Progressive vs Prog

 

And how exactly would you differentiate progressive rock from progressive rock?

 

Ah, thanks much for the clarification. 

 

Confused at last, confused at last, thank god almighty I'm confused at last.

When it comes to modern bands, I tend to consider bands whose sound is heavily "influenced" by the major prog bands of the 70's to mean progressive since to me that is the similar style of music.  The irony of course being that these bands may be the least progressive since they may be less original in their sound due to their reliance on the sound from the 70's. 

 

What this means to me is that I might not consider a band to be progressive even though that band might have a more original sound because they are creating new limits and new boundaries where music has never gone before.  For the most part, my range of what is progressive doesn't reach to the same extremes as some of the bands labeled as progressive on PA reach. 

 

Not being a musician, I don't get the same thrill out of the various nuances that musicians get.  And to illustrate my lack of intelligence in these matters, the fact that a typical thrash metal bands plays using a 13/13 time signature (or would that be 2/2, I'm not sure how that works to speed up from 4/4), when a thrash metal band comes along and plays at 13/8 (or would that be 3/1) I have no idea; it is still thrash to me.  I will conceed that it might be progressive thrash, but it is still more thrash than it is prog. 

 

(On the other hand, 90125 and Invisible Touch are the most proggiest albums ever). Just kidding, but I know that I am in the minority here in that I actually like these albums.

 

I haven’t read all this thread, but I believe it should be obvious for everybody in this moment, we have answered this question thousands of times:

 

1. progressive: (with lower case): Is  simple adjective that describes the approach of a determined band or album to the music they play. If a Pop band is far more advanced than their peers, it could be said we are talking about a progressive band.

The characteristic of being progressive is only one of the possible attributes of Progressive Rock bands, but of course neither a Prog band has to be progressive neither all progressive bands are Prog.

 

Here is a short list of albums that may be considered progressive because they were far ahead of their peers:

 

·        Out of Time by REM

·        Joshua’s Tree by U2

·        Bat Out of Hell by Meatloaf

·        Climbing! By Mountain

·        Hotel California by The Eagles

 

As you see, all are progressive albums,. but none is part of the Progressive Rock Genre

 

2. Prog: Is an abbreviation of Progressive Rock, a genre that was born in the late 60’s and is still alive today with it’s own characteristics and frames that would be tiresome to talk about, when you can find it at our main page.

 

Here’s a short list of Prog albums that are not progressive because they didn’t invented anything new or were more advanced than the pioneers:

 

·        Revolutions by Magenta: Recreation of the 70’s Symphonic admitted by the author.

·        Hybris by Anglagard: Radicalization of the 70’s sound

·        In Haze of Time by Trespass: Clear 70’s influenced album

·        Starcastle: Not even original, Yes clones, but still Prog band

·        Abarax: Should pay royalties to Pink Floyd (listen the sample “The Crying of the Whales” in PA) but still Prog.

 

As you see, wee added in first place, 5 progressive bands that are not Prog and five PROGRESSIVE ROCK  (Prog) bands that are not progressive,. So there’s almost no relation between both terms, of course some Prog bands are progressive because they are doing something radically new even for an adventurous genre.

 

About the term Art Rock, I could understand this confusion if we were in the 70’s, but today almost everybody is aware that this term has mutated, first to represent the simplñest bands (what we call Prog related( and then to group bands that have little in common but are 100% Prog.

 

Iván

 

 

 

Good point.  If you didn't know that it was called Prog or progressive, what would you call it?  Why don't we all just enjoy the music and not worry too much about what label to attach!

Nah, I think he's confusing progressive rock with progressive rock, the differences are subtle, but any fan of progressive rock can tell them apart without even hearing the music.

Ah, yes, but, no, but,

 

http://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=18