Progressive breeding places

Okay. Well, if VdGG did it like that, it's interesting behaviour.

BaldFriede wrote: Moogtron III wrote: Okay. Well, if VdGG did it like that, it's interesting behaviour. I still wonder if Genesis and VdGG influenced each other a bit, because apart from the many differences between those bands, I do see some similarities in the music. But maybe that's just because many bands in those days had something in common, in their ways of making innovating music. According to an interview I once read with either Hackett or Gabriel, I don't remember exactly, "Supper's Ready" was done because VdGG did "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers".

Vonn wrote: Well Pelican and Russian Circles are from Chicago. What's in the drinking water there that's making such great instrumental prog bands?

mrcozdude wrote: Lock me in a room with money and instruments,i miss the 70's

If you're locked in a room, what good is money?

Moogtron III wrote: CCVP: I tend to disagree with you to a certain extent. Of course individuality is a factor. Some people like to write songs from 9 to 5, and some others prefer creative chaos. But I think, on the other hand: the classical musicians you mentioned couldn't have blossomed in just any other age. I do think that some great masterpieces of prog wouldn't have been written if the group members didn't lock themselves up in a house, and that there would be more prog master pieces if that would happen again. Artists are exposed to soon (or do that themselves through MySpace) and I think often they need time to develop something original.

The isolation may have been essential to some but, as said by Goethe:  "education is built in the quietness of a class room and the character on the chaos of life". Rick Wakeman during the 70's kept producing masterpieces with Yes and with himself alone with such an intense writing rate that he had a heart attack at the age of 24 (part of that responsibility, however, was because of the crazy studio demands and Wakeman's alcohol abuse), Dream Theater's masterpieces were written during their most difficult part of their lives (images and words were mostly written when the band had a vocalist problem and they almost disbanded, awake were made with strong creative problems with Kevin Moore, metropolis part 2 was made in yet another almost disband phase, being the 6 degrees the only exception to the rule) as well as Pink Floyd made wish you where here after a long and fruitless session of experimental music (the experimentation was to try to make music like Roger's  solo album sounds from the body) and probably Yes on their early years (yes album, for example) when they where  so poor that Jon Anderson had to work for food.

However, the sound of silence may be indeed a big factor, but the individuality factor, such as personality and the part of the writer's life that was lived during the writing process is still a strong factor to be considered.


Edited by CCVP - March 21 2008 at 17:35

CCVP wrote: Moogtron III wrote: CCVP: I tend to disagree with you to a certain extent. Of course individuality is a factor. Some people like to write songs from 9 to 5, and some others prefer creative chaos. But I think, on the other hand: the classical musicians you mentioned couldn't have blossomed in just any other age. I do think that some great masterpieces of prog wouldn't have been written if the group members didn't lock themselves up in a house, and that there would be more prog master pieces if that would happen again. Artists are exposed to soon (or do that themselves through MySpace) and I think often they need time to develop something original. The isolation may have been essential to some but, as said by Goethe:  "education is built in the quietness of a class room and the character on the chaos of life". Rick Wakeman during the 70's kept producing masterpieces with Yes and with himself alone with such an intense writing rate that he had a heart attack at the age of 24 (part of that responsibility, however, was because of the crazy studio demands and Wakeman's alcohol abuse), Dream Theater's masterpieces were written during their most difficult part of their lives (images and words were mostly written when the band had a vocalist problem and they almost disbanded, awake were made with strong creative problems with Kevin Moore, metropolis part 2 was made in yet another almost disband phase, being the 6 degrees the only exception to the rule) as well as Pink Floyd made wish you where here after a long and fruitless session of experimental music (the experimentation was to try to make music like Roger's  solo album sounds from the body) and probably Yes on their early years (yes album, for example) when they where  so poor that Jon Anderson had to work for food. However, the sound of silence may be indeed a big factor, but the individuality factor, such as personality and the part of the writer's life that was lived during the writing process is still a strong factor to be considered.

Edited by Moogtron III - March 22 2008 at 04:44

CCVP wrote: Moogtron III wrote: Nice quote from Goethe! I suppose that's true, and the Wakeman example is a good example to a certain extent, though on the other hand he proves my point  . Rick Wakeman did some masterpieces, with Yes and solo, in the seventies, but I think after that he made an incredible amount of albums, but he would be better off if he would have a different writing environment, and not write so many albums, but just concentrate on a few, and make masterpieces out of them. I think there should be some environment for Rick to canalize his creative abilities. I'm not sure if a 'breeding place', like many bands had in the seventies, would be the best for him, though.   But the Dream Theater example is a pretty good example. Yes, it is not my intention to present a stereotype, as if ALL bands should be locked away in a castle or a cottage, but it would be better for SOME bands, I'm sure. Though I know it's just one of those circumstances. Listening habits have changed as well. In the age of MP3 and clips, music is more and more treated as fast food. Just a tendency, again I don't want to make a stereotype out of it.   But thanks, CCVP, for guarding the balance. You're right: the chaos of life could just as well be a creative factor! 1st of all: thanks for the consideration man, it has been nice talking to you and discussing about the progheads writing processes. It is also good to know that my commentaries were solid enough to make a point. Just another thing: in one of my previous posts i said about Mozart  writing process: he would write everything at once, but i was sure that there is a musician nowadays that did just the same, i just could not remember his name, so i preferred not to mention him. Looking at some of my friend's music magazines i found him: Arjen Anthony Lucassen, the gentle giant of progressive metal (i don't know his height, but in all of his videos , when he meets someone, you can clearly see that he is , at least, 20 centimeters higher; so he must be 2 meters high and something), "writes" like that. He don't exactly writes anything because he don't know a thing about musical notation, but he keeps all ideas in his mind and then play them! If the ideas lasted all the way until be played then, as he said, they are good enough to be in the album.

Moogtron III wrote: Nice talking to you as well! Yes, I think you made a good point. I think the breeding places I mentioned definitely have some value, but I agree with you that there's an entire other side of the story, with the Dream Theater story as a good supporting argument.    I read many interviews with Arjen Lucassen, but what you just told me I didn't know. (This is for me, personally, the most informative thread I made thus far. I learned many things!) Actually we're going a bit off topic, but it's interesting nevertheless. On the one hand you have the musical sculptors, the perfectionists who keep cutting and editing and modifying until everything fits, and on the other hand you have the people who are like the Japanese calligraphers: it all just comes out at once, in one moment. Maybe for these people, isolation would be counterproductive. So we won't lock up Arjen Lucassen in a castle

Just for you to know, that interview was an exclusive interview made by a Brazilian guitar magazine so don't freak out about it (unless you buy Brazilian guitar magazines; in that case SHAME ON YOU )


Edited by CCVP - March 23 2008 at 14:38

i lol'd