Friends reaction’s to prog

Being a younster (18) aboslutely none of my peers are into prog. I've tried to convert some of my friends, but with little success. I've heard them write off prog in some shocking ways - I often wonder if they've been listening to it at all. Some quotes from my friends:

On Close To The Edge:

"God, this is boring."

On Prog in general:

"It all sounds the same to me"

On Hatfield & The North:

"Reminds me of elevator music"

On Ozric Tentacles:

"I thought you said this was rock?"

To be quite honest I've given up trying these days. I met a bloke at college who started saying that the best music should be pushing the boundaries and cited Bowie and Radiohead as examples. I made him a disc with some Yes, GG, VDGG, Maxophone, and much more on and he said to me a couple of days later "I know I said I liked music that pushed the boundaries but that's just f***ing weird". So there we have it. My generation's minds are a closed as the high street at midnight.

When your a teenager most of your peers are more concerned about what trainers they're wearing than whats in their CD player (or on their turntable as it was in my day) Prog fans are usually people who are quite in touch with their emotions (sorry if that sounds sickly and pretentious) and prog can be very emotional music as we all know! Many proggers seem to have an interest in Jazz and or classical music, which leads them to be impressed by good musicianship and complicated arrangements. In short the music matters!! The accessories dont!! The artists have taken the time to learn their instrument to a highly profficient level. They have thought about the songs they are writing.

In contrast, most people see music as a vehicle for fashion, style and attitiude rather than a form of art, in itself, desinged to entertain and convey feeling. Tragic, but thats the way it is. Prog can never have mass appeal.

Yes you are all right, but i persist to think that our time is worst than before cause people are more conditioned than ever before...

Thanks TV (among others)

Thanks for the compliment...

I feel very isolated

Velvetclown wrote: Yes it´s harder today, than it was in the 70s, but it was difficult to make people  listen to quality music even back then. That´s why it´s great to see  that a few "Youngsters" here, really have good taste and use their brains.

I would never have believed that anyone under 30 would even know what prog is, before discovering this site. It is indeed a great thing that some 'youngsters' are tuned into this music.

Blacksword wrote: Velvetclown wrote: Yes it´s harder today, than it was in the 70s, but it was difficult to make people  listen to quality music even back then. That´s why it´s great to see  that a few "Youngsters" here, really have good taste and use their brains.  I would never have believed that anyone under 30 would even know what prog is, before discovering this site. It is indeed a great thing that some 'youngsters' are tuned into this music.

Despite my young age, i'm found of prog since nearly 15 years!

Some 50 years old people who have known the golden age are amazed that i know 60's/70's music much more than them!

oliverstoned wrote: Blacksword wrote: Velvetclown wrote: Yes it´s harder today, than it was in the 70s, but it was difficult to make people  listen to quality music even back then. That´s why it´s great to see  that a few "Youngsters" here, really have good taste and use their brains.  I would never have believed that anyone under 30 would even know what prog is, before discovering this site. It is indeed a great thing that some 'youngsters' are tuned into this music. Despite my young age, i'm found of prog since nearly 15 years! Some 50 years old people who have known the golden age are amazed that i know 60's/70's music much more than them!

Much respect to you oliver  Those 50 year olds probably listerned to crap throughout the 'golden age' and never understood prog either  It was lampooned by many even in them days. Thankfully there was also huge armies of open minded music fans that kept prog safely afloat for a long time.

Dick Heath wrote: No worries Three Fates (H) you are not as old as I am. The mere young boys here should go back in their separate  corners and recommense twanging their wires.

Thanks Dick... actually those boys don't bother me.  I've got a feeling they are both only younger in mind than they are body anyway....

In regard to youngsters into prog.  Seems to me that Pink Floyd has a huge younger following.  If you go thru all of the Pink Floyd sites on their webring, you'll find that most of the membership of their forums are under the age of 30.  Heck the official PF site, I'd say half of them are under the age of 25.  Pink Floyd has always appealed to the minds of teens... and evidently that still holds true. They evidently relate to Roger's tormented lyrics... and David's wailing guitar...

Trying to find the young ones into Yes and ELP.. now thats a bit harder.  For one, most are not into the Hammond or keyboard sound as being the lead instrument.  Another reason for PF's popularity... Rick's keyboards were very underlying.. while David's guitar was very prevalent.  If you play for your friends, prog songs that are heavy on guitar.... I bet they'd like it more.

You'd be amazed at who likes prog.

Kurt Cobain claimed that KC's 'Red' was his favourite album of all time and Noel Gallagher has lauded Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' as a classic.