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Erik Scholten View Drop Down
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Joined: February 12 2008
Location: Den Haag
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Points: 3 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 14 2008 at 10:43
I would start with Fish-era Marillion. This worked perfectly well with me when Kerrang started writing about them. Then slowly go back to the classics of the early seventies before showing current big names.

I had some succes in playing Mystery and Salem Hill to non prog lovers and got them chasing the CD.
While getting others into Aeon Spoke with great success I went on to Cynic (same band members), but that seemed one step too far for the untrained listener.
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blaughida View Drop Down
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Joined: January 20 2007
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Points: 143 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 14 2008 at 19:57
I have yet to play "In the Land of Grey and Pink" and have someone not like it, and the whole album generally gets a positive response.  Some "indie rock"-centric critics, who say negative things about the big symphonic bands, actually like some of the Canterbury Scene bands (whom they likely know thanks to Robert Wyatt's association with Rough Trade in the 1980s), though they would never ever call them "progressive rock."

Bands like Harmonium and Mezquita who mix local music traditions with prog go over well with my friends, too--I generally play these for people who speak the language/have some interest in the country.  (I know there are Anglophone bands that fit this description too, but I don't own anything of the sort that's listed in a proper prog category at present).

I generally avoid serious symphonic stuff, though the funny Genesis songs, for example, sometimes work with friends who pay as much attention to lyrics as I do--humor is always a good tool!  I look for music that has something in it the person in question can connect with, which seems to be the general and generally good advice.
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ghost_of_morphy View Drop Down
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Joined: March 08 2007
Location: United States
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Points: 2755 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 15 2008 at 02:19
Originally posted by Draith Draith wrote:

So I've been thinking about what albums I should give all of my musically inclined friends that think they might like progressive rock. And it got me thinking... what would you consider the best set of albums for introducing someone to prog or who is recently converting to prog? You could account for various musical tastes and sub-genres as well, such as someone who likes more alternative sounding music might like Radiohead or Porcupine Tree and the likes; a metal head might get into Symphony X, Riverside, Opeth, or Dream Theater or something of the sort. Now I wouldn't simply throw masterpiece albums at them; I'd think about what albums might make a transition to their musical taste into the right frame of mind. What do you consider the perfect prog "starter kit?"
 
Not so long ago, I made this playlist available through Imeem to introduce a couple of people to prog.
 
1.  Spectal Mornings -- Steve Hackett
2.  Starship Trooper -- Yes
3.  Squonk -- Genesis
4.  The Last Seven Minutes -- Magma
5.  Order of the Universe -- Anderson, Wakeman, Bruford, Howe
6.  Matte Kudasai -- King Crimson
7.  Subdivisions -- Rush
8,  Lady Fantasy -- Camel
9.  Anne Boleyn -- Rick Wakeman
10.  Kayleigh -- Marillion
 
 No doubt a couple of those choices will seem odd, but there were reasons for them.
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