Can teenagers Enjoy early Genesis?

I laughed at this thread's title.

Of course teenagers can enjoy prog - they can enjoy every type of music just like everyone else. We're not stupid, you know. I'm 17, and the first genre of music I got into was prog, with Pink Floyd. I have diversified over the years, into metal, extreme metal, ambient, hard rock, experimental, and listen to lots of recent music. I don't listen to the radio - I hate it, and I hate almost all pop music that they'd play.

Why am I like this, whereas most people my age are not? My two brothers got into prog before me, and it was them who showed me how awesome it was (It was actually Pigs on Animals which got me into prog). Before that I had almost no interest in music at all. Then my dad's music, mostly prog stuff like Pink Floyd, or hard rock like Led Zeppelin, started to get digitized from vinyl format, and we got into his collection of stuff. Nobody listened to the radio in our house so that was the only influence.

In comparison, most other people have parent who like that kinda thing, or friends who like it. Radio is the easiest thing to listen to, hence it appeals to people, and hence it's convenient to enjoy the music on there.

So if you are desperate to get your daughter into prog, then continue as you are. Note that some degree of freedom should be encouraged - sure, you might dislike the modern stuff, but maybe she does enjoy it along with prog. I think as a father myself I'd hate to have to hear it but it might be a price worth paying for to allow some freedom.

On another note, I think teenagers connect with music very well - they're physically able and active, and have a lot of spare time to obsess over it (eg, learning an instrument) so if you want to get someone into prog, GET 'EM WHILE THEY'RE YOUNG.

Oh, and going to sleep to Genesis? That's intense. Might I suggest some Stars Of The Lid? Eluvium? Ambient music?

Of course it is! I'm 17 now, and although I enjoy Tull, Giant, Crimson, VDGG, Zappa, and Magma a whole lot more, I can appreciate some Genesis when I'm in the right mood. Just last summer, I bought Selling England and Foxtrot from amazon (in fact I got an amazon account just to buy these two albums!) and I rotated them in my cd player for about three weeks! I even asked for The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway as a gift, and still enjoy it to this day. As for  using Selling England to go to sleep to, I've always found Trespass a much better album for that purpose. The whole work is the audio equivalent  to a surreal dream. I love it!

Zombywoof wrote: Of course it is! I'm 17 now, and although I enjoy Tull, Giant, Crimson, VDGG, Zappa, and Magma a whole lot more, I can appreciate some Genesis when I'm in the right mood. Just last summer, I bought Selling England and Foxtrot from amazon (in fact I got an amazon account just to buy these two albums!) and I rotated them in my cd player for about three weeks! I even asked for The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway as a gift, and still enjoy it to this day. As for  using Selling England to go to sleep to, I've always found Trespass a much better album for that purpose. The whole work is the audio equivalent  to a surreal dream. I love it!

A few people have told me Trespass is a better choice and i will give her that one tomorrow. i love the album and I think she will enjoy it.

AtomicCrimsonRush wrote: Zombywoof wrote: Of course it is! I'm 17 now, and although I enjoy Tull, Giant, Crimson, VDGG, Zappa, and Magma a whole lot more, I can appreciate some Genesis when I'm in the right mood. Just last summer, I bought Selling England and Foxtrot from amazon (in fact I got an amazon account just to buy these two albums!) and I rotated them in my cd player for about three weeks! I even asked for The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway as a gift, and still enjoy it to this day. As for  using Selling England to go to sleep to, I've always found Trespass a much better album for that purpose. The whole work is the audio equivalent  to a surreal dream. I love it! A few people have told me Trespass is a better choice and i will give her that one tomorrow. i love the album and I think she will enjoy it.

Great, just be sure to set the player on timer so "The Knife" doesn't wake her up! That happened to me once.

Hello there.

I'm 17 years old, and I've been listening to Genesis' older material for about a year now.  I've listened to both Selling England By The Pound and Foxtrot in their entirety, and I just recently got Nursery Cryme and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.

In the two former albums mentioned, there wasn't a song on either album I didn't enjoy.  Of the two, I preferred Foxtrot (partially because of Supper's Ready, but I also like Time Table and Get 'Em Out By Friday), but both are excellent prog albums.

That being said, Genesis isn't my favorite prog band.  Among my favorites are Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP, and King Crimson.  I also like Peter Gabriel's solo material, especially his experimental material from the third album.

Follow-up tp last post: I might also suggest either of Touchstone's albums, Discordant Dreams or Wintercoast. Kim Sevior's voice is wonderful, and as they are a cross-over prog band, their sensibilities I think span a range of tastes.

As for suggestions appropriate to a 13-year-old girl, maybe I'm not qualified as my daughter is considerably younger, but I think it is good for girlts to have strong female role models in all areas, including the arts. Thus, anything my Magenta would probably be good. I would probably start with Revolutions as I think it is most likely to catch a teenager's imagination, but I may just be projecting too much of my remembered self here. For classic prog, of course Renaissance would be wonderful, particularly Scheherazade. I don't think either of these albums has any content that would cause me concern as a parent. Another suggestion, though the vocalist of course is male, is Yes's the Ladder--in places downright exuberant, and I think pretty accessible (in the best sense of the word).

thats a great idea as Annie haslams voice is very soothing tho that stuff is rather difficult to get into esp Scherezade - I am not sure she will understand that orcestration. Good idea though.  Yes's The Ladder is something I had not considered but once again  a nice choice.

Edited by AtomicCrimsonRush - June 07 2010 at 10:00

Calculate900 wrote: Hello there. I'm 17 years old, and I've been listening to Genesis' older material for about a year now.  I've listened to both Selling England By The Pound and Foxtrot in their entirety, and I just recently got Nursery Cryme and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. In the two former albums mentioned, there wasn't a song on either album I didn't enjoy.  Of the two, I preferred Foxtrot (partially because of Supper's Ready, but I also like Time Table and Get 'Em Out By Friday), but both are excellent prog albums. That being said, Genesis isn't my favorite prog band.  Among my favorites are Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP, and King Crimson.  I also like Peter Gabriel's solo material, especially his experimental material from the third album.

Great stuff! Gabriel is a legend and can do no wrong for me either. i recently saw his DVD Growing Up and it is a stunning show - if you go to youtube and search 'Growing Up DVD' you can watch the entire thing! He is dynamic and very moving when he is on stage with his daughter. 

Staker wrote: I laughed at this thread's title. Of course teenagers can enjoy prog - they can enjoy every type of music just like everyone else. We're not stupid, you know. I'm 17, and the first genre of music I got into was prog, with Pink Floyd. I have diversified over the years, into metal, extreme metal, ambient, hard rock, experimental, and listen to lots of recent music. I don't listen to the radio - I hate it, and I hate almost all pop music that they'd play. So if you are desperate to get your daughter into prog, then continue as you are. Note that some degree of freedom should be encouraged - sure, you might dislike the modern stuff, but maybe she does enjoy it along with prog. I think as a father myself I'd hate to have to hear it but it might be a price worth paying for to allow some freedom.

Wiktor Hatif wrote: Zombywoof wrote: Should this be added to the "You know you're a prog newbie when..." thread? nope, because I play it to sleep deliberately :) Not, that I'm not listening it awake, but I just love falling asleep to great dreamy music. I know we're going a little off topic here :P

I was kidding, so do I. Islands is one of my favorite albums, I have no idea why some people bash it the way they do.