Prog's Future

Well, it depends on the people and how they get what they want. If by "wanting rock n' roll" you mean you hear alot of Grunge, pop and hard rock on FM radio, then yes, straight rock is almost as popular now as ever. But the whole challenge of prog was to show what was possible within a *rock format* (drums, bass, guitar, keys with an edge from blues) and still make amazing music, and that idea is still viable.

Yes, yes, and progressive rock has so much more room and opportunities than, say, Blues or pop.

Yeah he probably would, but he's a little guy, I think I can take him.

Personally i think rock progressed as far as rock can go in the 70s. there will always be bands that continue to make music that sounds like the great prog acts of the 70s, however i dont think there is any room for any actual 'progression' in the rock genre any more. that doesnt mean we can't experiment though.  

I wish it were possible to create some TRULY original symphonic prog. I was glad when I first discovered the Flower Kings, Spock's Beard and the Tangent, because I had longed, for many years, for bands that would play in this style. But if I listen to them in a criticising mood, I really get the feeling they are no more than epigones. You can tell from some reviews on this website. Many critics have pointed out: 'Oh, here's a bit of Yes, and there's a Tony Banks solo, and there's a bit of Crimso', etc.

Perhaps the Mars Volta are more original - but no one seems to call them 'symphonic prog'.

Thr most exciting band I've ever heard who really try to create exciting and original music, by mixing symphonic prog (all instrumental, no vocals) and Bruford-style prog-fusion, is KENSO!

Morda wrote: All I can say here is "be careful what you wish for" - having an underground scene go large, as it were, is not always a good thing. Case in point, look at emo music - compare 80s and 90s emo to current emo. Even if you don't like the 80s and 90s stuff (which as this is a prog forum, I'd imagine that a lot of people don't), there's a huge difference in quality. Popular means commercialised, commercialised means popularist rather than artistic, popularist usually doesn't mean good. I'd agree that TMV may well be a breakthrough act though, bringing prog to the masses (even though I personally detest TMV ... well, their live stuff is okay) - this could be a good thing or a bad thing though.

Differences in TMV feelings aside (I think their live stuff is crap, but their studio albums rank just under Larks' Tongues in my Favorite Music Ever), I don't think any popularity they have or may earn will reduce their quality. After all, the core of the band quit At the Drive-In, a moderately popular punk band, because they wanted to be more experimental. They've had their taste of (at least moderate) fame, and found it unappealing compared to the lure of art.

Yes, emo, punk, alt. rock, and now indie have gotten poppy as they've gotten popular, but all of this music is about feelings, not about art. The great thing about Art Rock is that it is, by definition, art - so once it stops being artistic, it's not part of the genre anymore .

Prog can never be anything but prog.

I think that we won't have to worry about the quality of prog in the future, but I don't think it's going to become much more popular than it is now.

I agree to an extent, though in the 1970s (what many consider to be prog's finest moment) prog rock was *quite* popular and often on the Billboard charts.

Chameleon wrote: Owl 3 wrote: I see-- you mean a *breakthrough* band that takes the best of those elements and does something digestable to a larger audience?        Exactly!

Wait, The Mars Volta is most definitly a breakthrough, not only prog wise but also comercially!!! Although the Mars Volta are not the future, theyr are the present, along with a lot of great prog metal bands and some crazy Avant Garde.
I do would like to see a big breakthough in symphonic. The Tangent, if they continue this way might achive it, although something with a bit more edginess would be more than welcomed!

I don't think these kind of predictions are relevant. I mean, did people in the '70s expect Prog to evolve into things like Mr. Bungle and The Mars Volta? I hardly think so. The future is very unpredictable. It will, however, be interesting to hear what Prog sounds like in 40 years.