newbie looking for guidance

 I have been working in music stores for the past 3 years and very recently have my eyes been opened to the extraordinary world of Prog. Once long ago, an older gentleman introduced me to the basics of Prog to where I then purchased Dark Side Of The Moon, Close To The Edge, and In The Court of the Crimson King. My renewed interest in Prog has awoken by the release of Mars Volta (which formed from the ashes of one of fav all time bands At The Drive In). Recently, bands like Sparta, Brazil, and Coheed & Cambria have fused Prog elements with Punk elements, which has added fun and excitement to "alternative" music. I've been on this website for a week where I have introduced to OSI, Flower Kings, Ayreon and Dream Theater. I have also delved into Saga, Renaissance, later Marillion, and Pendragon. I'm looking for a more Prog experienced "pen pal" to guide me through this vast and wonderful world.

sincerely

josh

Yes, some ELP albums are real masterpieces (IMHO) like Brain Salad Surgery and Trilogy, which I believe are the ones you shoud try first from that band.

But I believe you shoud expand your horizons:

Genesis: Foxtrot and Nursery Cryme (You can't loose)

Anglagard: Hybris (Incredible progressive album)

Kansas: Song for America

Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick (MASTERPIECE)

Triumvirat: Illusions in a Double Dimple and Spartacus (Both magnificent)

Magenta: Revolutions (70's prog' released in the 00's)

PFM: Per un Amico (Brilliant Italian band, but if you want lyrics in English try Photos of Ghosts)

Frágil: Sorpresa del Tiempo (Incredible Peruvian symphonic band, played with the Lima Philarmonic)

Steve Hackett: Tokyo Tapes (Another masterpiece)

Tomorrow I'll give you more bands and albums.

Iván

He's just a boy... you guys stop scaring him like that...

Ivan is right tho... Brain Salad Surgery is a masterpiece....

Tarkus is a perfect album for a newie.I loved it when I was a kid and at the time knew nothing about prog rock! The concept is 'cartoony' and Carl Palmer propells the music impressively in a more straight forward style.Brain Salad Surgery is much more heavier and maybe needs more time.Trilogy is also quite 'dense' conceptually.I would take up the suggestion that was put to me about Gentle Giant and that is to buy the albums in chronological order of original release.For that reason I would say to get ELP's first album 'Emerson Lake And Palmer' (1970).This is an excellent introduction to the band although maybe not their absolute best.Then 'graduate' to Tarkus,Trilogy etc.

My suggestions for other bands would include:

IQ - Tales From The Lush Attic

Magenta - Revolutions

Par Lindh project - Gothic Impressions

Anglagard - Hybris

All excellent debut albums!

And Gentle Giant's eponomously titled album as well of course!

One of the few prog radio shows in Argentina starts with this sentence: "The music that all people would love... if they could listen to" . Youngbuck (welcome, Josh  ) has been working in music stores for years and recently can discover the progressive world. I understand commercial interests, but I think that music stores' owners are happy if they sell crap. And a lot of people can't know prog rock loosing a wonderful art expression. Very sad. Ah, OK, the topic: I agree with Ivan and Landberk lists, adding Genesis' Selling England By The Pound.

Useful_Idiot wrote: ivan_2068 wrote: And according to his profile, youngbuck is much older than most of us were when we started with prog music, he's 23 years old. I'm 15 and I can appreciate Tarkus (or at least the first side ).  I think he's certainly ready for ELP...

Thats telling them!!!