Brand new to Prog Rock
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10223
Printed Date: March 05 2025 at 11:14
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Brand new to Prog Rock
Posted By: fender101
Subject: Brand new to Prog Rock
Date Posted: August 16 2005 at 23:45
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Hello First can I say that this forum is freaking awesome and I'm gonna be here every day until I die. I am a huge Pink Floyd fan and I recently bought the Mojo magazine on Prog Rock. Out of that I bought Foxtrot by genesis, Close to the edge and relayer by yes. So now I'm wondering where to go next? Which band and album? Something similar to Pink floyd and those two yes albums. I am a big fan of longer pieces and epics. King Crimson, ELP?
Thanks in advance |
Replies:
Posted By: Cygnus X-2
Date Posted: August 16 2005 at 23:52
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King Crimson is good place to go from there; Rush, too. ELP is good, just not as good as the other two I mentioned. ------------- 
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Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 00:02
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cyggie is biased for rush. take his advice with caution.( king crimson is an acquired taste. if you don't really like the 1st album, be wary of going any further. much of the same can be said for ELP. as always i recommend neo-prog: Marillion and Pendragon (new cd soon ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
@ cyggie)
) are good starting points.Posted By: Hemispheres
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 00:06
Neo Prog Blows  lol ------------- [IMG]http://www.wheresthatfrom.com/avatars/miguelsanchez.gif">[IMG]http://www.rockphiles.com/all_images/Act_Images/TheMothersOfInvention/mothers300.jpg"> |
Posted By: Cygnus X-2
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 00:08
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stonebeard is biased towards neo-prog (as am I). Anyway, to clarify his King Crimson statement. The band went through many transitional periods throughout the 70's and so the sound of each of these line-ups is completely different. The debut has a very symphonic sound, while later albums like Red have a very grungy and heavy sound. In the 80's, they created their own sound, with wild guitar synths and impeccably structured music. In the 90's, they took the 80's sound but made it 10x heavier. Another good band to go for is Gentle Giant. I recommend you get Octopus or Free Hand (The Power and the Glory is also very good). -------------
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Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 00:17
GG is very, very, eclectic...more so than KC. they're good...but can be tough to get into ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Cygnus X-2 wrote:
....
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Posted By: Cygnus X-2
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 00:18
That's a very wide array of emotions displayed up there... -------------
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Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 00:20
pyramid... ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: fender101
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 00:40
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Wow so many responses already and no one agrees! Being as new as I am to this can you please specify a band and album as I really don't know much at all! Also what is neo-prog? whats the difference? Sorry for being so stupid |
Posted By: Cygnus X-2
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 01:02
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All right: King Crimson
ELP
Rush
Gentle Giant
Oh, and Neo- Prog can best be defined in the Prog Rock? section of the homepage. Or if you use the search tool and type in Neo-Prog, there should be a discussion about what Neo-Prog is. -------------
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Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 01:04
May i just add: KC: Discipline GG: Freehand ELP: ELP I don't listen to RUSH...as some people know ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 02:03
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i'm sure tony r and cyggie-poo realize that by now. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 02:07
It's not stupidity, if you don't know something that is new to you. I think it describes 80's music influenced by 70's prog, but I'm not sure, as I don't like Marillion. If you like the mellotron sounds for example in songs "Watcher of The Skies" and "And You and I", try some swedish 90's progbands, ÄNGLAGÅRD (anglagard), ANEKDOTEN, LANDBERK, MORTE MACABRE and PAATOS. You can find mp3 examples of them from their pages at "prog archives" section. |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 02:21
It's not like i left any clues behind ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 02:43
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If you have a broadband internet connection:
It works, it's free, it's amazing! ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to: 
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Posted By: fender101
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 02:51
Wow that sounds heaps cool, I'm gonna try it as soon as I get home. I never realised how many styles and in fact how many prog rock bands there are! This is going to be alot more difficult than I thought! |
Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 03:13
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But isn't that fun? So much goodies to be found and listen! |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 08:23
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The best thing IMO is to rummage around the bands in this site and download some MP3s. That way you get an idea of what you like and don't like without wasting your hard-earned cash. That's the way I've found Gentle Giant, VDGG, IQ, Pendragon, Glass Hammer and others. |
Posted By: xhouse
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 14:01
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As usual, the mainstream stuff is recommended, and some of the small,
but none-the-less, excellent stuff is not mentioned: If you are OK with Italian lyrics: PFM and Banco are among the best. Nexus from South America is great. Cast from Mexico has some great albums. Citizen Cain form Scotland are great. As to earlier recommendations: Gentle Giant are great but certainly not for someone expecting "mainstream" friendly music. Very complex. Rush is an acquired taste. Hard rocking, but the vocals are disagreeable to many. And if you visit this site more than a few times you will hear a lot (too much) about Dream Theater. They too are great-very talented, complex and creative. they just can not live up to the hype given to them on this site. Enjoy ------------- Between Thought and Expression Lies True Perception |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 17:55
| Commonsense would suggest you get more of the bands/albums named in that prog special magazine, if nothing else to get a flavour of the music and the range of the music in prog. Hence the better reviews provided elsewhere on this site, of the more obscure bands will come more into focus. |
Posted By: fender101
Date Posted: August 17 2005 at 20:12
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I discovered last night that my father has a cavalcade of ELP records. In listening to both Tarkus and Close to the edge last night I had all these strange feelings. It was like what I was listening to wasn't music it was better than music and to be honest I felt like I was high. I am so itching to buy something. |
Posted By: fender101
Date Posted: August 22 2005 at 00:57
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I hate to double post but its impossible to find cd's in the stores tod ay i looked for ELP Do you order your cd's in off the internet (amazon) or orden them from cd stores? |
Posted By: italprogfan
Date Posted: August 22 2005 at 01:59
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you can order from amazon or whatever - you may also want to try http://www.ebay.com.au - www.ebay.com.au - sometimes you can get some decent bargains, i would assume. i just checked, and while i can't comment on the value (don't know what cds cost in au$), there was a almost decent selection of stuff. in addition to the 'classics' mentioned above, you may want to look for spock's beard (pre-'snow', specifically 'v') and the flower kings. these are excellent 'gateway' prog bands - if you get really serious about it, you may find these a little wanting after a few years, but in the meantime it's great entertainment...
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Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: August 22 2005 at 04:07
Have you checked out any libraries? I have ordered records only from Europe, so it's difficult to say anything about Australian vendors. How about second-hand shops? Try to ask from the shops, if they could order you something they don't have in the shelf. Atleast records of ELP, Tull and KC are distributed by big record companies, so some of their albums should be found quite easily. |
Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: August 22 2005 at 06:34
------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: fender101
Date Posted: August 22 2005 at 08:35
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Ok I think I've worked out that I'm gonna buy them of amazon (or the australian equivalent) at least to start with because I want to buy a few. Im planning to get ELP - Tarkus I figure because I like Pink Floyd i will like other space rock/psycedelic bands Im not to sure about gentle giant, I think that perhaps they might be for a bit later. Is there anything blatantly obvious that I'm missing? Im thinking rush (but which album? I love guitar solos) |
Posted By: Fritha
Date Posted: August 22 2005 at 16:39
Most Rush albums of the 70's and 80's have a pletora of great guitar solos, but the proggier records would have to be Hemispheres (an amazing rock epic on this one, plus a brilliant and whacky nearly 10 minute long instrumental), A Farewell to Kings (I am personally not too fond of this one but it is a well-loved record among other fans) 2112 (another epic on this one, lots of brilliant guitar playing), Caress of Steel (yet another epic...a more controversial one The music of Rush is very technical and quite "angular", the perfect opposite to Pink Floyd, actually. But then I like both bands so it doesn't hurt to try them out! Welcome to the wide world of prog! ------------- I was made to love magic |
Posted By: Cluster One
Date Posted: August 23 2005 at 06:01
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As a noobler, best resource is on the front page of the Archives. Check
