I figured by now I should let you know what kind of music I like and, more importantly, what kind of music I'm going to record. This is the part where I alienate the few readers I have because I don't have mainstream tastes. Then again, recording techniques are recording techniques, so whatever I use to make my recordings can be used to make any music, including bad music.
I'm a prog kinda guy. Progressive rock, in case you didn't know the abbreviation. What is progressive rock? Well, this link explains it a little, and although it's meant to be funny it's also mostly true. Prog is rock music that pushes the boundaries of traditional rock music with high levels of musicianship, extended song lengths, multi-movement pieces, different instruments (anything with a keyboard is a good fit here), odd time signatures, and more conceptual lyrics. In fact, any time you hear the term "concept album" you're almost always talking about a progressive rock act.
Another word for it is symphonic rock, as it takes the structure of symphonic music and relates it to rock. This is where the extended length, multi-movement songs come into play. There are also offshoots of progressive rock, the most common one being progressive metal, which is just prog with a metal edge. Bands like Dream Theater and Queensryche fit into this category.
I wasn't always a prog fan, but the progression (no pun intended) of my musical tastes led in that direction. When I was first bitten by the guitar bug at the tender age of 11, I was drawn to guitar-heavy bands of the era like Van Halen and Def Leppard. When those bands didn't completely satisfy what I was looking for, I didn't listen to anything for a while. That is, until I looked into the past and found what is still one of my favorite bands: Rush. They are the quintessential prog rock band. Their level of musicianship is off the chart, they've recorded their fair share of extended-length, multi-movement songs, and they just love odd time signatures. The thing about Rush that I really like, though, is that even though they're progressive, they don't forget the rock. It may make them a little less adventurous than other prog bands, but considering I'm a guitarist first, I like guitar-heavy music. Alex Lifeson is my biggest influence and I know more Rush songs than all other bands combined.
I also was introduced to Yes at this time, another prog legend. They rely a little more on synths and Hammond organs than Rush, although Steve Howe is still an excellent guitarist. Then there's Pink Floyd, who many feel are the fathers of progressive rock. They've also got David Gilmour, one of the best guitarists in rock history.
I like music that takes you somewhere. Whether it's lyrically, musically, or both, I prefer songs that change and evolve instead of just plodding along or following typical patterns. So I was really happy when hair metal was eclipsed by the Seattle sound (I hate the word "grunge," but that's what everyone called it). The original grunge bands - Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana - brought a sense of integrity and musicianship (or at least songwriting, in the case of Nirvana) back to music, although Soundgarden is the only one who could wear a progressive moniker with little question, in their case progressive metal. While this music excited me for a few years, it too was found eventually lacking. Partly because I didn't want to be depressed or hear songs about someone's drug addiction anymore, but mostly because it ushered in the era of post-grunge music, an era of banality that rivals the hair metal era. Because of Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, we've had to endure years of Nickelback, Puddle of Mud and other gems. Makes you hate them a little, doesn't it?
What I didn't know is that during this time - I call it the lost 90s - there was a new progressive movement building. Bands like Spock's Beard, the Flower Kings, and Porcupine Tree were making great new progressive rock and I had no idea. I discovered them last year - first Spock's Beard, then Transatlantic (a side project of Neal Morse from Spock's Beard), then the Flower Kings (guitarist/singer Roine Stolt was a member of Transatlantic) then Porcupine Tree. This new awakening was the catalyst for my new dedication to music - both my guitar playing and my plans to write and record my own prog songs. There are still many other progressive rock bands I need to discover - neo-proggers like Marillion and Dream Theater, classic proggers like King Crimson, ELP and Gabriel-era Genesis. This makes me excited about music again, even if I'm discovering these bands a little late. I suggest everyone should at least listen to some of these bands, even if you don't think you'd like prog. They're too good to have so many people not know who they are. I suggest Spock's Beard's The Light as a good introduction. It worked for me.
On a side note, it's interesting how I'm more serious about my guitar when I have good music to listen to. The times I put my guitar away were the same times I wasn't listening to music and was searching for something new. Makes me glad that I have so much prog yet to discover.
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