Scott's Thoughts #1-- Be a Prog Fan, not a Prog Hole!

If you are reading my page, you probably know that I am a HUGE prog rock fan! I like prog artists from prog's origins in the late 1960's up through 2025.  Do I like EVERY prog band or artist, though?  No!  I am not a big fan of the types of prog metal where there is an over-abundance of death-metal growls (aka Cookie Monster vocals).  Also, I am not big on extremely free-form, Avant Garde style music.  However, I know that many people really like these styles, and that's OK.  I tend to enjoy highly structured, melodic music with lots of rhythmic and dynamic twists and turns.  Electronica is not really my cup of tea either, if it just consists of long sustained chords and sound effects with no real sense of movement.  Again, if someone else loves Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schultze and similar artists, then great for them.  But I do know that they are all prog sub-genres. Furthermore, I recognize that prog may not be the right genre for everyone.  I tend to be totally oblivious to what's in the current pop top 40; it just doesn't usually appeal to me.  I do like to listen to other styles and genres too; sometimes I will avoid prog altogether for a brief period of time. With that said, I try to not let my opinions color my attitude to the point that I feel like my opinions are more important than anyone else's. In other words, I try not to be a PROG HOLE!

What's a prog hole?  

According to Urban Dictionary, a Prog hole is:

A "progressive rock elitist", usually a white male wearing a t-shirt from the latest concert he attended who is all too willing to share his knowledge about obscure music facts with you. He will be generally also be a music snob but will be unable to justify his opinions other than with a contemptuous look and a half-hearted attempt at a chuckle.

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A prog hole tends to think their view of what qualifies as prog is the only way to view it, and everyone else is wrong!  They make statements like "If you think Pink Floyd is prog, then you don't know what prog is!"  (Yep, that is a sentiment I have seen more than once.)  Or here's another one I have come across:  "Yes, Rush, Genesis and ELP aren't true prog bands, because they did things that aren't prog!"  Really??  Others will take the point of view that for a band or artist to be prog, they have to have come out during the "golden years of prog", in the late 60's -mid 70's.  For example, "Marillion aren't REAL prog, because they didn't come out until the 1980s." (Oh, OK...)

Prog holes also tend to be gate keepers.  "What?  You only like 'Dark Side of the Moon?  Then you aren't a REAL Pink Floyd fan!".  Or this:  You didn't know that Yes had a guitar player before Steve Howe?  Well, you aren't much of a Yes fan, are you?"    And there's this:  "You shouldn't wear that Genesis t-shirt because you don't know that Phil Collins wasn't the original drummer!"  "Nice Kansas T-Shirt!  Can you name 5 Kansas songs that aren't 'Carry On Wayward Son' or 'Dust in the Wind'?" Prog-fans come with all levels of experience.  Some may just be starting their prog journey and want to learn more.  Others just like what they like and aren't really interested in knowing every artist's full catalog and the track list running order on every album (let alone all the alternate versions on the bonus tracks of various re-issued deluxe editions).  It's ok if they don't know it all.  If they want to learn more, they'll ask, and if they aren't interested in knowing all of the minutia, leave them alone!  They have discovered some great music, and they'll delve deeper if they wish to!

Prog holes also like to "one-up" or "out-do" in discussions with other prog-lovers.  "Oh, you've seen Yes only 6 times?  That's cute!  I've seen them 243 times, starting in 1968, when Tony O'Reilly was the drummer when Bill Bruford went back to Leeds University!"  "I see you have 'Thick as a Brick' on vinyl.  That's cool and all, but have you seen this? (sends picture) This is an original 1972, first edition pressing, but they mis-labeled the credits as Matin Barry instead of Martin Barre!  Only a real Tull fan has this!" (OK, I made that one up, but you get the idea!)

Do any of these examples apply to you?  Worried you might be a prog hole?  No fear, I'm here to help! follow these simple steps and you'll recover fully!

• Don't judge!  Maybe you are a walking Progcyclopedia, but while it's ok to correct someone who erroneously credits a song by a band to the wrong album, do it in a courteous way.  Example: someone says:  "I love 'The Yes Album', especially 'Roundabout'!"  I know there is the urge to tie them to the spit and roast them by saying something like: "Some Yes fan you are.  You don't even know that 'Roundabout' is on 'Fragile', not the freakin' 'Yes Album'....idiot! Instead, be more helpful:  "Oh, I think that you mis-spoke there, 'Roundabout' is on 'Fragile'.  But that's ok, honest mistake".  
• Don't make a newbie feel unworthy because they don't know EVERYTHING about a band that you like! Example: someone shows up in a Facebook group and asks "hey, I heard a really cool song the other day and I am pretty sure it was by Emerson Lake and Palmer.  What's the song that goes 'Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends'?"  Rather than going, "well as everybody knows, that's 'Karn Evil 9- First Impression, Part 2'! Do some research before you ask things like that!", try this: "Hey, that is a cool song!  That's a portion of an extended suite by ELP called 'Karn Evil 9'.  Specifically, it's called 'Karn Evil 9, First Impression, Part 2'.  If you like that you can find it on their album called 'Brain Salad Surgery'. Let me know if you want to know any more about them!  Glad you discovered ELP!"  
• Your opinions are just that-- your opinions-- but they might be unpopular opinions!  You can have whatever opinion you like, that's fine; but your opinion is not prog law just because you express it.  No matter how many prog albums are in your vinyl collection, or how many bands you've seen.  I hold several unpopular opinions, as I have a very broad definition of prog.  However, I don't think that everyone must agree with my opinion, just because I post an article on Facebook or this Blog! (That even includes this post. BTW.) What are some of my opinions that I know many people will disagree with?  Here's a few:
• Iron Maiden are Prog Metal
• 80s Genesis still made great prog, even if they also did more commercial leaning music.
• YesWest is almost as great as 70s classic Yes.
• 21 Pilots are an art-rock band, even if they don't call themselves one.
• To piggy-back on that, art-rock and prog-rock are closely related cousins, but not exactly the same. (Eg: Peter Gabriel era Genesis is prog, bur Peter Gabriel solo music is art rock.)

To conclude, basically, let's chill folks!  I, and many of you who read this are big prog fans, and that's great!  However, we don't need to act superior to others.  Let's open our minds and not force our opinions as facts.  As I state on this blog, I don't claim to be an expert; I'm just a guy who loves prog and am on a journey to discover more.  Diversity is part of what makes prog great, in my opinion.  Let's be welcoming of new prog fans and share our knowledge in a way that doesn't scare off newbies!  LOVE THE PROG!  But DON'T BE A PROG HOLE!