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Joined: January 06 2009
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 4287
Posted: December 09 2015 at 09:04
To me there is some retro flavers in their otherwise very typical 80's pop/wave/rock. But there is a long way from that, to a generalt Prog influence, not to mention talking about them beeing prog.
Have to want it a lot, to find anything remotely GG'ish.
Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours
Joined: September 03 2006
Location: .
Status: Offline
Points: 9869
Posted: December 09 2015 at 08:49
I hear more of a general art-rock influence rather than prog specifically (say somewhat along the lines of the Magazine track Parade). As far as preferences, I find some of their songs very interesting but mostly too 80s for my taste. It is not what I'd think of as 80s music that's aged well (as opposed to Aztec Camera, Prefab Sprout, even Police).
Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916
Posted: December 01 2015 at 04:53
^ Mike, don't fret buddy, I thought Big Chair is quite an album, no doubt. But there are just certain elements that I, personally, focus on. And those are the things I focus on within certain music. It's all with a grain of dust.......don't get angry with me..........
Joined: October 12 2011
Location: Melb, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 7951
Posted: December 01 2015 at 04:29
Tom Ozric wrote:
^ Why do I not believe you ?? Try playing Beggs' bass-lines, and the multi-layered synth textures........... ....Kanja-roo-poo or not, they are superb at what they do, just like this mind-numbing Tech-Metal arrangement - Meshuggah nailed it, and no-one measures up to them. Looks like I'm ready for the 'growling' Opeth albums............... So, what I'm getting at, in my idiotic glory, the 'Goo lead the way, Limahl or not......You dig Magma ? You should dig Meshuggah - more Zeuhl than cheesy Death-Metal, Black-Metal or whatever........... ........and this post is just demonstrating the extreme umbrella of cleverly, diverse music that is out there.
Oh, look, man, after all these months...I get it, I seriously do. If it's not Kangajoogooo, it's Meshuggah. But good on you for running with it, man, if it means that much to you. You don't have to justify it, if you dig it, you dig it. sh*t, I posted about my freaking love of the `Josie and the Pussyctas' movie soundtrack a few days back on some thread
But anyway, then I hear this, and the inventive use of keyboards, the terrific bass playing, the jangling guitar chords, the cool programming, the sax solo, the thoughtful lyrics, the restrained vocals...Tears for Fears are definitely at the top of the smart pop music chain for me. Pop perfection to my ears.
Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916
Posted: December 01 2015 at 04:17
^ Why do I not believe you ?? Try playing Beggs' bass-lines, and the multi-layered synth textures........... ....Kanja-roo-poo or not, they are superb at what they do, just like this mind-numbing Tech-Metal arrangement - Meshuggah nailed it, and no-one measures up to them. Looks like I'm ready for the 'growling' Opeth albums............... So, what I'm getting at, in my idiotic glory, the 'Goo lead the way, Limahl or not......You dig Magma ? You should dig Meshuggah - more Zeuhl than cheesy Death-Metal, Black-Metal or whatever........... ........and this post is just demonstrating the extreme umbrella of cleverly, diverse music that is out there.
Joined: October 12 2011
Location: Melb, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 7951
Posted: December 01 2015 at 04:00
Influenced by prog without actually being a prog band, but their music was well-played intelligent pop with interesting instrumentation and thoughtful production, with smart lyrics and great vocals as well, and there was a nice darker undercurrent to much of their stuff. Their debut `The Hurting' is exceptional, and if all pop-music was that good and clever, many prog-snobs wouldn't find the term such a dirty word!
And I guarantee, Tom, they're a hundred million bagillion squillion zillion times more prog than f*cking Kanja-Roo-Poo!
Joined: April 08 2006
Location: Bay Area
Status: Offline
Points: 472
Posted: December 01 2015 at 01:56
Aging gracefully, this great band (or duo) have never been shy of using various influences in their music; Jazz, experimental, blues, and yes, in some songs at least some hints of a prog sound. "Advice For The Young At Heart" is my favorite song by them.
