The Future of Prog

Blacksowrd,the media definitely has a big responsibility for shaping the collective mind. I remember when I was 15. I had been a Zappa fan for a couple of years already but all my friends hated his music but then,"Bobby Brown" became a big hit,it was played on the radio all the time and suddenly all my friends turned into ardent Zappa fans over night. Everyone had "Sheik Yerbouti" and "Joe's Garage" and played them constantly. But then the media interest in Zappa started to wane and my friends interest went the same way. "Bobby Brown" got replaced by "Shaddap Your Face"! But it proves that people,especially young people,can be conditioned to appreciate good music,if the media and the record companies are on their side. But since they have signed a marriage contract with The Allmighty Dollar,I'm afraid any time it happens (like the Zappa craze of my youth) it will be by accident,and the music business will soon enough get back to serving their true god: Mammon.

Not me  Might be my dyslexic cousin.

 

Elbow are a (nearly) new band and they have admitted (albeit begrudgingly) that they listen and indeed, play prog. They sound a little like Radiohead but there is more arrangement to the songs and the tracks tend to last a little longer (about seven mins). I'm not a huge fan but their albums 'Asleep In The Back' and 'Cast Of Thousands' are worth a listen.

Any prog played today would have to have contemporary influences and that might alienate a lot of 'old guard' prog heads. Nu-prog would end up sounding just that, new - not like the old prog. Most would deny it would be prog and hurry back to the tried and trusted 70's bands. 

If you want to know how you'd feel about  're-vamping' the genre. Take a look at old and new R&B and see what reaction that gives you.

There's a price to be paid by older fans and that is the ability to let the thing they love go in order for a younger generation to take hold. Most cannot do this and the thing that they want to thrive and expand, grows old and dies with them.

 

Edited by sigod

Commercialisation is the root of all that's evil.

Radiostations depend on advertising income, the advertisers want to reach the masses, so the commercial radiostations will play what's in demand of the biggest audience (there is no democracy in making money).

In reply of Blacksword:

It's the culture that makes the media act as it does, for the media are part of this culture. The media reflects what's happenning with the culture and extracts it's meaning of excistense from it. if the culture shifts the media will shift accordingly.

I too hope this waffle makes sense

If the music is good... someone will like it!

Today distribution no longer depends on record companies or radio stations.  Technology is making it easier to just buy the music you love directly from the artist.  So the ole.. will it play on the radio... is really becoming a thing of the past.  Cause who really listens to FM radio anymore anyway....

I listen to either digital from my cable station or on-line commercial free satellite radio, such as XM and SIRIUS, where I can chose the type music I prefer. When you have commercial free, progressive type radio stations, whats the point of listening to FM.  A friend recently told me I should check out some real radio shows on line, programmed by actual people, including some prog fans, such as Delicious Agony, Gagliarchives, Progressive Soundscapes, Live 365.

And these days... there's a few music venues around the States that are set up with exceptional recording technology.  You do a live gig, and they can have the live dvds ready to be purchased at the door less than a half hour after the end of your concert.... Now thats technology.

So these days, the priority of most artists should be getting your samples out on the internet.. or Itunes... much more productive.

Word of mouth is a pretty significant factor too though, I first heard of prog through a friend who played bass and liked Rush and was intrigued by the idea of a 20 minute long song. Little did I know how much more awaited me!

Pixel Pirate wrote: Blacksowrd,who's that?

backsoured? would be a good nickname at some adult forum, feel free to use it, I don't think I will  

 Radio@Netscape  is another source of free internet radio sources.  Their Psychadelic station tends to be really good.

http://radio.netscape.com/radio/radiosell2.html

Edited by threefates

Why does always Phill C. get the blame for Genesis's decline where Rutherford and Banks not as much part of the later genesis. 

thnx threefates, I managed to get some radio working

Edited by tuxon

I understand Violets frustration at the total lack of anything remotely different for the youth of today to access and listen to.Prog almost dominated the rock world for a short period but the arrival of the abhorrent Punk era suddenly swept aside musicians who were masters at what they did here in the UK.The journalists who were raving about Prog and all it entailed suddenly jumped ship and decided that prog was the bubonic plague.The NME were at the helm and that despicable Liverpudlian John Peel.In the 70's there was the Alan Freeman rock show he later ressurected this on Virgin in the 90's but the station whose owner was made by the then unkown Mike Oldfield decided that it didn't have a big enough audience.They couldn't even devote 2 hours a week to the music we love.Someone mentioned trends it would only take someone with a bit of leverage to change things.The media are to blame for the garbage currently on offer.SV keep at your friends. With young prog people like you there might just be a slight hope.Write letters assail your local radio stations.Here in the west of Scotland there used to be the 'Tom Russell rock show for years but they took that off as well.Having it on between 12 midnight and 2 A.M didn't help.For me punk and all it's in your face mostly talentless crass rubbish is to blame.Why this country so blessed with great musicians and songwriters embraced it is a mystery.Chart music at the time was still strong what brought the wind of change in the way it did will be forever disturbing.I suspect the media again in the way they embraced punk and jettisoned prog and Yes and ELP were their main targets.But great joy Yes still play the best live gigs on the planet and with young people like Violet and the 16 year old who posted there is always hope.Perhaps there will be a new prog boom if somebody decides to push it.Perhaps we older proggers are as guilty in accepting our lot.

 

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