Hi all!

 

Been looking at the forums for a while and enjoying reading the great discussions on here, and finally got around to setting myself up as a member and thought I'd introduce myself.

 

I've been a prog fan since I was 15 (now mid forties) but finding this excellent site has been a real treat and it seems like a gold mine of information.  I've already bought quite a few new prog albums based on reviews and ratings on here, and it's expanding my prog horizons.

 

First got into prog via Marillion.  Can't remember how now, but I think I must have heard Kayleigh on the radio and went out and bought Misplaced Childhood.

 

A friend at college, who was a bass guitarist and who also liked Marillion, said this band called "Yes" were even better, and, as I respected his musical opinion, I went out and bought Fragile, and I've never looked back since.

 

I got heavily into the Indie scene in the 90's, but I was always a progger at heart, and I've since returned to my musical home.

 

Great to find a site that seems to have so many kindred spirits as I usually only get abuse for being a prog fan and it can seem like a lonely place to be, but prog has given me so much pleasure over the years I wouldn't change it at all.

 

The beauty about prog music,  there's so many genres and sub-genres,  you can pick and choose your favourite... 

Great to have another aging homeboy.  Welcome to PA.

 

I only got into Gentle Giant a few years ago.  Having known about them for many years I'd always assumed they were nothing special (wrongly of course).  I saw the Steve Wilson remastered version of Octopus was coming out, got it, and was totally blown away by how good these guys were.

 

That sort of lead me on to VdGG and also Gryphon, and these are the bands I've been listening to mostly over the last couple of years (and Camel which I also picked up on a few years ago).

 

I've always been a big Yes fan, as well as classic Genesis and King Crimson.

 

I've never taken much to ELP though.  They just don't do it for me.

I have so many bands from various genres, it's mind blowing... ...  My favourites are Symphonic and Crossover.  Others include Folk and Jazz Rock.........  These are more I can relate too.

However, genres like Italian prog labled,  can be related  to Symphonic and Folk mostly... Which I'm also a fan of...  

you should definitely try out Hawkwind, Gong, Amon Düül 2, Can, Embryo, Guru Guru and Magma. good starting albums for each:

Hawkwind - Warrior on the Edge of Time

Gong - Shamal

Amon Düül 2 - Tanz der Lemminge

Can - Tago Mago

Embryo - Rocksession

Guru Guru - Tango Fango

Magma - Üdü Wüdü

 

I've listened to Tago Mago online before and I liked it.  It's on my list of albums to buy, but there are other albums ahead of it in the queue at the moment...

 

I've listened to some Magma as well but I struggled to get used to the strange operatic vocal style.

 

The whole flying teapots thing put me off Gong a bit, as it seemed a bit silly, but I should probably check them out sometime.

 

Not heard any of the others, but thank you for the recommendations!

 

I've never listened to Leftoverture, but I'll check it out online and see what I think

 

I have got some Pink Floyd (DSOTM, WYWH, Animals, and Meddle) but the albums don't get many plays and I find they wash over me more than they engage me.

 

I like Jethro Tull, and I've got TAAB, Aqualung, MITG, and SFTW.  I like the folk influences combined with rock, but I just think that GG are better at doing that, so GG get more plays than Jethro.

 

Can't say I've ever listened to any Finnish prog, but I'll see if I can check out the album online.

 

Thanks for the recommendations!

the other are all German bands, with the exception of Hawkwind; Krautrock offers some of the greatest albums ever.

here links to some of the albums I suggested:

Hawkwind:

Amon Düül 2:

Guru Guru:

About Magma I recommend their first album, I have found Udu Wudu quite cold album, not bad but really not their best. In their first two albums there are woodwinds & brass that are not in their later albums, naturally there is too that "opera" style vocals, so it´s of course possible Magma is just not for you. 

About Gong I think you should listen Bald Jeans recommendation Shamal if you don´t like Gong`s "foolishness" of that Teapot trilogy (I love it), Shamal already goes to more fusion direction, but is really great anyway.

About folkprog one really great album to recommend is Comus First Utterance.

The whole Wigwam Fairyport album seem to disappear from youtube, but here´s great opening track (I think the whole album is in spotify):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf8nrpTCxSQ

To me best Magma-studio-albums are first, second, MDK, Wurdah Itah, Köhntarkösz, K.A. & Emehntehtt-Re. Felicite Thösz & Sl*g Tanz are really great too!

About Magma live albums I think Theusz Hamtaahk Trilogie is must!

we have the live Theusz Hamtaahk trilogy as a video. great fun to watch

 

I've had a listen, and the one that interested me most out of the three was Amon Duul II album.  The musicianship on this one is excellent and it's highly experimental.  Certainly an album that's now on my radar.

 

Not sure about the Hawkwind.  It sounds a bit dated to my ears.  I find the best prog rock has a timeless sound, regardless of when it was created.  If it sounds dated to me then that's usually not a good sign.  It also seems to hit some of the prog rock clichés as well (it sounded a bit Spinal Tap at times) and the vocals are a bit irritating.  At times it sounded as though they were trying too hard to be "arty".  Having said that I have radically changed my mind about prog albums after owning them for a period of time, so who knows...

 

The Guru Guru was a very pleasant listen with excellent musicianship.  I like jazz fusion, but this one is maybe a bit too out and out jazz for me.  I think it also doesn't have enough edge to it to keep me coming back, but a very enjoyable listen all the same.

 

Thank you for sharing these albums!

Guru Guru are the chameleons of prog; almost every album is in a different style. Just compare these albums to Jean's recommendation:

And these are just some examples; they like to try out everything.

 

American style prog rock is not something I'm used to and it may take me a while to get used to the different style.

 

Certainly very rocky.  On first listen it sounded like classic American rock and roll with progressive elements tagged on in places.

 

Definitely worth another listen though, just not sure whether I'll take to it or not yet.

 

I also listened to Wobbler "From Silence to Somewhere".

 

Wow!! What an album!

 

This one smacked me in the mouth right from the start and kept me hooked throughout.

 

I didn't know modern bands could make prog rock albums like this.  This one has gone straight on the "to buy" list.

 

Thanks for the recommendations!

 

I wanted to find the time to listen to these three albums before coming back to you.

 

I found this music extremely interesting and you're right about them being chameleons.

 

Definitely a band that I'm now interested in (although I noticed that there are only a very small number of reviews of these albums on PA)!

 

Thank you for giving me the experience of this great music

 

Best wishes

https://francislickerish.bandcamp.com/

 

I like all sorts of prog, but especially the medieval / folksy stuff.

 

I was very excited to see Gryphon reform properly a few years ago and went to see them perform last year and they were excellent.  Very much looking forward to the new Gryphon album due out very soon (they played a track from the new album and it was very good)