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dennismoore 
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 Posted: March 28 2012 at 12:25 |
 Dayvenkirq wrote:
What is the best record as an introduction to prog-rock?
I have a clue how to answer this question: something accessible, non-embarrassing, and quintessential of the genre. It all depends on the user: either "Dark Side of the Moon" or "Red." Gee, if I had to choose, ... let it be "Dark Side of the Moon."
What do you think? |
Hi Dayvenkirq, 
This is difficult to answer I think, because prog, unlike most simpler forms of music can take several listens to get into
so if you pick something too proggy(Gentle Giant or YES - Tales) you run the risk of turning off the listener prematurely.
So I think you are spot on with PF - Dark Side. (Though some proggers could say PF isn't really prog)
Also there are several sides to prog, prog metal, non-melodic(King Crimson) and classic prog. You may pick one of those and the person hates it and then they hate all prog forever! So you need to find out if they are into a more metal
or dissonant or more melodic prog. That's why I say its complicated.
I'm not a metal or dissonance guy so I would say:
Pink Floyd - The Wall or DSOTM
Spock's Beard - V
Glass Hammer - IF
YES - Fragile
RUSH - Moving Pictures
Transatlantic - sMPTE
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doribure
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Posted: March 28 2012 at 11:35 |
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I would recommend Porcupine Tree's In Absentia or Deadwing.
Although i love bands from the 70's, i would not recommend them as an intro into prog, because for somebody who is used to the nowadays audio quality, listening to the sound of the 70's might be a turn off.
Or i would burn a CD with a good balance between old and new, light and heavy stuff, from KC "I talk to the wind" to DT "Panic Attack", Rush "Subdivisions", Opeth "Hex Omega", Yes "Roundabout", PT "Gravity Eyelids", Anathema "Universal"...
Edited by doribure - March 28 2012 at 11:36
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PabstRibbon
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Posted: March 12 2012 at 13:28 |
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I think it's better to start with a classic prog band. Pink Floyd is very good to start IMO. Listen to their discography in chronologic order
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Negoba
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Posted: March 12 2012 at 12:58 |
I think Dancing with the Moonlit Knight works well as a single track to introduce and represent prototypical prog.
Fragile is probably the closest thing as an album, and is still accessible to a neophyte.
But what others have said about it depending on the audience is absolutely the essential point.
Just not Naked City. Probably not VDGG. Probably not Ephel Duath either.
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You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
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Gerinski
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Posted: March 12 2012 at 12:29 |
Although Neal Morse is far from being the best prog around, I agree that his music can be a good soft start for non-prog-trained ears (assuming the lyrics will not annoy the listener...)
Of the classics, Foxtrot, Selling England, The Lamb, ITCOTKC and Fragile are among the most paradigmatic for showing what prog used to be, what it used to mean.
Nowadays the concept of prog has expanded so much that many would never start by these albums and would instead recommend starting by DT, some Math Rock, PT, Beardfish or whatever.
A sampler of Selling England would be my pick, the intro a cappella of Dancing is very impressive, then you have the agressive part which will surely puzzle the listener, then I would skip I Know What I Like and directly to the magnificient Firth Of Fifth and then jump to After The Ordeal and let it play till the end (I know What I Like, Epping or More Fool Me are not bad but I think that this shortened sampler gives a great introduction to anyone new to prog).
Albums like CTTE or Relayer, as great as they are can be too hard to digest for a beginner.
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Dayvenkirq
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Posted: March 12 2012 at 03:10 |
Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote:
Dayvenkirq, when you asked the original question, were you asking with a specific person in mind? I mean, it makes a huge difference knowing what sort of age group the person is in, perhaps even what their current musical interests are too! :) |
Noted. Clever point. In fact, you can assume specifics like what album would you suggest for this age range, etc.
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Aussie-Byrd-Brother
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Posted: March 12 2012 at 03:05 |
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Dayvenkirq, when you asked the original question, were you asking with a specific person in mind? I mean, it makes a huge difference knowing what sort of age group the person is in, perhaps even what their current musical interests are too! :)
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Dayvenkirq
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Posted: March 12 2012 at 03:01 |
ole-the-first wrote:
In the Court of the Crimson King is the definitive prog album (and very accessible at the same time), so it should be a good intro.
