Should XTC be considered Prog Related? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Author

Message

Topic Search

Topic Options

micky

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 02 2005
Location: .
Status: Offline
Points: 46833

Posted: April 10 2016 at 09:53

awesome man.... just awesome!

The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip

Guy Guden

Forum Senior Member

Joined: November 07 2014
Location: California
Status: Offline
Points: 2617

Posted: April 10 2016 at 10:09

"Have you now, or have you ever been Prog Related?"

"I'm sorry Senator. If I answer that question, I will hate myself in the morning."

*giggles*

Edited by Guy Guden - April 10 2016 at 19:04

Forum Senior Member

Joined: February 07 2009
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 18446

Posted: April 10 2016 at 15:11

You can add Thomas Dolby to the list. I mean if ASIA can be added on the membership alone, since the music is far from progressive, then Dolby absolutely deserves it. The Flat Earth is an amazingly progressive album.

Thank you for supporting independently produced music

dr wu23

Forum Senior Member

Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 20623

Posted: April 10 2016 at 15:20

One of my favorite XTC tracks.....'proggy ' to me..(oops ..there's that word again..)

One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin

Blacksword View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 16130

Posted: April 12 2016 at 12:57

XTC = Excellent, but never really regarded them as prog in any way.

Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!

Blacksword View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 16130

Posted: April 12 2016 at 13:03

dr wu23 wrote:

One of my favorite XTC tracks.....'proggy ' to me..(oops ..there's that word again..)

Lovely song!

Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!

dr wu23

Forum Senior Member

Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 20623

Posted: April 12 2016 at 13:20

Blacksword wrote:

XTC = Excellent, but never really regarded them as prog in any way.

IMO they could be included here as prog related like The Who or Led Zeppelin. Neither one of them are prog rock either yet they are on PA as are many other bands that aren't any more 'proggy' than XTC.

One wonders what specific criteria is used when adding a band under that genre.

One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin

Finnforest View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: February 03 2007
Location: The Heartland
Status: Offline
Points: 16913

Posted: April 12 2016 at 13:24

dr wu23 wrote:

Blacksword wrote:

XTC = Excellent, but never really regarded them as prog in any way.

One wonders what specific criteria is used when adding a band under that genre.

No need to wonder....see 7 points of criteria Smile

http://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=38

dr wu23

Forum Senior Member

Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 20623

Posted: April 12 2016 at 13:47

Finnforest wrote:

dr wu23 wrote:

Blacksword wrote:

XTC = Excellent, but never really regarded them as prog in any way.

One wonders what specific criteria is used when adding a band under that genre.

No need to wonder....see 7 points of criteria Smile

http://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=38

I've read that several times before .....and imho it's subjective and arbitrary...and even by those standards XTC would qualify....again imho.

Not that I'm too worried about them being included on PA.

One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin

Finnforest View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: February 03 2007
Location: The Heartland
Status: Offline
Points: 16913

Posted: April 12 2016 at 13:50

No prob--you had said you didn't know the criteria used, so I wasn't sure if you had seen that before.
I should add, Doc, I got nothing against XTC. Good band. Thumbs Up

siLLy puPPy View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

Joined: October 05 2013
Location: SFcaUsA
Status: Offline
Points: 15243

Posted: April 12 2016 at 13:55

Barry Manilow should be added as well. When he was singing "Mandy" it was about a DOG! Now that's progressive. XTC doing Manilow covers would certainly get them a pass to PA LOL

dr wu23

Forum Senior Member

Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 20623

Posted: April 12 2016 at 14:01

Finnforest wrote:

No prob--you had said you didn't know the criteria used, so I wasn't sure if you had seen that before.
I should add, Doc, I got nothing against XTC. Good band. Thumbs Up

They were an excellent band.....Partridge is one of the great songwriters and lyricists of all time...imho.

Regarding the'prog related' thing they certainly are as proggy if not more so than the Beatles themselves (who influenced Partridge) who of course are on PA. The difference of course is that The Beatles were there to help start the ball rolling and XTC came later.

As I said, based on the prog related bands here, XTC easily qualifies, but again I'm not stumping for them even though it might sound like it.

One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin

Dean

Special Collaborator

Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575

Posted: April 12 2016 at 14:26

Based on the criteria alone many bands could qualify for Prog Related but that does not mean that we will add them. If we ignore the listed criteria and base each addition on whether they are subjectively "proggier" (whatever that actually means) than other Prog Related artists then that list would grow exponentially.

If we added all seemingly qualified artist then it would be the single largest category on the site, and frankly that would be an unnecessary distraction and just a little nutty.

Therefore Prog Related is nothing more than an appendix (it serves no useful purpose but causes serious problems when it becomes enlarged).

