The Odyssey Deceives!

[theodyssey]

No no dude, i'm not angry or anything, it just got way out of hand. I don't think we will ever be happy with each other's ideas

I give up.... i don't mean that in a bad way, i just agree with shreddie. I'm gonna let it go... if other people want to pick up the cruisade, then be my guest, but i'm done

 

[Haggicide]

No matter what band or genre, any new album is going to gain new listeners. The listeners will no doubt make assumptions about the band, their direction, their permanent/unchanging musical style, and what all of their previous albums sound like. I must admit that I did not hear S-X until V, when a friend played it for me. I loved everything about their style, and set to getting every piece of music they ever did. I was impressed with their range and ability to chameleon into any musical style. Progressive musicians are just that--progressive. Rush has made no bones about each succeeding album sounding nothing whatsoever like the others, but if you like Geddy et al., you will like the next album. On the flipside, you have the creative monsters at AC/DC, who have remade their first album countless times. If you like AC/DC, this is something you expect. Fear change.

I have found something to like about every X song I have heard (which is all of them), even the first album with the awful singer whose name I have never bothered to learn. BTW--bit of an aside--I asked Romeo at the Omaha show about the rumor of them redoing the first album with quality vocals. Don't hold your breath. It took me about two years to listen to "Lesson Before Dying" all the way through becuase the singer sounds like a low-rent truck stop Kingdom Come cover band, themselves a low-rent Zeppelin cover band. I can't wait to hear Russell's brilliance on that song.

I'll shut up now.

 

[aiwass]

Genre-snobbery is a great way of ruining a band's creative freedom.

 

[Haggicide]

Genre-snobbery is a great way of ruining a band's creative freedom.

If you are addressing that toward me, I think I should explain--
I will admit that I am a bit of a genre-snob. My Metallica story best illustrates this:
I was not a Metallica fan until Justice came out, then started backtracking and listening to their entire catalog. I was in a band while stationed in England (95-97), and we loved old Metallica (go ahead, make fun. I love metal guitar, and I hadn't heard the almighty Romeo yet.). I even liked the Black album, a source of contention for many 'old-school' Metallica fans, and while it wasn't as heavy as Justice or Puppets, it was still good--if overplayed--music. When "Load" came out, I lost all respect for the band. Not because I "fear change" as so many brand-new-to-Metallica-because-of-Load fans will claim, but because the band abandoned the entire genre they had a hand in creating. They purported to hate pop back when they formed, and thrash was their musical protest of artificial, manufactured music created solely to make money. The appropriately named "Load" was their foray into artificial, manufactured music created solely to make money. It was a big flip-off to the fans that had followed them for their music and purity of purpose. "We appreciate you loyal fans for your years of faithful service and devotion, but there's no money in challenging, interesting music. Screw you all." Speaking for myself, as well as most people with whom I have discussed this topic, I believe "Load" was the out-with-the-old-fans, in-with-the-new-fans turning point.

Sorry about mentioning the M-word so many times on a SX forum, but I needed to illustrate a point. Imagine Romeo putting down the guitar and rapping, and it's about the same.

 

[Kate Bush Rules!]

Do people here still like Opeth, Cynic, Aghora, Agalloch, Ulver or Arcturus? How about My Dying Bride? They're all great metal bands.

 

[Kate Bush Rules!]

Imagine Romeo putting down the guitar and rapping, and it's about the same.

You know not all rap is the radio pop from the likes of 50 Cent and Eminem. A lot of it is actually good.

Try:

Nas
Asian Dub Foundation
Massive Attack
Public Enemy
Gruvis Malt
Everlast
Ozomatli

 

[Hyoukinmono]

Hmmmm. I guess I'll have to have you define "good"....
Granted, there are plenty of rap artists that are good at rap. Just like there are plenty of pieces of poop that are good at being pieces of poop. My policy is to flush the poop down the toilet, though.
I guess it's a matter of taste.

I've always wondered why rap isn't in the spoken word category at the Grammys. Sure there's often a bit of background music, or at least sound effects, but it's basically some guy (or gal) talking.

If I want to sit down and listen to a black man talk about life in the ghetto, I'll buy a Bill Cosby CD. At least it's witty. And coherent. And Bill doesn't get arrested or killed in a drive-by.

 

[Odysseus]

Hmmmm. I guess I'll have to have you define "good"....
Granted, there are plenty of rap artists that are good at rap. Just like there are plenty of pieces of poop that are good at being pieces of poop. My policy is to flush the poop down the toilet, though.
I guess it's a matter of taste.

LOL!!!

I totally agree. I'm sure there is such thing as good rap, but the whole genre of just speaking in rhyme w/ stupid backround music (at least IMO) doesn't seem like music as much as a contest to see who can tell stories about getting in a drug fight the best while keeping the ryhme going on. They dont even try to sing, but just talk, except when they're just talking at different pitches and that shows an outstanding level of musicianship :Smug:
It seems like non-musician's "music" to me, cuz the rap artists aren't musicians in addition to the listener not knowing much/anything about music.

I love that poop quote. That's right up there on my list of best posts ever right with Haggicide talking about nirvana and kurt cobain. I realize i've only been a member for a few weeks but that was still awesome.

 

[Pharaoh]

LOL!!!

ME LOL!!! TOO!!

