Steven Wilson on “the only thing” that prog rock artists have in common

nme.com:

Steven Wilson has spoken about what he thinks is “the only thing” prog rock artists have all got in common.The Porcupine Tree frontman released his eighth studio album ‘The Overview’, which is comprised of two, 20-minute-long tracks.

He is now doing press interviews to promote the new project, and when speaking with online music magazine and YouTube channel Innerviews, he gave his views on prog rock artists.Wilson said the only thing prog rock artists have in common is a “will to move away from the standard pop form”, arguing that they have a want to “take a listener on a journey.”When Wilson was asked about the lengths of his tracks on the new project, and why he chose to go back to prog rock, he said (as reported in Loudwire): “I think the return to progressive rock is in the idea of the long form.”He added: “What is “progressive rock”?

To me, the only thing all of it really has it common – and I’m talking about the whole spectrum . . . from Pink Floyd to Frank Zappa, to Rush, to Mogwai, to Radiohead – the only thing it has it common, really, is it’s a will to move away from the standard pop form.

It’s kind of a – this idea that you can take the listener on a journey and you can surprise them, and very often, that involves doing something over a longer period of time.“Not always, but a lot of bands obviously veer towards 10, 15, 20-minute-long pieces, and that is obviously what this record is.