July 21, 2008

Ten minutes of prog rock wankery

By: Sonny Bunch

This weekend’s Rush concert has inspired two thoughts. One: The Nissan Pavillion, though a great venue, is a terribly designed venue. I hate getting there/getting out of there more than anything else in the world. I hate it almost as much as I hate the turrorists.

Two: I’ll admit it; I’m a progressive rock nerd. But why should I be made the subject of fun? After the jump, follow me on a journey through the landscape of prog rock.

The greatest/most popular prog rock band is almost certainly Pink Floyd; who doesn’t own a copy of Dark Side of the Moon? In that album (as well as others, especially The Wall and Wish You Were Here), you see the hallmarks of the genre. Here’s the version of “Comfortably Numb” from the filmic adaptation of The Wall: note the combination of intricate storytelling with inscrutable nonsense. This is important. Prog rock’s progenitors might take themselves uber-seriously, but that doesn’t mean that we, the casual prog rock fan, have to as well. It’s enough to simply let the music wash over us.

While most music fans will admit that Pink Floyd has some skills, even if they don’t necessarily dig the band, other prog rock groups are far more divisive. Consider the band that inspired this post: Rush. My friends almost uniformally hate Rush, giving as their reason Geddy Lee’s high pitched voice. Though reasonable, I suspect a far more sinister motive: anti-Canadian prejudice. How can you listen to a broadside at political apathy like “Freewill,” or the epic, Randian “2112” and not leave with a heightened appreciation for man’s place in the world? This is to say nothing of the band’s most impressive feature: their undeniable musical talent. Neil Peart is among the four or five greatest drummers in the world, and I’m tempted to embed one of the numerous versions of “The Rhythym Method” on YouTube. But to give a broader sense of the band (and their mastery of the instrumental), I’ll instead embed “YYZ.” It’s the hotness.

Then we have progressive metal. This isn’t really my bag–though the instrumental talent is there, the vocals often leave me cold. Just for kicks, here’s Tool’s “Sober,” arguably the creepiest video ever made.

Then there’s the new breed of prog rockers. This vanguard, typified by bands like My Chemical Romance and Coheed and Cambria, combine the storytelling of Rush with the pop sensibility of…um, later Rush. In the case of Coheed and Cambria, they even add a similar vocal style. You know, I kind of get not digging the high pitched voice thing. I barely even listen to the lyrics in Coheed albums, instead letting Claudio’s voice as just another instrument. For example: “Delirium Trigger.” There’s something going on about a spaceship, I think there’s an Alien reference…I don’t know what’s going on. In this way, it’s kind of like sigur ros. But I digress.

OK, this should get you started. I didn’t even get to The Mars Volta or Porcupine Tree (or discuss what really intrigues me about prog rock–it’s intellectuality). Be not ashamed, brothers and sisters. Don’t let hipster music snobs, imbibing their Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah and The National, dissuade you from listening to that for which your soul yearns.