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Post by Jeff Truzzi on Jan 20, 2024 5:23:58 GMT
In 1973 - age 15, in landlocked Montana - I'd read about this band Genesis, but never heard their music. I requested it from college radio KUFM who played "I Know What I Like" every time, until I begged them to PLEASE play something else.
They played "Epping Forest" and the first half of "Firth of Fifth". I bought the album at the Missoula Mercantile the next day.
It was SO different from Yes & Crimson & Gentle Giant, so melodic. I loved Epping Forest being packed with so many hooks: the guitar here, the bass line there, the melody elsewhere. I thought: this band could have made 20 great pop tunes from these elements. Which they eventually did.
A few years later, Steve - known decades later to XTC fans as simpleton01 [me as Jeff Truzzi] - turned me onto a band called XTC that had the angular dissonance and melodic phrases of prog, combined with erudite lyrics and that sense of exploring new areas we loved in music.
Andy Partridge answered my question [on the XTC Idea forum 2004] about UK XTC fans being punk oriented vs. US prog fans who loved them:
"I like Yes. Music is music is music."
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Post by bluedemon25 on Jan 20, 2024 5:45:58 GMT
Interesting I came to XTC after first finding and falling in love with Genesis around the same age too.
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Post by donavan on Jan 20, 2024 9:52:56 GMT
This is Pop !
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Post by Finntrovertigo on Jan 20, 2024 10:13:27 GMT
They'll let anybody start a thread around here. Where is that Ned fellow to maintain some order?
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Post by donavan on Jan 20, 2024 10:52:40 GMT
'No Jeff No Forum'
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Post by sticksman1 on Jan 22, 2024 9:54:20 GMT
I do consider them prog and proudly British with it! There are elements of the use of odd time signatures or odd bar usage, the angular and dissonant guitar lines, the melodic flowing bass lines… When you unravel the complexities of XTC’s music, especially from Black Sea onwards, there are little nuggets of prog like goodness - as my ex Fools chum Ed has said in interviews, he explains it like layers of an onion. There’s always something new every time I listen - truly listen - to every track. XTC is such a wonderful band to listen to and be inspired by. ❤️
Example of odd bars - No Language, Summer’s Cauldron… examples of odd time - Great Fire, English Rounabout, The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul…
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Post by donavan on Jan 22, 2024 11:12:43 GMT
Prog and XTC doesn't sit easy with me. But then Prog is far-reaching and the boundaries get blurred.
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Post by peggs on Jan 26, 2024 23:49:14 GMT
I never got in to either genre back in the day, the band Yes being the exception (Genesis didn't enter my consciousness until the Duke and Abacab albums). But I appreciate and enjoy musical explanations and discussions so, thank you Jeff and sticksman. It's like a mini Rick Beato lesson.
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Post by donavan on Jan 27, 2024 0:16:29 GMT
You're welcome 😉
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Post by sticksman1 on Jan 30, 2024 10:30:52 GMT
I argued a quote from someone - "Prog has a tendency to drift into grandiosity and showboating."... to which I would agree to a point. But, the musicianship has to be on point. Not everyone can play "prog" comfortably. But, when who have gnat's chuffingly tight playing from Andy, Dave, Colin, with TC holding it down, and the fact that with each album they have pushed forward and expanded their own vocabulary... THAT to me is prog!
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Post by donavan on Jan 30, 2024 11:47:00 GMT
Who really cares what it's called. You either like it or not. Tastes change. Best not to go in too hard on any genre. Because what you hate today you might end up loving in 5 or 10 years time.
'See, I can be sensible.' 😃
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