It's been a slow train coming but having closely scrutinised a lot of the 'prog' I have listened to over the years plus a good cross section of what is currently on offer, I wonder why I ever bothered with most of it. Prog
obviously has good music within the genre but to my ears the vast quantity is utterly pointless and disposable. When you consider the genius involved in writing a symphony in your head for 60+ players with all the counterpoint, harmonisation, voicing etc. etc. in a month and the resulting work being playable on first attempt with a few revisions needed and then you consider the simple sub standard amalgam of styles churned out after months in a studio. Well the gulf is obvious to my mind.
Start fighting.... ......... .......
Martin
Martin,
With all due respect, it takes a little longer than a month to write a symphony, especially if you're doing it by hand. Try many months to several years. And very few people did the whole thing in their head. It's worked out bits at a time. The only composer I know who could hold a whole piece in his head was Mozart -- and you don't think much of his music! ;)
But you're right: most prog is not particularly good music. Interesting? Certainly, at times. Well played? Definitely. But music for the ages? Not much of it.