March is prog rock month?

[wavephonic]

Is it just my obviously hopeful optimism, or is there a renewing interest in prog rock nowadays?

well I grew up on prog and art rock, I'm just finding I can finally use some of those influences, wasn't really a decision to finally do it, just nice to know a few guys that can help make it happen

[wavephonic]

COol track, man!

thanks Shane

[Fred S]

Happened to see this, so just had to drop in!

Sounds great! The guitars and synth work well off each other and the entire comp is sort of theme-ish. Love all the extra little sound touches you add to your tunes

Geeez, if I wasn't so wussy anti-contest, this would be a good one for me.

Talk again soon. Fred.

[BosseJo]

Is it just my obviously hopeful optimism, or is there a renewing interest in prog rock nowadays? A few years ago you couldn't even utter the name of the genre without being laughed at, but now it seems that people are warming up to it again...I guess it's not as 'pompous' as it became in the late 70's, since prog bands are no longer rich enough to hire symphony orchestras and have rotating stages...

I think there are too few talented song writers in progmusic today. I think it's too biased towards "hardrock fusion", for example Dream Theatre. I find them boring. We need new Gabriels, Andersons (two of them at least), Latimers, Lakes, Hamills, Waters and Fripps etc... (you know what I am talking about). Even a group like Rush sounds stale and overproduced to me nowadays. "Sometimes you feel so far away, distanced from all the action of the play" Well that's good music (and lyrics)!!!

[mistertoast]

For inspiration, if you sign up (free), you can find all kinds of torrents of Genesis concerts here:

http://torrent.genesis-movement.org/

Also, there's this:

http://prrp-music.com/prrpmenu.htm

[jplanet]

Is it just my obviously hopeful optimism, or is there a renewing interest in prog rock nowadays? A few years ago you couldn't even utter the name of the genre without being laughed at, but now it seems that people are warming up to it again...I guess it's not as 'pompous' as it became in the late 70's, since prog bands are no longer rich enough to hire symphony orchestras and have rotating stages...

I think there are too few talented song writers in progmusic today. I think it's too biased towards "hardrock fusion", for example Dream Theatre. I find them boring. We need new Gabriels, Andersons (two of them at least), Latimers, Lakes, Hamills, Waters and Fripps etc... (you know what I am talking about). Even a group like Rush sounds stale and overproduced to me nowadays. "Sometimes you feel so far away, distanced from all the action of the play" Well that's good music (and lyrics)!!!

They're on their way...try Spock's Beard's "Snow" or Flower Kings "Adam and Eve" for starters... as was mentioned about Coldplay, had these guys been around in '75, they would have been selling out Madison Square Garden the way Yes used to...

[mistertoast]

I think prog rock has been ruined by modern equipment. It's too overproduced. Classic prog rock can be played to great effect live. The original bands played it well live, and we've seen that tribute bands can play it as well.

All the fancy time signature changes in prog rock really demand kick-ass timing. You need a great drummer and a great bassist. But it all gets boring if it's on the metronome all the time. Those long songs practically demand that the tempo can be pushed and pulled.

Drum machine prog rock is particularly hard to pull off. I suppose Genesis did it OK with Mama, but that song isn't really prog rock to me. It's more about atmosphere and dynamics. It wouldn't work at all if it didn't end with big, real drums.

[BosseJo]

Is it just my obviously hopeful optimism, or is there a renewing interest in prog rock nowadays? A few years ago you couldn't even utter the name of the genre without being laughed at, but now it seems that people are warming up to it again...I guess it's not as 'pompous' as it became in the late 70's, since prog bands are no longer rich enough to hire symphony orchestras and have rotating stages...

I think there are too few talented song writers in progmusic today. I think it's too biased towards "hardrock fusion", for example Dream Theatre. I find them boring. We need new Gabriels, Andersons (two of them at least), Latimers, Lakes, Hamills, Waters and Fripps etc... (you know what I am talking about). Even a group like Rush sounds stale and overproduced to me nowadays. "Sometimes you feel so far away, distanced from all the action of the play" Well that's good music (and lyrics)!!!

