Listening styles

[Nicky007]

I have several listening styles (LS):

When I seldomly get real intrigued by an album - be it mainly the music, or mainly the lyrics - I'l literally play it to death: over and over again, till I'v relished all details. Recent examples of this LS are, going backward: "BE", Ghost Opera, The Twilight Chronicles.

Else, I can be very expansive:  A year ago I purchased albums en masse, based mainly on interesting reviews, you guys' recoms, recoms on other music forums, and my friend Mads at Fona (the best prog cd-store in Cop). I don't have any other personal friends who know much about prog (although that's comin due to my insistence - know it guys ? ) 

Since my purse has shrunk, I'v been out on Myspace a lot, and a bit on Youtube. To get any decent impression of a new group, I have to play the samples there at least 5-10 times.

I also have a back-catalog LS:  If I really like an album, I expect the previous albums by the same group to be interesting too. I did that with i.a. Spock and Kamelot, and now I can see that PoS needs this treatment 

So guys, I'm real curious to hear about your LS's ...... 

Nicky.

[keyboardistmatt]

I give every piece of music I hear a chance.  I usually find that there is something interesting in there some where.  It doesn't make a song good, though. For me to consider a song to be good, it has to hold my attention.

I think that would apply to most people though.

[Appelmoes??]

I tend to listen to one band a lot for a while, with some of my favourite albums thrown in the mix, before switching to another band for a while.
An ayreon album get a spin at least once a week.

[PH]

An ayreon album get a spin at least once a week.

Wow! That's a real fan!

I have my [insert bandname] moments. So when I am in the Arena mood, I listen to Arena a lot! (Which happened beyond the extreme when I registered here, after having heard Pepper's Ghost and Contagion. I was listening Arena nonstop for about a month or three (nothing else!), they were the start to the prog discovery for me.)
Recently I had a Genesis mood again (which was great!).
And I guess I listen to a Neal Morse album at least once a week. So yes, that would mean that I'm a real fan.

When I discover a new band and I'm totally blown away by it, I listen to it day after day. For about two or three weeks. Happened with Amaran's Plight, for example.
When the artist/band has a back cataloge, I try to check it out (which often means that I download some albums... sorry people, I know some of you don't approve, but for me it is the way to get to know bands) which happened with Jean Michel Jarre. Then I discover that the artist/band has some good and bad albums. And when the good ones are really good and the artist is no millionaire I make sure to buy it as soon as possible. Kaipa is also a good example of back-catalog-discovering. (The first three albums from the 70's are really nice! Check them out! (If you don't fear the Swedish singing and like old 70's prog like Genesis (Hammonds, Mellotrons...)))

-Paco

[Nicky007]

An Ayreon album gets a spin at least once a week.

Wow! That's a real fan!

Yeah, if you spin it fast enough 

Nicky.

[kmorse]

I tend to investigate a group's back catalog, too. Although, nowadays, one can sample the music before buying it. I tend to listen to a new CD repeatedly (on headphones mostly) and then often it goes into the rotation for occasional play.

[Iggy]

I agree with most of the previous posts. If I hear a new band though I tend to buy a Live CD as bands generally play their classic songs at concerts. I think it is easier to see how good a band is by listening to them live.

Being a huge yes fan I prefer their DVD's and live CD's compared to the studio equivalents.

[Deenfan]

Yeah, if you spin it fast enough 

Nicky.

That's just GREATNESS in it's purest form!

We are not worthy!!!

[Nicky007]

Thanks, Deenie 

It was a pun on "fan" - dunno, hihi or hoho 

Nicky.

[Iggy]

Those guys have a lot of imagination and make some great music. Only their lyrics seem to me rather ..... hm, ordinary .... but then again, maybe I'm wrong 

Nicky.

This was a quote re Spocks Beard.

To add to the duscussion how important are lyrics to you?

My other half can't listen to Neal Morse because of the religious side of his lyrics although she loves the music.

Having grown up with Yes as a favorite band the lyrics have always been less important to me plus I also love Vangelis, Rick Wakeman, Mike Oldfield all who have released albums with no lyrics on.

On another forum Ayreon was criticised for his lyrics which I think is rather harsh given that he is writing in a foreign language.

Indeed most of the great prog stuff comes from europe at the moment and most of the lyrics are English.

So back to the start how important are lyrics to you?

[Nicky007]

So back to the start how important are lyrics to you?

Just as important as the melody, composition, singing, musicianship, and solos.

The lyrics are usually not what catches me in the first run, but if I subsequently realise that the lyrics are poor, my enthusiasm falls drastically.

However, I make exceptions with groups from countries outside of the English-speaking world, as they have to make a greater effort to create poetry in English, and often also have to work harder to rise to the high standards of prog in UK and USA - inter alia Riverside, Circus Maximus, Seventh Wonder, Section A.

But with my fave groups - Floyd, DT, Arena, Ten, Kamelot, Tool - everything is topnotch 

Nicky.

[Iggy]

Just as important as the melody, composition, singing, musicianship, and solos.

The lyrics are usually not what catches me in the first run, but if I subsequently realise that the lyrics are poor, my enthusiasm falls drastically.

However, I make exceptions with groups from countries outside of the English-speaking world, as they have to make a greater effort to create poetry in English, and often also have to work harder to rise to the high standards of prog in UK and USA - i.a. Riverside, Circus Maximus, Seventh Wonder, Section A.

But with my fave groups - Floyd, DT, Arena, Ten, Kamelot - everything is topnotch 

Nicky.

How do you make exceptions though I f you can do it for out of the english speaking world can't you make exceptions for people who can't write beautiful poetry/prose/lyrics?

there is a philosphophical one for you.

[Nicky007]

Now we're moving out of the domain of this thread, more into "Ask Nicky" territory, but I can make it short, Iggy:

To me prog means, whether performer or listener, searching under the surface of life (which unfortunately only few people seem to do), so I expect my musicians to be well educated and sharp 

For musicians who have grown up in the English-speaking world there's simply no excuse for poor lyrics.

Nicky.

[Iggy]

Harsh but fair