Your Top 10 Favourite Prog Albums of 1997

Cristi wrote: David_D wrote: Radiohead - OK Computer ,   a Prog album??, I'd like to see that Prog definition which include it. http://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=3

^ Prog any music that moves music into new directions.

If this site (and community generally) had taken a very narrow and traditionalist view of what can be Prog, then I think I might have lost interest in it very quickly. What is Prog, the differences and overlap between progressive rock (where progressive is an adjective), Prog (noun, genre) and progressive music have been debated time and time again. There are many differences when it comes to perception and I do think that is important to appreciate and to avoid being overly dogmatic and closed-minded about it.

I'm not that interested in what is Prog, its limits anymore, except when it comes to certain site work. And prog can mean different things to me depending on context and time. I guess most everyone think of Prog a little differently, but a lot of us also think of it in terms of how PA classifies things (I would argue that PA adding a band doesn't make it Prog, but it can change one's perception about the band is and we can treat it differently according to site rules). I do have issues with the PA definitions, by the way, mostly that 100 percent progressive thing. I have suggesting changing that before.

The Prog label has been an interesting one for me as there is such a breadth of music often considered to be under the Prog umbrella, and it lacks clear boundaries/ is amorphous. Prog rather by definition doesn't fit tidy boxes. It can be seen as a progression from rock music (breaking established conventions of rock), non-generic, non-rock canonical, and it can bring any style of music into it. It's so diverse. Some Prog is more progressive in this sense than others, and Prog is a rather nebulous label often. The word progressive is important to me in Progressive Rock, and I rather think that Prog should ever be expanding, changing and morphing as well as our understanding of it. I did look at early progressive rock (and Prog proper) as changing the lexicon of rock, subverting genre expectations, trying different things, playing with form, fusing with other styles, being experimental. It was ageneric music in a sense, and so limiting our lexicon to narrow genre definitions often doesn't fit my thinking well.

I wouldn't say I was disturbed, more curious. I wasn't sure what your motivations were, why you singled out Radiohead from many perhaps questionable ones, why you seemed surprised (enough to use a double question mark) and I would have liked to see your own list more than questioning an addition by some other people (including me). Of course you can question. It can help if one puts forth one's argument/ reasoning at the same time. That way can help to avoid potential negativity, or avoid others perceiving something negatively, and is more likely to achieve some form of consensus methinks. I like it best when discussions lead to a synthesis of ideas.

I don't really care much if this Prog or not, I just love it (fine if you don't enjoy OK Computer):

When I wrote my Prog defining article about 12 years ago, (as it can be read of it) it was with the very purpose to contribute to make Prog definitions more including. 

Edited by David_D - November 28 2021 at 05:36

David_D wrote: When I wrote my Prog defining article about 12 years ago, (as it can be read of it) it was with the very purpose to contribute to make Prog definitions more including.  Today, I'm much more concerned with that the understandig of what Prog is can be so including that Progressive Rock becomes difficult to distinguish from mainstream Rock - and that would be a pity for us, Prog lovers.

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: Personally I think if mainstream rock can stretch in experimental and diverse styles enough to be discussed in prog references it's a good thing.

Besides that, I can tell that OK Computer is one of my 1997 favourites, another one is Primal Scream's Vanishing Point  -  and I have only three alltogether. - What do you say to that, Shadowyzzard?

Edited by David_D - November 23 2021 at 02:12

But what do I know, maybe I'm just an old school Prog rocker - right Nogbad?