 

[Cat5Messiah]

I don't really pay attention to labels. For example, people will call CoB Death Metal, I consider them Technical Power Metal. Bands like Rhapsody and such, I consider Neo-Classical.........it's all a big fucking joke. I don't know, I'm drunk.

 

[symphonyXjapan]

I don't really pay attention to labels. For example, people will call CoB Death Metal, I consider them Technical Power Metal. Bands like Rhapsody and such, I consider Neo-Classical.........it's all a big fucking joke. I don't know, I'm drunk.

Me too dude. I personally think that the genre of power metal is thrown around at bands too unconsciencely.

 

[Haggicide]

You know not all rap is the radio pop from the likes of 50 Cent and Eminem. A lot of it is actually good.

Try:

Nas
Asian Dub Foundation
Massive Attack
Public Enemy
Gruvis Malt
Everlast
Ozomatli

I think you misunderstood my point about Rappin' Romeo: I was saying that it would be violently incongruous with his established medium, like Kenny G blasting out some power chords on a Les Paul.

Now to address your point: When I speak of rappers, I am not referring to or thinking of one rapper in particular. I have been hearing rap (notice I am not LISTENING to it) since the early days of its popularity in the early 80's, and they all run together after a while. Some are less painful to listen to than others, and those kinder individuals will hopefully be repaid with a less painful death. The rest should get what they deserve in the form of a brutal drive-by shooting in the testicles with a pellet gun by a rival talentless, hopeless, and useless rapper, who also happens to be their baby-mama. And then their pierced scrotum will get infected. And then they will die a painful, senseless, flash-in-the-pan death. And I pity them. All this senseless violence could be avoided by simply outlawing "music" that doesn't require musical instruments or musical talent. Writing an autobiographical rap tune and can't think of a word that rhymes with "fizzle"? Just make one up. Or two. Or a hundred. While you're at it, why not just make every word end in "-izzle"? Hey, now we're on to something. Now you know how Snoop does it.

Anyway, Michael Romeo should not rap. uke:

Hag

What has 6 arms, 2 heads, and sucks ass?

Nirvana

 

[marcmy]

i fucking love it all. the odyssey, DWOT, V, whatever! it's all amazing. even heavier would be fucking awesome. so would more melody like in the song "divine wings of tragedy". i mean it's all great. this is by far one of the best bands i've ever heard anything they play so far i've enjoyed.

 

[ElPredicador]

A couple of things:
First of all, prog doesn't necessarily have to be technical. Just think of Pink Floyd (one of the eminences of prog, and David Gilmoure has said a lot of times he sucks at guitar playing). Don't blame prog for being wankery and show off, because that is only a characteristic of the person composing/playing. Allan Holdsworth plays insane guitars really often. Can we say all jazz players are all insane guitars? John Cage makes (IMO) horrible music. Can I say all that all contemporary composers make horrible music. Surely not. Don't "blame" a style for some of their bands defects.
Second: I read lots of posts saying that genres don't matter, music is what matters, etc... I won't say it in my words because I am a disaster explaining myself, but I'll use an analogy used in a prologue to William Golding's Lord of the Flies (I can't recall the name of the writer, but it doesn't matter) "Imagine you go to the countryside. You need a map to guide yourself through the countryside. The fact that you have come to enjoy the countryside doesn't make the map any less necessary". Music genres are useful a lot of times.
Third: Progressive because of keyboards!?!? Why are you entitled to a music genre because of an instrument you use? Sure, you can say most (you can't say all, because they aren't) prog bands use keyboards, but that doesn't make the use of keyboards progressive. Chick Corea uses keyboards in his Elektric Band. So does Scott Knisey and Lyle Mays. Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica use them too. Are they prog? Surely not. I'm sorry, SXJapan, but your description of prog is the most superficial I've come across.

Peace...

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

A couple of things:
First of all, prog doesn't necessarily have to be technical. Just think of Pink Floyd (one of the eminences of prog, and David Gilmoure has said a lot of times he sucks at guitar playing). Don't blame prog for being wankery and show off, because that is only a characteristic of the person composing/playing. Allan Holdsworth plays insane guitars really often. Can we say all jazz players are all insane guitars? John Cage makes (IMO) horrible music. Can I say all that all contemporary composers make horrible music. Surely not. Don't "blame" a style for some of their bands defects.
Second: I read lots of posts saying that genres don't matter, music is what matters, etc... I won't say it in my words because I am a disaster explaining myself, but I'll use an analogy used in a prologue to William Golding's Lord of the Flies (I can't recall the name of the writer, but it doesn't matter) "Imagine you go to the countryside. You need a map to guide yourself through the countryside. The fact that you have come to enjoy the countryside doesn't make the map any less necessary". Music genres are useful a lot of times.
Third: Progressive because of keyboards!?!? Why are you entitled to a music genre because of an instrument you use? Sure, you can say most (you can't say all, because they aren't) prog bands use keyboards, but that doesn't make the use of keyboards progressive. Chick Corea uses keyboards in his Elektric Band. So does Scott Knisey and Lyle Mays. Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica use them too. Are they prog? Surely not. I'm sorry, SXJapan, but your description of prog is the most superficial I've come across.

Peace...

 

[ElPredicador]

Well thanks, ultimate symphony

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

Hehe, no problem

\m/

 

[Mr. Shred-ididle]

you are my hero ElPredicador =)