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List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs

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laoghaire

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List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« on: January 13, 2020, 09:02:01 PM »
Do you think U2 have any progressive rock songs?

How about prog-ish?

I'll start with Unknown Caller and Zooropa.
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MPare1966

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2020, 09:17:52 PM »
Quote from: laoghaire on January 13, 2020, 09:02:01 PM
Do you think U2 have any progressive rock songs?

How about prog-ish?

I'll start with Unknown Caller and Zooropa.

First, I think we need to define what we mean by progressive rock.

Does this do it?

rock music characterized by relatively complex phrasings and improvisations and intended for a musically sophisticated audience (Merriam-Webster)

If so, I nominate Elvis Presley and America
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riffraff

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2020, 09:18:59 PM »
Quote from: MPare1966 on January 13, 2020, 09:17:52 PM
Quote from: laoghaire on January 13, 2020, 09:02:01 PM
Do you think U2 have any progressive rock songs?

How about prog-ish?

I'll start with Unknown Caller and Zooropa.

First, I think we need to define what we mean by progressive rock.

Does this do it?

rock music characterized by relatively complex phrasings and improvisations and intended for a musically sophisticated audience (Merriam-Webster)

If so, I nominate Elvis Presley and America
Yes! Exactly the song I was going to nominate. Great minds...
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MPare1966

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2020, 09:21:53 PM »
Quote from: riffraff on January 13, 2020, 09:18:59 PM
Quote from: MPare1966 on January 13, 2020, 09:17:52 PM
Quote from: laoghaire on January 13, 2020, 09:02:01 PM
Do you think U2 have any progressive rock songs?

How about prog-ish?

I'll start with Unknown Caller and Zooropa.

First, I think we need to define what we mean by progressive rock.

Does this do it?

rock music characterized by relatively complex phrasings and improvisations and intended for a musically sophisticated audience (Merriam-Webster)

If so, I nominate Elvis Presley and America
Yes! Exactly the song I was going to nominate. Great minds...

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Codeguy

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2020, 09:44:01 PM »
I think defining progressive rock is like defining pornography.
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The Edges Cat

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2020, 09:58:12 PM »
Quote from: Codeguy on January 13, 2020, 09:44:01 PM
I think defining progressive rock is like defining pornography.

Yeah the definition is something wons would write:

http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive-rock.asp#definition
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The Edge: “[Eno] would love to see us making albums a bit more like [Zooropa]. Where we go, ‘You know what? We’re not going to second-guess any of this. Let’s just go for it.’”

U2 Fans: We'd all love to see that, Edge.
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laoghaire

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2020, 10:24:02 PM »
My mind is blown because I've never once considered improvisation a feature of prog rock.

So, like, Pink Floyd are masters of... improv?
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MPare1966

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2020, 10:51:09 PM »
Quote from: laoghaire on January 13, 2020, 10:24:02 PM
My mind is blown because I've never once considered improvisation a feature of prog rock.

So, like, Pink Floyd are masters of... improv?

From the detailed definition provided by Cat:

Progressive rock songs either avoid common popular music song structures of verse-chorus-bridge, or blur the formal distinctions by extending sections or inserting musical interludes, often with exaggerated dynamics to heighten contrast between sections. Classical forms are often inserted or substituted, sometimes yielding entire suites, building on the traditional medleys of earlier rock bands. Progressive rock songs also often have extended instrumental passages, marrying the classical solo tradition with the improvisational traditions of jazz and psychedelic rock. All of these tend to add length to progressive rock songs, which may last longer than twenty minutes.

Fair enough?
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laoghaire

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2020, 11:01:23 PM »
I don't consider myself any type of expert on the subject, so for all I know improv might be a key feature!

But that definition fits wht I had assumed. It does me tion improv in ine part, but I read it as prog rock instrumentals are built on the jazz improv traditions - but they may not be improv.

Welcome to the Machine and Zooropa *can't* be improvised, really, due to the centrism of the sound effects. But you could argue they were built on that *tradition*, with various sounds fading in and out and experiments with different "instruments" (whether machine sounds or television clips or anything else).
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MPare1966

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2020, 11:13:40 PM »
Quote from: laoghaire on January 13, 2020, 11:01:23 PM
I don't consider myself any type of expert on the subject, so for all I know improv might be a key feature!

But that definition fits wht I had assumed. It does me tion improv in ine part, but I read it as prog rock instrumentals are built on the jazz improv traditions - but they may not be improv.

Welcome to the Machine and Zooropa *can't* be improvised, really, due to the centrism of the sound effects. But you could argue they were built on that *tradition*, with various sounds fading in and out and experiments with different "instruments" (whether machine sounds or television clips or anything else).

Yes that sounds about right.

Another one I’d add to the list is Moment of Surrender.
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laoghaire

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2020, 12:30:34 PM »
I love MOS.

It has an expected chord progression, nothing standard.

The vocals start on an unexpected part of the progression, and it's a real slap in the face (lyrics are jarring, the way it is sung is like getting hit by a truck).

Great Edge solo, a bit Gilmouresque.

But I'm not sure if I see it as prog? We have verse/verse/chorus (repeat). We have a solo but I don't think it's out of the standard rock structure.

I'm not trying to be an asshole, just interested in the topic and olen to getting schooled.

School me, baby.
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an tha

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2020, 12:43:32 PM »
Interesting topic....u2 of course don't really have any prog songs in the purest sense but i suppose 'proggy' for u2 could include:

MOS
Zooropa
EPAA

Passengers OST1
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Codeguy

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2020, 12:46:33 PM »
The entire zooropa and passengers records were prog. I repeat my objection that nobody actually knows what progressive rock actually is. I looked it up on Wikipedia and came to the conclusion that the people responsible for defining it, don’t know what it is either
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MPare1966

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2020, 12:47:10 PM »
Quote from: an tha on January 14, 2020, 12:43:32 PM
Interesting topic....u2 of course don't really have any prog songs in the purest sense but i suppose 'proggy' for u2 could include:

MOS
Zooropa
EPAA

Passengers OST1

I see we are in agreement Sir. Well except for OS1, which is not a U2 album, as we all know.  :P
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MPare1966

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Re: List your contenders for prog(ish?) U2 songs
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2020, 12:48:11 PM »
Quote from: Codeguy on January 14, 2020, 12:46:33 PM
The entire zooropa and passengers records were prog. I repeat my objection that nobody actually knows what progressive rock actually is. I looked it up on Wikipedia and came to the conclusion that the people responsible for defining it, don’t know what it is either

I think it's easier to define by what it's not... lol
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The information contained in this site is provided on an "as is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, and usefulness.
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