Music Banter - Non-UK European Prog

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard the Duck (Post 1194143)

i keep hearing about this RIO thing

pray, tell me more

and i don't want to wiki it, cos those guys are really dry

RIO = Rock in Opposition. A movement started by the band Henry Cow. Initially they were just against the music industry, who they thought were too narrow minded, and didn't sign many avant garde bands. So they basically set up a "festival" to expose Brits to a few of these lesser known bands.

There were some internal political strife within the movement, and it eventually went away. A few of the members had started their own record company to promote and distribute these types of bands.

Eventually RIO started being used as though it were a "genre". Unlike most genres though this is applied to those bands who were "avant-garde", strived for "musical excellence", and were "socially comitted". So now the term applies to those older bands who were actually participating in the movemnet, but also to those who were influenced by them and are seen to be "carrying the torch".

Quote:

Originally Posted by cledussnow (Post 1194188)

ok, tqvm

that also reminds me, i have a few Henry Cow and Art Bears that needs listening to

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore (Post 1194185)

Wikipedia has them down as avant-rock. Progarchives have them down as avant-prog. Who's right and who's wrong?

In general I prefer to use the label prog rock about bands which were obviously rock bands using their ideas to expand on rock music. Rush, Yes and Hatfield and the North are good examples. I don't think RIO and prog rock are necessarily exclusive so I can possibly accept that Aksak Maboul occasionally plays prog, but I don't really think either of the songs we posted are prog rock songs. One is a humorous cover and the other sounds like some half-silly (yet awesome) theme from a strange television series. Progressive rock, no (imo). Avantgarde and humorous, yes.

There are many cases where I feel the "prog rock" label is not entirely suitable. If you have a band that is a reduced symphony orchestra that plays avantgarde chamber music, I just don't see where the "rock" part comes from. Another example, Robert Wyatts solo career is generally considered "prog", but I don't think he ever really tried to make a prog rock album. It's just that his music is avantgarde and so "prog rockers" (those who like prog) who represent the largest general group of consumers interested in alternative music apply the prog rock label to it, even when it's just a man in a wheelchair singing and playing mellow songs on the piano. I can see it's avantgarde, but what's so "rock" about that?

Ok, going by what you've just said, half the bands mentioned in this thread have erroneously been described as prog. I'm definitely not going to contest your points as you're clearly a lot more knowledgeable than myself on progressive rock. What I will say, though, is that the line between prog and avant-garde is stupidly blurred. I, for example, would classify Univers Zero as prog, but I sense you wouldn't?

None of us are genre authorities anyway so it's just debating opinions. I don't think any of us are right in any objective sense but that's how I make sense of it. I know I've probably got popular opinion against me. You're right that I don't consider Univers Zero to be prog rock. At least not what I've heard of them which was an orchestra playing avantgarde chamber music.

edit :

By the way, "the line between prog and avant-garde is stupidly blurred" was very well put ;)

edit 2 :

I feel there should be a distinction so that prog does not simply mean avantgarde because then the whole "prog" expression is useless. You might as well say avantgarde music then.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sneer (Post 1194013)

Nobody's mentioned Aksak Maboul:

They were Belgian, I think. They released some great stuff in the late 70s.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore (Post 1194066)

I fell in love with their first album a little while back. This is one of my favourites :).

That is the one I have. It is stellar. I will be on the look out for the 2nd album soon. Thanks for the rec...

* Toundra (Spain, since 2008). Instrumental prog-metal. You shouldn't miss this amazing band. Spectacular!

I have got a lot of Hungarian videos in my store: groups (for example Omega, V'Moto Rock, LGT, Piramis, Neoton) and singers (for example Zorán, Kovács Kati, Koncz Zsuzsa, Cserháti Zsuzsa)

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