Prog Related is not the impetus behind this site, it's a Prog site for Prog bands. It is not a general music site that lists all artists who made "serious" or erudite rock music. The purpose of the site is to provide a platform for people to write reviews of Prog albums from a Prog Rock perspective. RYM exists for people to write a review of albums not listed here.

[Like lots of people here, I love XTC, and Dukes of the Stratosphere, and The Stranglers, and Magazine and many of the other artists that could be here but are not. ]

What?

siLLy puPPy View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

Joined: October 05 2013
Location: SFcaUsA
Status: Offline
Points: 15243

Posted: April 12 2016 at 17:26

Just curious. Has it ever been suggested to eliminate the whole prog related category altogether? There's more than enough prog bands on here already

lazland

Prog Reviewer

Joined: October 28 2008
Location: Wales
Status: Offline
Points: 13627

Posted: April 13 2016 at 00:57

siLLy puPPy wrote:

Just curious. Has it ever been suggested to eliminate the whole prog related category altogether? There's more than enough prog bands on here already

It's no doubt been suggested, but will not happen.

There was absolutely no noble purpose whatsoever when bands such as Led Zep, The 'oo, and the rest were added as "prog related". It was not a scientific exercise. It was a traffic enhancing exercise. Those bands are here purely because M@x wanted as much traffic here to enhance advertising revenue, and they are popular bands.

Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org

Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time!

Blacksword View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 16130

Posted: April 13 2016 at 01:05

dr wu23 wrote:

Blacksword wrote:

XTC = Excellent, but never really regarded them as prog in any way.

One wonders what specific criteria is used when adding a band under that genre.

I think it probably comes down to the likes of Zep and The Who being "ROCK" bands with some progressive elements. XTC are closer to indie pop than rock, with some prog elements. Its the same principle that explains why Jean Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream are included but the likes of Future Sound of LOndon and Boards of Canada are not. They are progressive but linked to the acid house/rave scene which is briadly regarded as being part of something which is very much at odds with the elitist middle class prog rock movement..

PA is after all "Your ultimate prog ROCK resource"

That said, I personally don't particulary care and would be happy to see the incusion of artists who are progressive without the ROCK element, Kate Bush or talk Talk for instance....oh wait, they are included!

Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!

Vikingrat9966 View Drop Down

Forum Newbie

Joined: March 26 2016
Location: Los Angeles.
Status: Offline
Points: 32

Posted: April 16 2016 at 13:42

Yes they should English Settlement was disliked by Cream Magazine at the time of it's release for having 'Prog tendencies" .

Sean Trane View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Prog Folk

Joined: April 29 2004
Location: Heart of Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 20240

Posted: April 19 2016 at 04:45

Blacksword wrote:

XTC = Excellent, but never really regarded them as prog in any way.

Ditto...

Just like Japan... never understood what they were doing here.

Dean

Special Collaborator

Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575

Posted: April 19 2016 at 04:52

Sean Trane wrote:

Blacksword wrote:

XTC = Excellent, but never really regarded them as prog in any way.

Ditto...

Just like Japan... never understood what they were doing here.

Historical incongruence. Rain Tree Crow are in Crossover while Japan are in Prog Related yet they are essentially the same band in all but name.

What?

uduwudu

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 17 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 2601

Posted: April 19 2016 at 08:30

Prog related doesn't tell me anything. Iron Maiden are prog related? I thought they're a heavy metal band. This is a bit like the 21st Century misnomer 'classic" rock. Bands from the 70s like, er ACDC and Simon and Garfunkel are all classic rock.

Thing is XTC were a new wave band that moved on though the years. Maybe make more use of the art rock label.

Prog rock is classical historical techniques allied with rock approaches. Art rock is a song based sophisticated rock approach.

maybe think of visiting this site as an outsider wondering if XTC ae like ELP or Yes or not. Prog related is not a style. You can't play a prog related guitar lick now can you? Well, I can but that's my problem. ;)

Point is you have to describe the music style not take the equivalent of a government department approach to labeling (you know, faceless, meaningless, futile and useless to anyone normal). Crossover prog is nearly as bad... Folk, metal, symphonic, electronic etc usw describe what the music is rather than being wishy washy.

Yeah sure, put XTC in but with a commonly understood music label not a sub-sub-sub-genre site only description. I mean Radiohead are here and there was a band that were really anxious about not getting the prog rock label. Which incidentally I wouldn't; notwithstanding despite my dislike I'd put them in as an art rock band, although to me they are alt.rock oddly closer to XTC. This is all the fault of punk rock and Malcolm McLaren.

Of course first we could have a definition of prog rock (I say classical rock fusion). Start at the top.