The Rhythm Of Prog

When people think of ‘prog’ they don’t think of an aesthetic, they think of a beat. Well DUHHHHH! And when you further think about it, every style of popular music is defined by it’s basic beat.

I’ve been thinking about ‘prog’ as if it were ‘classical’ or even ‘jazz’ where it’s the process more than anything else that defines the music. But we’re talking about ROCK, baby. So people have expectations that are like popular styles.

And judged in that way? A lot of my stuff sure as shit ain’t prog. In fact, if one listens to it like a normal person, it’s largely this amalgamation of 80′s power pop, funk, glam and rockabilly—with some prog stuff in there (the odd 6/8 and 7/4 beat) to keep one’s cape flappin’ in the breeze.

This has further driven me over the edge in my desire to steer the musical boat back to shore.

Giddyup!
Now what is the quintessential prog beat? Like good porn, I can’t tell ya, but… it sure feels a lot like a waltz to me (as if porn ever had a ‘waltz’ soundtrack.) But by that I mean (as I alluded above) all ya gotta do to evoke the gods of prog is to start playing something with a ‘three’ feel. Slow? You sound like Yes or Gentle Giant (‘Heart Of The Sunrise’.) Faster? Any number of tunes by Rush, Genesis and even Led Zeppelin (Immigrant Song.) In short, if it gallops? It’s probably in the realm of prog.

Am I A Believer?
When I think of the stuff I do that feels the most ‘prog’, Oceans Below (Superpower) always comes to mind. And, true to the formula, it starts in a loping 6/8. But then for the big smash-hit finish? I switched to a groove I clearly lifted from The Monkees Papa Gene’s Blues. On crack.

My natural bent is so ‘pop’ (and so retro-pop) that I can’t even space out correctly.

As I’ve been saying, I’m determined to get back to the whole ‘prog’ ethos. But for me it is an ethos and not a ‘beat’. I was drawn to prog groups not because of the time signature or groove, but rather because they were attempting to combine many styles together that I happen to like.

Here in Seattle, ‘fusion cuisine’ has been all the rage for quite some years. When it works? When it’s done by someone who really knows what they’re doing? Combining bacon and ice cream or licorice and fish are fantastic ideas. When it’s not; and when they don’t? Oy. My guess is that there are a lot more recipes that taste as you’d expect licorice on fish to taste than actually taste good. Because let’s face it: it’s licorice. On fish.

Prog is like that. It really takes a lot to make it work. So more often than not, it fails. And when it fails, it’s quite the joke. But like fusion cuisine, I can’t pin it down as having one characteristic beat (or flavour.) Because if it had that? It wouldn’t be fusion anymore.

Food For Thought?
My goal for the next round of material is to do what prog should do, but not worry so much about whether or not it gallops or uses a mellotron or whatever other conventions are usually ascribed to it stylistically. But at the same time, I’m mindful that if one sounds too ‘pop’ or ‘funk’ or whatever then one is probably straying off course. Because that means you’re ignoring the fact that it’s a fusion.

I still like Oceans Below because I think it succeeded in this regard. It fused a number of styles together in a fashion that I still like. And for me, the playing (guitars, drums, bass) has the energy I used to feel from some of my fave prog groups—even if it isn’t doesn’t exactly ‘gallop’ but rather takes that last train to Clarksville.

As I get ready to start pounding again, I’m going to be more careful to adhere to that fusion of styles—which starts at bedrock with the beat. But will that beat be more ‘classically’ prog as a lot of people hear it in their heads? I doubt it. But I sure hope it’s a lot more to the material than can be summed up as ‘oh that’s a funk tune’ or ‘that’s a pop tune’ or any one word description. If the drumming is truly interesting? It’ll take at least two hyphens to describe what’s goin’ on.

*EBF: East Butt Fuck. The Boonies. Green Acres.

The Importance Of Being Earnest

…with apologies to Oscar Wilde (not the most serious guy in the world, but what-ehveeeer.)

In my last death-defying rant I talked about the terrifying trend towards twee.

This time I’m giving you the flip side–the road less travelled. Or at least, the one that I have decided upon after some reflection and pain and suffering.

I’ve taken a lot of criticism from you dears fans (we few, we happy few, we band of broth… OK, enough with the high-school Shakespeare already.)

