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Topic ClosedProgressive rock: a man's genre?

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Valentino View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2011 at 12:50
Come on, Yes and Genesis are girly as it is.

Also, I know more Pink Floyd fans who are girls than guys.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2011 at 12:48
Originally posted by silverpot silverpot wrote:

It's because men have more spare time. Women have to tire themselves with housework instead of relaxing in front of the stereo. LOL

Are you saying working a full time job and helping raise a kid gives more free time than housework? Wink
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2011 at 12:47
Well, considering out of all my friends, family, acquaintances, and such, online or otherwise, I don't know a single human being who even so much as knows of prog rock's existence except for myself and my girlfriend, and she only knows because I told her about it, it's a difficult question to answer. I mean, folks around here sometimes like the big names (KC, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd), and my friends tend to enjoy popular prog metal (Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Queensryche, etc.), but neither group does so because of the prog status. Mostly if a friend likes a prog metal band, he does so because I introduced it to him. I honestly hate the music tastes of all my friends. It's not that I think mine is better, but mine is certainly more diverse. 

I definitely think that prog rock (and artsy fartsy music in general) is more related toward the male mentality. Sure, prog/art rock had a few very notable females, like Annie Haslan or Kate Bush, but take the leading forces behind the genre: Fripp, the entire bands of Pink Floyd, Yes, Genesis, Rush, Jethro Tull, VDGG, Gentle Giant, Camel, etc. etc. They were male-fronted, male-written songs and bands. In 1971 most guys had a choice between Aqualung and Carole King's Tapestry. Which do you think most adolescent males would rather listen to? Locomotive Breath or So Far Away?

Music and the arts in general are very much male-oriented. What are most female writers noted for? Vampire love stories or well-to-do british women looking for a husband. Anne Rice blah blah blah. Where's the female 1984, the female Brave New World? It's not that women are less artistic (but in my experience, most women seem more interested in painting/photography than any other art, but that's nothing more than an assessment of my locale, not a generalization), it's not that women are less artistic. They just spent so long being dominated by men in nearly every way that they didn't have a chance to grow into it. So really, if women would rather hear Justin Bieber over Jethro Tull, it's men's fault for being so damn vile. That, and most girls don't care about space operas and WWII battles and such. I don't either, but hey!

My point is that of course prog is man-oriented and male-dominated. Now that I've said that, let me go ahead and say that starting from the 1930's and up, from Billie Holiday to Joan Baez and Carole King and Kate Bush and Cocteau Twins and Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin and all that, some women have made some flabbergastingly brilliant music to my ears. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2011 at 12:46
And yeah, most girls I know just spend their time doing other things although they still enjoy the music.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2011 at 12:42
My mother (like my father when he was alive, by he was very vocal in his disdain for rock and pop music) only listens to classical music by choice (she does quite like some jazz too).  I played her some Art Zoyd from Generations Sans Futur whilst she was in my car, and she said it was far too dissonant for her.  That said, she did enjoy a fair amount of U Totem's debut (I avoided some parts) and she did like Aranis.

My wife has said that the music I listen to goes on too long, is dull, and often sounds like soundtrack music, which would be fine if it was background music ina  film, but not to listen to.  I do like pop music that she likes, such as Abba (it's her favourite band, but I still know Abba better than her).  The only ones I can think of that she has liked in PA that I've played for her are Mellow Candle, Supertramp, and Alan Parsons Project (plus various songs by various artists such as as some PFM).

A complaint I've heard from various females is that the music I listen to is weird and not melodic.  I get the same weird complaint about music from males, but they don't complain about it not being melodic.  I don't know anyone in real life who shares my Prog Archives-type tastes in music  (some of it, sure, like King Crimson, but not the more avant-oriented music).
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2011 at 12:41
It's because men have more spare time. Women have to tire themselves with housework instead of relaxing in front of the stereo. LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2011 at 12:16

I actually have met more females who like the stuff I listen to than males (excluding online) so I don't really think that it's a "man's genre" specifically.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2011 at 12:14
Alright, I realize that there are certainly female proggers, but compared to other genres, the fan base it overwhelmingly male oriented. Don't deny it. I have met tons of prog rock fans, and not a single one has been female. Without sounding sexist, why do you think this is?

Personally, I think it has to do with the female mind often finding more of an emotional connection with more personal, nice sounding music. When I asked my mother why she hates Genesis so much, she said it sounded dissonant and made her feel anxious.

Sorry if that sounds sexist, because I'm really not at all. What are your thoughts?
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