Progressive Rock--My subjective take

In the late sixties to the mid seventies, it was vogue for all music to reach out, blur the lines, and fuse with other forms. Jazz leaned toward rock to form fusion. Funk was essentially progressive soul. Music in general seemed to be progressing toward a meta-genre and it seemed that perhaps the artificial distinctions between people and cultures would vanish as well. When it came to music, people were more open-minded back then, and had longer attention spans. Commerciality existed, but it was not the tyrannical force that it became later on.

Essentially, what became known as progressive rock began as a branch of rock music that aspired to incorporate elements of jazz and symphonic/chamber(aka classical) flavorings. Thus, in many cases, it featured songs in the form of long suites, with meters outside of the common 4/4, and complexities not typical of rock.

There were various "schools" of progressive rock, many that did not recognize each other, but became grafted together because of the eclectic tastes of listeners, and because of being more complex and/or experimental than the mainstream.

There was what we now call the "symphonic" branch: Yes, ELP, early Genesis, Gentle Giant, Gryphon, Happy the Man, very early King Crimson, the Moody Blues, early Jethro Tull, Van Der Graff Generator, Camel, PFM, Banco, ect…

There was a conglomeration of groups that originated from the Canterbury region of England that had a more jazzy sound: Soft Machine, Egg, Gilgamesh, National Health, Hatfield and the North, Caravan, ect…

And then there was a more experimental school, one that disliked the more assessable and popular "symphonic" groups. They incorporated such elements as avant-garde and 20th century chamber music. Henry Cow, Univers Zero and four others joined in a festival called Rock in Opposition. Eventually, RIO became common nomenclature referring to avant rock groups with similar leanings.

The lines though are blurred. Camel is from the Canterbury region and shares some of the same Canterbury roster, but leaned "symphonic". Henry Cow started as a Canterbury group, but branched into more and more experimental music, until it became the core of the international RIO movement. In many cases, it's impossible and futile to pinpoint where jazz-fusion ends and Progressive rock begins. In that time of open mindedness, it was not unheard of to like different groups such as Yes and Magma. Even though there were vast differences, both were distinct from more typical rock music, and thus the tastes of fans adopted both.

However, a terrible train wreck occurred on the road to meta-music: Punk, totalitarian commercialism, and racism. Punk was the anti-Prog, a regressive music where not knowing how to play became celebrated. Record companies began the downward spiral into the cookie-cutter abyss. For the most part, rap, like punk, was regressive, devolving from its party music origins, devoid of technique and musicality, focusing solely on a spoken word that too often glorified violence, greed, crime, guns, pride, and self-imposed segregation rather than the dream of uniting with one's fellowman based on common humanity.

Eventually, punk progressed into new wave, leaving its caveman trappings for the synthesized flavorings found in electronica. By this time, Progressive rock had essentially crystallized as a sound, and what remained of it had been driven underground. Some groups looked back to more symphonic times, to the golden age of Yes and Genesis, while lacking their technical virtuosity. Thus began a blend of new wave with progressive seasonings, groups such as Marillion and IQ, who began "neo-prog", the Second Wave of Progressive Rock.

In many ways, neo-prog was not truly Progressive Rock. It did not reach to the same heights or depths or textures or complexities, it did not fuse jazz or symphonic works. Neo-prog represented true Prog about as much as a bag of Doritos represents Mexican food--it was mainstream rock with progressive flavoring. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't good music. In fact, albums such as Script for a Jester's Tear and Misplaced Childhood were quite stellar. Many progressive rock fans adopted neo-prog into the genre and the tent and definition became larger.

In the nineties, while the mainstream was flirting with Grunge/Alternative(which was essentially a regressive revival of Punk), true Progressive rock experienced resurgence, a Third Wave. Groups such Anglagard, echolyn, and Spock's Beard brought Prog into the present. They went beyond mere neo-prog, but approached the technical complexities of Prog's Golden Age. At the same time, many RIO-like groups such as 5uu's, Thinking Plague, Tipographica achieved something similar for the avant wing as well. The internet, progfests, albums reissues and a plethora of smaller labels contributed to this music boom.

Will there be a Fourth Wave? Will more mainstream groups like the Mars Volta and Radiohead embrace Prog, making it acceptable once again? Will post-rock groups like Tortoise keep arising and reinvent the wheel, reverse engineering prog-like sounds? The common wisdom is that these things go in cycles. Sometimes music fatigue weigh on both fans and groups. There are commercial pressures and unforeseen developments. It's hard to say what the future will bring. But the one thing we know for now: The music is out there.

Ticky Tacky Dough--and how many men could a Pacman pack if a Pacman could pack?

I found an old CD with some of my old home projects, written in Visual Basic.

First is a shoddy version of Pacman. If you're wondering why it looks so much like the arcade version--I screenprinted the real thing and used the bitmap as a background. (Hopefully this snapshot is not violating copyright--if it is, tell me and I'll take it down.)

To the right is a behind the scenes look at how the program works. Basically, Pacman, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde ran on "rails".

