When were you infected by Prog?

I was in college, about 2003 or 2004. I was talking about music with my band's bass player and he brought up King Crimson. I had never heard of them, but was intrigued and picked up a copy of ITCOTCK. I can't describe how amazed I was when I put it on and got my first exposure to 21st Century Schizoid Man. Hooked ever since.

Before that I listened mainly to experimental/industrial bands, Meat Loaf, Queen and Blue Oyster Cult. So the seeds were always there.

Well, in middle school I got really into blues music and older rock.  Then I got really into psychedelic rock, so the possible progression to prog rock was pretty easy.  So in ninth grade I'm at a friends house, and I'd just finished partaking in something we need not discuss.  I go into his basement and his brother puts on Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's self titled album.  I remember The Barbarian absolutely destroying me at first, then being amazed when they brought it down and Keith Emerson destroyed the piano.  Everything about the album amazed me and gave me a completely different outlook on music. 

I would have to say it was my big brother.  When I was about 8 or so, I remember being on vacation and him playing me "Several species of small furry animals gathered together....." and stuff from Magical Mystery Tour.  That was first contact.  First real experience was simply falling for "Roundabout" on the radio and finally buying "Fragile."   

Not too long ago actually, I was 19 when I got the virus. It started with Pink Floyd. At the time I was into 90's alternative, Grunge, and classic rock. Then one day I got bored of the music I was listening too, and I decided I was going to check out Pink Floyd. I still remember, but could never get that same feeling again, listening to Dark Side of the Moon. It was so different, I was blown away, but I still didn't "get it." After a couple more listens I was hooked, I became a Floyd fan. That was the first kind of "prog" I heard, but didn't know it was considered prog at the time. It was not until Sept. 09 that I met this Prog DJ at Fry's electronics, at the Pink Floyd section. We were talking about Pink Floyd, and he asked if I liked Prog rock. I didn't know what he was talking about, but he was walking around looking for classic bands. Being Fry's electronics, they didn't have a lot of selections, but there were YES CD's, and he handed me Fragile. He then told me that the bands I NEEDED to listen to after this GENESIS, KING CRIMSON, and EMERSON, LAKE, AND PALMER! I liked Fragile a lot, but what really got me hooked was Genesis, and the album, Selling England By The Pound, which still remains my favorite band and album. I visited this site to expand my horizons, and now I feel like I can't go back to listening to any other genre, cause nothing else feels as "epic" or "spacey."

Greatest thing to happen to me this week was FINALLY appreciating VdGG. I didn't quite get Pawn Heart's epic, Plague of Lighthouse Keepers, but when it bit me, I was hooked. Moving on to H to HE now, and find the album hard to get into, but fun when I'm in the right mood for it. 

Edited by progpositivity - April 14 2010 at 17:29