Hi,
picked this up from the latest issue of that British
trend Bible, The Face... And oh boy, is nothing sacred
for those shameless hacks...? ;)
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T H E N E W P R O G R O C K
Prententious concept albums, overblown performances, bad hair. So what's
new?
It has been hailed as the nadir of British youth culture. Its fans favoured
long hair and its heroes even longer solos. Impenetrable to outsiders,
elaborate in its instrumentation, highly serious and simultaneously highly
silly, it was "meaningful" music to the point of meaningless. They called
it prog rock and it could surely never happen again... or could it?
***
MIKE OLDFIELD
Rock, only more so. Dramatic, overreaching, with tendency towards gigs in
daft places - Edinburgh Castle, for example. Wrote new theme tune for _Blue
Peter_ in 1980.
-> FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON
Techno, only more so. Self-dramatising, overreaching, with tendency to do
gigs in daft places - down phone lines, for example. Now mixing Barbra
Streisand into their DJing sets.
***
PINK FLOYD
Sheep, Battersea Power Station and outer-space references from space cadets.
Big on environmental resource-draining shows and unnecessary quadruple
albums. Might have taken drugs. A while ago.
-> THE ORB
Sheep, Battersea Power Station and outer-space references from space cadets.
Big on environmental resource-draining shows, and unnecessary quadruple
albums. Might have taken drugs.
***
GENESIS (PETER GABRIEL PERIOD)
Stadium-amenable rock/art synthesis. Singer dresses up as shrubbery and talks
in riddles. Firmly part of The Establishment. Have ended up with Knebworth
residency.
-> UNDERWORLD
Stadium-amenable techno/art synthesis. Singer wears daft outfits and talks
in riddles. Firmly part of the Electronic Establishment, they will be playing
the Megadog Goes Knebworth gig in 2001.
***
GENESIS (POST PETER GABRIEL)
After the band lose their frontman, satirical lyrics and musical
experimentation give way to adult-oriented rock. The group get rich
quick and are loathed by the press for ever more.
-> THE SHAMEN
When the band lose their lynchpin member, social comment and musical
innovation are shelved in favour what Mr C calls adult-oriented pop.
The band become wealthy but are shunned by the press.
***
MAGMA
Outrageous French exhibitionists, led by Viking-like Christian Vander and
obsessed with visions of the apocalypse. Obligatory pompous song title:
"Mechanik Destructiw Kommandoh".
-> MOBY
Over-the-top techno performer and abstemious Christian vegan, renowned for
his environmental fears. Obligatory pretentious song title: "God's Face
Floating Over The Water".
***
HAWKWIND
Perennially-touring crusty outfit with cider-swigging, soap-avoiding
following. Terrible album covers. Baffling continual success in inverse
proportion to genuine talent.
-> EAT STATIC
Perennially-touring crusty outfit with cider-swigging, soap-avoiding
following. Terrible album covers. Baffling continual success in inverse
proportion to genuine talent.
***
RICK WAKEMAN
Believes concept albums are great. Constructed musical version of _The
Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Round Table_ performed as an
ice spectacular with a 45-piece orchestra.
-> SVEN VATH
Created techno concept album reflecting the three sides of his personality,
"The Harlequin, The Robot And The Ballet Dancer". Last seen dressed as a
raven at the head of Berlin's Love Parade.
***
JETHRO TULL
Ludicrous preoccupation with flutes, beards and standing on one leg.
Appeared in the Rolling Stone's "Rock'N'Roll Circus". Opened a trout farm
now it's all over.
-> BANCO DE GAIA
Ludicrous preoccupation with obscure folky instrumentation. Hardy Nepalese
hat-wearing favourites of techno circus Megadog.
***
GONG
Hippies reinventing themselves as the rock vanguard after too much acid.
Far worse than you'd think - noodling psychedelia and unbridled progness
courtesy of Steve Hillage.
-> SYSTEM 7
Hippies reinventing themselves as the techno vanguard after too many Es.
Noodling ambience and unfocused techno courtesy of Steve Hillage.
***
(by Gareth Grundy and Susan Masters;
from _The Face_ No 84, September 1995, p. 153)
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ERkki
Tampere, pHinland
trerra@uta.fi