According to Neil Peart in his newest book Traveling Music...
"If a piece of work was an honest expression of its maker, it was also a milestone of his progress, and a benchmark to build upon in the future. As much as the notion of "progressive" music has been mocked, used to denigrate a particular style of experimental, ambitious arranging and musicianship, it was really the only possible kind of honest music.
In an unfortunate contradiction, progressive music was described by ignorant, biased critics as "pretentious", but what a confused value system that terminology represented. Seldom was there a more honest style of music, based on solid principles of musicianship, exploration, and fascinatioin. It did not "pretend" youth, or adolescent passion, like so much pop music written by aging men and women with cynical formulas, and it did not "pretend" rebellion, like so much pop music written by leering mercenaries in motorcyle jackets and careful hairdos. (From "the Sound of Muzak", by Porcupine Tree, a modern-day "progressive" band: "The music of rebellion makes you wanna rage/ But it's made by millionaires who are nearly twice your age")."
What an accurate description of Prog! Thought you might enjoy it!
And he likes PTree too!! Neil picks the music that is played on the PA System before Rush shows. This year's tour pre-show music included Sound of Muzak!! I wanted to shout out..."EVERYONE!! This is Porcupine Tree!! LISTEN-UP!!"
That was so good that I had to paraphrase that first paragraph as my new signature! -Cav
Logged
If a piece of work was an honest expression of its maker, it was also a milestone of his progress... As much as the notion of "progressive" music has been mocked... it was really the only possible kind of honest music. -Neil Peart
I wanna buy my first book from Neil. What do you people recommend: "Travelling Music" or "Ghost Rider"? I tend to get the last one.
They are very different books!
Traveling Music is a must for the music geek (myself included)! It has some great insight to the music business and several times I found myself saying "Yeah! what he said!" It is also more of an autobiography then Ghost Rider.
Ghost Rider is incredibly depressing, yet very inspirational. Does that make sense?
Ghost Rider also bogs down a bit in the second half, with descriptions of roads taken, restaurants and bookshops visited and meals eaten. Not a bad read at all, but probably more interesting if you're planning a road trip in the western part of North America or down into Mexico.
Logged
The Healing Colors of Sound & Epic Prog with The Lurker Friday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern ONLY on The Dividing Line www.thedividingline.com
I do disagree with Mr. Peart about one thing... and that is that creating by formula is not necessarily dishonest.
Coming, as I do, from a strong classical background, I would respectfully submit that fugues are a formulatic style of music, but you wouldn't hear much agreement if you claimed that Back did not creat honest music...
I think the only honest music is that which is either created/played with enjoyment, or listened to with enjoyment. Both of those experiences confer some degree of honesty to the music.
I would have to say that I'm sure Neal was not denigrating the music of the past, which was honest within its own cultural and musical framework. As he points out in the quote:
Quote
Seldom was there a more honest style of music, based on solid principles of musicianship, exploration, and fascinatioin. It did not "pretend" youth, or adolescent passion, like so much
pop music
written by aging men and women with cynical formulas, and it did not "pretend" rebellion, like so much pop music written by leering mercenaries in motorcyle jackets and careful hairdos.
(emphasis added) This to me shows that he is really comparing progressive music to more contemporary "popular" music, both in the sense of what we call pop and the world of heavy metal, where posturing seemed more important than art.
-Cav
Logged
If a piece of work was an honest expression of its maker, it was also a milestone of his progress... As much as the notion of "progressive" music has been mocked... it was really the only possible kind of honest music. -Neil Peart
i loved the paraphrasis** u took of the book, i hadn't read ir, but i guess its quite good, honest music! lol, it sounds a bit egocentric, but i gotta say prog is the best ever, its done with a perfect feelin' of the melody. U guys know its created with all the bases of classical music, thats why its so marvelous and it takes us to places full of colors and different sounds...lol i know i sound kind of over-weeded lol!!! but im not! lol, any way...i guess just wanted to post a bit of my feelings with u
**ooops! i actually dont know how its supposed to be written...
Author
Logged
lol!!! but im not! lol, any way...i guess just wanted to post a bit of my feelings with u 
