Prog rock Brittania/BBC

Only goes to show how wrong you can be.

A world without Sir Keith Emerson would be a very sad place - most punk rock was totally humourless and took itself very seriously - Sir Keith didn't take himself seriously, but far excelled anything that followed until HMHB reinvented song writing.

Don't get me wrong I liked a lot of what emerged from punk rock - especially the Desperate Bicycles and Television Personalities, but to dismiss all prog-rock is an error of judgement.

Yes all music genre have their downsides and the excess of Genesis is best forgotten, of course, but to dismiss ELP, Caravan and Soft Machine is to dismiss 20th century music - without their like I just wouldn't bother.

Imagine a world that just listened to Roxy Music, Gary Glitter and Dire Straits and god forbid the rather dreary Ramones and tedious beyond belief New York Dolls; personally, I'd sooner not.

ATB Rotf

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A world without Sir Keith Emerson would be a very sad place - most punk rock was totally humourless and took itself very seriously - Sir Keith didn't take himself seriously, but far excelled anything that followed until HMHB reinvented song writing.

Don't get me wrong I liked a lot of what emerged from punk rock - especially the Desperate Bicycles and Television Personalities, but to dismiss all prog-rock is an error of judgement.

Yes all music genre have their downsides and the excess of Genesis is best forgotten, of course, but to dismiss ELP, Caravan and Soft Machine is to dismiss 20th century music - without their like I just wouldn't bother.

Bizarre - you like prog rock like people like star trek, right?

A sweeping generalisation but as a genre it had no soul and doesn't stand the test of time - IMO of course

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Bizarre - you like prog rock like people like star trek, right?

I had no idea - people liked Star Trek - not really my cup of horlicks. No idea what you mean that it had no soul: perhaps lack of soul was one of its endearing factors and why it stands up even today. If it had sounded like Diana Ross then I'd had reached for the off button.

I think I liked it because it moved away from rhythm and blues and in to something more interesting - it was pretentious for the sake of it and so much better for it. It was music to listen to - not dance to. Moreover, I liked the lyrics that were childlike and pure fantasy rather than some drivel that is taken from real life experience - still no genre is for everybody: AOR, Crooners, Disco, Hip-Hop, Motown and Rap along with 50s style rock and roll (Eddie Cochran excepted) just leave me cold, but every time I hear Sir Keith playing his Hammond then I just want to sit and listen.

Try Death May Be Your Santa Claus by Second Hand or Octopus by Gentle Giant and you never know you may just want to visit planet prog after all.

A totally subjective view, of course.

ATB Rotf

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doesn't stand the test of time

An unusual and possibly bizarre comment given that there are hordes of 'new' prog bands around and that the originals still sell albums & live peformances to new audiences.

Give me Geddy Lee over a heroin-addicted cretin like Sid Viscious any day. Or Pink Floyd over the trite whining of The Undertones.

steve

What I really love about different musical forms is that every opinion of them is equally valid.

http://blog.sportscolumn.com/i...yimages/geddylee.jpg

Not for me thanks

Nor for me, but what do we know?

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Imagine a world that just listened to Roxy Music, Gary Glitter and Dire Straits and god forbid the rather dreary Ramones and tedious beyond belief New York Dolls; personally, I'd sooner not.

Yikes! each to his own ROTF marra but as Roxy Music, The Ramones and the Dolls are just 3 of my alltime favourite bands it just shows how one man's meat is another's veggie burger.

....Caravan superior to The Ramones?? LOL! Dreary?? surely not! Da brudders truly revolutionised rock music and surely made some of THE most exciting POP music ever committed to vinyl.

The Ramones managed to encapsulate everything that's good in rock n'roll distilled down into 2-3 minute chunks of noise, melody, and hilarious (yet knowing) lyrics.

....Granted The Dolls only ever made one good (great actually) album ...granted they copped huge chunks from the Stones's blueprint but again their debut was one the most exciting rock n' roll debuts ever - play it thunderously loud and surely the world seems a better place?!

As for Roxy their first 4 albums are to me indispensble (you're not really comparing them to Gary Glitter are you? :-) Roxy combined so many disparate elements into their albums and they still sound fresh and as experimental as they did on their release. They may have gone "soft" from "Siren" onwards but 4 great albums is more than most bands manage.

I'm not an anti-progger by any means ...I've always enjoyed 2112 era Rush ...Soft Machine can be a difficult listen but they have a place in my collection along with the excellent Matching Mole
King Crimson have always been a great band even given their ever changing line-ups. Robert Fripp isn't bettered as an innovative electric guitarist by anyone.

..However ELP were a teenage fave who to me now sound horribly dated and I'm afraid I've never seen the point of Genesis in any shape or form. Let's face it much 70's prog WAS achingly dull which of course is where punk came in ..much of that was bleedin' dull as well - but something HAD to give as soon as Rick Wakeman's Knights starting fannying around the ice!

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Rick Wakeman

Jet has gone too far! Sorry, I can't help myself ...

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...Caravan superior to The Ramones??

Caravan or Ramones .... although I much prefer the former. I have to admit the latter doesn't sound dreary, but I think they had been listening to Alice.

I have a Ramones double album and just can't listen to more than a few tracks (I have tried - after all John Peel recommended them). But, it is all a matter of taste and some prog did become pomp - Styx and Journey come to mind.

Me. off to work now so think I'll hang another Roger Dean poster on the wall.

ATB Rotf