Hello! What Music?

Hello! Enjoy your stay.

Seeing your avatar, I'd like to recommend the band Frog Cafe to you.

http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_BAN D.asp?band_id=956

You'll find an mp3 there; it's not a classic, but in a few years it may very well become one!

As for the classic classics:

"Foxtrot", "Wind and Wuthering" and "Selling England by the Pound" by Genesis

"Fragile" and "Relayer" by Yes

"Pawn Hearts", "Still Life" and "The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other" by Van Der Graff Generator

"Wish You Were Here" and "Animals" by Pink Floyd

"In the Court of the Crimson King", "Red", "Starless and Bible Black" by King Crimson

"Hot Rats" by Frank Zappa (actually most of his stuff is classic, but this album is a good starting point)

"The Inner Mounting Flame" and "Birds of Fire" by Mahavishnu Orchestra

and some less known (but just as outstanding) classics:

"Indian Summer" by Indian Summer

"Time Is" by Raw Material

"Enigmatic" by Czeslaw Niemen

You'll find reviews and mp3s of most of these artists in the archives. Enjoy!

 

 

 

thanks guys!

ExquisiteCorpse wrote: -90125, Close to The Edge by Yes

I wouldn't advise 90125 - if you're looking for a classic prog sound Relayer or even Tales (although that's a bit hard to stomach) might be a better bet.

ExquisiteCorpse wrote: -The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis

I'd suggest any of Selling England by the Pound, Foxtrot or Nursery Cryme rather than the Lamb. I expect the Lamb's bloody good, but I've had it for about a year and never got to grips with it.

ExquisiteCorpse wrote: Any other suggestions? Thank You!

King Crimson (In the Court of the Crimson King or Red) , the Soft Machine (any of the first four records), Marillion (any of the first four, again).

 

If you are after some newer stuff try  Before Became After by Proto-kaw

and I also reccomend Nima and Merge.

Check the links in my signatrure

thnx guys, keep em coming!

Hello, I am trying to get all the remastered classics myself. Good to have you. I still have lots of vinyl.  

For entry level proggin'...

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, Foxtrot, Selling England By The Pound

Yes - Close To The Edge, Fragile, The Yes Album

ELP - Brain Salad Surgery, Tarkus

Rush - A Farewell To Kings, Hemispheres

Marillion - Misplaced Childhood, Clutching At Straws

Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick

Pink Floyd - Meddle, Atom Heart Mother, Dark Side of the Moon, Animals

King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King, Red

Camel - Mirage

Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

Anglagard - Hybris

....and anything else that seems like it might float your boat, cuz there is soooo much good music out there.

If you got into this through the Mars Volta, then my first suggestion would be Rush. Rush has the intensity that a lot of prog acts don't... its easier to get into on first listen. Fewer synths, standard group arrangement, and a hard rock attitude... but definitely definitely not limited to hard rock. Groups like Yes and Genesis, for you, might be more of an acquired taste. Yes' intense moments are nothing like Mars Volta, for instance. Mars Volta cranks up the intensity by turning on the distortion and ripping crazy ass solos (Thank you Omar). Yes, on the other hand, will toss you rapid-fire synth solos with classical themes and power bass lines. Yes focuses less on intensity than Mars Volta, for sure. In any case, I again would suggest Rush, but be open-minded when you listen to whatever's out there.

Here's my concise list of must-haves:

Close to the Edge (1972) - Yes (probably most acclaimed prog record ever)

Brain Salad Surgery (1973) - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer

2112 (1976) - Rush (GET THIS! If you like this, then get either Permanent Waves (1980) or Moving Pictures (1981))

Foxtrot (1972?) - Genesis (Not one of my personal faves, but still a great record)

Animals (1977) - Pink Floyd (Although the rest of the world raves about Dark Side and the Wall, I think this is Floyd's greatest achievement, its so damn good)

Enjoy!

EDIT: Oh, by the way, I'm an idiot and didn't read the fact that you have most of these records until I freakin posted. Its 1:30 in the goddamn morning. Lets try some others then:

Pawn Hearts (1971) - Van Der Graaf Generator (As somebody suggested above. VDGG is f**king amazing. They're bizarre, and you may not like them, but they're a hell of a group)

In a Glass House (1973) - Gentle Giant (GG combines medievil/classical flavored stuff with f**king amazing rock grooves. They're sweet.)

Romantic Warrior (1976) - Return to Forever (MY FAVORITE FUSION RECORD!!! Quite nearly my favorite record period. Four amazing jazz musicians pull off one of the greatest rock records ever, period. You can't miss this. It'll be in the jazz section.)

Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu (1977) - Locanda Delle Fate (Group name translates roughtly to "Inn of the Fairies". This group only released one record, but its soooo damn good that people are still buying it all these years later... a group that barely made a blip on the radar screen back then. Definitely worth checking out. Other Italian Prog masters include Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM), Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, and Le Orme.)

Thick as a Brick (1972) - Jethro Tull (Abso-f**king-lutely classic Tull)




Edited by Sweetnighter

For the Big Three, I recommend these albums, in this order

 

Yes: Close to the Edge, The Yes Album, Fragile, Going For the One, Relayer, Keystudio, 90125, Drama, Anderson Bruford Wakeman, Howe, The Ladder, Talk

 

Genesis: Trick of the Tail, Seconds Out, Wind and Wuthering, Nursery Chryme, Selling England By the Pound, Foxtrot, Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, And Then There Were Three, Three Sides Live

 

ELP: Brain Salad Surgery, Tarkus, Trilogy, ELP, Emerson Lake and Powell

Also, I recommend these excellent post-70s bands with a classic sound:

Cairo

Citizen Cain

Crucible

IQ

IZZ

K2

Little Atlas

Magellan

Suntower

The Watch