As I was ranting, my ‘base’ has been on me for the past several years about my downward spiral towards ‘pop’. Not that I ever reached the levels of Pomplamoose (that would be far too perky for such a curmudgeon as I.) Still there has been a definite shift towards less complex music and simpler, more immediately recognizable themes.

When I force myself to listen to older records (as I have to now in order to post music to all these frickin’ ‘music sharing sites’) I realise that the most successful stuff I’ve done was the stuff that was the least obviously ‘commercial’. And by ‘successful’ I mean the work that I still find ‘OK’. (As an aside, I used to gauge my work in the following way: every once in a while, I’d be listening to Internet radio whilst doing something else and being very preoccupied. I’d pop out of my concentration for a minute and think to myself, ‘I really like that song that’s playing. I wonder who that guy is?’ And then of course, realise it was just li’l ol’ me. And that would mean it was a truly good song. But before you accuse me of narcissism unbound, recognise that the same thing probably has happened to you or another artist who’s work you enjoy. It happens to lots of very normal people. Really. It’s not just me. Seriously.)

So I’m here today to make my contrition. And as we Catholics know, there are the four faces of contrition: admission (of fault), submission (offering to make amends), commitment (here’s how I intend to do better), and finally the actual asking of pardon.) Since implicit in a true contrition is a plan for the future, consider this post something like a manifesto which I can sum up in one sentence. I promise to be even more fuckin’ serious than I already am.

I confess to you my brothers and sisters that I have sinned.

For a while, I have drunk the indie kool-aid that constantly tells one to ‘lighten up’; that people have no need of musicians who are pretentious and take themselves to seriously. (Why. So. Serious? as The Joker would say.) More and more I bought into it and became more and more self-deprecating about what I do and what it takes to do what I do. And then I realised something: professionals don’t that. Doctors don’t do that. Lawyers don’t do that. Very few physicists do that. Seventh degree black belts in karate definitely don’t do that. In short, the most respected people in society take what they do very seriously and they wouldn’t dream of adopting an ‘aw shucks’ persona because ya know something it tarnishes the brand.

When Miles Davis got on stage in the early ’50′s and turned his back on the audience as he played it was the culmination of decades of struggle for respect by jazz musicians who previously had to mug and grin in order to get gigs. He had reached a point where he didn’t have to do that and part of his over the top arrogant schtick was to tell other musicians to respect themselves. It wasn’t enough anymore to have that internal belief. Rather, it was important to tell the world that jazz was a deep art form that demanded respect from the audience. Miles was educating the world to take artists seriously. Just like how barbers in the 15th century started demanding to be called ‘physicians’ and ‘surgeons’. Over the course of several centuries they built a brand identity of awe and respect for what they do that, as much as their education and skill, gives them the authority and the earning power they have.

I realise now that one reason I dug the music that formed me (the progressive rock and fusion musics of the ’70′s) is that these guys were serious. They played great and they wanted people to stop and listen because damn it, what they were doing was just as worthy of that rapt attention as any guy listening to a classical concert. Were they entertainers? Of course! Zawinul admitted over and over that he was consciously trying to make danceable music with Weather Report. Keith Emerson stabbing his Hammond organ with knives was total theatre. But that was like Dogberry in Much Ado and Osric in Hamlet; a bit of comic relief to balance out the load.

Pop Will Eat Itself

I travel in the pop and rock worlds. If you’re say Bela Fleck or Leo Kottke, you avoid the ‘respect’ and ‘seriousness’ issues by virtue of the fact that you’re doing a very elevated form of ‘folk music’. You can be as ‘serious’ as you like with a banjo in your hands. It has a built-in pretentious limiter.

But if you write and sing songs that are done with the requisite Fender bass and Gibson guitar and Ludwig drums and Hammond organ, the current climate frowns upon anything that even smells of pretention. As I’ve written ‘pretentious’ is the one word everyone who hated ‘prog’ spits out to show their contempt.

In short, I’ve realised that if I project that ‘aw shucks’ persona then I’m in trouble. Because I’m trying to get people to take what I do seriously in a climate that doesn’t necessarily wanna do that. Like Miles, we gotta fight for our right to… er… well not ‘party’ but have people pay attention. We gotta build a brand. We gotta get back something we had back in Miles’ day and through the seventies but which is now lost. We have to state clearly this simple idea:

Don’t Try This At Home

It is a good thing to make intelligent and complex vocal popular music that demands your attention. And like Miles did, we will insist that we who make such music are professionals.

