Hmmmmm .... let the cogs turn a bit

AKDiamond wrote: Dellinger wrote: OK, I think Renaissance might work for you (Ashes are Burning, Turn of the Cards, and Scheherazade... or the live Carnegie Hall). Marillion, specially the first four with Fish. Transatlantic, specially The Whirlwind. Big Big Train, specially English Electric. Forgot to mention Renaissance! I really like Scheherazade and some other tracks. I find them a touch boring somehow, but I also like them - don't know how much that makes sense, haha. Haven't been able to get into Marillion, I don't know... maybe that'll change, but I don't really get the appeal yet. The other bands are not really my style. People keep mentioning them, so I'm sure I'll try another time. Thanks for the suggestions!

Yeah, I read later on that you were not into newer stuff. There are some great ones there too. Just don't close your mind to not liking new stuff. However, there is something about the 70's that makes those classics... well... classics. The newer ones sound more like imitators, like they got the elements that make prog, and so they just incorporate them to make their music prog. Well then, perhaps Mike Oldfield?

Yep. I think it's a bit of a stretch to say that Strontium 90(let alone the Police) evolved out of Gong though. 

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - May 31 2019 at 21:16

That's cool!      I never knew that.

I will definitely have to have a listen. Thanks!

I bought that CD when it was released.  It is interesting.  As I recall, there are a few Police tracks on there that were in the developmental stage at that point.  

dwill123 wrote: Everybody here knows I'm going to recommend something by David Sancious.

Haven't had a chance to listen to much else from this thread recently since I'm on a trip, but just wanted to say I'm appreciating this recommendation increasingly. Such a strong track. What a voice!

Spacegod87 wrote: ...Mahavishnu Orchestra Return to Forever Weather Report The guys who started all these bands used to play with Miles Davis. ...

AKDiamond wrote: Logan wrote: Since you wrote "I don't like prog metal nor neo prog, or most modern music, sorry! I'm not into too heavy nor too polished" I think that various recommendations here won't do it for you. Here's one to try: (Earth & Fire - Song of the Marching Child vid) Eventually you're going to have to try Magma (if you haven't already). ;) But right now that might be throwing you off the deep end. Nail on the head with E&F! Great track - I had to listen to the whole album after that, and was not at all unhappy about it. What a great range of material on this album, and a great singer. Nail on the head about Magma too, haha. Yes, I have given them a try or two. Yes, definitely the deep end! Some interesting sounds, but why they chose to put them together in that particular manner is beyond me. ;) I'd ask if they have a "most accessible" track, but that'd probably be missing the point entirely.

Sorry for the late response. I'm very glad that Song of the Marching Children hit the mark. I thought it would fit in well with what you liked, and I absolutely love it.

Magma does have more accessible music, but I do rather feel mentioning that would be missing the point or essence of Magma.   It is a band sometimes to be eased into over time and discovering related music I was already into some other Zeuhl when I got into Magma. While I wasn;t going to seriously recommend Magma, instead of mentioning some more conventional sounding music by Magma, I think mentioning the Live/Hhaï album (and for MDK, I prefer the version on Rétrospective Vol. 1 & 2 to the studio album, and also like the BBC 1974 Londres one very much).

Judging by your tastes right no, I do think that Magma might become a band that you love in time. Fot hose into jazxz-rock fusion, I would sooner recommend the first two Magma albums, Magma [Kobaïa], and 1001° centigrades. Those into Symhh often favour K.A. and MDK, Üdü Ẁüdü is fairly easy jazzy album. For funky, and jazzy, fun, Attahk. For those of the more disco inclination, Merci and the Bobino concert album....

Not saying you'll like it, but this was an entry point to me:



I love Magma's groove, and it just makes me feel really good.

moshkito wrote: Spacegod87 wrote: ...<b style="font-size: small;">Mahavishnu Orchestra <font size="2" style="">Return to Forever <font size="2" style="">Weather Report <font size="2" style=""><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span> The guys who started all these bands used to play with Miles Davis. ... My only comment is a sad one, that I am not sure some folks would like to see or hear. A lot of the fans that go through here, are not exactly "musicologists" as most of our "progressive" folks are, and history, and specially Miles, is not something that most folks into this or that or that even, would listen to and the sad thing is that the connection is lost to the history of music, and how elemental and progressive many of these folks were! All 3 of these, and Miles Davis, would be a natural in an honest, true to form ... "progressive", and even of you don't have some of it, you, at the very least, have heard a lot of it ... I don't even have "Bitches Brew" on my collection, but I don't think I can name an album of his that I have not heard, and the live stuff is ... something that most "progressive" folks need to pay attention to, and learn/realize where so much of the "long cut" came from in Europe, also influenced by classical music. This is the hardest thing about "recommendations" ... limiting it to a style, and end up missing out on the things that are truly fantastic and must have/enjoy if you are a true fan of it. But mostly, it should not be about "progressive" or this and that ... this guy must understand, that you either listen to music and you don't ... as in his book, some things are not music, and that idea/thought must go if he is to become a true musicologist, as so many folks here are!

I'm talking at cross-purposes most probably, but I'm using these thoughts as a springboard for some of my own.

Exploring one style can lead to other styles, since many artists and albums themselves will cross styles and that can lead to related works of very different styles.   Everybody's journey is different. With Miles Davis, I first discovered "Bitches Brew" and it wasn't quite right for me at the time. Later I discovered Sketches of Spain and loved it. Then getting into the electric Miles period, I loved In a Silent Way. Then I started getting really big on certain types of JRF such as Herbie Hancock with Crossings and Sextant, which quickly led to other related works such as Eddie Henderson's Realization and Inside Out and Sunburst, Julian Priester's Love, Love" and his Polarization, Bennie Maupin's The Jewel in the Lotus" and Slow Traffic to the Right", Buster Williams' Pinnacle, Norman Connors's Dance of Magic and Dark of Light and Lenny White's Venusian Summer etc. which also led me to Sun Ra's Languidity, Miles Davis' Big Fun and get Up With it. I then discovered the Bitches Brew inspired album, Electric Byrd by Donald Byrd (was sad that was nixed for JRF when I suggested it many years ago), which led to more appreciation for Miles Davis.   I now appreciate most Miles Davis albums up to 1976, and the archival Circle in the Round is awesome. I suppose that an important part of me really getting into JRF was really getting into Canterbury Scene music, but then I had already been very into jazz at an earlier age, but that was not so much of the JRF variety.

I think there are myriad of approaches to discovering music and no one approach need fit all, or even one person. I think one should be open-minded to that and not try to tell people how they should do it, or push them into trying other ways, but instead listen to them and work with that (that is more empathetic approach and is more likely to be appreciated). Then one can offer advice in a non-judgmental way. As a teacher, one of my main philosophies was that it's often better to teach people how to think effectively rather than what to think (I think critical thinking, and flexible thinking, is a skill of which we all need to work at).