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Why am I writing all this stuff?
I view writing as a kind of privilege. Writing about
something you love and enjoy is a bonus all around. The opportunity
to share one’s views with others is stimulating. To potentially
encourage others to think about things differently is always
exciting. This being a new forum I thought I’d start out with
a little explanation as to what my philosophy is when it comes
to the world of Progressive Rock. ***
When I first started work on The Progressive Rock Files
back in 1983, there was nothing in print about progressive
rock. I wanted information about the bands I was playing in
my radio show and there was none. It was wasteland, which
as it turned out was one of the main reasons for creating
the book. ***
Today in 2006, that’s no longer the case. Not only are
there a number of really good books available devoted to the
genre but there are also a quite a few wonderful publications.
Many of you will be familiar with Progression and Expose but
there are many others worldwide in many different languages.
As if that wasn’t enough, there is also the internet which
is loaded with more information than one person could ever
hope to come to terms with. ***
The internet is kind of like a Las Vegas buffet, it’s
hard to know when to stop. You can visit various sites devoted
to the genre, or visit specific fan sites or go on various
web-rings if you can’t makeup your mind where to go next.
There are also an ever expanding number of official band sites
with tons of information. Then there are the forum sites,
where everyone is invited to pontificate. Truth is I rarely
visit forums. In part because when I start reading the tangents
I get somewhat upset…but more than that…I find they can at
times become somewhat elitist rather than democratic. I’ve
gotten emails from people who’ve been ‘booed’ off certain
forums for expressing a liking of certain types of music that
others there seem unable to accommodate! Now that’s just wrong.
***
I’m reminded of that old school yard expression, “opinions
are like ‘#%-#X*’, everyone’s got one!” I’m of the belief
that there is a gulf of difference between plain old “opinions”
and “facts”. While it is true that everyone is entitled to
his or her opinion that doesn’t make every opinion right or
even correct. If you want to know what I mean, you might want
to check out the website posted by the Flat Earth Society
as an example! An opinion first and foremost is how one feels
about any particular matter. Then depending on how many facts
one used to inform an opinion, you can move on to forming
a judgment on any particular matter. Too many times these
days in this post-modern age we on one hand confuse opinion
with fact and on the other are too shy to make judgments.
In many respects, the internet has fostered this confusion
by providing an open forum, which can be a great thing or
as I’m sure we’ve all seen, can be a very confusing or even
dangerous thing. For me it’s important to recognize that we
can still be civil to others who may hold different views
of Progressive Rock even if we don’t agree with them. Displaying
an understanding to those you disagree with is the essence
of what tolerance truly is. After all, if we all agreed on
everything there would be no need for tolerance. ***
Then along comes John Gabbard who asks me to contribute
to his growing website "Progressiveland".
How could I refuse? Anytime I can be a part of something that
encourages others to sample new music or entice newcomers
to expand their musical appreciation, I’m right there. Getting
people to open their minds to a wider range of music is important.
And that’s one of the things I hope to do here. ***
Over the coming months I hope to talk about new trends
or unusual things, I notice in the prog community. But my
goal is to go beyond mere opinion. If one is going to make
an assertion, I believe it’s important that assertion be supported
with a logical argument. There is a big difference between
listening critically and just being critical…and too many
times we see too much of the latter and precious little of
the former. Just because one reviewer doesn’t like a recording
certainly doesn’t make it a bad record. Here again there is
a big difference between ‘good and bad’ and ‘like and don’t
like.’ ***
We’re in a great time for progressive rock. I’ve got
more music coming in the door than I physically have time
to listen to in any given day. Then there’s that new-fangled
stuff called Alt. Prog or Emo-prog, plus loads of great Symphonic
Progressive Rock. That’s where a site like this can be really
helpful. With many voices, contributing there is a great opportunity
to expose others to all these new sounds. ***
So keep in mind this isn’t a site built by just a few.
It’s a site being built by musicians, by writers and by the
progressive rock fan. Consider it a kind of round-table discussion,
where we can all share a number of view points. In that regard,
I invite your reactions… ***
To
buy Jerry's book's - The Progressive Rock Files/20th Century
Rock and Roll : Punk /The Psychedelic Rock Files /20th Century
Rock and Roll : Women in Rock - Click Here
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