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Help Me Find Classic Progressive Rock:

post #1 of 30
3/27/06 at 2:38am
Thread Starter 
So for me, this past year has consisted of mainly prog-rock and prog-metal, with an emphasis mainly on current bands. The Mars Volta, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Isis, Radiohead, Tool amongst others , have been at the top of my listening list for some time.
Now id like to get into the classic bands, the ones responsible for starting it all. Im already a big fan of King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Rush and Led Zeppelin but would now like to get more familiar with some material from the following bands:

Yes
Genesis
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Camel
Gentle Giant

Mind you, I have no idea if I would even like any of the above having only heard minimal music from each.
Where should I start with each?
Could you base a suggestion based my above tastes?

I happen to love long compositions and spacey/psychidelic soundscapes; Pink Floyd and Tool are my all time favorite bands.

Thanx for the help,
Kwitel
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post #2 of 30
3/27/06 at 4:44am
Genesis,
"Seconds Out" is a good place to start. (live album)
They maybe sound better live than in studio.
Then perhaps "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway".

Yes,
"Fragile" was always my favorite album.

You might want to check out Emerson, Lake and Palmer also.
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post #3 of 30
3/27/06 at 5:15am
Zappa
Marillion
Early Styx
Early Metallica
Iron Maiden
Floyd
Allen Parsons Project
Moody Blues
Dixie Dregs (Steve Morse)
Queensryche
Kings-X
Yngwie

**edit** some of these are newer and not "classic",
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post #4 of 30
3/27/06 at 8:19am
Camel - The Snow Goose

Instrumental , but a really good Classic Prog album .

Yes - Fragile

haven't really gotten into Yes yet , but i liked this one a lot .

Also try camel's Mirage and Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Pictures from an exhabition ( check the spelling of title , i'm not sure about it ) .

Beatles - Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts

Has some classic prog elements , some say it's the first progressive album ( but it is better if we won't get into it ) .

Njoy .
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post #5 of 30
3/27/06 at 11:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Otto
Genesis,
"Seconds Out" is a good place to start. (live album)
They maybe sound better live than in studio.
Then perhaps "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway".

Yes,
"Fragile" was always my favorite album.

You might want to check out Emerson, Lake and Palmer also.
I'd start Genesis from Selling England By The Pound then move to foxtrot and Nursery Cryme.
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post #6 of 30
3/27/06 at 3:18pm
Thread Starter 
Thanx ya'll...
looks like im going to start with Genesis-Selling England and Yes-Fragile.
Can any of you give me a quick description of the typw of music that each of these bands play?

What about Mahavishnu Orchestra?
I love the Jazz/Fusion thing...looking for anything remotely similar to the Mars Volta.
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post #7 of 30
3/27/06 at 3:51pm
The only thing stopping me from recommending Yes - Close To The Edge over Fragile is because once you hear Close To The Edge.. well that's it. So get some lesser Yes albums like Fragile first (which are awesome, mind you).
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post #8 of 30
3/27/06 at 4:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwitel
Yes
Genesis
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Camel
Gentle Giant
Best places to start IMHO:

Yes - Close to the Edge (hands down!)
Genesis - Selling England By the Pound
Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame (these guys are much more jazz-rock fusion than prog, of course)
Camel - The Snow Goose
Gentle Giant - Free Hand

There are reviews of all these - along with most of these bands' classic ouevre as well as other classic prog bands like King Crimson and Jethro Tull - at the prog/avant rock review website I run, Ground and Sky. The links above go to the respective reviews at G&S, and you might find a lot of other stuff of interest there too. (end plug )
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post #9 of 30
3/27/06 at 5:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bwu
Best places to start IMHO:

Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame (these guys are much more jazz-rock fusion than prog, of course)
I would say that "Visions Of The Emerald Beyond " might be a more accessible MO selection for the first timer, but you really can't go wrong with either.
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post #10 of 30
3/27/06 at 8:48pm
My favorite Yes albums in this order:

1- Close to the Edge - A MASTERPIECE!
2- The Yes Album - not mentioned alot, but great.
3- Fragile - Rated lower just becuause the individual "solo" instrumentals feel like filler, except for "the Fish".
4- Relayer
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post #11 of 30
3/27/06 at 8:52pm
Also, don't be afraid to explore newer Prog bands that more or less have the "classic" sound, but modernized:

Spock's Beard
The Flower Kings - Very prominent Yes influence.
Transatlantic -members from Spock's Beard/Flower Kings/Marillion/Dream Theater, arguably better than their regular bands, as far as prog goes.
Neal Morse
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post #12 of 30
3/27/06 at 9:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwitel
I happen to love long compositions and spacey/psychidelic soundscapes; Pink Floyd and Tool are my all time favorite bands.
Kwitel
You might want to try Traffic also. If "Low Sparks of High Healed Boys" isn't spacey, then I don't know what is.
Alan Parsons Project - either "I Robot", or "Pyramid" is a possible candidate.
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post #13 of 30
3/27/06 at 9:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwitel
Thanx ya'll...
What about Mahavishnu Orchestra?
I love the Jazz/Fusion thing...looking for anything remotely similar to the Mars Volta.
For jazz fusion:
Try out Trilok Gurtu's African Fantasy. This album has some American mainstream music (in the beats) influences which I don't know if you would like or not but the music itself is a fusion of African, Indian and American music. Brilliant!

Also try out Shakti (John McLaughlin with Zakir Hussain and L Shankar). Zakir Hussain is the leading exponent of the Tabla and probably the best as well. I have had the fortune to hear him live in college in Bombay. That music still haunts me after 6 years.

If you are looking for some mainstream fusion, try a Pakistani band, Fuzon.

I am sorry that I am recommending you only Indian subcontinental music but hey I am an Indian and that is the only jazz fusion I have heard. I can probably recommend you more.
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post #14 of 30
3/28/06 at 1:57am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BRBJackson
I would say that "Visions Of The Emerald Beyond " might be a more accessible MO selection for the first timer, but you really can't go wrong with either.
Would you say that Mahavishnu is similar to the Mars Volta?
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post #15 of 30
3/28/06 at 2:50pm
Kwitel - If you like good live albums I would recommend "A Live Record" by Camel which has the whole of "Snow Goose" together with a collection of Camel's classic tracks - in my vinyl days the sound quality was always reported as one of the best for live recording ...
On the Genesis front "Foxtrot" "Nursery Cryme" "Selling England ..." & "The Lamb Lies Down ..." would be the essential ones IMHO
HTH - Paul
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