Steve Vai added to bands list !!!

Queen are an interesting paradox -- all of their '70s (and some of the '80s + "Innuendo") albums contain geniune prog, but only about two or three songs out of 10. 

Queen II is probably the most proggy, with "The March of the Black Queen," "Fairy Feller's Master Stroke" and "Ogre Battle" as highlights.  But it also has whatever that Roger Taylor tune is in the middle.

"Sheer Heart Attack" has "Brighton Rock" on it.

"A Night at the Opera" -- "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Prophet's Song" and definitely prog; "Good Company," "I'm in Love With my Car," etc. most certainly are not.

And it pretty much goes on like this:

"Day at the Races" has proggy "Millionnaire's Waltz" but a bunch of other stuff that's not prog.  "Jazz" has "Bicycle Race" and "Mustafa."  Even the really awful and mostly not progressive "A Kind of Magic" has a respectable prog song in "Princes of the Universe."  "Innuendo" -- their proggiest since "Queen II" has the title track, "Bijou," "The Hitman" and "All God's People."

The lion's share of Queen's prog was written by Mercury; the remainder by May.

If you put all of the songs I mentioned together, you get a really nice, long, intricate prog album.  But Queen was always about variety of sounds. 

For me personally, the consistent presence of prog in Queen's body of work makes up for the occasional "I'm in Love with My Car" or "Pain is So Close to Pleasure."  And if we're admitting Radiohead, for Christ's sakes, why not Queen?  At least 20 percent of Queen's songs are genuine prog.  Radiohead has, what, "Paranoid Android" and -- well, that's about it, isn't it?

 

Certif1ed wrote: Snow Dog wrote: Certif1ed wrote: Unlike Queen. Yeah whatever Cert! keep on bangin' that drum! I will, until someone comes up with a good reason to the contrary. Which they haven't. The only reason so far is "I don't think Queen are prog so they can't be". How long did it take to come up with that one then? You're one of the worst culprits. What was your argument again. Oh yes. "No they're not". You shot me down, man...

That wasn't my argument, that was just my reaction. I've been into Queen all my life and never ever thought of them as prog as such. I'm not going to define why their not, thats just the way I feel. The 70's were a great time, with music exploring in all sorts of ways and Queen certainly weren't part of the Prog scene then! Not to my recollection anyway.
    They were  more "theatrical rock", and OK Queen II is possibly a bit Proggy, but ANATO, I can't see it myself!

  Furthermore you're overzealous overating of these albums just seems to me like you have something to prove!

Snow Dog wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: nimrodel wrote: lets add michael angelo batio too!  Would you please only about music that you really know? You'll compare Vai to Malmsteen next ... Who is this Michael Angelo person, Mike?

Entirely not my cup of tea - this is what I would describe as "mindless shredding". His technique is flawless, but I can find nothing interesting in his songs. Listen to Vai's Flex-Able, or "Lucky Charms" - a difference like day and night.

http://www.angelo.com

http://www.angelo.com/No_Boundaries.mp3

 

nimrodel wrote: lets add michael angelo batio too!

 Would you please only about music that you really know? You'll compare Vai to Malmsteen next ...

Certif1ed wrote: Unlike Queen.

Yeah whatever Cert! keep on bangin' that drum!

WHAT?? Why?

Please God give me strenght.

Start with his anthology "The infintive" and you should get the picture. Or you can try "passion & warfare", "sex & religion", "flex-able" or "reflections". Have fun.

oh and thanks

steve vai makes children cry


(rule #374 page 24 of Lidney... if it rhymes it must be true.)

Wolf Spider wrote: Dear arcer, I disagree with your post because I think that Steve Vai is indeed a prog artist, not because he played with Zappa and Petrucci, but working with Zappa left a mark on his character and playing style. Zappa teached him the courage to express his every thought and idea through music. His albums contain very well composed and arranged rock songs with strong metal/jazz/fusion /experimental/even pop infuences. And that is why I`m so damn happy he has been finally added to bands list. Yours trully

That's better!

Now point me to an album of his that is 100% prog and I'll support you.

BTW: Happy Birthday for tomorrow.

 

Dear arcer,
I disagree with your post because I think that Steve Vai is indeed a prog artist, not because he played with Zappa and Petrucci, but working with Zappa left a mark on his character and playing style. Zappa teached him the courage to express his every thought and idea through music. His albums contain very well composed and arranged rock songs with strong metal/jazz/fusion /experimental/even pop infuences. And that is why I`m so damn happy he has been finally added to bands list.
Yours trully