Faux Prog Fans

Music isn´t static but rotulations are. They stick through even if they have absolutely nothing to do with reality. This happens with musical genres, artists and bands (for example anathema will always be labeled a (doom) metal band even though their actual sound isn´t doom at all).

bad english sorry--- labeling is the correct word i think (direct translation sorry)

Agreed.

You should give things a shot. I never say I "hate x genre" because that's just silly.

Though, some of the very rules by which, for example, punk exist make it so I hate most of it. I like to think it's not just because I'm elitist but because it seems boring and pointless to me (what is the point of music if nothing new is tried? If it's just the same boring melodies over the same boring chord sequences with the same boring drum beats?) but really, I don't know.

Of course, it all boils down to the one thing I really don't like about music. There's too freaking much.

There's too much music in existence that, even if I spent all the money I owned on music, and was constantly listening to music for my entire like, I would never listen to even a tiny proportion of the amount of music that exists.

But the progressive spirit is to give it a damn good try, in my opinion. New music should be embraced and new ideas, structres, instrumentation and textures should be welcomed - whilst still exploring the many many many past relases and experimentation therein.

People should explore new genres - for example, I just listened to some "Godspeed You! Black Emperor" and Jesus I love it. I didn't think music like that existed but there it is. It proves that truly new music is still possible, even with a finite amount of notes, tempos, chords, textures and rhythms, new music can still be created. And it's kickass.

I think there is plenty of good new music and plenty of good old music.

But good music very rarely gets in the charts nowadays - it all just seems cookie-cutter to me - and although this seems like a stereotyped opinion, I have yet to be convinced otherwise. It just seems that popular music and good, interesting music never meet.

/Superrant

Nathan makes a good point there. I, like quite a few people here I presume, can get quite smug about my knowledge of music from about the 1930s onward and how I know pretty much everything ever etc etc.

Edited by Textbook - August 09 2010 at 06:04

Henry Plainview wrote: I dislike the idea that musical opinions are motivated by ideology more than taste.

Henry Plainview wrote: And I'm saying people generally do try things. I'll agree that the average person is resistant to novelty and change, especially as they age, and I find that frustrating, but that's because of their taste. People aren't listening to Spock's Beard and Mostly Autumn because they've never heard The Mars Volta. You thought you didn't like country until you heard Johnny Cash, but you didn't hate country up until that point because of a philosophical opposition to the idea of country, and if you're the kind of person who would like Johnny Cash you would have heard him eventually anyway

When I discovered "classic prog" (meaning symph, fusion, space, folk) about four years ago I was so enthusiastic about it that I was convinced I'll never listen to anything else for the rest of my life, and that all other forms of pop&rock music were simply inferior. The power of conviction over taste was so strong that anything else than classic prog really sounded awful to me. I remember I once listened to the radio show a friend was doing about alternative rock (the genre I thought was the plague of modern society, and avoided at all costs). As much as I wanted to tell my friend he did a nice show, after the first hour my head ached so bad (really) that I had to stop listening. Fortunately I had to take a quite long break from prog at some point and after that I was never the same. I am now ashamed of myself from that period, and I'm glad I'm not a "prog-fan" any more, just a person interested in good music and musical creativity from any genre. Anyway, I was the perfect example of what Textbook is saying and what you're contradicting. Your convictions can snob out your tastes!

Textbook wrote:   I totally disagree when you say prog does not need to change to be vital. Please point out an original and important piece of music that sounded exactly like something that already existed.   ...   Exactly, it can't be done. To embrace a lack of change is to consign prog to the dustbin as far as relevance and innovation goes. If you don't want innovation, I suspect your ties to prog are nostalgic rather than musical.

Music may need to change, prog does not. What I am saying is that much of the music being pushed forward now in the name of prog is not prog. Of course, not all prog has to come from the late 60's/early 70's. What I am saying is that to call it prog it should sound like the prog music of that time. By all means make or listen to any music you like, but don't call it prog just for convenience. For whatever reason, the name prog has been stolen by bands and artists whose music has no relation to prog.

I think I have seen a discussion like this in the past. Was about Sex Pistols and Rock Dynosaurs...

i do think so ,i prefer to look forward because i'm not real satisfied with new stuff .but i's normal cause i'm 55

LiquidEternity wrote: A True Prog Fan should look down on all other music fans, including other prog fans, because a True Prog Fan knows the exact best combination of bands to spend time with. Everyone else is various shades of incorrect.

As Commisioner of the Taste Police, I concur.

Snow Dog wrote: friso wrote: It's always annoying to see how people can change the subject of a topic because they feel they're 'under attack'. I wish some posters would act like adults. Textbook just wanted to discuss his opinion about what the progressive spirit is. And he´s damn righ in my opinion. A lot of people are way to afraid to explore new music. He also wanted to accuse some "unnamed" members of not being true Prog fans.That's pretty irritating. Name them.

Yeah, and you should join the CIA or the KGB.