One of my earliest introductions to music as a kid was Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells", which came out the year after I was born.  This album made a huge impact on me growing up, and I think contributed to my appreciation of lengthy instrumental passages wherever I came across them.  The other stand-out was "Dark Side of the Moon", which I think is a masterpiece.  I was surprised to see some less-than-glowing reviews of "Dark Side..." here, but that just makes me intrigued to find out what those folks find to be better.  Hopefully their comments aren't coming from being sick of Pink Floyd.  I know I tend to get down on bands when too many people go crazy for them, but I chalk that up to my own music snobbishness.

 

I'm a musician myself (drummer mainly, frustrated guitarist secondarily), and I find myself lately drawn more and more to what I think of as "exploratory" music, but which one might call progressive-ish.  I'm reluctant to consider my own stuff progressive though since it seems one of the prerequisites is virtuosity, which I certainly don't claim to have.  One thing that may kick me into the prog camp at some point in the future is the big ol' modular synth I'm putting together.    My latest material has seen some Minimoog for the first time as well, and I have enjoyed expanding my palette.  You can check out excerpts of my projects gradenko and square_wave via the links in my sig below.

 

What brought me to Prog Archives, actually, was a search for some bands recommended to me by my friend T from an excellent Japanese band called Green Milk from the Planet Orange.  Neither Green Milk nor half the bands he mentioned are to be found within the Prog Archives!  So I guess I have something to contribute around here!  Green Milk's slogan is PROGRESSIVE ROCK IS NOT DEAD!  How's that for an endorsement?    I'll save my own further recommendations of GMFTPO for the "Band Suggestions" forum.

 

Anyway, I'll keep reading up on all the great material to be found here, and will try to post some recommendations at some point.

 

Oh -- I should mention that thanks to Prog Archives' audio streams, I'm PFM's newest fan!  The opening guitar in the title track on "L'isola di niente" slays me.  I couldn't believe that was recorded in 1974!  Great stuff.

 

Prog and -related stuff I'm listening to: The Beatles , Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Legendary Pink Dots, Mogwai, Muse, Mike Oldfield, PFM, Pink Floyd, Tangerine Dream

 

Debatable? bands not listed in the Archives: Acid Mothers Temple, Einstürzende Neubauten, Flaming Lips, Green Milk from the Planet Orange, Kinski, Martiijn De Kleer, Orbit Service

 

Music I've bought in the last week (or plan to buy soon) because of Prog Archives! Can, Genesis, Gong, King Crimson, Magma, The Mars Volta, Nektar, Tortoise, Yes

 

Peace!