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Ghandi 2
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 17 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1494
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Topic: Wow (I think I've figured something out) Posted: June 04 2006 at 18:55 |
I was listening to SEBTP yesterday, right after I had just listened to Foxtrot. And on the secton of Dancing... from "Young man says..." to the chorus, I actually was moved to tears. Wow.
Now what have I figured out? It's well known that reviews don't like prog. Many people offer different explanations. Edward Macan in his book Rocking the Classics says that it's because prog never was expressly political. However, I don't think that's true because The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were rarely political; The Beatles wrote mostly love songs and trippy songs, and almost all The Stones' songs were about sex. Some people say that it's because reviewers care too much about the pop element and can't stand any pretentiousness. Others say that it's because they never gave prog a chance. But I think that it's because they tried to review it; prog can't be reviewed--it must be felt. I've even noticed this myself; if some people here recommended me something, I consciously think about what I'm going to say in reply to them, and I find that I'm not enjoying the music anymore. That's my rambling paragraph for today.
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GPFR
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 05 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 760
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Posted: June 04 2006 at 19:37 |
I disagree, if prog is tried to be reviewed people will find that it's a lot better then pop and such genres because of the complexity within the writing. However, prog can also be felt, but progressive music in an aquired taste. It takes A LOT of people a while too like it, and reviewers try writing only after a couple of listens, so they don't like it so much. Also a lot of people don't give it another chance after they hear it's crap the first time. However, through prolonged exposure, people find they love it, then a lot of prog is usualy liked on first listen. However for reviewers, since they listen too so many other stuff, the growth of progressive music is nagated by the mainstream. That's just what I think.
But I do agree, Dancing w/ the Moonlight Knight is amazing, especially at that part.
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www.myspace.com/hail_peter
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stonebeard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 27 2005
Location: NE Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 28057
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Posted: June 04 2006 at 19:40 |
I just think that if people respect classical music and rock music, then they'll like prog. Most prog is very appealing to listen to.
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Equality 7-2521
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Status: Offline
Points: 15784
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Posted: June 04 2006 at 23:45 |
It can be reviewed however most reviewers are concerned more with music's value to appeal to a large audience or influence rather than actual quality of its compositions
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"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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Ghandi 2
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 17 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1494
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Posted: June 04 2006 at 23:54 |
It can be reviewed, but what I mean is that if a person is thinking about reviewing it while he is listening (which I bet many reviews do, consciously or not) it loses the effect. Or maybe not, I don't know. I have experienced it though.
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Malice
Forum Newbie
Joined: January 27 2006
Location: Belgium
Status: Offline
Points: 21
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Posted: June 05 2006 at 08:24 |
what i do notice is that 'they' often find the music to be pretentious in a bad way. Does music have to be modest to be concidered good music then?
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Blacksword
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 16130
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Posted: June 06 2006 at 07:23 |
Equality 7-2521 wrote:
It can be reviewed however most reviewers are concerned more with music's value to appeal to a large audience or influence rather than actual quality of its compositions |
I agree, and I imagine most music journos are not in the least bit qualified to review something from a musical perspective. Only a commercial/cool perspective.
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Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!
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Joolz
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: March 24 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1377
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Posted: June 06 2006 at 08:43 |
I don't know how well this stands up, but I often used to refer to Prog
as 'Head' music, meaning you sit and listen to it and try to understand
it, its complexity gives you something to think about. Like classical
symphonies too. But most people don't want that - they either want
something which simply supports a powerful lyric (eg Dylan) or they
want to dance to it. Presumably, reviewers are matched to their intended audience.
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Certif1ed
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: April 08 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 7559
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Posted: June 06 2006 at 08:45 |
GPFR wrote:
I disagree, if prog is tried to be reviewed people will find that it's a lot better then pop and such genres because of the complexity within the writing. However, prog can also be felt, but progressive music in an aquired taste. It takes A LOT of people a while too like it, and reviewers try writing only after a couple of listens, so they don't like it so much. Also a lot of people don't give it another chance after they hear it's crap the first time. However, through prolonged exposure, people find they love it, then a lot of prog is usualy liked on first listen. However for reviewers, since they listen too so many other stuff, the growth of progressive music is nagated by the mainstream. That's just what I think.But I do agree, Dancing w/ the Moonlight Knight is amazing, especially at that part. |
Indeed - there's a good reason why Pop bands have "Hits" - it's just like a hit of some kind of drug that makes you feel high for a short time then empty afterwards.
Prog is the opposite - maybe more like well-made clothes - at first, the material feels slightly odd and you may feel a little uncomfortable with it, but after a short period of time it feels much better, and soon becomes a favourite part of your life.
I love metaphors
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The important thing is not to stop questioning.
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cuncuna
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 29 2005
Location: Chile
Status: Offline
Points: 4318
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Posted: June 06 2006 at 22:01 |
Malice wrote:
what i do notice is that 'they' often find the music to be pretentious in a bad way. Does music have to be modest to be concidered good music then? [IMG]height=17 alt=Geek src="http://www.progarchives.com/forum/smileys/smiley23.gif" width=17 align=absMiddle> |
Prokofiev, I think, worked for a while for the Russian government; and, if I am correct (I heard this on a classic music radio show, I remember little), his employers kind of froced him to write easy things for the masses. That's like forcing evolution backwards to keep the other species quiet and calmed. I don't agree with that vision, but I often consider that proper education on arts should be regarded, since vanguardist expresions are not among the favourites works on every art discipline; wich is kind of sad, because artists are always trying to comunicate, to reach the other, to inspire and to give someting from her / himself to the... ¿beholder?.
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¡Beware of the Bee!
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