Whoever came up with the term "progressive rock" didn't do the genre any favours. It implies that the rest of rock is what? Regressive? (Another one is "intelligent dance music". It may well be accurate - artists like Autechre and Aphex Twin are brilliant, but it comes off as arrogant, I think you'll agree.) Now I doubt that the artists themselves are in favour of labels to begin with (which come about, for the most part, because some critics don't have much else to say), let alone ones like those mentioned above, but I do know that the concept behind much of prog rock has been much maligned, particularly by those with punkist sympathies (like me). The idea, which probably started with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, is that rock could be more ambitious and/or expansive in both technique and composition.

Well, like any genre of music, it's had its ups and downs. I would argue however, that no style of music should ever be dismissed out of hand. Listeners will cut themselves off from a lot of good stuff if they do. Good music takes effort and integrity; it's not the style that determines the quality. (I'm always shocked when someone tells me they don't like country music - particularly if they can't name a single George Jones song.) But a piece that you must hear (or hear again, as the case may be) came to mind recently when I wrote about Peter Gabriel and his leaving Genesis. "Supper's Ready" is a twenty-three-minute through-composed masterpiece that stands as an eloquent counter-argument to anyone who takes a swipe at the band - or the genre. (Particularly recommended is the "new stereo mix" version.)

Further to yesterday's post: Another great Radiohead song to try conducting to is "All I Need" from In Rainbows. It's a very interesting structure because the verse is in 4/4, but it is based on an unusual harmonic rhythm (i.e. the rhythm determined by the chord changes). In 4/4, most chord changes occur either every four or every two beats. They do in this song as well, but with one important difference: There is a pattern of three chords, with the first and second chords being four beats in length, and the third only two. This creates a ten-beat pattern, the equivalent of two and a half measures. Double that, and you have a verse built on five-measure phrases. It creates a very unique effect, in my opinion, an awesomely beautiful one. Radiohead's music is frequently misunderstood. All kinds of crazy things have been written about them. But the fact is that their music is some of the most thoughtful that rock has ever been graced with. Don't let others make up your mind for you. Put your ears on.

Also, further to yesterday's post: I used Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" as an example of a rock song in 7/4. But the song is notable for another reason as well: It treats the time in his life when he made the decision to leave Genesis, and to start his solo career. It is very interesting to look at the lyrics in that light. (Cf. The Beatles' - or is it Paul McCartney's - "Blackbird".)

Further to yesterday's discussion of meter, and conducting as a way to better hear it - here are two interesting (and well-known) rock songs that use the unusual 7/4 time signature: Pink Floyd's "Money", and Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill". In this meter, a good conducting pattern is a measure of three and then a measure of four or vice versa (see yesterday's post for instructions for conducting in both three and four). Try them both with the two songs, and see which fits better for each. Also, at certain points the time shifts back to straight 4/4 - see if you can figure out where. (The answers are available in the songs' Wikipedia entries.)

Another interesting technique used by composers is the concept of "disguising one", wherein it is not easy to determine where the count begins. Two Radiohead songs come immediately to mind: the first is "Let Down" from OK Computer, which could be thought of as beginning with a bar of 23/4 - not exactly the traditional "One Two Three Four!" of rock and roll. (Thanks to Ethan Iverson's great Do The Math blog for this, by the way.) The other is "Videotape" from In Rainbows, where the band itself had a lengthy discussion regarding the location of one. There are plenty more examples from their repertoire that are worthy of discussion, and over time I hope to get to more of them.