Your first Prog album?

Operation: Mindcrime by Queensryche, back in 1988, it totallly blew my mind, I jumped straight straight from classic heavy metal to Qr.

First I heard was either The Wall or 2112 on vinyl, somewhere around 1999-2000. (pretty cliche)

First I owned was Dark Side of the Moon (also cliche).

Dark Side of the Moon and some other Pink Floyd albums (WYWH, The Wall and Animals), but those are obligatory first albums...got into Dream Theater and the more proggy side of metal (also Opeth, in particular).  A couple months later, I was at a friend's house and he was playing "All of the Above" by Transatlantic.  It was only on in the background, but even so, it captured my attention and I asked what it was.  A few months later I bought a bunch of albums including SMPT:e, Close to the Edge and Selling England by the Pound.

 

The Dark Side Of The Moon I was 13 Never heard something so beautiful I was Blown away by the magic of this soft music with High Peeks at time from that Day Ive Been A Major Music Lover Learned To play Guitar Saxophone And Piano I wish Kids These Days could Enjoy Those masterpieces without being Seen as weird or oh look at the guy with long Hair With a Metal Balloon On fire on his Shirt I wish they could go at school and people would say Ohh man that's an Awsome Zeppelin shirt you got there man(obviously talking about my life:P) Funny facts my teacher used to always comment on my shirt dues to the fact that most of them where 70's People. Well that's An awsome shirt you got there first listen to that when I was 16 Frampton comes alive awsome teacher thank you for the support:P

First brush with prog was Roundabout on the radio when I was 15. First album, Classic Yes. Loved the album, hated the live versions of Roundabout and I've Seen All Good People. Branched from Yes to King Crimson and Wakeman while my best buddy became a huge ELP guy. Started to understand the genres and styles by about 25, started listening to global prog about same time.

My little brother was googoo over Close to the Edge and Tormato and Yessongs. My buddy had recorded me a tape of "Meddle" and "Atom Heart" I listened dutifully to "Lamb" on HIS turntable. But 1st I owned was probably "A Trick of the Tail". As to the above, we always called Anderson and Yes sissies for the high voice, little did I know that he was onto something. Oh, I was maybe 11 or 12 or 13 lol

Edited by Steven Brodziak - January 01 2011 at 07:38

I love Jon Anderson's voice. I think his voice perfectly characterizes the individual and group collective. I think he's the vocalist all aspire to be.

I liked prog before I even listened to it. I saw the cover for Pawn Hearts and immediately thinking, "This is going to be incredible". I had heard a little Stravinsky and Varese in my high school wind ensemble, and I loved how they were breaking all the rules of their time. Flouting convention is especially intriguing when you're in high school. 

Listened to Rush around the same time. Loved the Ayn Rand individualism and breaking away from the collectivism and meekness that enables a totalitarian world government, and the sci-fi elements (Attention all planets of the Solar Federation) all that.

And this was only 3 years ago!

I had Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds around 1981 along with Abacab, failing that it would be Script for a jester's Tear in 1983