Unfortunately, the backup wasn't up-to-date. It only encompassed Pacman running the maze, while moving his mouth. Later versions had his enemies, working power pellets(that is the ghosts turned blue when they were eaten), dots, and I had the ghosts regenerating in the ghost box. What I had not perfected was how the ghosts hunted or fled Pacman--and even the disembodied eyes had a time getting back to the ghost box.

As with many home projects, I got to the point where I saw I could do the window dressing. But then, what? The mountain was basically climbed at that point. I moved on.

In the bottom righthand corner is a screenprint of the obligatory Tic Tac Toe program. If memory serves me correct, it was just a matter of a few sittings to code. If you're interested in the code, navigate over to my Livejournal.

Feeling B.L.U.E: Bruford Levin Upper Extremities

Here's a photo I dug up from nine years ago. Bill Bruford and Tony Levin holding a signing in Of Sound Mind, in support of their album Bruford Levin Upper Extremities.

For any who are drawing a blank, Bill Bruford is a progressive rock legend, the former drummer of Yes, King Crimson, UK, and National Health as well as his own groups, such as B.L.U.E., Earthworks, and Bruford. After Peter Gabriel left Genesis, he also helped Phil Collins on drums for a tour.

And, of course, Tony Levin has been anywhere and everywhere, from King Crimson to Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (that is, "Yes-East"), to touring with Peter Gabriel, as well as a host of session work. Tony Levin pioneered the use of the stick, a variation of bass guitar that utilizes two handed technique.

That evening, after the signing at Of Sound Mind, they played a great gig at Orion Studios. Bruford Levin Upper Extremities is a good album, mixing the sound of 80's King Crimson with equal parts of jazz, ambient, and experiemental music. David Torn's aggressive guitar looping was a challenge for me originally, however, Chris Botti's smooth trumpet offset and balanced it out. It's an album that can be puzzling at first listen, but it grows on you, and then it becomes addicting.

The Elements of Style

Style is not the only dimension to writing, however, for an aspiring writer, it is just as essential as plot, pacing, setting, and characterization. The good news is: it's not rocket science. One of the best aids is The Elements of Style by Strunk & White. Originally, Strunk wrote the core text in order to teach his English courses, and even though it dates from around World War I, it's been amended--and it is not only easy to follow, but very relevant to modern writing.

Newer writers should, in particular, pay attention to the sections:

• Use the active voice. [as in not in the passive voice]
• Use definite, specific, concrete language.
• Omit needless words.
• Write with nouns and verbs. [as in not with adjectives and adverbs]
• Do not overwrite.
• Do not explain too much.
• Do not construct awkward adverbs.
• Avoid fancy words.
• Be clear.
• Use figures of speech sparingly.
  

Usually I find that I forget the majority of the recommendations, but I think if at least some of it is applied, the writing improves dramatically. And, as with anything, advice can be taken too far, but if taken in context, the recommendations are reasonable.

Realms Of Fantasy : The Envelope Please . . .

After "The Azazel Tree" ended up a non-winning finalist in WOTF, I sent the story to Realms of Fantasy. As with "Foregleamer", I received the The Yellow Form of Promise. Doug Cohen said that he liked the concept and pacing, however the milieu didn't feel fully realized. At last, a clue as to why my story didn't win WOTF!

Ghosts from Progday's Past...

Nope. I haven't done a music related post recently. But since I've dug this up today, I had to share it, even though Progday '08 is nine months from now.

This photo was taken from Progday '98, I believe. And if memory serves me, the idea was to get all the movers and shakers of the east coast Prog scene (concert promoters, those who had prog labels, studios, major vendors) onstage.

The guy in the black shirt is Chris Lamka, who owned Of Sound Mind, a Baltimore store that sold Prog. He still runs a mail order business from his house. To his left was Adam Levin, and to Adam's left, Mike Potter. Both were involved in Orion Studios, which is primarily a music studio. Many showcases were held there (and still are from time to time). To Chris's right is Rob LaDuca, who along with Chad Hutchinson, founded Nearfest--THE best of progfests. Second from the far right is Peter Renfro, founder of Progday, the longest ever running progfest.

Of course, I've missed a few names, but those are the ones I recognize on sight. Who knew that ten years later, I'd share this piece of Prog history on something called a blog?

The 10 Recommendations For Those Just Starting Out...

Though I've come close, I’m presently unpublished, so yes, this is like the blind leading the blind. I have no mountain to come down from, no commandments written in stone, no magic formula to impart. But, if you're just starting out, consider 10 Recommendations:

[1] Participate in an online critique group like Critters (highly recommended), Critique Circle, or Hatrack. By finding gems and flaws in another’s writing, you learn what works, and what doesn’t in your own. And of course, you get valuable feedback and perhaps a reality check by having others review your work. Sometimes it might feel like a punch to the gut, but mistaken kindness, having people tell you what you want to hear, is in the end much crueler.

[2] Begin with short stories. If you can’t craft a short story, how will you write a novel? You can always go back and novelize a shorter work. Think: Ender’s Game.

[3] Don’t overload the story. Say you have some brilliant ideas for your milieu. If the reader can’t catch on, or has to jump through too many hoops in their already busy and complex life, then it’s been wasted. They will quit reading. Or won’t enjoy it. Try a story with one or two “What Ifs” to start with and those ideas will shine more than if they have to compete with a dozen.

