Losing interest in prog

I must say I lose interest in prog. It just does not interest me anymore what new albums come out, with the odd exception. Jazz and classical music  are much more interesting, in my opinion.. There is so much music to discover which expands my mind more than prog; why, completely exploring the works of Johann Sebastian Bach lone seems to be a task that would take a lifetime but would be much more fulfilling than wasting my time with so-called "new" prog albums which are more or less just an endless repetition of what has already been said.

What's more: I hate the way albums are being produced these days; they all sound extremely sterile. Each instrument clearly separated from the other. Some audio freaks may rejoice about that, but that is not what music sounds like when it is being played live. The instruments all mingle then; there are multiple reverberations and fractions of sound, and this is what makes music sound "alive"; so much nicer for my ears.

I know many of you will disagree and come up with examples of what I absolutely "have" to hear. And I know equally well that I will listen to it, shrug and say "so what?"

I've been sick of prog for years. Whenever I found this site, I was excited and listened to everything that was listed on this site and I could get my hands on. Now, after a few years, I've listened to each genre extensively and found the artists that I enjoy versus the artists that I think are kind of lame, and now I'm less interested in prog and have moved onto my next phase: dance music and nu-jazz.

I've been a bit bored with prog myself lately, but this often happens with my musical tastes. I'm listening to more jazz than anything else at the moment, but there are still occasional Zeuhl and RIO gems to stimulate my jaded palate.

Oh, I still love the old stuff; it is just that new developments leave me cold . One reason for that may also be my own music, which I don't think would fall under "prog" but which interests me a lot more.

CloseToTheMoon wrote: I lose interest in lots of things. My tastes kinda cycle every few months. If anything, they get more specific the next time around.

BaldFriede wrote: I must say I lose interest in prog. It just does not interest me anymore what new albums come out, with the odd exception. Jazz and classical music  are much more interesting, in my opinion.. There is so much music to discover which expands my mind more than prog; why, completely exploring the works of Johann Sebastian Bach lone seems to be a task that would take a lifetime but would be much more fulfilling than wasting my time with so-called "new" prog albums which are more or less just an endless repetition of what has already been said. What's more: I hate the way albums are being produced these days; they all sound extremely sterile. Each instrument clearly separated from the other. Some audio freaks may rejoice about that, but that is not what music sounds like when it is being played live. The instruments all mingle then; there are multiple reverberations and fractions of sound, and this is what makes music sound "alive"; so much nicer for my ears. I know many of you will disagree and come up with examples of what I absolutely "have" to hear. And I know equally well that I will listen to it, shrug and say "so what?"

1. There's really nothing new under the sun
2. I agree about production, and yes I'm an audio freak who likes it (for some albums). It allows the composer to better create what they are trying to get across. If they want the intermingling of a live album, they can do that... or make a live album. This way you get two great experiences from one composition.
3. It's a good idea to listen to more than prog anyway I've been listening to pop-rock (The National, The Shins), metal (Giant Squid, Gojira), and ambient music (Bass Communion, Riceboy Sleeps) recently

DreamInSong wrote: 1. There's really nothing new under the sun

My condolences to anyone who accepts this as truth.

Cimnele wrote: DreamInSong wrote: 1. There's really nothing new under the sun My condolences to anyone who accepts this as truth.

Well I largely agree with that. 95% of the 800+ bands/albums I (had to) listen to this year were very generic, or non-surprising at best.
But amongst those I still found many to enjoy. But that small 5% is not to be found amongst the most rated or most popular releases unfortunately.
Also, I obviously listened to a totally wrong selection of stuff




Edited by Bonnek - December 30 2011 at 16:11

I never lose interest in music on a genre level but have a few rare moments (OK not so few, damn you TV and sex!!) when I don't want to be listening to music.  I think why is that I don't focus too much on the genre but whether the music is enjoyable.  Just so happens probably 90-95% of it is considered prog by many here.  Not much jazz or classical makes it into my collection but I don't avoid or focus on it.  Maybe it's because I'm not paying enough attention to the production.  From a content standpoint there is enough going on now under the prog umbrella to keep me satisfied.  The new release that didn't excite me this year was Forever.  Likely eclipsed by all the other new prog releases I was getting.  There is a certain factor in enjoying the new music and the old being heard perhaps a little too frequently.


Edited by Slartibartfast - December 30 2011 at 16:17

I've never tired of prog and I doubt if I ever will.