Has the flame finally gone out?

JD wrote:  I guess that's my problem, I want to be blown away and it just ain't happening.

Catcher10 wrote: Another issue for some, could be that some of the newer bands are more crossover than say full prog as in the 70-90s.....They hit a wider sweet spot

Which is a diluted form of Prog? I never really got the 'Crossover' moniker. What are they crossing over to...or from? When you cross over you move from one realm to another thereby leaving the realm you were in. I miss being really swept off my feet by music. Most of the bands that get discussed here as the 'New Wave' of prog (see what I did there) are good and I enjoy many of them. But in all honesty I personally can't say they're groundbreaking. I guess that's my problem, I want to be blown away and it just ain't happening.

Raff wrote: There is plenty of great progressive music begging to be heard outside the "Big Five". If we want the flame of non-mainstream music to survive, we must support the newer bands and artists, and stop pining for what has been.  No one is going to take those Seventies masterpieces away from us: now it is time to give the newcomers (many of whom are not so new any longer) a chance.

Another issue for some, could be that some of the newer bands are more crossover than say full prog as in the 70-90s.....They hit a wider sweet spot

^

Absolutely, and sadly, the flame is gone. Certainly, the "prog genre" is full of live: a lot of bands from a great variety of countries, so many albums with great sound, awesome production and enjoyable live performances. All that is true. BUT... the "flame", the kind of innovative spirit, the gorgeous attitude of the seventies' bands is definitely gone. For a years I am looking for an album that give me a full and kinda spiritual experience like Close to the Edge, Dark Side or Selling England. No way man. The genre is alive but the historical moment with creativity and experimentation on top, with never-listened-music bands is gone for me, and the signal is not necessarily the low-rating albums of the "big 5". Nothing new is coming from the prog bands of our days. Great albums, yes, but nothing deeply stunning like before, IMHO.

lazland wrote: I have never felt so positive about the future of great progressive rock music. 2014 has energised me more than most previous years, and this in nearly 40 years now of listening and buying. There is some great music out there. There is some great new music out there. Whether we like it, or not, the torch has passed to new generations, and, you know what? They are doing mighty fine, thank you very much.

Hear. Hear. A toast to Laz!  A real classy gent!  

^Listened to Winery Dogs today. I know it's not prog but newer bands like this keep me going! And WDs are great!

Everyone knew the Pink Floyd album was gonna be all instrumental, 'cept for one song. Sure I was endlessly waiting for this one to come out, any PF is good. I was not expecting another WYWH, Animals or Ummagumma..simply the continuation of Division Bell sessions and their final output as Pink Floyd. The internet has created too much hype with releases now a days.

richardh wrote: Power To Believe is a great album so King Crimson can safely be left out of this hypothesis.( however read my later comments) Other than KC the big five were on slippery slope from about 1975 onwards. King Crimson has bucked the trend by to all intents and purposes being an ongoing project of Robert Fripp rather than a band in any traditional way. A band has to have an ongoing collaboration of a core membership. King Criimson barely had that at all. Fripp decides what he wanted to to do and then recruites accordingly. Nothing wrong with that and avoids the possibility of lurching head first into self parody which often happens to bands that have been around for thousand of years.