Popular Prog Bands that you just can't get into

souio wrote: Everyone has a band that seems to be immensely popular on this site that just doesn't seem to click with people. For me, it's IQ. I have no idea why exactly. I've tried listening to The Wake about 10 times and, while there are moments on the album which I enjoy, I just can't seem to get into it. Same with Subterranea. Their debut album seems to be my "favorite" album for me, but I just can't seem to get into them. Which is strange as two of my favorite bands are Marillion and Pendragon. What are some bands that you can't quite get into?

Edited by progrules - June 13 2009 at 05:40

Most hard rock/heavy prog.

Deep Purple
Led Zeppelin
Queen
Rush
Porcupine Tree

And some more "top name" progressive bands

Gentle Giant
Yes(Although I somewhat enjoy Close To The Edge)

Something strange

Opeth. It is strange. I WANT to love Opeth. I want Opeth to be one of my favorite bands, and for the most part, I really like them, but each album I feel should absolutely blow my mind somewhat underwhelms me. I don't know.

  After reading some of the replies here

Snow Dog wrote: Chris S wrote: BaldFriede wrote: Rush. I never understood all the fuss about them. Good musicians, though not as exceptional as their fans try to make them, but the music is nothing special at all. C'mon people lighten up......................I am a huge Rush fan yet I say no problem with this POV. Thats a fair cop...I over reacted. But why mention the musicianship? And why then edit it and add...... though not as exceptional as their fans try to make them......? It may be my imagination....but from my conflicts with this member in the past, she is an expert at passive/ aggresive posts. But nevertheless, I am sorry for the unseemly behaviour.

The passive aggressiveness has only been read into my posts; I am not passive aggressive at all. And from your reactions to some of my posts which were not meant to be aggressive at all it might as well be said that you are a master at open aggressiveness.
The truth is that there have been some misunderstandings between us; you read something into my posts which are not there, reacted hotly, and then of course I felt peeved too and answered in the same measure.
Most of it got started by my and Jean's criticism of the "Peartians". I have nothing at all against people for whom Peart is their favourite drummer, but to treat him as unreachable and way above any other drummer is what peeves me. First of all it is not true, and second it is an insult to all the other excellent drummers out there. If he is your favourite drummer, fine, but don't turn him into a God. It is this attitude which we criticize, nothing else.
If you take a look at some of the drum polls in this archive you will have to admit that this attitude has often been taken by his fans. And in that light the comment "though not as exceptional as his fans try to make him" is to be seen. That's all. If that is passive-aggressive to you, I can't help it.
But I am willing to bury the hatchet, so I will admit that this comment was unnecessary and hereby retract it. I am certain that Peart fans see the merits of other drummers too.

Coming in rather late to this err discourse...

People should stop recommending M.D.K. as a starting point for Magma. We're losing a lot of potential devotees because of that 

mirco wrote: SergiUriah wrote: I just only would like to know a thing. Why some works from Santana (even I only have his first one, and a Greatest Hits and Abraxas I have listened 70´s Lps too...) are named in this page as Prog Albums??? Check out Caravanserai, and you´ll find the answer.

Even "Abraxas" is a full-fledged prog album in my opinion.

King Crimson776 wrote: The 3 M's of doom : Magma The Mars Volta Mastodon Ayreon IQ Marillion (they're ok but the rave reviews for them are incomprehensible to me, maybe I don't get their lyrics, not huge on lyrics anyway) The Tangent (I thought I'd like this one, but it's just kind of boring in all honesty) Robert Wyatt Eloy Kraftwerk Amon Duul II (not even close to the best Krautrock band) Pain of Salvation (pretty godawful... no, not just Scarsick) Fates Warning The Decemberists (I don't know what to say really, people have been crooning over this band lately... there's nothing special here at all, I'd like to hear someone who likes them try to describe what it is exactly that's good about them, that would be interesting)

What about if, instead of regaling us with your usual snarky, patronising comments, you just recognised that people may have different tastes from yours? If you have decided you don't like The Decemberists, or The Mars Volta, or whatever, we could talk ourselves blue in the face and not convince you that there is something good about those bands - all you want to do is to prove we're idiots who don't understand the first thing about prog.

And, btw, it's not 'crooning', but 'crowing', I suppose... I don't generally make soothing sounds like I would to a baby when I talk about the music I like.


Edited by Raff - June 13 2009 at 08:18

Gosh! I'm enjoying this thread.  So many little scraps going on all over the place - it seems to have caught peoples imaginations. 

topofsm wrote:   That's strange, cause there was a thread recently where most people pretty much concurred that any album except for Attakh and Merci were a great introduction to Magma's sound. I listened to MDK again today and I think it's like my 4th listen. To be honest it seems like an endless tribal chant/prog thing with lots of 7/8. If I listen to it 'from a distance' (for lack of a better phrase) by not focusing on the more primal aspects of the music including the weird made-up-language it sounds kind of cool, and almost like a Broadway tune or something to me, though it's hardly mind blowing.   I might give them another try if I have the chance, though there really isn't any point in spending money on music that leaves me dissaffected, regardless if the person next to me is left breathless.