out the top 100, you can't go too wrong following it. The Top 20-30 are
pretty bang on in terms of 'popularity' (i.e. you should like most of
what you hear...) Try downloading mp3's from this site of artists you'd care to investigate. 'Tis what they're there for. As for what to buy, opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one. Here' s mine  START WITH THE BASICS! Get the 'Big 5' from RUSH: - 2112 - A Farewell To Kings - Hemispheres - Permanent Waves - Moving Pictures Get everything from 1970-1976 from GENESIS - Trespass - Nursery Cryme - Foxtrot (you already have) - Selling England By The Pound - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - A Trick of the Tail - Wind & Wuthering - Seconds Out YES is a prog staple, and always a rewarding listen. Again stick with their big masterpiece albums to start with: - The YES Album - Fragile - Close To the Edge - Relayer KING CRIMSON can be 'hit and miss'. They are absolutely excellent, but NOT for everyone. So try out these two to see if you like: - In the Court of the Crimson King - Red ELP are mandatory listening, but...um...an 'acquired taste', so try one or two of the following to see if you can handle them: - ELP (self titled debut) - Tarkus - Trilogy - Brain Salad Surgery JETHRO TULL's main two are mandatory: - Aqualung - Thick as a Brick SUPERTRAMP's 'Crime of the Century' and 'Breakfast in America' are very popular 'lite' prog. And also I demand you to complete your FLOYD collection! Yes that means ALL 20-30 studio/live/compilation/early/later albums. Some of the best Floyd music, you've probably never heard yet. Then maybe try some Marillion, Camel, Caravan, Porcupine Tree, Van der Graaf Generator. (Skip Hawkwind) If you find a band that you really enjoy from the classic bands, investigate their back catalogues further! After that basic Intro to prog, you'll be about 500 Aus$ lighter and ready to try and tackle the 'tougher' artists like Mr. Zappa, Gong, Magma and the like. Most important, if you come across something you hate, don't give-up. Plenty of disappointments out there, but even more 'gems' waiting to be found! ------------- Marmalade...I like marmalade. |
Posted By: fender101
Date Posted: September 14 2005 at 23:23
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Well I have ended up with several albums out of this Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick - 5/5 (Briliant) Porcupine Tree - The Sky moves sideways - 3/5 (Some highlights with alot of filler) Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells - 1/5 (Boring background music) King Crimson - ITCOTCK - 5/5 (This one really excites me) ELP - BSS 5/5 (This is my favourite of the lot) And now also a finished pink floyd colloction minus the oddities and rarities So as you can see I have spent a sh*t load in a short time! My favourites are ELP which I'm planning to buy the other 2 great albums (I'm dissapointed to hear that these are the only 4 goood albums of theirs thoug I will probably also buy Red! Any other suggestions given the above???
------------- Well McGarnical Billy is dead! They slit his throat from ear to ear! |
)Posted By: thrang theng
Date Posted: September 15 2005 at 11:06
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I really like ELP and the first album I think is worth your attention. About King Crimson, as somebody pointed out every stage of the Crimson King is showing a different way to do music If you liked the first ('69), than go to the third ('73) which is often recognised as one of the most popular among fans. I would suggest you the first of the trilogy, Lark's toungues in Aspic. Than if you like live albums you can get a very good picture of what is the fourth ('80) and fifth stage ('90) with the live B-Boom ( I always enjoy it) or perhaps Vrooom Vrooom both double cd with a set which include songs from the '80 and from Thrak. If you like it than you have four studio albums to chose what pick up! If you aren't tired get back to the '71, a big difference in sound, with Islands. Of all the stages there is a huge amount of live recordings, which often conteints improvised music, revised versions of the classic and some amaizing visions. It will take time for you to explore KC, and is very rewarding. I consider that KC is at their best as a live band, and the sound quality of the old recordings of the '70 is good. I like Rush and I begun with Exit...stage left live album. It conteints very good songs from studio albums recognized among their best. I'm not very satisfied of the sound mix but it is fair. Enjoy it
------------- Take my fire Take my food and water Forget about those promises Of social good and social order... |
Posted By: Fritha
Date Posted: September 15 2005 at 16:42
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Wow, Fender, you are much braver than me, having had the courage to pick up ELP albums (and from their progressive peak at that) at this early stage of your prog journey! I was in the record shop today, scanning through the ELP shelf as I've been want to do lately, but again chickened out and went with King Crimson's Islands instead...lol Your positive assessment in regards to those ELP classics might have a positive impact on me the next time, though. You picked a real jewel there in Thick as a Brick I will second Thrang Theng's tip about Larks' Tongues in Aspic; very experimental but incredibly good at that. Red is not a shabby choice either! Have you tried Selling England By the Pound by Genesis yet? If you liked Foxtrot, there is a good chance that this record will blow your mind. If you liked the Yes epics on CttE and Relayer, then Going For the One should be on your shopping list as well, if only because of the last track, Awaken...15 minutes of musical bliss. Tales Of Topographic Oceans takes the idea of epics just a little bit too far IMO ------------- I was made to love magic |
