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maani
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Topic: "Yes Is The Answer" Posted: June 14 2013 at 18:04 |
The obnoxious review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/books/review/yes-is-the-answer-and-other-prog-rock-tales.html
My letter in response, to be published in The New York Times Book Review on Sunday, June 16 (mine is the second letter):
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/books/review/prog-rock.html
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infocat
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Joined: June 10 2011
Location: Colorado, USA
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Points: 4671
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Posted: June 14 2013 at 21:40 |
Didn't Dean just say recently that this attitude went away after the 70s? Guess it didn't!
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-- Frank Swarbrick Belief is not Truth.
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Ambient Hurricanes
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 25 2011
Location: internet
Status: Offline
Points: 2549
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Posted: June 14 2013 at 23:42 |
That's one of the stupidest things I've ever read (the review, not your letter).
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I love dogs, I've always loved dogs
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KingCrInuYasha
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 26 2010
Location: USA
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Points: 1281
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Posted: June 15 2013 at 00:59 |
Here is my favorite quote from the piece:
But that oblivion seems entirely suited to prog, which at its best
functioned as a shelter from school, from sex, from the frightful adult
world.
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In short, he just called guys who like prog man-children. There's probably a grain of truth to that, but, meh, it could be worse.
Edited by KingCrInuYasha - June 15 2013 at 01:01
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He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball!
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Epignosis
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Posted: June 15 2013 at 06:27 |
That's a mighty mean article, I'd say. It's like Chris Squire bullied him or something as a kid.
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CPicard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 03 2008
Location: Là, sui monti.
Status: Offline
Points: 10841
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Posted: June 15 2013 at 06:50 |
It's not even "mean", it's... snotty.
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HolyMoly
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Retired Admin
Joined: April 01 2009
Location: Atlanta
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Points: 26138
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Posted: June 15 2013 at 09:34 |
The review was dumb. I could easily have overlooked all the snottiness if it had bothered to talk more about the book itself. Typical self-serving trash journalism. I shouldn't care (it doesn't affect my own appreciation of the music), but it frustrates me to see such laziness.
I thought your reply was quite good, thanks for taking the time to submit it and share with us.
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
-Kehlog Albran
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rdtprog
Special Collaborator
Heavy, RPI, Symph, JR/F Canterbury Teams
Joined: April 04 2009
Location: Mtl, QC
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Posted: June 15 2013 at 12:19 |
Can we expect more from a magazine that have more content in publicity than on real writing...
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Music is the refuge of souls ulcerated by happiness.
Emile M. Cioran
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Gerinski
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 10 2010
Location: Barcelona Spain
Status: Offline
Points: 5154
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Posted: June 15 2013 at 12:54 |
I couldn't care less, I'm immune to people bashing Prog, but it's a shame that the paper assigns a review to a critic who doesn't have the least appreciation about the subject, it's as if they would ask the review of 2001 A Space Odyssey to someone who hates science-fiction Good reply letter.
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Queen By-Tor
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Posted: June 15 2013 at 14:25 |
come on guys... it's all true.
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Moogtron III
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 26 2005
Location: Belgium
Status: Offline
Points: 10616
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Posted: June 15 2013 at 15:10 |
It's funny at its best, but I don't think it is true.
That's typically something that is written by people who cannot really appreciate prog.
That's the kind of reviews I wish to ignore (but secretly it makes me angry, while I should just laugh at it).
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ExittheLemming
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Joined: October 19 2007
Location: Penal Colony
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Points: 11415
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Posted: June 15 2013 at 16:24 |
Yes the review is barbed and sarky but who's feigning surprise here? It made me laughout loud at least twice (rare) There's a lot of truth in it plus a lot of lazy regurgitated cliches as well. C'mon, do any of us take Prog seriously?
Edited by ExittheLemming - June 15 2013 at 16:25
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Finnforest
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Posted: June 15 2013 at 17:55 |
Don't be upset, it's just the snooze inducers at Rolling Stone, the last place to turn for meaningful, accurate writing on music (or politics). Who bothers with RS anymore?
What I read was someone using insults to cover up ignorance of progressive rock *music*, as Iain says...lazy cliches. If it were clever or witty or truly funny, I could appreciate it....but it was just boring and predictable.
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AEProgman
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 11 2012
Location: Toadstool
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Points: 1787
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Posted: June 15 2013 at 21:46 |
Sounds like Ivy League jibberish.....hmmmm I do see he attended Yale (no offense to any Ivy league proggers that are an exception to the rule).
I ditched my RS subscription back in the late 70's due to lack of substance and have not picked up one since...still looks like a wise decision.
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maani
Special Collaborator
Founding Moderator
Joined: January 30 2004
Location: United States
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Points: 2632
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Posted: June 16 2013 at 11:28 |
All: Thanks for your responses. Epignosis and Queen By-Tor: LOL!!
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cstack3
Forum Senior Member
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Joined: July 20 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ USA
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Posted: June 16 2013 at 13:53 |
HolyMoly wrote:
The review was dumb. I could easily have overlooked all the snottiness if it had bothered to talk more about the book itself. Typical self-serving trash journalism. I shouldn't care (it doesn't affect my own appreciation of the music), but it frustrates me to see such laziness.
I thought your reply was quite good, thanks for taking the time to submit it and share with us. |
I agree, thanks for your reply and for sharing with all of us.
Those who don't understand progressive rock are just jealous.....they don't get why we worship huge, fiberglass mushrooms onstage, why we sit, transfixed, listening to double-album after double-album, and why we worship musicians who play notes faster than human comprehension.
Screw 'em. I started with King Crimson in 1969 and lever looked back.
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npjnpj
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Joined: December 05 2007
Location: Germany
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Points: 2720
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Posted: June 17 2013 at 13:10 |
Quite juvenile article, pure trolling. I wouldn't have bothered with a response. Pretty funny in places though. Obviously written by someone whose favourite styles are punk, new wave, hip-hop, and classical music (for added credibility).
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andrea
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 20 2005
Location: Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 2065
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Posted: June 17 2013 at 13:26 |
Excellent review! I've just bought book...
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Vibrationbaby
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 13 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 6898
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Posted: June 19 2013 at 05:50 |
Reminds me of the two part article in The Wire about a decade ago which thought that William Ackerman of Focus had been reduced to recording new age music for the Wndham Hill label. I mean if you're going to bash something at least know what you're bashing. Why would anyone buy this?
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Dayvenkirq
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 25 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Status: Offline
Points: 10970
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Posted: June 19 2013 at 10:12 |
Indeed, for many fans, the ridiculousness is the whole point. |
... Any truly intelligent person would figure that this is just another way of saying "all prog fans are mentally challenged". That's the one that really ticked me off. I'm not a kind of person who would be able to see a reason why reviews like these should be taken lightly, with a laugh. That Betty White bit was funny but only for a second.
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