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- Camel/Mirage/Moonmadness are a must
- Rain dances / Breathless have Richard Sinclair.
- Live record is the best Snow Goose.
Nude is good too. After that I lose interest a little.
If you are into guitar then Andy Latimer will flick a switch for you.
The only Genesis I can handle is 'Selling England....' which is truly excellent.
you wouldn't be the first :-) Start with Freak Out and go from there really.
Start with Can. Anything up until about '75 is great, but the first two sides of Tago Mago are absolutely untouchable.
To me, I enjoy prog rock (especially the palatable non-artsy songs) because I really appreciate how prog rock songs are full of: creativity, musical talent, lyrics with underlying meanings and imageries, and especially, the inclusion of beautiful instrumental interludes. These qualities can be rarely found in modern music - especially when EDM crap music is widespread.
Some of the best examples of prog rock that shows the musical talent and creativity required to make prog rock includes: 2112 by rush, Supper's Ready by Genesis, Spectral Morning by Steve Hackett, and umm Eye in the Sky album by Alan Parsons Project or even Electric Light Orchestra's Discovery album (if you consider that as prog, these are just albums coming off the top of my head).
It's okay if you find some of the prog rock stuff pretentious, I do as well and for example, some people consider Mars Volta as prog rock but I absolutely hate them and find them pretentious try-hard. Their music and lyrics make absolutely no sense to me and I don't enjoy them (each to their own, I am sure there are fans here).
I am a huge Genesis fan btw if anyone else is also one here. I am still praying for a Genesis reunion with Collins and Gabriel, as well as a Supertramp reuniom with Roger Hodgson... And even a Chicago reunion with Peter Cetera and Robert Lamm.
However, I love Genesis... yes its dated, but then so is rockabilly.
Camel are massively under-rated, IMHO - I also love the Harbour of Tears album by them. That has some of the most amazing violining guitar you'll find.
Floyd - goes without saying, but I'm not a fan of the stuff prior to Meddle - it was a bit... well, it was trying too hard and was a bit noodly for me. I also don't get the Syd love... as whilst he wrote a few good pop songs, he very quickly ran out of ideas/originality and some of the 'experimental' stuff wasn't very good,IMHO.
Nektar "Sounds Like This" is a fab album - "good day" is a great track and "what you gonna do" rocks like a bastard.
Focus... amazing band. Bonkers but amazing. Hamburger Concerto is one of my all time faves.
King Crimson - brilliant, brilliant brilliant. My mum used to blast "Court of the Crimson King" when I was in the womb... according to her, once I was born she didn't listen to the album for about three or four years. When she played it for the first time, apparently I was singing along... so perhaps its 'went in' whilst I was in there!!
Rush - unbelievable band. Love em.
Steven Wilson - god-like genius, IMHO.
But I also love punk rock - and have played in a couple of punk bands.
Always loved Gabriel era Genesis - quintessetially English
Floyds's Meddle remains my preferred album
King Crimson can do no wrong !
Quite liking Steve Wilson & Dream Theater in small doses these days
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There was a gap when I got into other things. Now I'm getting into prog again with artists such as Frost and Steve Wilson, plus I'm rediscovering the old stuff.
My history - my teens - didn't like it and maybe a bit prejudiced against it. Over the years I've tried to challenge those prejudices, listening to a fair amount of "classic" prog (Yes, Crimson, Genesis) but the penny didn't really drop - Crimson came closest. I've played in bands with musos who are fanatic fans and their earnest attempts to convert me have failed. Post Barratt Pink Floyd doesn't do much for me either.
I do like some stuff at the fringes of prog - Kate Bush, David Sylvian, and Radiohead spring to mind. About a year ago I started to get into Steven Wilson, even saw him live, and I thought I'd found the progger I was actually going to like, but a few months later I've no desire to put on the albums. They are not bad, but there are a million things I'd rather listen to.
I said, 'Supertramp!'
He said, 'Thank you very much'.
Mindless widdling?
You needed to be there.
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So it was a very interesting show, still available on the iPlayer I believe if anyone wants to check it out. But talking about his influences, it was iirc almost all about the great Russian composers,Prokofiev, Shostakovich etc, stuff I already knew. And all his choices of his favourite pieces of music were classical except one: Life on Mars by Bowie (on which he played of course). Yes I know the show has a classical bias, but plenty of guests go on and pick non-classical stuff, jazzers go on and pick jazz etc. You couldn't imagine Stevie Wonder on and not picking any soul, or Mick Jagger not picking any blues, Macca not picking any pop.
I thought it said something that one of the great figures in prog went on the show, barely discussed any prog beyond what was needed to cover the basics of his career, and included absolutely no prog in a representative sample of the music he was most passionate about.
And I do kinda think if he's remembered for anything it'll be for playing the piano on "Life on Mars".
The Yes, Genesis , Gentle Giant, Camel keyboardy, wizardy, epic tawddle stuff isn't my cup of tea at all. In fact it annoys me that the word 'rock' appears in the description of what they do as they seem to be people with no understanding of rock music at all; even reading the odd interview with musicians like Steve Howe or Rick Wakeman seems to bear out that they weren't all that interested in rock music. That's fine and maybe other people gave them the label anyway but when someone says Prog Rock I get very sad looking as my head fills with thoughts of keyboard solos and complex song structures, silk flared trousers and Roger Dean doodlings. I'm generally not into negativity about any music or musicians to whatever extent I do or don't like what they do but ( my interpretation of what is)Prog Rock is my exception.
Was I there? Well, I was alive but otherwise no. However, I love some 1950s Chicago blues and some 1960s Jamaican ska,etc,etc, so I don't think being there was essential.
Edit: decided not to post all this after writing it earlier but just seen @Blueingreen 's post which does seem to back up part of it at least so I will post after all
They are not prog to my way of thinking but they are to others. And they definitely cross the boundaries of prog-rock-pop-psychedelia. I am talking about the incredible, consistently creative and awesome band The Church. I started an appreciation thread here: http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/88218/the-church-one-of-the-greatest-bands-ever-that-youve-never-heard-of ... I strongly recommend - well - every album they have released (24 in total). I can focus you to selections if you have a particular penchant for dark and dense, bright and breezy or lush and languid. They do it all ... apart, perhaps, from protracted self-indulgent widdling and nonsense (though you can have that too in some of the jammed and outtake albums). Here are three songs loosely in the above three categories.
First is The Disillusionist from album Priest=Aura:
I say I don't like prog, but I think you could arguably extend the definition to include some artists I really do like - Kate Bush, David Sylvian, Radiohead all seem informed by a kind of prog aesthetic, even though they don't have the virtuoso instrumental thing going on (but then again, nor do Pink Floyd).