You may have a guitar and GarageBand, but you cannot do what we do. Just like you may have a computer, but you aren’t a scientist. And you may have a Subzero freezer, but you’re no Julia Child. And I’m gonna try to convince you that, despite everything the culture tells you (Pomplamoose) music delivered by someone like me who knows what they’re doing really is superior to that made on a laptop in a dorm room.

This worship of the primitive, which has so taken over music seems to have largely bypassed the visual media. I mean, it is still quite possible to be a serious visual and dance artist. I think this is simply because there is a culture that has nurtured that brand because it never had the commercial success of music (until recently no painter could expect royalties anything like what a musician could make from one successful album.) Now that music royalties have languished so dreadfully, most musicians are pretty much in the same boat as painters; but without that infrastructure of museums, grants and patrons that allows one to do serious work and be taken seriously.

I’m Coming

…So to speak. My final word on this (for today) is that I realise how the culture has taken it’s toll on my work. What I do hasn’t been as technically challenging as it might have been in the past few years. I’ve substituted other qualities that I think matter (more mature lyrical themes, one hopes) but the fact that I substituted means to me that I have, to some degree, lost my way.

Over the past couple of years, it’s fair to say I’ve had my share of bad breaks (no pun intended), which I won’t go into here. But it’s given me a real chance to think about why I’ve carried on even though it has at times been physically, personally and financially just excruciating. There has to be a reason I put up with that in order to keep doing what I do. So if it’s gonna be hard, then darn it, I gotta make sure I do the most intense, concentrated and action-packed version of whatever I do. No ‘substitutions’. Rather, it should be more like stuffing an overnight bag with a Steinway D. I gotta cram as much technique and craft and energy into every piece until the disc just can’t take it any more! More is more!

You fans keep asking when I’m gonna be back; if not touring, at least with new material. And the short answer is. Soon. I don’t know all the details yet, but I do know that I have never felt so enthusiastic to get back to work as I do now. And I can tell you that I have never felt more like ‘shredding’ than I do now. My ‘less is more’ period is officially over.

And again, I don’t know exactly what the product is going to look like yet. I’m working on it. But I can tell you that I am going to jam something into yer face by the end of the year. And when I do? I promise you one thing right now as God is my witness.

It’s gonna be intense.

JCHMusic: The Radio Station

I must admit that my motives are not entirely altruistic. (I’m shocked. Shocked.) Apparently the clever French Persons behind this deal are planning all sorts of insinuations into various social networking platforms so that when you click on a radio station all your friends can be compelled (well, asked nicely) to join along. In short, their hope is that this is just another lure to get people to click, Click, CLICK and get ad revenue somehow either from direct purchases or gleaning marketing data. So I am a collaborator in their Fifth Column plans. Why am I not so troubled by this? Frankly because studies have shown that most of you don’t care—so long as you can have fun on-line.

Starting today I’m beta testing my very own internet radio station. That’s right, I’m the DJ and guess what music is on tap?

Actually, although JCHMusic is definitely on the map, my stuff won’t be the only fare–or even near to the majority of fare, on offer. What you will hear is a sampling of my rather <ahem> ‘catholic’ taste in music. In addition to the Brits you might expect from a guy who claims to fly the ‘progressive rock’ flag, you’ll also get bits ranging from Altan to Tom Zé. Was Not Was to Weather Report. Miles Davis target=”_blank” To Material. Shakti to Stevie Wonder. And anyone else I ever thought to steal from.

The idea is to present something near and dear to my heart… a bit of real radio; back when radio was educational, eclectic and unpredictable. You may not like everything, but I hope you’ll hear how it all fits together and you’ll occasionally be moved to explore.

Click here to begin the adventure.

Man, You ain’t Prog. Boston? Now that was Prog!

As I said last time, I put out a number of ‘blind requests’ for musicians to rebuild the band. I got a bunch of people who listened to my stuff and then replied that though they thought what I do is nice enough, it sure as shit ain’t prog, buddy! I beg to differ. And I’m gonna tell ya why using a number of specific examples from my ‘oeuvre’ to demonstrate the points I wish to make. But first, I’m gonna tell ya why I’m gonna tell ya why!

Read the rest of this entry »

Wanted To Form: Progressive Rock Band

In my last rant pondering what is ‘prog’? I talked about Charles Snyder’s three defining characteristics of progressive rock. I ponder this today because of my recent involvement in on-line adverts.

