[atlantaprog] Re: Give Me That Old Time Prog Rock

I really agree with you guys too. I think most "new Prog" is too hooked into 
the "fairy people" realm and forgets to look at the musical aspects Ie melody 
complex HARMONY and compositional form. That being said, I would like to urge 
you to check out my band (yes I know lots of people say this). We have/ do all 
these things that you say you long for. We have hooks, we have elongated FORM 
(many bands have long songs but they are in forms that make them seem like they 
are going no where. we use classical formas as well as the modern standards. 
Part of what made "close to the edge" and "suppers ready" sound so complete was 
the fact that they are in sonata allegro form) We are clssically influenced (I 
have two degrees in music) and influenced by rock (the man who made me want to 
pick up the bass was Steve Harris) And our influences in the Prog world are all 
1970's with the exception of king crimson and 90's to present rush.   
   
  I think there is still alot that can be done using the spirit of 70's prog. I 
just dont think that many people do it. I think most "progressive" bands of 
today are bands like radiohead, secret cheifs 3, Fantomas, and the like. I 
would also recomend "Bozio, Levin, Stevens" to any proghead. in particualr 
their SECOND album situation dangerous. 
   
  Anyway thats my 2 cents. If any of you would like to hear my band let me know 
gabriel_monticello@xxxxxxxxx I would be more than happy to hook you up. 

Allen Welty-Green <agmedia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
  > Prog-Metal, in my experience and proably worthless
> opinion, is anything but the amazing "chocolate-in-my-peanut butter"
> sensation that the rest of the prog crowd seems to regard it as.

I've tried to get into Prog Metal. I really have. But how many 
strangled, high pitch singers and fuzzed out chunka chunka guitar can 
one guy take? I think of Prog Metal as the "gateway drug" for 
head-banging teens to move towards more sophisticated music. That being 
said, I recently had a chance to review virtually the entire Dream 
Theater canon and I could only find ONE track I felt like putting on my 
ipod (6 oclock from Awake, in case your interested - curiously enough, 
this track has a strong melodic element in addition to the chunka 
chunka. Hmmm? What does this tell ya?)

> Again, I
> say this in full acknowledgement of my ignorance of plenty of the prog
> landscape (i.e. the Italian acts mentioned). But to me, the difference
> is completely about songwriting and melody -- it's almost completely
> absent in modern prog.

It should be noted that the Italian acts mentioned were from the same 
era that spawned prog - i.e. the early 70s - and both PFM AND Banco 
(along with many other Italian acts from that era) had some of the 
strongest melodic hooks to ever grace the keys of a mellotron. I dare 
anyone to listen to Dolcissima Maria, from L'isola Di Niente, (aka 
"Just Walk Away" from "The World Became the World" and the live album 
"Cook" for you anglophiles) and not find yourself humming those 
melodies for the next few days?

> RE: the aspect of innovation; is there really anthing new under the 
> sun?
> I'd say, if there is, it certainly isn't in the realm of what any of us
> might term "progressive rock", esp. as it exists now. Or for that
> matter as it existed then -- it died a death because it lived out its
> service life. That which is "progressive" now is significantly
> different from what was "progressive" in 1969 or 1976 or 1982. I
> personally believe that even such as Radiohead is about 100 times more
> progressive than most stuck-in-a-rut "prog rock" of today.

Ask me sometime about what I call "Post-Progressive"!

For what's worth - this was my (slightly edited) contribution to the 
same PE thread that gave the link to the article:

I recently went through my entire itunes library revising the genre 
tags in to something that meant something to me. When I got to The 
Flower Kings, I named a genre "new Prog". As I worked through the 
library, I realiazed how many recent groups do indeed have a very 
formulaic approach to prog - not much differentiation, not much 
innovations - the very things that made prog so special to me in the 
first place.

When I find myself wanting to listen to prog, I more drawn to the 70s 
groups, because in their music I hear a desire to "progress" - a desire 
to forge new identities and explore new approaches. This desire gives a 
tangeable excitement to the music from that era. And while most of the 
"new prog" bands out there have adopted the trappings of the 70s 
pioneers, I have yet to hear that same excitement in any of them.

This isn't to say that I don't enjoy the music of these "New Prog" 
bands. I am quite fond of most of these groups. They wouldn't be in my 
itunes playlist if I didn't like them! But most of their work lacks the 
timelessness of the originals. The music of Yes, Genesis, ELP, Gentle 
Giant, Nektar, Floyd, etc. will live forever. But the Flower Kings, 
Spocks Beard, Echolyn, Glass Hammer, etc. will eventually fade away.
  



 Gabriel Monticello 
http://www.guidoshandrocks.com







                
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