The future of prog

[Nicky007]

Talking of Schoenberg, here's an interesting story for you, from Wikipedia:

Schoenberg's "belief" in triskaidekaphobia (the fear of the number 13) and his superstitious nature probably triggered his death. He feared he would die during a year that was a multiple of 13. He so dreaded his sixty-fifth birthday that a friend asked composer and astrologist Dane Rudhyar to prepare Schoenberg's horoscope. Rudhyar did this and told Schoenberg that the year was dangerous, but not fatal. But in 1951, on his seventy-sixth birthday, the Viennese musician and astrologist Oscar Adler wrote Schoenberg a note warning him that the year was a critical one: 7 + 6 = 13. This stunned and depressed the composer, for up to that point he had only been wary of multiples of 13 and never considered adding the digits of his age. He became obsessed with this idea and many friends report that he frequently said: "If I can only pull through this year I shall be safe." On Friday, July 13, of his seventy-sixth year, Arnold Schoenberg stayed in bed-sick, anxious and depressed. Shortly before midnight his wife leaned over and whispered, "You see, the day is almost over. All that worry was for nothing." He looked at her and died."

Nicky.

[Nicky007]

Since this topic has lain dormant for several weeks, I'll make a go at these questions. Let's start with the first four questions:


Do you think that more and more people will listen to prog?

Yes, I think so. The growth will be slow though. Most people are dulling their minds with routines within the domains family, job, home. Of course it's necessary to tend to these domains, but in my mind people's routines fill more than necessary. Let me mention the area where most freedom could be won: nutrition. Meateating is terribly destructive to both animals and the biosphere, meat-industry workers are being brutalised, and the fact is: Meateating is unnecessary. I myself have been entirely vegetarian for over a year now, and before that I was veg with a bit of fish for more than ten years.

There are many other routines that could be reduced. And all this freedom could be used for creative purposes, i.a. creating and listening to music. Already we see that many innovative musicians become veg and relieve themselves from many other materialistic burdens. And when people think more in this direction, they realise that prog is one of the areas where human creativity has found some of its most exciting expressions.


... there will be a growing difference in the quality of prog?

Already there is a tremendous difference in quality. At the top we have presently groups like Arena and Dream Theater. Their best albums can be heard hundreds of times and continue to give us proggies thrills. On the other hand, with most of the groups in the breeding ground of rock, once I've heard a few minutes, I'm bored and my mind goes wandering.

Whether this enormous difference in quality will grow or not, is difficult to say. I'm sure that the best groups will become even more manifold and nuanced in their expressions. Fortunately the effect of this is to inspire other prog groups to struggle more.


... there will be a growing difference between American, British, Scandinavian, and German prog?

Yes, I think so. I believe that more and more, musicians will seek a deeper knowledge of their particular roots and incorporate their discoveries in their musical expression.

We already see this growing. Take e.g. Robbie Robertson, who after years of playing rather regular rock in The Band, started delving into his Red Indian roots and since then has increasingly included these traditions in a fascinating way in his music.

... we'll have excellent prog sung in German, French, Swedish, Hebrew, and other languages?

Yes. This will be a result of the abovementioned development. But a lot of work will have to be done in discovering the "language of prog" within the various national languages and for each different language finding the suitable musical expressions.

[Nicky007]

OK, I get your point, e:  Somalia can actually be seen as a shattered room, I guess even as a boosted tampon. Any more great metaphors ?  

Nicky.

[Peter]

Nicky, just don't reply in direct context of what a spammer wrote, their posts are going to be deleted later on and then your posts sort of "hang in the air" a bit

[Nicky007]

I don't mind, Cap:  On a scale of 1-10 crazy, I think that Roomies already rate me 10 

Actually, now that we're talkin about it, in my mind the problem in the Room is that people are too careful with posting, so we get rather conventional stuff, rather than risking a bit and seeing how their input gets cast around 

Nicky.

[Manatee]

I don't mind, Cap:  On a scale of 1-10 crazy, I think that Roomies already rate me 10 

Don't sell yourself short.  You easily go up to 11.   

[Nicky007]

Don't sell yourself short.  You easily go up to 11.  

I'l hold a pause for a while. Hope that gets me down to 10  

I'l leave the stage to you guys  

You get the spammers too  

Thanks for the John Arch comments, Mad - helpful  

Not that the future of prog lies with me 

Nicky.