- Music is Life, that's why our hearts have beats -
Joined: September 08 2009
Location: Wales
Status: Offline
Points: 850
Posted: November 25 2015 at 10:42
I once heard someone on the radio say that if you put The Beatles and ELO together, you'd get Sowing the Seeds of Love. Which pretty much nails it, imo. The structure of that song is impressive, too. The way you think the chorus is coming back after a standard bridge section (Roland even says "Chorus!" in the background), then suddenly (with an "OK!") the song veers off into a new bridge (organ solo, then "Time to eat all your words") before the chorus properly comes back in.
Their cover of Robert Wyatt's Sea Song is also very much worth a listen.
Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916
Posted: November 22 2015 at 06:41
I have listened to SFTBC (my sister still has all her beautiful vinyl from the 80's) and it's mostly a decent listen - as far as Prog goes - I find about as much Prog in it as I do with Kajagoogoo (my preferred New-Wave 80's act) - and if you didn't know what Prog was, you wouldn't pick up on it (or imagine to). Their drummer on the album (Manny Elias) often appeared on later Peter Hammill albums !!
Joined: December 23 2008
Location: Chicago
Status: Offline
Points: 23
Posted: November 21 2015 at 12:35
Those photos of Curt at the Discipline gig are utterly fantastic! Thank you for posting those.
Roland and Curt pushed the envelope so hard. I'm a hardcore fan of mainly the first 2 LPs and love the prog-laced undertones. "The Working Hour," "Listen," and "Start of the Breakdown" are some examples.
Their use of the PPG Wave synthesizer, Fairlight CMI, Prophet 5, Jupiter 8, and Yamaha CP-70 piano also provide a sonic link to Peter Gabriel's output at the time as well as a physical link to both being located in Bath. Apparently Roland said the first day he met with David Lord to work on the first single before The Hurting Gabriel was at the studio and he was speechless.
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630
Posted: November 09 2014 at 12:52
The first album I heard was their debut. I had to get the deluxe box set recently for the live DVD, in particular. I had a copy of it on VHS but it crapped out before I could make a DVD copy. It's a really nice blend of prog and pop.
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
Joined: August 11 2009
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 8676
Posted: November 09 2014 at 09:21
Tears for Fears is and has been one of my favorite bands for like ten years. But I don't really see them as prog, even though I think they've released music that prog fans would like (much of which has been discussed in this topic already).
I have to disagree with the sentiment above that Elemental is better than any of their 80s stuff ... I would say that album is the one stain on an almost perfect run of records. But it still has some great stuff on it (Break it Down Again and the title track are both amazing, as is the closing track). But that's just my opinion on the matter.
They are supposedly recording a new album to be released in 2015 ... I am waiting with diminished expectations. Maybe it'll be another ELAHE. Maybe it won't.
One song that I think would appeal to prog lovers that hasn't been mentioned in this topic yet is 'Listen' - it almost has the strangeness of the stuff from Saturnine Martial and Lunatic, but this was actually on one of their albums instead of a B-Side.
Joined: September 21 2004
Location: plugged-in
Status: Offline
Points: 5502
Posted: November 09 2014 at 09:15
actually progressive rock is pop music isn't it, just not very popular nowadays. But it was popular in the 70's so naturally popbands post 70's are likely to have been inspired by some progressive acts that made it through to the pop-side (Yes, Genesis, Kraftwerk, Moody Blues, Pink Floyd) So there is a logical influence in bands like Talk Talk (who went progressive over time), Crowded House, OMD, Blue Monday, Tears For Fears, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Duran Duran, XTC etc. But it doesn't make them progressive rock in my book.
Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 16130
Posted: November 09 2014 at 07:13
I would say most of those 'new romantic' bands had probably listened to some prog in their time. They were the right age to have been teens in the 70's. I know OMD were very influcnced by Krautrock in the early days. Andy Taylor, guitarist of Duran Duran once said he was influenced by Fripp.
Joined: August 30 2005
Location: Netherlands
Status: Offline
Points: 18
Posted: November 09 2014 at 06:46
They definetely were. Whenever I listen to their eighties top album "The Seeds of Love" I am overwhelmed by the timeless quality of the songs and their structures. Except for the title track, which is deliberately reminiscent of both Hello Goodbye and I am the Walrus by The Beatles, there is hardly any "pop" on this album. And even The Beatles are considered prog on Progarchives, and how righteous that is!
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were Tears for Fears influenced by Prog
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