first 2 albums sound far more like Radiohead than Queen to me (probably because of the John Leckie production and falsettos more than anything else though).

Their first album, can sound like early Radiohead, mainly cause of Bellamy's voice and falsetto, and partly their style. On their second album, Origin of Symmetry, all Radiohead comparisons should stop. Bellamy proves himself to be a more powerful singer than Yorke's melancholy style. And style became a lot rockier.

Queen comparisons on the other hand are mostly given the two most recent albums, particularly the song United States of Eurasia, which not only has lots of multi-tracked vocals ala Queen, but one moment sounds very similar to We Are The Champions.

Most comparisons are exaggerated.

mrcozdude

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Posted: January 06 2010 at 03:55

Certif1ed wrote:

Rick Wakeman says they're Prog.

You gonna argue with him?

In response to the last post, their first 2 albums sound far more like Radiohead than Queen to me (probably because of the John Leckie production and falsettos more than anything else though).

PROOF!

Textbook

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Posted: January 06 2010 at 04:49

Muse are not prog at all in my book. It's just histrionic pop- that's not a shot at them, just my opinion. Origin Of Symmetry is definitely their best record btw.

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Posted: January 06 2010 at 06:23

Textbook wrote:

Muse are not prog at all in my book. It's just histrionic pop- that's not a shot at them, just my opinion.

While I respect you have an opinion, I don't see how being "histrionic" pop completely excludes them from being prog.

"Histrionic" is a term that is actually very compatible with Prog - one needs only consider the theatricals of Peter Gabriel.

"Pop" is technically short for popular, but when I think of pop, I think of regular, straightforward songs with conservative, dancey arrangements. Muse definitely tick all the boxes as a heavy rock group (extraordinarily heavy in some cases, e.g. "Hysteria" and "Stockholm Syndrome").

They rocked up until Black Holes and Revelations, on which they started their descent into pop territory - but interestingly, they've also explored proggy territory more fully on tracks like "Knights of Cydonia" and "Exogenesis: Symphony".

Origin of Symmetry, particularly, is a deceptively complex album, despite the MTV hits, that rivals much Modern Prog and Prog Metal.

If you think about it, to carry your argument to its logical conclusion, all the major prog bands are just pretentious pop (without using the word "pretentious" in a derogatory way).

As an interesting note, Pink Floyd's debut LP states on the back of the sleeve "File under Popular".

The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Textbook

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Posted: January 06 2010 at 23:31

I dunno, I'm down on Muse lately. I have their first 4 LPs, didn't like Absolution or BHAR anywhere near as much as OOS. I haven't got The Resistance, I heard Undisclosed Desires on the radio and absolutely hated it.

Anyway, Knights Of Cydonia doesn't make a band prog. It's barely a prog song anyway, length aside.

Kazza3

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Posted: January 07 2010 at 00:36

Textbook wrote:

Anyway, Knights Of Cydonia doesn't make a band prog. It's barely a prog song anyway, length aside.

It's kinda surprising that you don't like Absolution, that's pretty rare. Don't judge The Resistance by Undisclosed Desires- but if you don't like Absolution or BHAR, you probably won't like it either. Still, give it a listen, maybe just listen to the tracks on youtube or something rather than buying it.

And yeah, while KoC is one of their proggier songs, I still wouldn't call it prog.

-

This thread is basically just going around in circles. Here's a question: What do you think Muse would be like if they became prog? What prog bands would they have a style similar to? Muse have stated in an interview that they basically haven't listened to any prog, what should they listen to?

Citizen Erased View Drop Down

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Posted: January 07 2010 at 10:44

They have listed to some prog. They're big Rush/Pink Floyd fans apparently and Matt was spotted at a Porcupine Tree gig recently. They're not so knowledgable on vintage prog though (Genesis they're clueless).

And lo, the mighty riffage was played and it was good

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rogerthat

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Posted: January 08 2010 at 10:07

I don't know if Muse are prog in quite the same sense as the classic stuff but bands like Muse and Radiohead capture its essence much more than um, prog metal. It's er, a lot more organic and there's also a lot more, and more subtle at that, contrast. I don't really know what exactly is the matter with Matt's vocals...sure, it's unorthodox, but it's just a matter of acquiring the taste. Why exactly is Gabriel's goat bleating "sublime" while Matt is terrible? I don't perceive such a huge gulf and I am a huge Gabriel fan if you didn't know already. And if Sing for Absolution isn't singing, then I don't know what is.