The lyrics to most prog rock are so bad they defy analysis. Bob Dylan and Van Dyke Parks' better lyrics need commentaries. The lyrics to 'Siberian Khatru' need a doctor. Or maybe a priest. The words for 'Supper's ready' Really ought to be taken outside and slapped about the arse with a wet haddock, and nearly anything Pete Sinfield wrote sounds like it ought to be helping police with their enquiries.
Perhaps that's the root of why the whole genre troubles me. It's easy enough to rip off the twiddly bits of romantic composers (even if you are playing them over a fairly mundane six or seven chord figure) because you're playing for an audience who probably don't know better and who just feel smug for the sound of it. But the nanosecond you have to do something original that might find you out - like come up with decent lyrics - is the nanosecond you sound completely and utterly banal.
Mark Pring wrote:
I think lyrics were one of the weaker points of progressive rock but I don't find the melodies sufficiently interesting for them to stand on their own, so my favourite songs also tend to have interesting lyrics.
--- On Sat, 8/29/09, tony1 net> wrote:
From: tony1 net>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] What's after supper?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2009, 10:11 AM
I was lucky enough to see "The Lamb Lies down on Broadway" at the auditorium theatre in Chicago about a month before Gabriel left, and have been a fan since.Prefer Gabriel over Collins to be sure, I listen to the music and not much of the vocals, period.Just never have with any bands and prefer instrumentals, no surprise eh?http://auditoriumth eatre.org/ wb/What a venue!Tony#510----- Original Message -----From: Mark PringSent: Friday, August 28, 2009 5:56 PMSubject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] What's after supper?
Thanks Tony, Peter Gabriel was still there for "Selling England by the Pound" . The later Genesis doesn't appeal to me as it seems to be primarily aimed towards what would sell and of course it did.
In "Selling England by the Pound" I think I can hear the first signs of that change which makes me think that perhaps Foxtrot is the last album for me. I have to admit there is some nice tron in SEBTP but nice tron isn't quite enough, the songs seem a lot stronger in the previous albums "Times Table", "Can utility..." and "Seven Stones" being my favourites.
I think "The Lamb lies down.." is the next album and I wondered if SEBTP was a "blip" or the start of a trend.
Mark
--- On Fri, 8/28/09, tony1 wrote:
From: tony1
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] What's after supper?
To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Friday, August 28, 2009, 10:51 PM
Mark the wealth of good music made by post Gabriel Genesis, I suggest you retry them.Selling England by the Pound is a personal favorite, def one of the best post PG releases, imho.I'm afraid it you are unable to warm up to that album, you might just not have anything left you'll like.I hope this is not true!Good luck and keep listening!Tony#510----- Original Message -----From: Mark PringSent: Friday, August 28, 2009 3:11 AMSubject: [newmellotrongroup] What's after supper?
I have learnt to like Genesis, "Foxtrot" and "Nursery Crime" in particular, I am even quite fond of Supper's Ready and if I had to choose between being stuck in a lift listening to it or Lizard, I would choose the former. I didn't care for "Selling Engand by the Pound" and I am not interested in anything post Peter Gabriel, so are there any other albums I might like?
Mark
-- Mike Dickson, Edinburgh Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/ Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson