FUSION OF SOUNDS

Progressive rock begun as a display of an artist's forward-moving musical direction and has since then become tied down to the restraints of stylistic mannerisms, a fate antithetical to its central definition. The definition of progressive rock often signifies less about research and more about recapitulation. It does not reflect the eclectic enthusiasms of its origins, while seeking to pay homage to them nonetheless. As such, progressive rock has gathered to itself an assimilative quality whose experiments remain part of the pantheon even when current progress has left them long behind. For many listeners, progressive rock deserves premier attention, through the vast world of symphonic rock in its entire semblance and the idea of the be-all, end-all. Symphonic rock is distinguished, most commonly, by its’ extended song structures or suites; instrumental, symphonic orchestration (whether actually utilized or approximated). The tendency to draw in romantic period classical motifs as well as smaller portions of jazz, rock, and folk are also thrown “into the crock-pot” to stew. Like discussed in class, it must also be mentioned that the subject matter in symphonic rock often leans towards topics gyrating around science fiction, fantasy and alternative religion. The boundaries continue to crumble and the identifiably rock, jazz, folk and electronic begin to blur into a lack of distinction, we long leave behind the realms of the familiar and even the fleetingly describable. A wide variety of music is on the fringe that does not compile into (comfortably that is) any of the above categories and one can't possibly hope that all of the frontiers are covered. In rock, jazz, folk and electronic, the groups considered avant-garde (avant-rock, avant-jazz and avant-folk) verge in the direction of the uncertain as the principles of the operative music are thrown aside. The progression of hybrid genres “is what it is”. Frankly, the mixing bowl that I have come to speak of so often is this sense of fusion between unlike sounds in a world of individualism through the relationship and companionship of sounds.Keeping the music alive in the past half-century is in it's essence clearly seen as a poster child of the "progression" of Rock music.  The history of traditional American folk music played a large part on the burgeoning beat and psychedelic movements, led by songwriter Bob Dylan in the Sixties. The incorporation of the strains of the music into the pop and rock formats of the day, became platforms for the Rock stars including Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and Tim Buckley. Many of these artists were influential on similar attempts to fuse rock and folk across the Atlantic. This progression is what “Prog” rock is all about… Keeping the fans and straights alike on their toes and flash them in a great way to keep the sense of uniqueness lingering in the smoke clouds above.