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"Looking Back and Comparing"
For all the “lip-service”, we in the progressive rock
community pay to the word progress I’ve noticed over the years
that we spend a lot of time actually looking backwards. We
like to compare this new release with the one that came before.
We like to compare the sound of this band to some other band
that came before. Without getting caught in that quagmire-ish
debate on the actual word progress as it applies to progressive
rock, I want to focus instead on our seeming fixation on looking
back as a measurement of the present. ***
Now I’ll be the first to argue that in order to know
where you’re going to need to know where you’ve been. And
I’d also agree that having some point of musical reference
is a good thing. Hey, I do that from time to time as well.
I’m not suggesting you NEVER look back but for the life of
me I can’t see how this obsessive-rear-view-mirror approach
has much to do with appreciating the progressive rock being
created today. Let’s face it, if all you do is measure today
to yesterday there is a greater chance you’re going to just
be stuck in the past and in the process never fully enjoy
the here and now. ***
Another thing we seem to do in this context is compare.
You know this band against that band or this CD against that
CD. When you read some reviews it gets downright silly. You
know the reviews that reference how this new bands keyboard
style sounds like Keith Emerson in the middle part of the
third measure of Karn Evil #9 or how this new bands rhythmic
section is reminiscent of the two and a half bars of the bridge
in Genesis’ Carpet Crawlers. You get the picture, right. These
people seem so set on making a comparison they’ll select the
most picayune means to do so. Again I’m not sure this is at
all healthy. ***
Growing up my parents would always discourage me from
making certain comparisons because every family or every situation
is different. I believe it’s the same with music. It’s true
that music is a preference so each of us is going to be making
personal comparisons. But it’s when the comparison is of such
an obtuse focus that it’s no longer about the music but more
about the writer that I think it goes off the rails. Making
such detailed comparisons may not always be the best direction
to take. ***
I’m pretty sure I’m a lot like many progressive rock
fans, so I like to know that generally speaking a band sounds
like, “a”, “b” or “c”. That always helps me determine how
likely I am to enjoy their music. But I get a little skeptical
when I read a review that seems to display an almost in-human
ability to compare, making references to the past that are
so obscure you need a special decoder-ring to figure them
out. It begs the question; how much am I actually learning
about the band being reviewed as opposed to having the reviewer
trying to impress me with their abilities? ***
My take on this is that good writers will tell me everything
I need to know about a new release or band without seeming
to hog the stage. This is certainly a challenge, and there
are some reviewers who are very good at it. Others fail miserably.
And while that balanced review approach is what I strive for
I’m not sure I succeed every time. By the way, your feedback
always helps. ***
To
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Rock and Roll : Punk /The Psychedelic Rock Files /20th Century
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