OFF: What is progressive ?

[William Duffy]

Just had a thought on why some bands once regarded progressive no longer seem to be.

Nowadays, when you enter CD shops you find heavy metal & hard rock bands like Deep
Purple & Black Sabbath, who have been around quite some time, cataloqued under the main
section of Rock/Pop. Whereas current artists like silverchair & Pearl Jam are in the
Heavy Metal section (in West Australia anyway).
These bands are no more or less heavy than their predecessors.

I've also looked on various internet CD stores, and found some with categories labelled
Progressive. Yet in these categories, there are no names I am familiar with. Meanwhile,
King Crimson, Man, Faust, Can, Amon Duul, Soft Machine, etc., are all under their main
section of Rock/Pop, along with Michael Jackson & Tina Turner.

It's the same with how many of the artists we appreciate would have been the Alternative
or Independent band in their early years.

The reason I feel this happens is because it may be like a promotion. You have been
around so long, that you are no longer required to hide in the obscure sections that
only certain people would be viewing.

As soon as they have matured, they are moved to a different category.

At one time, Tangerine Dream & Brian Eno would be in the Progressive section. Now they
are in New Age.

William