What was the first Prog Album?

Don´t know the releasedate exactly, but early 1969 came an album that I regard very high as a "progpioneer" album; TOUCH, by the band of the same name. It´s absolutely stunning, more so in regard that the bands writer/keyboardist Don Gallucci was only 19 y.o. at the time. This came to be their only album.
You can read more here: http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=1552
If you haven´t heard it, please do. It´s essential!
Cheers to all from Sweden

jammun wrote: Well due diligence here, are we to not consider The Shaggs?   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shaggs

They were a strong influence on Zappa.

If you're asking for the first album with progressive rock as a fully-arrived genre, I'd have to say it's probably In the Court.  I'd also say there is no such thing as the "genre" of "progressive rock".  With that in mind, as so many people have pointed out, the seeds of prog rock have been sewn long before this.  I really enjoyed seeing somebody include Brubeck's "Time Out" - that was the first album I can think of that set out with the ambitious intention of making more challenging music, and it was a resounding success.  Also, Procol Harum was here very early on, as was Caravan and Jethro Tull (as you point out, these bands hadn't really fully arrived, but they were innovating very early on).

I think I'd give the honor to Procol Harum's debut.

If progressive rock means art rock i.e. beyond whatever basic rock passes for basic at any time Then there are quite a few before ITCOTCK. That just happens to be the best / greatest at that time. All these albums happened in a  few short years  - the equivalent of 2006 - 2009. Just the weight of perceived time might skew the perspectiw (oh, a rare opportunity to use a Kobaian word.)

Heh, what is the MOST proggiest album of them all?

or the least proggiest prog album?

[QUOTE=BaldFriede] When Amon Düül's "Psychedelic Underground" came out this inferiority complex was cured; no band could possible be worse than that, QUOTE]



Just wait 'til you find NZ's indie scene of the late 1970s and 1980s. The true legacy of punk meets lo-fi. I mean it is okay to try to sound good, but ... no...

I had to demonstrate Zeppelin, Floyd, Yes etc in order to rebel against this corporate order of the day. (I know  - off topic... just ignore.)

Actually a friend of mine listened to ELP, Tull (with whom I was acquainted) and Purple. But I was well impressed. I was more into the heavy rock, Zeppelin, Purple, Heep, Sabbath. Our music teacher did have VdGG, Floyd and made pupils write out the lyrics to Stairway just to indicat ethat decent words could happen in roc. Wasn't he surprised when I finished mine without referring to his sheet...

Oh, Floyd I suppose might be it... Relics. Unless it was a Yardbirds compilation? The only time I remember seeing the term progressive rock was on CBS samplers tthat included Johnny Winter, Flora Purim, Mahavishnu and Blue Oyster Cult. Who knows what prog rock is. CBS / Sony didn't and neither do I.

When my age was in single figures I recall hearing (there were lots of hippy students where I lived) King Crimson (Poseidon), Stand Up (loved it and didn't have the vocab to articulate why - still don't, it leaves me speechless with happiness.) Oh and hearing Fat Old Sun and Echoes did strange things. I also vaguely recall seeing a plastic (as in floppy give away freebie) record on a magazine (a square record as it were) that said something about Pink Floyd. There were four tracks on it. Later research reveals this was some bootleg material that was released in this "official" way...

There was a Who tune called I Can't Reach You that I like when playing in a sandbox. I liked the Doors as well but I was a funny kid.

So Relics or Yesterdays. I think. It might have been Yesterdays. My memory does not serve me well.

Plus a whole lot of things that made me what I am today.

b*****ds.

I do know that hearing the Yes album straightened the whole thing out.

Wow, this Touch album is pretty cool.  I've never heard, nor heard of, it before.   I'm just hearing samples right now, to buy the freakin' thing will cost over $50 bucks on Amazon. 

What was the first human being? Where in the long line from Australopithecus afarensis via Pithecanthropus erectus to Homo sapiens do we draw the line?

Sgt. Pepper's.

BaldFriede wrote: What was the first human being? Where in the long line from Australopithecus afarensis via Pithecanthropus erectus to Homo sapiens do we draw the line?

Whichever one could play a more complex bone flute solo.