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Grouchio posted:Also has there been any sort of resurgence in this really tasteful genre? Not sure if they've been discussed in this thread yet, but I've really been enjoying Flying Colors. They're somewhat of a "supergroup" including Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, Steve Morse (occasional guitar player for Deep Purple and Kansas) and some other guys I don't know much about. Their second album ("Second Nature ") is especially good. It strikes just the right balance between showoffy prog noodling and straightforward, almost hair-metal-ish bombast. They use tricky tempos and chord changes where it counts, but not at the expense of good, solid, memorable songwriting. It's definitely the freshest thing to come out of the Morse/Portnoy camp in the last decade or so. (The first album is good too, but has more weak points where they seemed to hold back a little too much from progging out.) I think it's on all the streaming services if you want to listen.
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May 26, 2015 18:47
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Seventh Arrow posted:"Mask Machine" was a good choice for a single. It also holds the title of best Muse song in years, even though it's not by Muse.
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May 26, 2015 21:44
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Gianthogweed posted:tribute to Chris Squire on my radio show right now. Oh cool, that's my favorite radio station. Didn't see this early enough though 
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Jun 30, 2015 14:17
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With the caveat that genre arguments are indeed pretty much pointless, I'd say there's a difference between jam-heavy rock and prog-rock. To me, the defining element of prog is long-form song structures with distinctly different sections tied together with unifying motifs, reminiscent of classical music. This is often facilitated by variations in meter and tempo to keep things interesting, which have sort of taken on a life of their own as the most obvious "prog" signifier. And of course this makes it an ideal context for long instrumental jams, too. But I don't think long instrumental jams are strictly a prog thing at all.
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Apr 12, 2016 14:56
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It's the same with Alternative, Indie, Punk, or anything else like that. The genres/movements were named in a way that initially made sense, but couldn't possibly be taken literally after a certain point. They refer to what those artists were doing relative to what was happening at the time. Eventually that historical context disappears but the musical style remains.
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Mar 3, 2017 14:34
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BigFactory posted:I think it's cause girls are cool and prog rock is for dorks. Honestly I think it's basically this. Anything "nerdy" (which prog unquestionably is) is always more readily associated with males than females. Hard to say exactly where the perception comes from, and it is beginning to change, but it's clearly there.
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May 2, 2017 21:44
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Iucounu posted:A more interesting question may be why are there so few non white prog fans Same basic reason. White males have traditionally ruled the nerd roost.
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May 3, 2017 13:58
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A human heart posted:There's plenty of nerdy black people around Hence "traditionally". The culture and/or perception is definitely changing.
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May 3, 2017 14:56
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Well I guess it's hard to keep a 20-minute song interesting without the occasional solo, so it's easy to see why that association exists. Of course, good compositional skills are equally important because the rest of the song has to be good too.
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Jun 20, 2017 13:43
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I was going to latch onto the vocal style thing as well. I hate 90% of Broadway singing, it just irks me. (I'm only just starting to figure out opera for similar reasons.) Prog vocalists usually aren't nearly as focused on projecting/enunciating or showcasing remarkable vocal talent -- not to say they aren't bombastic, but it's a different kind of bombastic, I guess.
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Jun 23, 2017 01:16
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I know Flying Colors is kinda "borderline prog" but this is still too cool not to share. Today they released a "demastered" version of their first album, removing the compression that was on the original release (and bringing it closer to the mastering style of their second album). It was hardly "brickwalled" in the first place, but there's still a significant difference, and I'm glad they're throwing a bone to their audiophile fans. I wish more bands would do it. Preferably when the album first comes out, but you can't have everything I guess. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwkg2waXKFA (Ironically, the song used in the trailer is the least different-sounding one.) http://calliopia.org/catalog/true-colors-download/
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Sep 28, 2017 01:49
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In a way I'd argue that truly great lyrics would be wasted in a style of music that's so focused on complex composition and performance. You wouldn't notice them. Whereas in quiet folksy music the lyrics are half the point; it's more like a form of poetry.
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Nov 3, 2017 00:13
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Seventh Arrow posted:What's the consensus on Zappa's Thing-Fish? Genius? Madness? Garbage? All of the above? It's genius because everything Zappa did was some brand of genius, but it is also most definitely garbage.
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Dec 20, 2017 02:28
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Joe's Garage should be so much better than it is. Every time it's getting enjoyable, it actively works to undo it. I know that's kinda Zappa's "thing", but still.
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Dec 20, 2017 16:51
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Roxy, Hot Rats, and One Size Fits All are all extremely solid. The one caveat is the last track of Roxy ("Be-bop Tango"), but even that is mildly amusing for a while I suppose.
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Dec 22, 2017 00:50
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That one concert album with Flo & Eddie all over it is the worst. Fillmore East I think? The skits on Roxy are like an infinitely better version of whatever they were trying to do there. Probably because he intended to show it on TV at some point and had to restrain himself, I guess.
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Dec 22, 2017 14:07
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Vulture Culture posted:Steven Wilson Yes remixes: I had no idea this was a thing until now. You're right, "Cans and Brahms" is actually listenable now which is a Herculean achievement in and of itself.
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Jul 3, 2018 13:17
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This is from the new Flying Colors that came out last week and it is Toto AF https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbhn25fUjUM Rest of the album is good too, my only complaint is it's kind of "the first album but better". But I mean, it is better, so.
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Oct 11, 2019 23:06
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I've never heard Jon Anderson's speaking voice until today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWib02yZmKc It's literally just his singing voice. Wild.
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Aug 25, 2020 23:28
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Procol Harum are on the very edge of "prog adjacent", but lead singer/songwriter Gary Brooker passed away this week. (Announced today, but I believe it happened 2 days ago.) They've got a pretty varied assortment of tunes with many different degrees of rocking out / balladry / symphonic wankery, but "A Salty Dog" is an old reliable favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xZkBmScwmQ Edit: Weird, that video is suddenly unavailable. Try this instead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOj3kJKy-_U Of course if you want some pure early-stage prog, look no further than "In Held 'Twas In I" (from 1968): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmGaDL-mcs4 Sir Lemming fucked around with this message at 01:49 on Feb 23, 2022 |
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Feb 23, 2022 00:50
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OneSizeFitsAll posted:Our very final gig. I bought the second album (Second Degree) just before the trip and listened to it on the plane on the way over, but was basically unfamiliar with their stuff, and so was a bit apprehensive about the last show being stuff we didn't know. However, they blew way past our expectations. Absolutely beautiful combination of prog with some tastefully poppy melodies. The playing was stunning and I think I'm in love with Casey McPherson's voice. The audience singalong on Peaceful Harbor was one of the most stirring I've been a part of, and I think Cosmic Symphony is one of my new favourite songs. It's actually Second Nature (the third album is Third Degree), but yeah, I love them too. Their first album didn't totally win me over (it felt a little stilted and "dad rock") but they really clicked after that. They fill a good niche of "prog music for people who don't like prog music, but also people who do". Also note that the first album, "Flying Colors", also has a version called "True Colors" which is mastered more properly. I think Steve Morse is probably not going to be able to tour as much due to health issues (and his wife's passing) so it's definitely good to see them while you can.
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Mar 18, 2024 14:47
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