Prog Starter Kit!

I once actually purchased a 10 disc prog starter kit for a budding progger, this was in the late 80s.I remember it like yesterday.

puma wrote: The thing about indie fans liking VdGG is totally true, and it's absolutely shocking. Not that I know anything about indie, or want to, but all my indie friends at school end up really liking VdGG, I don't know why. For some reason Yes is much harder for them to get into, which is funny because they're so much more commercially accessible (which really tells you something about both Yes AND VdGG!)

Draith wrote: laplace wrote: I've had good results with giving Can or VdGG albums to fans of indie rock. They'll already know Radiohead and GY!BE in many cases, and let me tell you that they won't be convinced when you claim their prog status. ;) Just in general, don't try to tempt anyone into the genre with Art Bears or Gentle Giant. They seem to be great turn offs. :( So I noticed, GG seems to sound really annoying to most non-proggers, and even some hardcore proggers like me at first. I guess they're just too weird for most people, as is a lot of the more eclectic prog. I love them now though.

Dream Theater's Images and Words got me, and I didnt even listen to metal before I heard that.

BaldJean wrote: sean wrote: I personally started off with Rush. Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures could be a good way to convert the musically inclined hard rock fans. for metal heads I agree DT is a good starting point. for classic rock fans, I'd go with Rush, Kansas, Yes, that sort of thing. I'm actually surprised that some people mentioned VdGG. They just don't seem to me to be the type that would appeal to the non prog crowds. depends on what you play to them. the live album "Vital" might appeal to a punk fan

I think my problem is that I want to play them what I think is best so I end up playing Pawn Hearts.

sean wrote: I personally started off with Rush. Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures could be a good way to convert the musically inclined hard rock fans. for metal heads I agree DT is a good starting point. for classic rock fans, I'd go with Rush, Kansas, Yes, that sort of thing. I'm actually surprised that some people mentioned VdGG. They just don't seem to me to be the type that would appeal to the non prog crowds.

depends on what you play to them. the live album "Vital" might appeal to a punk fan

a great album to give to techno freaks is "The White Zone" by the Psychedelic Warriors, who are actually no-one else but Hawkwind under an alias name



Edited by BaldJean - January 23 2008 at 19:09

I agree that probably the best way to bring someone into ProgNation is through the border crossing of their non-prog musical tastes.  i.e. Metal to Prog Metal; Jazz to Jazz-Fusion; Classical to Symphonic; etc.. 

One thought would be to reel them in via the "progressive hits".  See separate thread for discussion regarding these, although some are fairly obvious.  Depending on your target, this could be either beneficial or detrimental.  If the person likes Owner of a Lonely Heart or Lucky Man, et al, then they might be interested in exploring those bands further and discover the good stuff, which may or may not be a shock to their systems.  On the other hand, they might laugh and say if all prog sounds like Owner of A Lonely Heart or Invisible Touch, I don't want to have anything to do with it.

^ yeah those would excellent starters

laplace wrote: I've had good results with giving Can or VdGG albums to fans of indie rock. They'll already know Radiohead and GY!BE in many cases, and let me tell you that they won't be convinced when you claim their prog status. ;) Just in general, don't try to tempt anyone into the genre with Art Bears or Gentle Giant. They seem to be great turn offs. :(

So I noticed, GG seems to sound really annoying to most non-proggers, and even some hardcore proggers like me at first. I guess they're just too weird for most people, as is a lot of the more eclectic prog. I love them now though.