New to Prog Rock....

try shine on your crazy diamond by pink floyd. i find that it kinda sums up prog in one. also check out the "what is prog" section and it is broken up into sections with the best albums, try downloading some of the mp3s on the site.

Hi, and welcome indeed to your new addiction

Since you've admit you like both Floyd and Genesis, I can say that you're halfway there! These two groups constitutes the main two influences, though you should maybe include (as an influence) Yes, Camel and King Crimson (maybe also Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant and Van Der Graaf Generator).

I can imagine that you are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of prog that's out there. But, if you'd look at some of the 'all-time-lists' around the net (e.g. the top 50 of Progarchives is a good start indeed), you will see the same names popping up. Check the nearest libary for updating your Genesis, Camel, Yes, Pink Floyd, Marillion, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Eloy, Caravan, Barclay James Harvest, ELP, Gentle Giant, Kansas, Supertramp, Rush, Saga, etc. etc. As a rule, remember that their output in the seventies were better than of the eighties.

However, the eighties delighted us with mentioned Marillion, and also IQ, Pendragon, Pallas, and a lot of so-called neoprog-groups. Many of those bands are still around, and their nineties-output is sometimes even better.

By now, we are in a 'third-generation' progrock-decade, and music is varied and beautiful. Substyles are too many to mention. Important names are Spock's Beard (or Neal Morse right now), The Flower Kings, Porcupine Tree, Arena, Dream Theater, Echolyn, Anekdoten, Galleon, Magenta, Glass Hammer, Jadis, Threshold, Ayreon, Iona, Mostly Autumn, Moongarden, Riverside, RPWL., Timothy Pure, Sylvan and quite a lot more of those.

In this time and ago, especially this year, we are overfed by brilliant progreleases, and you should therefore check some yearlists, like on http://www.dprp.net/dprpoll/index.php which will give you a good insight on the 2003-1997 'classics'.

Of course, what the main progfan likes, is no guarantee. But I think you'll develope your own taste easily enough through this. And remember: all this music (some of it nobody is aware of) was made out of love, especially for you!

My first prog album was "In the court of the Crimson King", which I highly recommend for anybody making its way in prog-rock.

If you like epics, you might try and listen to Yes. "Fragile" is an incredible album, but doesn't contain long songs. It's successor, however, "Close to the Edge", is an album you'll adore. And when you're totally into Yes, give "Tales..." and "Relayer" a chance.

Pink Floyd also has some albums containing "long" songs. Try "Atom Heart Mother" and "Animals".

Hope I helped and good luck!

The most popular(what we call 1st tiered) progressive bands out there are:

1. Pink Floyd(Its all good)....try Animals if you haven't yet

2. Yes(71-74)...my suggestion would be Close to the Edge

3. Emerson, Lake and Palmer(70-73)...try Brain Salad Surgery

4. Genesis(70-77)...you're already at a starting point here but you really can't go wrong with any other Lp from this era as well

5. Rush...try out 2112

6. King Crimson(69-74)...In the Court of the Crimson King

7. Jethro Tull (Thick as a Brick Lp)

Start with any of these

 

Edited by gdub411

can't add much more, though if you're on a budget
you might like to invest in some best ofs
but maybe Tull would initially be best represented by
MU - The Very Best of
Floyd by Echoes (though pretty much any album
between 71 and 83 is worth the full purchase price)
There must be ELP, Gentle Giant, Marillion, Yes etc
best ofs out there. Actually might benefit from a
couple of those myself... particularly ELP and Gentle
Giant.
any best of suggestions anybody?

cool, I've never been a big ELP person, thanks in part
to purchasing a battered old vinyl copy of Pictures at
an Exhibition and largely disliking it, but reading
other people's opinions here has convinced me
there must be more to them than that dismal record.
Please tell me I'm right!!???

cheers, will sample... just been on amazon, there's a
double CD Anthology which has the 3 impressions
looks good, 15 quid, here comes the credit card...
doh!

Whats the title of it??  Is it the Ultimate Collection?

The only "Anthology" ones I know.. only have Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression, Pt. 2 on it...and its only 2-cds.  The Ultimate collection has 3 cds.. but one is live from the 90s.. and the order is all screwed up.

Anyway... if you see this one... my advice is to get it..

 

Yes...