[The Genesis album, Foxtrot, which included the memorable 20 plus minute song, “Supper’s Ready” was released October 6, 1972. Thus, on or around the 40th Anniversary— Oct. 6, 2012– East Portland Blog is saluting the band, the album and the song and asks you to join with us in celebrating this auspicious occasion by sharing your comments below.]
Ah, “Supper’s Ready.” Still at the top of my list. Amazing that 7 random bits can come together so well. Apocalypse in 9/8ths: intense. As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs (Aching Men’s Feet): transcendent. [It’s just too bad none of them really believe any of it…] Listening to it, sitting in my bean-bag chair between my non-bookshelf speakers (i.e. one foot away on either side of my head), was sublime. I could almost play the entire 22+ minutes in my head on the bus from Foster/Western to Lane Tech (Google trip planner says it’s only 17 minutes, so something must have had to give). Someday I really will need to track down a quality tribute band and see it done properly live…
As for Prog in general, my take is that it least it tried. Tried to be more than mundane. Tried to appeal to more than base. Tried to at least pretend that some things might actually matter, and be worth striving for. In spite of its excesses and outright failures, does the pursuit of quality and excellence really have to imply pretension and arrogance? And I was shocked, shocked I tell you, to discover way too recently that it still existed. I became much happier that day.
“New”: Tool, OSI, Riverside, IQ, Neal Morse, Glass Hammer, Porcupine Tree, etc. http://www.progulus.com/rprweb/playing.php.
Or not.
– Mark Hjelm
