Why do so many of today's prog rock videos feature the band playing "live"? Ever since Marillion dragged the keyboards out to the Irish shoreline (keyboards in nature is a big no-no, right?), I have had a hard time appreciating these kind of videos.
Is it just me ...?
Prog rock bands do videos these days?Originally Posted by Drake
Well, at least a few of them
That's a good example ...
Why are the guitar and keys plugged in?
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I agree, the fact that many prog rock musicians feel the need to make videos is indeed a problem.
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By the way, I know it's not prog, but possibly the silliest and most pointless video I ever saw was the official video for "Somewhere only We Know" by Keane. It almost ruined for me what I considered a very good song.
I suppose the ground serves as an amplifier.
I was poking around on Youtube one day, and found the very first episode of Solid Gold. One of the performers was John Stewart, who at the time had a hit called Gold, I think. Anyway, so on the show, he walks out onstage, guitar in hand as the obviously pre-recorded intro plays. He walks over to an amplifier, plugs in his guitar, then comes out to center stage, where he proceeds to lip synch the song. Uh, why did he even bother plugging in the guitar?!
The Marillion videos that I thought were silly were the early ones, particularly He Knows You Know and Garden Party. In the Garden Party video, Rothery plays a vicar, which involved him at one point crossing himself in time with the song's riff. I remember on the old video compilation Marillion put out in the 80's, with the videos from the first three studio albums on it, Steve Rothery said he didn't want to shave his beard for the Garden Party video, so he couldn't play one of the boys, and thus had to play one of the adults at the party.
In general, I don't think "prog" videos are any sillier than what you see in other genres. I mean, you want silly, watch almost any hip hop video.
How about this video:
Not prog, but it has Robert Jan Stips (formerly Supersister)
Yeah, but at last the hip hop videos have the video girls twerking.
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
Of course they should feel free to make videos, but I mean, videos can really add something to the whole experience of a song. Then why do so many choose to put themselves on a stage and pretend to play instead of trying to do something creative? Beats me.
Here's how it's done.
On the other hand, some bands have made very good use of the format. I'm thinking of the videos Camel produced for the Stationery Traveler album and tour. IMO they're better in some ways than the actual music.
But if you want bad videos by prog bands how about this clunker:
I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.
For effect, possibly? You might wanna ask why he took a guitar on stage that he wasn't even playing live…
Do you recall what specific video you saw? I turn up this appearance of his on Solid Gold which doesn't show him anywhere near his amps at the beginning of the song. You do, however, hear Stevie Nicks singing backing vocals. She must have had a mic backstage or something...
In order for it to look as authentic as it appeared in real/genuine life. Proglyprog (and Asia/Saga/Arena etc. are as progressive as they come for sure! Defo!) is all about being as good and true and truly good as can possibly be imagined, and therefore - even though they tend to suspect that people suspect them of not actually playing as in actually playing in these great videos - the least they can do is pretend.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
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