What's Progressive?

[Guido Vacano]

Christian sez--
>
> I always considered progressive music to be music that involves the
> listener's participation more than other types of music....

Are you refering to rock, or music in general? I think that Jazz and
Classical (and, arguably, various forms of dance music) involve the
listener's participation at least as much, or more than, progressive
rock.

> the kind of
> music you can just sit down and listen to, analyse, swish about in your
> brain like a fine wine over and over.... Its not a style, but it has a
> certain intelligence to it that you don't necessarily find in most
> run-of-the mill pop-rock shlock.....

Well . . . I don't know. There are certainly examples of prog rock lyrics
which are anything but intelligent, and there are examples of extremely
thought provoking lyrics in, for example, heavy metal. Is Frank Zappa
"prog rock"?

> Its not just background music, it
> has an added dimension and experimental edge. People tend to think of
> prog as being only the pompous ELP and Yes type stuff because of the
> quasi-classical influence. I think progressive music is any kind of
> music you can sit down and get lost in.... be it classical, jazz, rock,
> ambient... whatever.

Whoops! Didn't see this when I started my reply. But is this definition
useful?

obFREEFORM--Thrakattak by King Crimson

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If nothing is done, then all will be well.  -- Lao Tse