Lileks on prog rock:
“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway,” for example, packed the gatefold with a story written by Peter Gabriel in his best sophomore English Major style, peppered with those nifty isometric Hipgnosis illustrations, which were like Milk-Bones for stoners. You know, people hate Genesis because they remember the poppy period with Phil Collins capering about looking like a BEFORE picture in a Hair Club for Leprechauns ad, getting all Cocker-faced over Su-su-sudio. But before the fame they turned out some extraordinary compositions, and there’s moments of rare beauty utterly beyond the capabilities of 99.9% of most pop artists today. No, I don’t mistake complexity, gnarly time signatures and unexpected key changes for brilliance, or I’d be writing about Yes.Posted by rv at March 6, 2006 04:21 PM to humorGrampa Prog! Do you remember what it was like when “2112” came out? Why yes, my lad. Have a seat, and I’ll tell you of a time when rock was so peculiar that the words “vocals by Geddy Lee” were actually considered an attraction, not a warning.
"God, I'm bored. Might as well be listening to Genesis."
Posted by: poz at March 6, 2006 07:19 PMI know that I've linked to this before, but it's so worth reading: Toastyfrog on ELP.
Welcome back my friends to the pain that never endsProgressive rock, as it is often referred to with more than a hint of pejorative derision, has a reputation for pretention. Actually, it has a reputation for a lot of things, and I'm such a lucky guy that I get to answer to all the exciting stereotypes (such as the guy who wanted to meet me because he had never met a prog rock fan who was "younger than 30, and neither bald nor overweight" [1]). But sometimes reputations are earned, and with bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer on the scene, it's small wonder that prog has a tendency to be regarded with the same warmth and affection as, say, the half-eaten raccoon carcass your dog left beneath the kitchen table.
The Rush essay is pretty damn funny too:
"Rivendell," the single most haunting and mournful song ever created by the band, was given lyrics about the freaking Lord of the Rings. Good call, smart guy. Way to permanently brand your band as trio of hopeless dorks. And "Anthem" loudly proclaims new lyricist Neil Peart as a loyal drone of the Ayn Rand School of Philisophically-Rationalized Solipsism, a fact which will taint the band's songs for the next three decades.Posted by: rv at March 6, 2006 11:40 PM