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I don't know. I mean, it is really focused on the instrumental prowess and the fine marriage between timbre and melody or harmony. The pop-listening audience of today is, like, into lyricism, particularly sappy lyrics. I suppose most metal heads not well acquainted with prog would have no problem listening to Rush or Dream Theater.
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ole-the-first
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Posted: March 12 2012 at 02:46 |
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In the Court of the Crimson King is the definitive prog album (and very accessible at the same time), so it should be a good intro.
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centum
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Posted: March 12 2012 at 02:14 |
I'd say there's a distance between a contemporary listener and 70's music
so the into to prog should be contemporary as well Meshuggah probably introduced more people to prog that KC did after the 70s
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Aussie-Byrd-Brother
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Posted: March 12 2012 at 01:23 |
I actually kind of agree with Barbu - Spock's `Day For Night', `The Kindess Of Strangers', even `V' or some of `Snow' would be an ideal place to start, simply because those albums have lots of excellent progressive sections connected with rock music that is almost commercial and...radio friendly?
I mean, they're not the most outstanding examples of progressive rock, but especially `Day For Night' could click with people more used to straight-forward pop/rock, and it's got a lot of emphasis on great melodies with a catchy chorus or two.
Perhaps a way to ease someone into the `prog' way of thinking? 
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zoviet
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Posted: March 12 2012 at 00:42 |
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and i can tell you that among the Big 6, i still up to this day cannot get into Genesis, Tull and ELP, and Rush is still an acquired taste........so some of the 'classics' wouldnt work on some folk!
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zoviet
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Posted: March 12 2012 at 00:40 |
Gallifrey wrote:
If the person you're trying to convert likes Alt Rock, then Porcupine Tree's Fear Of A Blank Planet.If the person likes indie rock, then probably something like Dark Side Of The Moon If the person like Hard Rock stuff, the Rush's 2112 is quite good. Those are the only genres I have a real grasp on. |
yep its hard to recomm something w/o really knowing the person's tendencies first. I came from a synth pop/indie/punk rock background so i wasnt particularly overwhelmed by something like KC's In the court....when i first heard it.
But whn i got my hands on Tortoise's Millions Now Living Will Never Die, hahah that was it for me...........
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Ambient Hurricanes
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Posted: March 11 2012 at 14:01 |
I'll go with the one that introduced me:
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I love dogs, I've always loved dogs
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mongofa
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Posted: March 11 2012 at 13:57 |
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Gentle Giant - Free Hand
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Equality 7-2521
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Posted: March 11 2012 at 13:45 |
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It's kind of a silly question. I'm not giving a 13 year old kid who listens mostly to fake metalcore bands an album from the 70s with a style he'd probably describe with some slur directed at the sexual orientation of the makers. I'm probably going to give him something like Between the Buried and Me. It depends on the person you're attempting to target so the question really has no reasonable answer.
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"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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Barbu
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Posted: March 11 2012 at 13:39 |
infocat wrote:
Barbu wrote:
Spock's Beard - Day for Night |
This is a joke, right? |
Nope.
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Horizons
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Posted: March 11 2012 at 13:37 |
Agreed, i think that would be a terrible place to start.
But i dislike the album anyway - so my opinion is bias.
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Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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Atoms
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Posted: March 11 2012 at 13:34 |
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I have converted few of my friend to prog by just showing them what I am currently listening to. It usually has worked pretty far. However, the only album I can comment on is: You by Gong. It was the first album my father gave me, and it got me hooked on prog instantly (and to this day Canterbury is still my favorite sub-genre in prog.). And I don't think that album is widely regarded as a "good" first prog record.
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infocat
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Posted: March 11 2012 at 13:32 |
Barbu wrote:
Spock's Beard - Day for Night |
This is a joke, right?
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--
Frank Swarbrick
Belief is not Truth.
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What is the best record as an intro to prog?
