What's Progressive?

[Christian Mumford]

>Yours truly wrote:
> I think progressive music is any kind of
> > music you can sit down and get lost in.... be it classical, jazz, rock,
> > ambient... whatever.
> And Guido replied:
> Whoops! Didn't see this when I started my reply. But is this definition
> useful?
>

Well, isn't all inventive or original art "progressive"? In the context
of rock music I'd say it narrows down the genre a bit, while at the same
time including most forms of rock.... I don't think one should limit the
definition to the typical 70s prog-stuff..... just because something is
symfo or whatever doesen't mean its progressive unless it
invents/incorporates new ideas to the form (that of course, includes all
artforms). Yes, I consider Zappa progressive. I consider Jimi
Hendrix, Velvet Underground, Devo or Kraftwerk progressive. I even
consider early Pavement or Sonic Youth or Loaded-era Primal Scream
progressive..... bands that fit under the much dreaded "alternative"
umbrella-label in the public mind. A rock band can be stylistically
copying other progressive rock elements without truly being progressive.
Arguably Marillion is a prime example of this, being as stylistically
prog as early Genesis or whatever. The late 60s/70s just happened to be
an era when rock music was incorporating alot of alien elements to their
sound, partially because of technology, cross-cultural influences and
drugs.  I consider Hawkwind progressive, despite their (I'm no musician,
so I may be wrong on this one) musical simplicity. Personally I loathe
Yes and their pretensious ilk, no matter how incredibly complex the song
structures or musicianship may be, but that's just a matter of taste on
my part, however, the complexity, inventiveness and classical influences
make them progressive by definition. They just bore the hell out of me.
And when I'm truly bored I'll crank up the Cosmic Psychos or the Meat
Men.

Christian