As I’ve blogged (man do I hate that expression. I think it’s no accident that it sounds like a synonym for vomitus.) Where was I. Oh yeah, as I’ve recently written here, I’m trying to rebuild the band locally. So, in addition to talking to old mates and people clued in, I’ve also put out ‘cattle call’ ads in all the local papers and CraigsList to try and get some action. Who knows? I’ve had one or two decent blind dates. Ya never know.

So far? These ads have yielded bupkus in terms of finding the guitarist, keyboardist and drummist necessary to re-take the champeenship, but I’ve definitely gotten responses.

Hi,

I’m interested in forming a group to perform my work. I’m looking for guitar, keys and drums to supplement my voice and bass.

What I do is often described as in the vein of old-school progressive rock. What it -sounds- like is sometimes compared with artists like XTC, Peter Gabriel, old school Genesis, Talking Heads, ELP, King Crimson, Transatlantic and Steely Dan. You can check it out here here.

The immediate goal is to gig regularly doing my music and a few covers.

So just to be clear: when I say ‘prog’ I’m -not- talking ‘Tool’ or other primarily metal-based bands.
So: if you play guitar, keyboards or drums at the requisite level, are willing to devote prep time to complex music, have all the stuff necessary to do something like this right (transportation, proper gear, stage/recording experience), are very creative and are interested in doing something really special? Please contact me to discuss. If possible, send links, files, etc. of your work.

After we talk… and it feels like there’s a good match… I will ask you to prepare a few songs from one of the free downloads so we can have something to rehearse.

Thanks for reading this and if this kind of project is something you -need- to do, then I hope to meet with you soon.

Two things have stood out in the twenty or so responses I’ve gotten from people who actually sound like they may play the guitar and know who Jon Anderson is.

1. They have some goofy hope that I will enable them to be in a real band to play their favourite tunes. Sort of like a ‘Guitar Hero For Adults.’ The first thing they want to know is when we can get together to play ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part VI)’. The second thing they want to know is how I’m able to book gigs like that. The answer to both questions is tricky because I have to let ‘em down easy but without sounding like a jerk. The first question is answered simply: my advert clearly states that it’s my thang. We ain’t doin’ Floyd or Boston (Boston?) or whatever. (How outrageous and pretentious of me! To think that I can do this stuff and expect to get paid!) Well that’s actually related to the second question as well. The answer to which is also an easy one: I can’t. Because nobody can make a living covering that stuff. It’s gone. Finito. Bu-bye. Even the Indians don’t want it at the casinos!

2. The other thing I ponder is what they consider to be ‘prog’. I am just amazed that Floyd—and yes Boston are mentioned as progressive rock. None of my friends ever thought so back in the day. Frankly? I think a lot of oldsters lump that stuff in mainly because it’s much easier to play than say, something by Keith Emerson. But of course, it ain’t. And it ain’t not just because the guys weren’t really all that great players (face it, David Gilmour is about as much a ‘virtuoso’ on the guitar as John Lee Hooker. Both sound great but serious players? Not even.)

No, the more serious issue I have with calling anything with a mellotron ‘progressive’ is that it fails Snyder’s ‘virtuosic writing’ test. Nothing that Floyd (I’m done talking about Boston) wrote was much more musically complicated than a 12 bar blues. Billy Joel writes far more complex stuff. So does Stevie Wonder. And Ben Folds. (Notice how piano players tend to know more chords?) At the end of the day, Floyd was more in league with The Who in my book than anything like Yes or ELP or Genesis.

Roger Waters, like Pete Townsend, wrote something like Broadway shows. Tommy and The Wall are cut from much the same cloth. And a fine piece of fabric it is (though I treasure my copy of Tommy and don’t even own a copy of The Wall anymore.) The stories are quite sophisticated, I’ll grant you (though again, Townsend is really much more the sophisticate.) But the musical structures ain’t much more than lots of very catchy tunes strung together. Like a Broadway show before Oklahoma turned Broadway into Music Drama. But I digress…

I started thinking on all this because many people wrote that they didn’t think what I do really is ‘prog’. I hate labels (though I’m using ‘em right and left here of course.) But I’m thinking about this because it colours my writing process. So I’ll take this up next time with the fantastic post ‘Man, you ain’t prog! Boston? Now that was prog!

So there.