TotW 02/15/2020 - 02/21/2020: GENESIS - The Return Of The Giant Hogweed

  • It's a mystery to me that people should bandy about all kinds of caveats regarding this staggering piece of music-making from genius-level 20-somethings while harboring approving views of any cut out of their investment fund era 8|

  • ;)


    Not a popular view these days, is it?


    I suppose the 'prog' fans are a dying breed... or they just can't be arsed anymore.


    Sorry if I'm being a pain, guys'n'gals, but I really have no reason to be on this forum other than my love of the... legacy :P;)

  • As a Hackett era fan myself, I have to say I DO see your point, up to a point. However, music doesn't have to be prog to be good, and who wants to only listen to one style of music anyway. Well, I suppose some people do, but I find there are several itches to scratch. In any case, there's some awful prog, VDGG spring to mind, you're gonna say you love them, I suppose! :/


    As for Genesis, I don't actually have any particular fondness for the post 77 stuff, although Duke stands up pretty well, BUT I will concede that, given their level of talent, it was inevitable that Genesis would make some pretty fine pop music if that was the path they chose. I may not seek out the later stuff, but I'll listen to it happily if it comes on, or the odd occasion when I spin R-Kive! I only bought it to shore up their investment fund! ^^

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • None of that is accurate. "Not a popular view"? It's pretty much all I hear from people I know who like prog, and following the tour announcement all the twitter conversations I read or was part of were full of grumpy prog-heads folding their arms and toting the crusty old "Genesis ended in 1977" line.


    Prog fans aren't a dying breed, if anything they're a growing population. I've been seeing increasing numbers of under-25s embracing it, in a broader more all-encompassing sense including appreciation of newer prog acts alongside e.g. indie, electro and dance.


    We've all got our reasons for being on the forum and we'll each bring our own views with us, that's what the forum is for. Personally I don't share your views or agree with all this "legacy" stuff you keep on about, but I'm sure others do and I accept many take that "all post-77 Genesis is crap" view. If that's your view, no need to apologise for it. You're perfectly at liberty to be wrong! (winking smiley face, thumbs-up!)

    Abandon all reason

    Edited once, last by Backdrifter ().

  • In any case, there's some awful prog, VDGG spring to mind, you're gonna say you love them, I suppose! :/

    Ahem - I'm a VDGG fan, though even on that basis I'm not sure I can honestly say I "love" them. It's more that I learned to accept that most of their songs will inevitably portend the slow lingering death of the entire universe, and decided I can live with that. I was amused to find a compilation CD of various album and non-album tracks (and of course their biggest pop hits - I'm kidding) was entitled 'I Prophesy Disaster' over a pic of the band laughing so someone somewhere has a sense of humour. I do totally understand people finding them unlistenable.


    As a Radiohead fan I sometimes weary of everyone telling me they're miserable, depressing, etc (obviously I don't think they are) and have occasionally felt like pointing them towards some VDGG to put things in perspective. e.g. their catchy ditty 'w', an account of someone's hollow meaningless life of unrelenting torpor which concludes with the line "You stay in bed all day, then at 6 o'clock you realise you're dead".


    I love it!

    Abandon all reason

    Edited once, last by Backdrifter ().

  • I would not say the prog fans are a dying breed... There are quite a few prog sites on the internet, including forums. Prog fans are all over the world, including Israel, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.. Most of the fans hang around Europe, USA(Canada) and UK.:)


    I'm sure if you gathered all the fans together, you could populate a small country ^^


    Unfortunately, is not marketed the same way as the 70's era. Now bands or artists set up their own web sites or use the band camp internet site to download their own music.

  • None of that is accurate. "Not a popular view"? It's pretty much all I hear from people I know who like prog, and following the tour announcement all the twitter conversations I read or was part of were full of grumpy prog-heads folding their arms and toting the crusty old "Genesis ended in 1977" line.


    Prog fans aren't a dying breed, if anything they're a growing population. I've been seeing increasing numbers of under-25s embracing it, in a broader more all-encompassing sense including appreciation of newer prog acts alongside e.g. indie, electro and dance.


    We've all got our reasons for being on the forum and we'll each bring our own views with us, that's what the forum is for. Personally I don't share your views or agree with all this "legacy" stuff you keep on about, but I'm sure others do and I accept many take that "all post-77 Genesis is crap" view. If that's your view, no need to apologise for it. You're perfectly at liberty to be wrong! (winking smiley face, thumbs-up!)

    I agree!...:)

  • I'd like to meekly raise my hand up in favour of VdGG, too. Outside of "the big three" (Genesis, Yes and Pink Floyd) they're one of only two progressive rock bands I like (the other being King Crimson). They have a unique sound, certainly, and didn't John Lydon call Peter Hammill "the Jimi Hendrix" of vocalists?


    I wouldn't wave any flags for progressive rock, though. It was an era in music that started brilliantly but swiftly disappeared up its own backside. Before the seventies ended, progressive rock was dead and I've found any attempts to resurrect it since then to be ludicrous. I suppose part of the reason for that is that - like punk - prog rock was a product of its time. There's nothing progressive about nostalgia, though, which is why I find bands such as Rush, Dream Theatre and Spock's Beard (even the name makes me feel like puking) so redundant.

  • Ahem - I'm a VDGG fan, though even on that basis I'm not sure I can honestly say I "love" them. It's more that I learned to accept that most of their songs will inevitably portend the slow lingering death of the entire universe, and decided I can live with that. I was amused to find a compilation CD of various album and non-album tracks (and of course their biggest pop hits - I'm kidding) was entitled 'I Prophesy Disaster' over a pic of the band laughing so someone somewhere has a sense of humour. I do totally understand people finding them unlistenable.


    As a Radiohead fan I sometimes weary of everyone telling me they're miserable, depressing, etc (obviously I don't think they are) and have occasionally felt like pointing them towards some VDGG to put things in perspective. e.g. their catchy ditty 'w', an account of someone's hollow meaningless life of unrelenting torpor which concludes with the line "You stay in bed all day, then at 6 o'clock you realise you're dead".


    I love it!

    Nowt wrong with miserable, depressing, etc. Music allows you to wallow and enjoy those emotions, pain free. VDGG, however, are just tedious and boring (IMO), move along, nothing to enjoy here. ;)


    Incidentally, I said it on the old forum, there are 2 types of prog: Progressive Rock: Rock music truly being taken in a new direction. progressive rock: Rock music treading the path of existing prog, an early example being the first, third and fourth Marillion albums. I like all 3 of them, but they brought nothing new to the table. Fugazi, the second album, was just a failure, apart from Assassing, which was very good. All para 2 is IMO.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • VDGG are just tedious and boring (IMO)


    All para 2 is IMO.

    Don't worry about the IMOs. As it's you speaking we're all going to assume you're giving your own O and not the Os of Beverly Ferrell, Adrian McBrandscombe, Vella Lacostarex or indeed anyone. Well, OK, I'm assuming that, others might not be.

    Abandon all reason

  • Nowt wrong with miserable, depressing, etc. Music allows you to wallow and enjoy those emotions, pain free. VDGG, however, are just tedious and boring (IMO), move along, nothing to enjoy here. ;)


    Incidentally, I said it on the old forum, there are 2 types of prog: Progressive Rock: Rock music truly being taken in a new direction. progressive rock: Rock music treading the path of existing prog, an early example being the first, third and fourth Marillion albums. I like all 3 of them, but they brought nothing new to the table. Fugazi, the second album, was just a failure, apart from Assassing, which was very good. All para 2 is IMO.

    I don't agree, but fully understand your comments. Each to their own! ;)

    Edited once, last by Noni ().