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I think what appeals to me about making a Genesis sampler platter is that so many people are familiar with their blandest and least compelling music, while their most intriguing era--in the early 70s when they were scary and Peter Gabriel was their lead singer--remains a mystery to most people.

In high school and college I used to try and foist Genesis and similar bands on hapless friends who weren't in the mood for indoctrination, so I generally try to avoid doing that unless it's specifically requested of me, like Ade did the other day. (Ade: I hope you're looking forward to your CD with nothing but 19 tracks of "Land Of Confusion".)

Since Weezer was popular right out of the gate, there might not be the geeky allure of esoterica that Genesis has for me. But I could be wrong.

Seems like the best bands for these projects are ones who everyone's heard of, but for whom widespread familiarity with their best work remains elusive: so-called one-hit wonders who in reality have a big oeuvre to draw from. The eighties and nineties are rife with such bands: Crowded House, My Bloody Valentine, Superdrag, the Cardigans, Jellyfish, the Beatles.

Just kidding about the Beatles.

but didn't my bloody valentine only have one real album? you could just burn that.

on a similar note, i'd like to burn my favorite 80s love ballads with classic samplings of "this goes out to tina from mark" taken off the love notes radio, which i was obsessed with for years, still sort of am. one time about a year and a half ago, jen and dan and i were driving back from something and heard a guy talk about how he knew it was his exgirlfriend's wedding night, but he need to tell her something by song and he knew she would be listening. on her wedding night. so they played styx. fucking awesome.

Yeah, technically MBV had two albums. Maybe I had them confused with Magnetic Fields, which happens a lot, for some reason. Same with Jesus & Mary Chain and the Stone Roses, inexplicably. These are all bands I lump together because people swear by them as musical messiahs but even after all these years I've never really given them a listen. I guess I'm fired.

You're right on the 'straight outta the gate' popularity of Weezer.

I guess none of the bands I like had early periods. Well, the Beasties had that Pollywog Stew crap, but it's crap.

I'll be putting together an Esquivel! sampling.

First. God bless prog rock. King Crimson and Yes make me a happy man. (though I must admit early Genesis never tripped my trigger like other prog rock...)

Being a prog rock enthusiest is HARD. Because it is real easy to get someone to listen to a 3 minute catchy little ditty... A completely different story when you tell someone they need to set aside 20 minutes to fully get the impact of a single song and that they need to pay attention to every part of it to "get it". People think your a musical snob or utterly insane. I have found the best way is to make a mix tape with songs that are more accessible but similar to the one hook song from the band you are trying to turn people onto and then hit them with that song wherever is best on the mix.

And I could probably put together a comprehensive Morphine sampler in under 20 minutes if I understood the original question.

I could go for a King Crimson sampler, now that you mention it. Everyone looks at shippy funny when he says he's a Genesis fan, and I think the same thing happens to King Crimson crowd. It's to wage a campaign for the hearts and minds of the haters.

early Genesis, King Crimson... sounds like its about time someone mentions Rush and Yes

King Crimson, Yes, and Genesis were my holy trinity in high school. They still are, though I'm kind of closeted about it.

Maybe Keester, Graver and I could each make a King Crimson sampler platter and then compare.

Everybody geek out. You know you want to.

I'd definitely listen to the Genesis and King Crimson samplers.

I could put together the Rush sampler if anyone actually wants to hear it, as long as you promise not to tell anybody that it was me that had all that Rush lying around. In the same category of "I'll do it, but I will publicly deny having done it," I could do a pretty good Jethro Tull sampler if I dug far enough down into the CD box.

I'd also be willing to take on the difficult job of assembling a coherent Tom Waits sampler, but I suspect everyone already has a lot of his stuff.

In other news, buried here at the bottom of an unrelated post, I have a 90-minute on-campus interview with Google on Tuesday. It's my first peek out into the real world in several years. I'm cold and frightened, and I don't like the look of those teenagers one bit.

do I smell a prog-rock listening party forming? Is that really a party? Or rather, some sort of rpg game in the offing.

I'm all for the King Crimson sampler. This is another possible use for WASTE (if only everyone were on!). The MIX TAPE FOLDER!

I can echo every damn one of these sentiments. Except for Rush, I had enough friends in high school who liked Rush to know that Geddy's voice closed that door for me years ago. However, when Tom Saywer comes on the radio I always turn it up.

As for Jesus and Mary Chain, I've never heard a whole album, but every song I've heard is great. Part of my obsessive downloading is tracking down seminal artists that have garned massive respect over the years but not massive earplay. Then, because I have so much music that I download, I never listen to it. Perhaps having an iPod will change that.

On MBV, if you don't love Loveless, I don't see the point in trying to find the other release. It's often regarded as a perfect masterpiece.

To make another suggestion, the good Dr. Smoove, Graver and others have remarked to me that they've never given Sonic Youth the ear they deserve. I'd call on Geoffrey to put together that mix. Those who truly know them love them.

Sometimes Wadsbone and I get drunk and blast Houses Of The Holy and I air-drum along with it.

By "sometimes" I mean once, six years ago.

But I imagine a prog listening party would be much the same, except you'd get the added bonus of watching me air-drum in 15/8.

15/8?

I could throw a SY mix in.

