Most representative prog track

I'm new to this website, can someone tell me what the stars are all about. I'm called a newbie, what's that about. Don't get me wrong I like this site a lot. Although this star system thing seems to be a hierarchy of members. That seems a bit strange to me considering it's a progressive rock site and the main founders of progressive rock were generally socialists- Genesis- Gabriel, Pink Floyd- Waters, King Crimson- Fripp etc.

I think these people had a problem with all hierarchies.

yeah thanks. Couldn't you have come up with a better word for instead of newbie, ha ha. I don't know a better one, but what's done is done and I do not give a damn.

This depends wholly on the person I'm with.

To some I would play "Funny Ways" with Gentle Giant (a group I refuse to forget) or Think of me with Kindness.

To others "Knife Edge" or "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight".

To others again "Radioactive Toy" with Porcupine Three.

Or "Shine of you Crazy Diamond", though that is maybe a dirty trick.

And lets not forget the first Jethro Tull album, to people into blues.

One important consideration is also the singers voice (some just can't stand Jon or Ian or Derek) , and whether it should be e.g. "metal", "ballad" or "folk" oriented, or have mostly guitars or mostly keyboards - or being made with a "70's sound" or with a "90's sound". Here as elsewhere the challenge is to build bridges - most people are rather different from the standard prog fan, which BTW does not exist

Scotto'connor wrote: The main founders of progressive rock were generally socialists- Genesis- Gabriel, Pink Floyd- Waters, King Crimson- Fripp etc. I think these people had a problem with all hierarchies.

I've noticed that, too! However, intellectuals such as Neil Peart came along and finally wrote some deeply philosophical lyrics (I'm not bashing other bands, I think they are very poetic, just without the philosophical merit). Dream Theater's lyrics are also incredibly smart, dealing with topics such as religion, society, love, politics, etc. And who could forget mr. Zappa? He, (as well as peart and others) are among the few musicians I know who are atheists, and I commend them for their choice.

back on topic, I think that In The Court of the Crimson King would have to be one of the most important prog tunes

Quote:

Imagine you are at home with a friend who isn't into prog music, and you want to explain him what progressive music is.

In some respects I'm doing this most weeks on my radio show and have done so for a very long time with an audience of curious 18 to 25 year olds, who have been brought up on media diet, which is just plain anti-prog. Sorry to say, if I played most of what has been suggested above  as initial exposure to prog, I would have them turning off in droves. Softly softly is the approach, with a gradual education rather than taking them to the advance levels straightaway (e.g. Magma....) - you are trying to take prisoners who are willing. These young folk have heard of The Mars Volta, A Perfect Circle/Tool, Spirtualise, The Doves, Coral, Radiohead, etc, so show them where these bands came from. The retrorock/Queen sub-impressionists, The Darkness are the rock band, young folk go for in the UK, therefore play Queen then ease them into something more complicated. The last successful neo-prog band in the UK was It Bites (sort of Genesis meets UK) and I had some success playing UK and Genesis to It Bites fans. One real problem now is lack of attention span, so used are young folks to 3 minute tracks, if you give them a whole side of Yes straightaway, there might be a danger of loosing them. 

For instance, I'm experimenting on my radio show this coming Thursday, by playing a chunk of side one of Ibis's 1974 recording "Sun Supreme" - aimed right at the Darkness fan base, to show them how the Darkness might develop.

Of all the prog bands, Floyd really has mass-appeal and their music still sounds fresh. Most of the old stuff didn't wear well, great music, but very dated. HMMMmmm.

 Is it all studio technique that creates that "timelessness"? Production has a lot to do with it. One of the things I always hated about "LIVE" recordings was the poor quality and the extraneous noise.

What do you think?  What makes some music timeless?

Yeah, defintely something creative!!! It's impossible for anyone to come up with something totally unique, however, there are still a few musicians out there who push the envelope. Just about everything is derivitive of something else. I just want a band to put in some effort. I guess that's the thing about PROG. A semi-talented musician will not cut the mustard. You gotta have chops.

The trouble with "representative prog" is that prog may be in almost any style, colour and size.

It is a bit like saying "representative creative food" or "representative creative novel".