They're on their way...try Spock's Beard's "Snow" or Flower Kings "Adam and Eve" for starters... as was mentioned about Coldplay, had these guys been around in '75, they would have been selling out Madison Square Garden the way Yes used to...

Yea they are good and there are are good prog music around but I still feel that too often there's something missing in a lot of todays prog music. I mean just because you play in 7/8 it does automatically make it good. And I really miss the live feeling, the connection if you know what I mean.

[jeffn1]

I think prog rock has been ruined by modern equipment. It's too overproduced. Classic prog rock can be played to great effect live. The original bands played it well live, and we've seen that tribute bands can play it as well.

All the fancy time signature changes in prog rock really demand kick-ass timing. You need a great drummer and a great bassist. But it all gets boring if it's on the metronome all the time. Those long songs practically demand that the tempo can be pushed and pulled.

Drum machine prog rock is particularly hard to pull off. I suppose Genesis did it OK with Mama, but that song isn't really prog rock to me. It's more about atmosphere and dynamics. It wouldn't work at all if it didn't end with big, real drums.

I think musicians have barely begun to explore the new possibilities of progressive rock that is possible with current technology. IMHO, too much progressive rock sounds like a faint attempt to copy the styles of 1970's progressive rock. I think there is a lot of room for original styles, but which are still musically coherent, and even accessible.

But, back to your music, Wavephonic. I am enjoying it right now. Great stuff!

jeffn1

[mistertoast]

>>I think musicians have barely begun to explore the new possibilities of progressive rock that is possible with current technology. IMHO, too much progressive rock sounds like a faint attempt to copy the styles of 1970's progressive rock. I think there is a lot of room for original styles, but which are still musically coherent, and even accessible.

True, but is it progressive rock still? I look at it this way. If you make a doo-wop song now, it's obviously an attempt to imitate the forms of 1950 doo-wop. If you make a progressive rock song now, it's obviously an attempt to imitate the forms of 1970s progressive rock. Sure, you can make something new, but I'm not sure it's still progressive rock if you do that. It's a matter of definition, as usual.

What makes progressive rock? Without looking around the web for definitions, I'd say...

1) Emphasis on musicianship. Many players are classically trained.
2) Many long-form songs.
3) Many concept albums.
4) Themes from one or more songs are often brought back into later songs.
5) Many instrumentals, or songs with long instrumental parts.
6) Time signature changes and unusual time signatures are not uncommon.
7) Avoidance of traditional rock or blues chord progressions.

[BosseJo]

For inspiration, if you sign up (free), you can find all kinds of torrents of Genesis concerts here:

http://torrent.genesis-movement.org/

Also, there's this:

http://prrp-music.com/prrpmenu.htm

This looks really interesting. I've been looking for good Genesis videos for ever. But is this really legal?

[mistertoast]

>>This looks really interesting. I've been looking for good Genesis videos for ever. But is this really legal?

I don't know. I've concentrated on the live audio. The only video I've seen seems to be taped from an old BBC show. I do know they delete any torrents that are classified as "official" releases.

[BosseJo]

>>This looks really interesting. I've been looking for good Genesis videos for ever. But is this really legal?

I don't know. I've concentrated on the live audio. The only video I've seen seems to be taped from an old BBC show. I do know they delete any torrents that are classified as "official" releases.

Well since I can't buy them...Do you know if there are any good live performances (Lamb era and earlier) available?

[mistertoast]

>>This looks really interesting. I've been looking for good Genesis videos for ever. But is this really legal?

I don't know. I've concentrated on the live audio. The only video I've seen seems to be taped from an old BBC show. I do know they delete any torrents that are classified as "official" releases.

Well since I can't buy them...Do you know if there are any good live performances (Lamb era and earlier) available?

There's audio. Not sure about video. But if you don't have Genesis Archives 1967-75, buy it before you do anything else. A complete Lamb performance on there, and it sound great.

[agincourtdb]

I still feel that too often there's something missing in a lot of todays prog music.

Subtlety.