What about more scene type mixes. I'm thinking like a NY punk mix from 1976-1980 type thing or early 90's mix of Chicago indie rock. While not always genre jumping, I think it's interesting to look at close comtemporaries such as the odd touring pair of The Ramones and the Talking Heads in 1979.

I'd also be curious about a prog mix from the early 70's with a mix of Miles Davis from the same period.

So . . . not being on W.A.S.T.E. (damn you macintosh), should we create a list area on Nounatron? Or should we hold off until Jeaun v3.0?

I second the Sonic Youth mix... they always get props but I have never been all up in it.

Wow my idea of a prog rock listening party is alot more... hazy..... and you would definitely not have the energy to play air anything.

I honestly hadn't a clue there were so many Crimheads here.

And for the record:

Yes - best song - Close to the Edge
Yes - best album - Relayer
King Crimson - best song - 21st century schizoid man
Kind Crimson - best album - Tie between Thrak and Dicipline for me.
And if you like crim I suggest the night watch... damn fine live recording. Might even be on my waste.

Nov 8th and 9th KC is playing at the Park West........ group outing?

and for the ultimate argument... who was better Howe or Fripp?

Brilliant idea, Sunday, and I really like the enthusiasm with which folks are picking it up. I've actually thought about asking for some of these very things. I know, for example, that I'm "supposed" to have/listen to/etc. a decent collection of Sonic Youth, instead of just having Dirty hanging around my house somewhere. And I'm not convinced that I have ever actually heard a King Crimson or MBV song, believe it or not. And I think I'll make a Conor Oberst sampler, while we're at it.

Maybe Grin could come back and make a Ferneyhough/Boulez/what have you sampler? I'd actually enjoy the chance to listen to some of that. Too bad he wanted to share his opinion more than the music. Oh well.

Yeah, I'm totally into a Crim show. So, go ahead and get tickets and I'll meet you at the Park West last year.

Gravy, you suck. You were the one who put the thought in my brain in the first place ya bastage,

All right, let's do this.

Favorite Yes track:
1. Heart Of The Sunrise
2. Starship Trooper
3. Awaken

King Crimson:
1. Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Part 2
2. Fracture
3. Sartori In Tangier

Creed:
1. Higher
2. Take Me Higher
3. Can You Take Me Higher? (doodle doodle doo)

Also, I'm not sure how worthwhile it is to state a preference between Howe and Fripp, since their styles are so different. I suppose that, given same pounds, I appreciate and listen to more of Fripp's playing, but Howe's playing is beautiful in an altogether different way. Also, I'm a drummer, not a guitarist. Don't even get me started on White vs. Bruford.

BTW, I'm listening to Close To The Edge this very moment and it's totally melting my face off, it's so good.

Wow Ship. I am of the same mind utterly on the howe/fripp debate. I saw Howe play solo at the Park West and it was one of the most amazing shows but fripp is awe inspiring in a totally different way.

I guess I should also throw out there that I personally consider Floyd prog rock too even though people have debated it with me when I said that in the past.

That all said, what do you consider the prog rock of our times?

I've often said that Radiohead resembles the early 70s prog juggernauts in spirit, if not in sound (though occasionally in that respect too). They are certainly musically ambitious enough to warrant the 'prog' label. They are also in the enviable position that they can more or less do whatever they want and still have enough fans to pay them for it.

Also Sigur Ros, Tortoise, Grandaddy, the Flaming Lips. The Lips and Grandaddy have cited prog bands like Genesis and Yes as influences. What's cool is that weirder, more ambitious bands like the Flaming Lips are appealing to wider audiences.

I'm also a big fan of Charlie Ferneyhough & The Brandy Snifters. I think they're playing Park West this evening.

Well, I agree about the Radiohead and Lips 100%. unfamiliar with Tortoise and Grandaddy. I will have to check it out though.

My additions to the new proggers list is:

Morphine
Primus/anything with Les Claypool
Janes Addiction (little older and some call it art rock but I think its proggy)

Awesome! Let's get it on the Waste network, and then everyone will be able to access---OH THAT'S RIGHT! NOT THE MAC USERS! SORRY, LOSERS! BWA HAAA!

shippy i think the prog radiohead analogy is right on as they get on my nerves in kind of the same way. maybe i just don't have the attention span for prog rock. i'll take that minute long le tigre song over rush, yes or any of that shit any day.

also, it's amazing how angry everyone gets when you say a simple "i can't stand radiohead". it's almost more impressive when i mention that i hate the beatles. and i do.

Definition of prog rock for the curious like myself.

From the site linked by Win:

"A planet where quite much progressive rock music played in earth."

Ah. Indeed.

Dont get radiohead and hate the Beatles??? Thats just not right.

Have you never done any drugs or something?

yeah lizz tried the drugs, but they treated her badly.
I agree that you might just not have the attention span Lizz. Le Tigre rocks, there's no doubt... but the satisfaction it gives is far more immediate. The difference is akin to the subtle shades between smacking your self in the head with a brick and thinking in recursive circles till blood trickles out of your nose.

Yeah, saying "I hate the Beatles" is an efficient but lazy way to get people's attention. Kind of like lobbing "JFK was a terrible president" into a roomful of drunk people.

Here's my Genesis sampler platter, for anyone who wants to download the songs themselves:

1. The Musical Box
2. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
3. Watcher Of The Skies
4. Back In NYC
5. Supper's Ready
6. The Cinema Show

mmmmm recursive circles......

Mmmmm bricks.