Posted By: BigHairyMonster
Date Posted: September 16 2005 at 06:12
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Hey Fender, Judging from what you have said here is what I would recommend: CLIFFORD T's TEN STEPS TO A BEGINNER PROG COLLECTION 1. KING CRIMSON - You have Court, now check out some of their other phases...get Red and Discipline next. 2. KANSAS - Although some may recognize it prog lite, there is some good Kansas to be found. If you don't mind hearing "Carry On Wayward Son" again, then check out Leftoverture. 3. RUSH - By All means check out Hemispheres and Moving Pitcures 4. GENESIS - Selling England By The Pound or Wind & Wuthering would both make excellent choices. At this point, I am going to break from the pack and recommend some stuff a little more on the adventurous and slightly more difficult to find side. You can try any of the albums below to get a taste of the more exotic side of prog...as such they should be considered stepping stones in your exploration. 5. ITALIAN PROG - If you can get past not understanding the lyrics, there is a huge amount of great prog from Italy There is a mediterranian feel to much of this music. Here are 5 recommendations: 1) LOCANDA DELLA FATE - Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu: If you find that you like the pastoral side of Genesis or Crimson, this may appeal to you. 2) BALLETTO DI BRONZO - YS: This will rival some of the most demanding Masr Volta songs...in fact the bands remind me of each other a great deal. Very chaotic. If you have heard 21st Century Schizoid Man by KC (or Gates Of Delerium by Yes) think of the heaviest bits in those songs, and amp it up ten-fold. That is Balletto Di Bronzo. 3) AREA - Crac!: Italian prog with a jazzy twist. Very ecclectic but accessible. 4) MUSEO ROSENBACH - Zarathustra: Widely considered a classic of italian prog. 5) BIGLIETTO PER L'INFERNO - Biglietto Per L'Inferno: Another classic with a slightly Tull-ish sound. As I said, there are literally hundreds of bands from Italy. www.italianprog.com is and excellent resource. I should also note that I didn't mention two great bands: Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso (Banco) and Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) since they were already mentioned. You can't go wrong with any of the first three albums by either of these bands. 6. FRENCH PROG - Again a language barrier, but some excellent bands are found here as well...however the French vocalists tend to be rather dramatic. A few recommendations: 1) ANGE - Au Dela Du Delire: Very dramatic and well performed. Sorta similar to Genesis but not really. 2) ARACHNOID - Arachnoid: Very angular and reminiscient of King Crimson's Red period with touches of Van Der Graaf Generator. 3) PULSAR - Strands Of The Future: Very firmly in the Pink Floyd side of the house, but perhaps a touch more electronic. A grower. 4) UNIVERS ZERO - Heatwave: Technically a Belgian band I believe, but a wonderfully dark instrumental band in the Zuehl/RIO style. This album is a good introduction into this neglected sub-genre of prog. Probably unlike anything you have ever heard. 5) MAGMA - Take the comments I made about Univers Zero and amplify them, then add that the vocals are sung in a language created by the band that sounds like a cross between German and Klingon opera. You will either love them or hate them. 7. SCANDINAVIAN PROG - There doesn't seem to be a great language barrier with groups from the part of the world...I will hope I get the countries right: 1) THE FLOWER KINGS - Stardust We Are: If you like epic songs, you may find this group interesting...very symphonic. From Sweden, lyrics in English. 2) WHITE WILLOW - Ex Tenebris: Female vocals in Crimson inspired Gothic Prog. From Finland, lyrics in English. 3) OPETH - Damnation: A fantastic album, dark and moody. From Sweden with English lyrics 4) ANGLAGARD - Hybris: A sinister album inspired by Crimson. Sweedish lyrics. 5) ANEKDOTEN - Nucleus: Another radical take on Crimson from Sweden...I can't recall if the lyrics are in English. 8. THE LESSER ENGLISH GROUPS - There are a wealth of prog groups from the UK that we not in the Top-3/Top-5: 1) VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR - Pawnhearts: Another love it or hate it affair, mainly due to Peter Hammill's over the top vocal style. You've read about them in Mojo, and I don't care what that magazine says--Pawnhearts is their masterpiece. This is not an easy album to digest, but if you have the patience to sit through it 4 or 5 times it will open up. I recommend listening to mp3s of the band before purchasing. 2) GONG - You: A stone classic of space-rock. One part psychedelic Floyd, one part Jazz and some insane playing...you just need to keep in mind the timeframe it was made. A veryy hippy album. 3) MARILLION - Misplaced Childhood: This album should very greatly determine how much you would like Neo-Prog, as it is arguably the masterpiece of that sub-genre. 