Ian Anderson disses prog

wilmon91 wrote: Yeah. But Jethro Tull is one of the most progressive bands of all prog bands, so he can't count himself out of that genre.

He very well can because progressive and prog have evidently proved to be not the same thing a lot of times.  And as far as the bands he referred to are concerned, they are all very different from each other stylistically and the only thing linking them is some broad 70s production values and a lot of ambition.  There's no reason why Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, ELP and JT should feel part of one and the same thing...if they do, it's a bonus, but we cannot expect that it should be the case. And yes, if you organized progfests or such, they will be smart enough to ride the bandwagon and rake it in.  It's not their fault, they didn't ask anybody to attach so much importance to one word but if there are people who do, they will capitalize on it.

rogerthat wrote: But I was responding more to your sentence that a musician should stand up for his music. Yes, HIS music. Anderson is not obliged to stand up for PROG as a whole because it is we who have clubbed it all together for our convenience. He was making his own stuff then, he was not trying to emulate any of the bands at which he has poked fun in that clip.

Edited by wilmon91 - November 12 2011 at 18:04

Only a true progger would deny being prog

infandous wrote: bucka001 wrote: http://www.tullpress.com/capr72.htm From that link:  "That's why so much of my stage act is really a parody of what a rock star is supposed to do. I'm just a straightforward bloke, and I'd hate to have to take the whole thing too solemnly onstage. Unless you're ready to laugh at yourself, there's the danger of falling into believing that you're a rock star. And so much of that is just baloney, you know. I try to remain logical about it and just take it as so much good fun. I'd like people to see the act humorously in part, the same way I look at it." I think he pretty much tells you right here that TAAB was not a "serious" concept album.

Edited by bucka001 - November 11 2011 at 11:52

bucka001 wrote: The Dark Elf wrote: I suppose if this were 1972, this might have mattered. To someone. I'm not sure who.   Well, you seem to care. Your own review of this album, from your best rock albums list, states, "And it is very sly: according to Ian Anderson, Thick as a Brick was a send-up of progressive rock of the time, holding up a cynical mirror to Tull's pompous rock counterparts (and the band itself)." So, having put that out there for public consumption on your blog, I'm sure you'll agree that it's at least fair game for discussion on a prog forum where we just discuss stuff for fun and to kill time anyway.   I'm not sure you've gone through the whole thread (I probably wouldn't have if I joined the party late) but no matter what side of the fence folks are on (i.e. either IA's a jerk for putting down these other bands, or he's just larking about so folks should chill) it's been established that TAAB wasn't a putdown of prog at the time... that's revisionist on IA's part.   At any rate, here's an interview with IA from the time (1972, with Circus magazine) in which he discusses the idea behind TAAB. This is him in his own words, at the time, discussing the real intent behind the album (a reaction to critics' reactions to Aqualung, among other things), not how he's rewritten things now, 40 yrs later.   http://www.tullpress.com/capr72.htm

From that link:  "That's why so much of my stage act is really a parody of what a rock star is supposed to do. I'm just a straightforward bloke, and I'd hate to have to take the whole thing too solemnly onstage. Unless you're ready to laugh at yourself, there's the danger of falling into believing that you're a rock star. And so much of that is just baloney, you know. I try to remain logical about it and just take it as so much good fun. I'd like people to see the act humorously in part, the same way I look at it."

I think he pretty much tells you right here that TAAB was not a "serious" concept album.

By the way, there were concept albums long before TAAB or Aqualung.  Check out The Pretty Things "S.F. Sorrow" album from 1968.  Not exactly prog, but certainly proto prog and certainly a concept album.

One of my biggest issues with some prog bands is that they do take themselves too seriously.  I find many aspects of what 70's prog bands did hilarious in retrospect (see my previous post in this thread).  Doesn't mean I don't think the music was also brilliant.  I just think you can't take any genre too seriously.  There is plenty of over the top stuff in rock music in general that seems quite funny in retrospect.

wilmon91 wrote: toroddfuglesteg wrote: if you cannot take 5 steps back and see the whole picture + laugh a bit at yourself and find yourself and what you are doing a bit silly, you are in serious trouble.   Having self distance is a different thing. But slandering ones own work and others is more of a nervous behaviour showing lack of confidence and a need for praise. Like a child who makes a drawing and calling it ugly just so everyone else can say "no it's fine".   Of course self distance and humility are two good personal characteristics. But it doesn't mean that you have to disparage your own work. It's just childish.

richardh wrote: I think its all just banter tbh 30+ years ago Anderson accused ELP of just playing the same 20 songs every night.   Carl Palmer's response was 'true but we did at least change the order!'   priceless

 

I think its all just banter tbh

I’ve no problem with Anderson taking the mickey out of prog, but the “non mea culpa” sub-text to his comments is pretty rich. Anyone who thinks the world really needs a multi-song suite dedicated to his thoughts on organised religion  obviously had a fairly severe bout of Cranium Up Posterior syndrome himself.

And his claim that Thick as a Brick was intended as a send-up of concept albums seems like after the fact rationalisation. The genre didn’t really come into vogue - and subsequently get a bad name - until a year or two later with Dark Side of the Moon, Tales from Topographic Oceans, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway etc.

In fact the success of TAAB might have kicked off the whole concept album onslaught. So actually it’s all YOUR fault Ian! (put that in your flute and smoke it).

An Anderson vs. Wakeman face-off in the pages of Classic Rock sounds like an excellent idea.

So the best thing for you to do is have a whip-round to hire a hitman to bump off IA.
Problem solved. His own bleedin' fault.