[4] Don’t explain too much, that is infodump. Gradually drip exposition throughout the story, but in a natural fashion according to the viewpoint character and the plot.

Think: Not all of us understand or think about the detailed workings of the car we drive or our computers, we just use them and they work. What’s important is how we use it. If the story isn’t overloaded to begin with, than that’s half the battle.

Always remember: Not everything needs to be explained.

[5] Don’t explain too little. If you don’t explain enough, then you leave the reader in the dark. This is essential when you start the story. From the first paragraph, the reader must understand where the viewpoint character is, what they are doing, what their name is, and what the story is about. And often, the first reader will want the genre to be clear from page one. Clarity, clarity, clarity!

[6] Master third person limited viewpoint and stick with it for now.

True, some of our favorite stories have a first person narrator, but when learning the ropes, it’s best to learn third person limited, which can be every bit as in depth as first person and, as Orson Scott Card says in Characters and Viewpoint, has the illusion of immediacy in past tense that first person does not. Avoid third person omniscient, it is very difficult to do well and has fallen out of fashion. In third person limited, the narrator is almost indistinguishable from the viewpoint character. The narration shows the story through the viewpoint character’s senses and through their thoughts.

Thus it’s unnecessary to say: Billy Vader turned and saw a hobbit push a cart down the cobblestone street.

Rather: A hobbit shoved his cart over the cobblestones. (We know the viewpoint character saw it, so why tell us?)

And that’s why it’s unnecessary to always say: A potential apprentice, Billy Vader thought.

Rather: The hobbit had the makings of an apprentice. If only he could be turned to gray side.

If you apply third person limited right, there will be no withholding of crucial information. The reader should reasonably know what they know and see what they are thinking and remembering. Thus if you try to withhold just to elicit a twist, such as, in a who-done-it and the viewpoint character ends up being the killer all along, and it’s not revealed until the end, the first reader (aka the editor) will be quite mad. You violated point of view. Television, movies, and other visual media can do this because the viewer sees the story from the outside in. With written fiction, the reader observes the story from the inside out.

[7] Show AND tell.
Don’t tell: The unsanitary hobbit was happy.

Rather show it and prove it: The hobbit smiled, revealing yellowed and brown teeth. Even his bloodshot eyes seemed to grin. He rubbed one grimy hand against another and slimed muck across his calluses. “Ready to feast on the cockroaches?”

On the other hand, don’t show too much, only what’s important to move the story along. Otherwise the story can be weighed down in too much detail. Mundane activities can be regulated to narrative summary. Why burden us with the ingredients the viewpoint character picked up at the market for that night’s dinner? Don’t list every item on the mantelpiece in detail. Is it pertinent to the story? Then why are you telling me? Yes, set the scene, but don’t take it too far. Trust the reader’s imagination. It’ll fill in many of the details, and if you strike a good balance, you’ll have given the illusion you showed it, even when you didn’t.

[8] Avoid passive main characters (NOT to be confused with passive voice, but avoid that too!). Your story can’t just be about what the main character observed or what was done to them. They need to drive the plot. They can try and fail, but they should at least strive for goals. And where they do reach a goal it shouldn’t be handed to them on a silver platter or by a Deus Ex Machine. They have to surmount many obstacles with their own hard work. Otherwise there’s no story.

[9] Avoid clichéd expressions, characters, and plot. Since you’re the writer, you’re supposed to create your own expressions, not borrow common ones from everyday speech, such as: cool as a cucumber, fly on the wall, when it rains it pours, raining cats and dogs.

How many times do you watch a show and can predict what’s going to happen? Don’t you hate that? Sure, it’s fun at first, but then it gets old. If a reader can predict what’s going to happen, then why are they reading it? They already know the story.

In Characters and Viewpoint, Orson Scott Card said that the first thing we usually pull from our mental shelf is probably a cliché, so we might have to go back several times and pull something else.

[10] Remember Card’s MICE quotient [milieu, idea, character, event] when deciding when a story is to begin and end.

* Got a milieu story? Then the story begins about the time the character confronts a strange new world and ends when they leave, or when they won’t leave, or when they find out they can’t. In novel forms examples are: The Hobbit, Rendezvous with Rama, and the duology Eon and Eternity.

* Got idea? As in a mystery? Or a problem that calls for a purely technological, scientific solution? Then the story beings with the problem and ends when the problem is solved, by discovering who did it, or the application of a device that fixes that deadly leak in the space-time continuum.

* What about a Character story? The story begins when the character is unhappy with themselves or their place in a sociologic structure (their family, community, ect…). The story ends when the character changes themselves or their place or decides It’s A Wonderful Life after all. Or not. See: Wild Seed by Octavia Butler

Event. The milieu is out of whack. A monstrous overlord threatens the land. A battle of good and evil ensues. The world is doomed unless a hero steps forward to undergo a quest that will make everything aright. The story begins when the hero, knowingly or unknowingly, starts on the path that will try to right the wrong, and ends when the crisis is abated OR the worst happens, the bad guy wins, the milieu is ended, or things remains as they always were.