en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/Razalduria/journal The Last.fm journal for Razalduria. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/Razalduria/journal/2008/06/15/20y3lf_progressive_rock_-_boring%3F Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:45:58 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Razalduria/journal/2008/06/15/20y3lf_progressive_rock_-_boring%3F Last Night I had a conversation with my step-son (born 1985). You know, he's from the generation who usually does not care about the "good old times" of Rock - but, my education taught him to admire such gems like The Doors and John Lennon (whom I do not like as solo-artist, but that's another story).

Anyway, I was (once again) playing In the Court of the Crimson King: An Observation by King Crimson to him and suddenly he said: "Prog is pretty boring, isn't it?"

I was shocked - how could somebody ever saying that Prog is boring at all?

But after a while (and some discussion) I understood what he meant - it IS boring, if you stay on the same point of view for a long time. Is listening to the 287. time of Dancing With the Moonlit Knight boring? Hell yes, it is! And I never thought I'd write a sentence like that (being one of the biggest Genesis-Gabriel-Era Fans of all times - well, at least within the next 200 Miles)! So, what do we cling to? The live-performances! The memories! That was a difference, not celebrated anymore nowadays... is Prog boring to us? Never! Ever!

So, in order to let the younger generation forgive us our ignorance, why not let us forgive them their ignorance first?

Their music's boring? You bet!
They think our music's boring as hell? For sure!

But, after I explained the feelings, the memories and the overall life-situation in those days, he understood...

Progressive Rock was always about "pushing the boundaries over the edge", "leaping over the edge of the plate". So why should we stop nowadays?

We both came to agree to listen to each others's music, discussing it (if we want to), and (most importantly) accepting it!

However, since then my experience of listening to Prog has expanded again once more - carpe diem might come into one's mind here - it really works that way! By the way, HIS experience in Prog has expanded, too (he is now able to recognise Yes, Gentle Giant or Van Der Graaf Generator, and he is ALWAYS eager to talk about it anytime with me).

I hope you (and your offspring) do experience music as it was intended to be, and do not argue about it...

I cannot express how much I enjoy sharing my views of music with him - even if we don't share the same interest in music generally.

The power of music is sooo mighty!

Peace!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Razalduria/journal/2006/09/22/496zh_considering_the_charts... Fri, 22 Sep 2006 14:58:16 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Razalduria/journal/2006/09/22/496zh_considering_the_charts... Somehow, the charts do not reflect your musical taste correctly... it very much depends on the length of the songs!

Let me explain...
When I listen to Tales From Topographic Oceans (disc 1) and Tales From Topographic Oceans (disc 2), I am listening to 80 Minutes of Yes Music and I get 4 Plays for Yes.
But, when I listen twice to In the Court of the Crimson King: An Observation by King Crimson, I also listen to ~80 Minutes of King Crimson, but I'll get 10 Plays for King Crimson.

So, King Crimson will rank higher than Yes. Does that mean I am preferring King Crimson over Yes?

No, it doesn't... but these charts suggest so!

To change the accuracy of "real" music favourites, the PlugIn should also send the actual time of the track and give points per Minute for each played track.
For example, give 1 point per Minute.
Tales From Topographic Oceans (disc 1) and Tales From Topographic Oceans (disc 2) should give 80 points then, while In the Court of the Crimson King: An Observation by King Crimson should give 42 Points (for ~42 Minutes of playtime), given that I play them as a whole...

This way, long albumtracks would get their deserved rating within the charts... I am pretty sure that my charts would look quite different with this "time/points model"...]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Razalduria/journal/2006/08/04/496zg_discovering_treasures... Fri, 4 Aug 2006 09:54:24 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Razalduria/journal/2006/08/04/496zg_discovering_treasures... Sometimes, it just happens.
You have a CD in your collection (being it you bought it yourself or as a present from a good friend) which you listened once and then buried under the category "Never to be listened again".

In the last few months, this has happened twice to me.
First, after unpacking our countless stuff out of the moving-containers, I found Totally out of the Woods: The BBC Sessions, which was recommended to me from one of my close friends due to my love for Spock's Beard with their multi-vocal parts (Gibberish and Thoughts, for example). I listened once and put it on the shelf (now I think I wasn't ready for it yet).

Then, on my 36th Birthday, I sat there in quietness and suddenly Totally out of the Woods: The BBC Sessions fell from the shelf.

I had nothing better to do (my friends/family were all gone already), so I put on my Headphones and listened to it.

What shall I say, The Advent of Panurge got me totally hooked with it's Recorder-quartet (Yankee Doodle). I was like, what the hell was that and had to play that song again.

Now I have all of their "progressive" Albums, from Gentle Giant up to Free Hand, and I love them!

The second Band is Yes, which I just learn to admire. Years ago, I was standing in the CD-Shop, holding Tales from Topographic Oceans (Remastered, but without Bonus-Tracks) in my hands, thinking "Yes is mentioned everywhere, so I'll give'em a try". You might think that Tales from Topographic Oceans ain't a good start, and so this CD was put on the shelf for collecting some dust...

But, after discovering Gentle Giant, I was searching for all the other bands, that made so wonderful music in those days, and my way lead me to such Treasures like Van Der Graaf Generator, King Crimson and, of course, Yes.

So I gave Tales from Topographic Oceans a second chance, and voilà, I am hooked...

Right now, I am deeply into progressive rock from the years surrounding my birth, this music helps me a lot in these struggling times, it is such a joy to have the opportunity to listen to all this great music.

Oh, and please excuse my bad english, it's not my native language ;)]]>