As for prog (modern or classic), 'fraid I'm not your man unless you want to define the genre really loosely to include complex, atypical (in the pop world) arrangements, and often lengthy song structures. Then maybe here and there ...

I'd go for that!  There's nothing worse in the world than listening to some prog fans discussing precisely what is and isn't prog.   They come across as so narrow-minded when they should really be the opposite imo.

Might put the cat right amongst the pidgeons here, but wondering if anyone else has ear for some of the more recent prog bands?

If you fill me with a few good beers, I might make the case for SMiLE as the world's first (still-born) prog album!!

Particulatly thinking of bands like Big Big Train, The Pineapple Thief and Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree.  

I also love most of the classic bands of the genre, and they happily reside alongside my love for many of the classic songwriters of the past 50 years.  just depends what mood I'm in at the time which direction my listening pleasures gravitate to.

I saw them in the mid-1990's in a dingy little club in Glasgow more commonly associated with metal bands.

They were touring in support of the just-released Cold And Bouncy and the setlist also included great chunks of Gideon Gaye and Hawaii (which is, imo, their classic).

This was a time when Brian performing concerts again seemed unlikely, finishing SMiLE was a fantasy and all the original recordings being released was definitely from another universe.   As such, this was about as near as you could get to hearing SMiLE-esque music in a live environment as you were likely to get (or so we thought)

The very accurate manner in which they executed their songs was simply jaw-dropping.   I think I'd expected some trimming back from the studio recordings but not much was evident.

True to say they've trodden over much the same ground since then but I'm still a loyal purchaser of their albums as they come out.

The landscape of commercial music changed drastically after 1967. If you look at ALL the great artists and groups from the mid 50s UNTIL the late 60s its staggering. After that its empty watered down garbage almost entirely. Look at how fresh and fun rockNroll was that first decade (56-66), the times got so negative and the mediocre music reflected it. Then look at the mid 70s, it was like a new renaissance- not only were the Beach Boys back on top for a couple years but then the world got the Ramones, and thank god for them- even if they never had big hit records, you can't beat those great songs and the way they revolutionized rockNroll!

 

I don't understand your line of thought. Yes the BB were back in the spotlight in the mid 70s...with a COVER!? Ramones just tried to commercialize what the british punk bands did but with little success.

In the early 70s you had Zeppelin, Beatles, Hendrix, Dylan on the radio. In the mid 70s that became Boston, REO Speedwagon, AC DC, ZZ Top....

"Commercialize what the british bands were doing" ?? That is one of the absolute most ignorant, asinine remarks I've ever heard. You couldn't be any more wrong. The Ramones were the group that EVERY english punk band drew from. They single-handedly rejuvenated the spirit of rock by bringing it back to the primitive form it had in its heyday.

Absolutely.  The one gig that was at the fulcrum of that period was at the Roundhouse when the Ramones were supporting The Flaming Groovies (itself some kind of passing on of the baton in a way) where members of the Clash and Sex Pistols were sneaking in via the toilet window!!

The Stranglers were at the foot of that bill if I remember correctly.   Definitely one to attend if you had a Tardis available to you.

It was me who made the 'psychotic' quip. In response to some frankly ludicrous replies to my original statement that i did not think the photo was beautiful. I'm not upset at getting banned, i just thought her defensiveness was ridiculous and certainly was not open to discussion. She could have just said she thought i was out of line. Allan Hero is my friend, all round good guy and huge beach boys fan. We have been to many Brian Wilson gigs together. He posted saying he thought the bannings were childish and got banned for it!

Allan Hero?   I like that 

Anybody know who Allan Heron is?

I know him on Twitter (and this has just prodded me to add him on FB actually). Good bloke. Don't think he posts here.

Looks like I registered on here a good while ago which I'd clean forgotten about.  Had to check this out as I was clearly intended to be banished here!!

I just happened to get involved at the tail-end of the discussion and expressed surprise at what had happened.  To be honest, apart from expressing a different point of view about the picture there really was little to get fussed about, but it was the moderator who was unwilling to let others express a contrary view without challenging it.   And it was also her who started making personal comments first as well.  I would disagree with her thoughts about Brian from that period, but some of the most captivating and arresting pictures of Brian have come from his darker period.  Which is not the same as saying they are "beautiful".

Anyway, my comments that the bannings were a stupid and childish response got me banned in about thirty seconds flat.   I only found out by being tagged in her post (the one quoted earlier) which also managed to give me more prominence in this than my meagre contribution justified.

I still "like" the page on Facebook so still see all the stuff that comes through.  Just can't comment but that's no great loss - I only did this very sporadically any way.  There's not much fresh coming up via that route and most of it is shared from other sources.   

However, I would say that it is her page and she can run it the way she wants but her tolerance levels of any views different from her seems somewhat low which makes her peculiarly unqualified to moderate such a page.   

Anyway, life goes on...........