If You're New to Prog, Don't Start With Rush

To answer the O.P., even after so long, I recommend Caress Of Steel.

Catcher10 wrote: SteveG wrote: ^Mmm..I never give it much thought but listening to prog must cost more then listening to straight rock genres. All those Steve Wilson remixes and the endless parade of box sets!  According to Discogs there are 682 versions of the Sgt Pepper album, this includes all formats from 1967-2018 issue dates. Some entries can be considered duplicates because of different matrix information within the same catalog#.....but a different pressing is a different pressing. Even if the number is 50% less..... So that is where all your money has gone, the real scam.......

Now I don't feel so guilty about spinning my old vinyl copy!

Jeffro wrote: Mirror Image wrote: One problem with getting into any genre of music is actually relying on someone else to do the work for you. No one knows what sounds you’re gravitating towards. The best thing to do is to do some broad sampling. Everything from Genesis to Henry Cow to Gentle Giant to Premiata Forneria Marconi. If you don’t find anything you like, then it’s quite possible that progressive rock just isn’t for you. Finding this site a few years ago really opened my eyes to tons of bands I'd never heard of and I've been sampling ever since. My latest 'finds' that I'm enjoying a great deal are Premiata Forneria Marconi and Salem Hill.

Mirror Image wrote: One problem with getting into any genre of music is actually relying on someone else to do the work for you. No one knows what sounds you’re gravitating towards. The best thing to do is to do some broad sampling. Everything from Genesis to Henry Cow to Gentle Giant to Premiata Forneria Marconi. If you don’t find anything you like, then it’s quite possible that progressive rock just isn’t for you.

Don't start with:

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - June 02 2018 at 14:26

Is there such a thing as a 'starter band'?

As a new fan i'm not that knowledgeable but to me most of that list are classic prog staples. I think if a non prog fan listened to everyone on that list they would "get it" but I see your point. I'm 26 and my mom is in her 40's and I wanted to get her into Prog but so far i have not been that successful. She did like some ELP though. I also know of some younger ELP fans. Anyways that list pretty much got me into it.

I am new to Prog. I had a bit a misleading journey though. I really liked In the Court of the Crimson King but never listened to other albums and was not aware that it was prog or of anything similar. Years later I got into Yes and when I went searching for more Greg Lake Crimson discovered ELP and then things started to click. To me is seems the average person isn't really aware of Pink Floyd or Rush being prog. I think people should go full throttle so they could easily tell what makes it different and if they like it. 

However, we were never in the position that a "newbie" would find themselves in today....I think I'm learning how to hypnotise myself into liking music I once though of as "unlistenable" - suddenly VDGG and GG are going to become my favourite bands!

That statement about Rush may be a bit short sided.I would approach someone who hasn’t listened to the genre per say by playing some snippets of some classic prog bands and see if anything peaks their curiosity and then start with what ever seemed to be interesting to them.You never know what type of music will spark an interest