4) KATE BUSH - The Dreaming: A very different side of prog! 5) NEKTAR - Journey To The Center Of The Eye: As spacy as Floyd but a harder rocking band. Honorable mention to the self-titled album by the band U.K., but there are so many others! Gentle Giant is also a must, and I recommend Freehand to start. 9. THE AMERICAN GROUPS: There were several that go unnoticed: 1) HANDS - Hands: Texan prog! Elements of Kansas style and maybe U.K. as well. An excellent album 2) SPOCK'S BEARD/TRANSATLANTIC: I won't mention a specific album, though my fave is The Light. Spock's Beard is one of the bigger US prog groups of recent years, and Transatlantic is a supergroup featuring members of Spock's, Marillion, Flower Kings, and Dream Theatre. 3) MR. BUNGLE - California: A good example of avant prog-metal. This is the album that brought me back around to prog after a long time away. Featuring the amazing vocals of Mike Patton, I highly recommend this one. 4) FRANK ZAPPA - You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Volume 6 - The Helsinki Concert: A fantastic introduction into the bizarre and virtuosic world of Zappa. Beyond compare! 5) THE RESIDENTS - God In Three Persons: The world's most bizarre band (except maybe for Gwar!) This is a good introductory album. Again, be prepared for something unlike anything you have ever heard. This one requires multiple listens to get into. Then, when you decide that you hate it, grab a Foster's Lager and listen with headphones on while in a dark room with just enough light to read the lyrics. I also recommend Eskimo. Honorable mention goes to the self-titled album by Touch. Although usually lumped into the psychedelic genre, this album has all of the hallmarks of a great prog album comparable to King Crimson's debut, Sgt. Pepper, and Pink Floyd's Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. I am sure that several here find my exclusion of Dream Theatre troubling. Sorry, I don't see anything progressive about them, although they are damn fine musicians. 10. OTHER UNUSUAL FINDS: A few more miscellaneous albums that may appeal: 1) KLAATU - Klaatu/Hope: I have this listed as the 2 album on one disk version which I have. The first album is known either as Klaatu or as (if I recall correctly) 8:59 Gregorian Earth Time (or something like that). The 2nd album is Hope. Ignore any other albums by this band. At one time it was believed that Klaatu was actually The Beatles reunited under a different name. This was not the case, as they were a trio from Canada. The groups sound though is a cross between The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and (to me) Queen. 2) SPLIT ENZ - Mental Notes: From New Zealand. Although they always had progressive overtones, they are widely considered a pop band. Even the mid-80s album Time And Tide had some very proggy moments, but not as much as this debut album...not prog in the Yes/Genesis style though. 3) CANARIOS - Ciclos: An out and out masterpiece of a record! This is a prog interpretation of Vivaldi's Four Seasons and flat rips! If you like ELP you will love this one. I believe they are from either Spain or The Canary Islands. 4) ISLAND - Pictures: A difficult but rewarding album from Switzerland. You may be wise to avoid Hawkwind and Soft Machine (especially Third) for awhile...until you become acclimated.  A few extra points since it's football season: 1. Be careful buying from EBay as there are a great deal of pirated Russian and Korean disks and mocked up CD-Rs floating around out there. There are some very reputible dealers to be found including Wayside Music (at the Cunieform Label), Big Baloon Music, and Laser's Edge. 2. Have patience when listening to a new disk. Give it five spins before you draw a conclusion...and when you think you've reached a conclusion, spin it five more times. Porg can sometimes take a while to open up. 3. Research before you buy. Go to any and all forums that you can find and read reviews. 4. Get a better paying job. I don't care how much you make now, it doesn't matter...it won't be enough! 5. You should now be totally confused. Welcome to prog!  ------------- Big Hairy Monster's debut CD "View" coming soon! www.bighairymonster.com |
Posted By: BePinkTheater
Date Posted: September 17 2005 at 12:30
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Try your luck with dream theater but also go with Porcupine tree. They are like pink floyd, meets the beatles, wiht a little hard rock, especially in their newer stuff. I'd start wiht stupid dream and work your way up from there ------------- I can strangle a canary in a tin can and it would be really original, but that wouldn't save it from sounding like utter sh*t. -Stone Beard |
Posted By: beef
Date Posted: September 17 2005 at 13:01
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for pink floyd's soul you can listen : PORCUPINE TREE - recording NEGATIVE ZONE OZRIC TENTACLES
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Posted By: fender101
Date Posted: September 20 2005 at 05:05
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Thankyou very much for all your help everyone with a special mention to BigHairyMonster (what a post) especially for the international tips. ------------- Well McGarnical Billy is dead! They slit his throat from ear to ear! |
Posted By: PROGMAN
Date Posted: September 23 2005 at 06:41
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Try the major bands like: YES, ELP, KING CRIMSON etc first, then narrow into more under-profiled bands etc. ------------- CYMRU AM BYTH 
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