No one likes prog!

hdfisch wrote: IF ALMOST EVERYBODY WOULD LIKE PROG IT WOULD BE MAINSTREAM MUSIC! WOULD YOU PREFER THAT? AND WOULD YOU NOT ASK YOURSELF WHAT CAN BE THAT SPECIAL ABOUT IT IF EVERYONE LIKES IT?

If almost everybody liked prog, prog musicians would be actually making money. They would be able to live off their work and thanks to this they would devote more time to it. There would be more and more prog bands, as musicians would see that prog can bring bread onto the table. On the whole, the quantity and quality of prog would improve.

Yep, one can dream.

Zweck wrote: The potential to make money might make someone prolific, but it is not necessarily a breeder of quality.

You're right - inertia may kick in among your listeners and if music is your primary occupation, the customer is always right. But then I'm pretty certain 90% of the bands on PA cost money rather than make it. I mean, what kind of motivation is that? Inspiration, vision and the will to pursue them are one thing, but it's not like the money you put into that pursuit comes easily in the first place. You should break even at the very least. Prog should have enough listeners for the majority of the bands to be able to do that. 

These are bad times for music lovers in general and specially for prog rock, but let's see it another way: nowadays we are lucky for having the possibility to listen to hundreds of good bands and albums from the last 40 years, they are all available and easy to get, and even we assist to the birth of new bands in this genre. I wouldn't like to go back to the 70's. Now I can enjoy the best of the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's !! Let's enjoy it and forget about the mindless people.

A'swepe wrote: My take FWIW: Our society (at least in the US) is geared toward instant gratification - just look at all the fast food places on every corner in this country. Additionally, we have developed a "Short-Attention-Span" mentality. After all just tune into CNN or Headline News, or Sports Center & get everything you need to know (sic) in 30 minutes or less. On top of that people seem to have forgotten how to think for themselves, relying on CNN or Sports Center to tell them what to watch, what to listen to, who is HOT & who is Not, & unfortunately, what to think about everything that is important. Prog requires the listener to actually Listen to the music, to get involved, to sing the lyrics or hum the melody. Prog is cerebral & most of the good stuff requires active participation. I don't listen to Prog when I'm cleaning the house. I listen to Prog when I want to hear the music.

   

Maybe the next generation will rebel against the instant gratification, what's my opinion today society and start thinking again.

(I'm speaking generally of course and with a bit of tongue in cheek - I'm amazed at the number of 'young-uns' who are members of this site, hat's off to you all)

But all the same I broadly agree with A'swepe...

Personally I don't give a toss what anybody else thinks about the kind of music I like; it's my choice to listen to it and if other people don't like it that's their loss, pure and simple. Even amongst my prog-loving friends we disagree considerably on our favourites, but ultimately it doesn't matter. I'm just eternally grateful that I am living in an age where so MUCH music is easily available, and so many different styles too. We are living in a world of fabulous musical riches, so why worry?

Consider this; in a single month I (and most of you probably) can listen to more music than Mozart heard in his entire lifetime, and such diversity of styles that he never could have dreamed of into the bargain!

So - enjoy your music, and to hell with anybody who disagrees with your choices!

Edited by ElwoodHerring

alterpower wrote: see i think its cuz everybody is ADD and cant pay attention to songs longer than 2-3 minutes. woo go punk rock!

I can see why people would think that, but I have a problem with just sitting down and listening to a whole album and doing nothing else. I prefer to listen to music while playing video games or walking around and yet I still prefer Prog to all other genres of music.

It's sad to see that most people don't like prog nowadays. Most would rather listen to some whiny emo group sing about cutting themselves because their mom woudn't let them get an Invader Zim t-shirt or something, instead of taking part in actual music that you can get involved in. I have a theory that most 'emo' bands are simply made out of recycled parts from old boy bands assembled somewhere in Detroit, but that's another story.

As far as I know, I'm one of the few prog fans in my area that i know of; sure, there will always be the posers who like Pink Floyd even though the only albums they have are The Wall and possibly Dark Side; and if anyone came up to me and started talking about Van Der Graaf Generator or Sigur Ros, I'd probably keel over dead. Of course, it's not helped by the media, who embrace Punk as if its not comletely stale while dismissing prog as "Pretentious" and "Noodly", pushing Gentle Giant to the corner of the CD store while My Chemical Fallout Evanescent Angstsheep or whatnot gets nearly a row all to itself. Just look at TRL for what music has become; disosable, semidigested, souless pap presented in 5-second clis while brainless fangirls scream on- a complete living hell of musical ignorance.

But maybe they'll realize that there are better things to be found, if they'd only listen, and move on. Until then, I have the honor of being the only person in the county who knows what 'Zeuhl' is.

Edited by Space Chief

The Wizard wrote: mrdurganator wrote: The Ryan wrote: People are desensitized to the stupidity of programs such as MTV, their friends, and radio. At least in America this is the way it is and has been for a few decades, there's no real structure to the music industry, everybody popular is a one hit wonder. Every kid has a new favorite band every two weeks, and that is a sad story. When I'm in the car with a friend, he or she will consistently spend 1 minute, maybe 2, on a song then move on to another station/song. Usually songs are three minutes, or 3:30, people aren't even finishing listening their music!!! It's almost like the teenagers of today are subconsciously not enjoying what they are listening to, yet cannot realize this fact. i'm just turned 16 and i detest people like that, they don't even bother to buy albums even, they just download one song- and can't even listen to just that one damn song!!!  a lot of people just don't have the patience for prog, or anything with a little intelligence. One reason kids only download one song is because thats apparetly the only good song on the album. It's partially the artist fault because they can't make consistent albums.

You guys are all right in one way or another, just like me. Perhaps that's why we're here and everyone else is so confused and ignorant about music.

It's not just 'prog' people don't have patience for, it's quality music in general. Many "songs" on the radio aren't really music pieces to me these days. I'm in high school and I've noticed anyone even remotely intelligent has entered at least the 70's/80's classic/hair rock/metal eras just to run from the crap that happens today. This is very common among my generation. America is particularly retro and traditional in this way and thank god there's no killing that.

And yes, most albums only have 1 decent song, which is why every stupid kid has all mixed CDs of 50 cent, Ludacris, My Chemical Romance, Hawthorne Heights, (All singles, no albums) and so on. The best musical pieces ever created were meant to be heard in one sitting all the way through, that's what quality music takes to be enjoyed for the very first time unless the listener is missing something.

I'm bored of mainstream everything, and I'm supposed to be the 'conformist'... not the rebel.

I enjoy being able to take the average John Q. Public and say..."listen to this."

John says, "Wow.  This is cool.  What is it?"

Me: "Yes...a band that started in the late 60s and became one of the legends of fusing classical training with rock music."

John:  "Wow.  Burn me a CD."