[atlantaprog] Re: Mumford the Magician

Andrew Tegethoff wrote:

I respectfully submit that the singular problem with "modern prog" (such
as it is) is that the majority of bands lumped into that category
(voluntarily or otherwise) cannot write a decent song to save their
wanky lives.  Complexity <> good music in and of itself.

Of course, neither is simplicity. ;-) (And at least with complexity, there's something to chew on.)

I understand where you're coming from, though I don't know if the "majority" is that big. I think a lot of the problem comes from the idea that to try to write a Good Song <tm> is to engage in something somehow dishonorable--rather understandable given the Himalayan quantities of uninspired, blatantly commercial dreck (or alternately, "postmodern", anti-virtuosic, vaguely reactionary dreck) foisted on the listening public in its name. In the mainstream music world of the past few decades, writing a good song, writing a *hit* song, writing an *unoriginal* song, and writing a *simple* song have tended to be conflated to various degrees, to the detriment of popular music in general. Too often, "Good Song" has tended to mean "one that obeys all the rules."

If you (the non-specific "you", of course) don't have the kind of ideas that are best put into "song" packages, that might just be the luck of the draw. On the other hand, exposure to some actual good songs might open up your head a bit. When I was a little kid, I listened to Chicago a lot, as much out of availability as anything else; still, they were the rare band that could write a Good Song and a Musical Workout and be equally convincing with both. Often you'd get both in the same piece of music.

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