To the prog fans

To the prog fans: What got you into this type of music? It's admittedly not for everyone, but presently I cannot get enough of it.

I got interested in prog through a band that isn't. Fates Warning. Their music always had a bit more meat on the bone than most metal bands. From them, I progressed to Dream Theater in the early 90's and then started to delve into some of their influences. But honestly, I haven't been into as much prog as when I joined this board with the prog-gurus.

Iron Maiden's Seventh Son and Pink Floyd are what made me look into it a little further. although I don't like nearly as much of it as most of the others here.

I guess at heart Im really just a perpetually pissed off 17 year old metal head

It was Kansas and Pink Floyd that got me into prog in the first place. The first prog metal bands I'd ever heard of were Dream Theater and Sieges Even (thanks to YouTube).

I'm a little like DC though, I still gotta have my metal fix. But prog is definitely my second favorite genre.

Pink Floyd and 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart', that song got me into Yes and once I heard their earlier stuff I got into Rush. It gets fuzzy after that but then around '06 I realized just how worldwide Prog is through an Italian band named Alphataurus. I got an "almanac" of Prog and Martin Popoff's books to introduce me to more Prog!

Akeldama wrote:

Pink Floyd and 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart', that song got me into Yes and once I heard their earlier stuff I got into Rush. It gets fuzzy after that but then around '06 I realized just how worldwide Prog is through an Italian band named Alphataurus. I got an "almanac" of Prog and Martin Popoff's books to introduce me to more Prog!

Ya gotta check into Jerry Lucky's guide.


I don't know what got me into it..... It might have been those synth sounds from when I first heard Close To The Edge on the radio(Yes, the actual airwaves).. Stone Trek was the show and it played Prog and some Fusion from 9pm-midnight on Sunday and then Blue Monday would come on after that from midnight to ??? because I usually fell asleep, so I don't know when that show ended. So at that time I dug Prog, Blues, Metal and some Fusion(like Brand X)..... what a combo!!!!!


Stumbling across Stone Trek is when I actually got into Prog. I had heard bits and pieces here and there, like Marillion, Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd but it was all the 80s stuff from the older bands and no one I knew, or hung out with at that time, listened to Prog.... at all!

It was my own personal discovery!

For me I think it was a natural part of growing up listening to music in the 1970's and hearing so many wonderful styles all co-existing on the same radio station dial.

Sometime around 1977/1978 I discovered a variety of bands with some "prog-leanings" even though they weren't actual prog bands (Queen, Electric Light Orchestra, Supertramp) as well as already being familiar with The Doors, The Beatles and some of the other groups that paved the way.

Then in 1979 I discovered Pink Floyd, Yes, Jethro Tull and Kansas. In 1981 the two albums I played the most were "Asia" and "Moving Pictures". Rush stuck with me and that led me into really delving backward into the history of the genre. This was aided by cheap LPs at thrift stores which allowed me to amass a large collection for a very small amount of money.

Prog eventually led me to fusion (John McLaughlin, Weather Report, Al DiMeola, etc) which in turn introduced me to jazz.

Then I discovered King Crimson in the late 90's and that led me back into Prog again.

I would say that at the moment Prog fits my state of mind better than any other type of music. I love the broader tonal palette and freedom of expression that's naturally built into the genre.

It inspires me.

S.D. wrote:

Then I discovered King Crimson in the late 90's and that led me back into Prog again.

That's funny!!!! I got into KC around that same time!

Do you have any recordings done SD?

I'll check that book out chewie, thanks.

Spec check out a band called Message, start with From Books And Dreams and then The Dawn Anew Is Coming.

My brother-in-law turned me onto some cool bands. And old age.

As I got older, I looked for something different and pehaps more mellow to listen to. Metal and thrash were all well and good when I was an angry young man pumping iron and getting drunk. Since I do neither of those anymore, I need to fill the musical void. Prog and some jazz fits that for me. I appreciate the musicianship more than I used to.

Spec, have you discovered any prog bands recently that you're excited about? I know you got into Eloy, just wondering who else you may be into at the moment.

I like Nektar. But haven't delved too deeply into them, which would be difficult to do now that all the file sharing sites have up and died.....

I have to find the new Astra album. I'm excited about that.

I believe Spotify has some Nektar albums available for streaming, that and Mog are how I discover all my new music now.

I'm surprised by how much I don't care about the file sharing sites going away.

re: Nektar. I have a category I use called "Prog-flavored", I use it for bands that might have some prog rock elements but aren't technically a prog rock band. Bands like Nektar, Eloy, Kansas, Asia, Queen, E.L.O., I put into this category. Later Yes albums also fit this category.

They are essentially mainstream rock bands with better than average musicians and intelligent songwriting. Each of those bands have specific tracks that could be considered prog, but the majority of their work is aimed directly at the Radio market. Nothing wrong with that at all, but it differentiates them from the "fuck the radio, we'll do whatever we want" mindset of regular prog.

Even before I knew what prog was, I was really into bands like Rush and Tool. When I first heard someone put that label to it, I knew I wanted to hear everything that fell under it.

Saga is definitely "Prog-flavored", but they are one of my top 5 favorite bands. Their stuff from the 2000's is phenomenal, methinks.

I had the Worlds Apart album on LP when it first came out, need to revisit it one of these days.

SpectreFate wrote:

I like Nektar. But haven't delved too deeply into them, which would be difficult to do now that all the file sharing sites have up and died.....

I have to find the new Astra album. I'm excited about that.

I got the new Astra last week. It's very good. I think if you liked their debut, you should dig this one as well.

The new Astra album is interesting, I will give them props for authenticity (analog moog synths, mellotrons, Hammond B3). Their instrumental songs are the most interesting part of their sound, when the vocals kick in it starts to sound a little too calculated for me.

Instrumentally though, I dig them.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

SpectreFate wrote:

I like Nektar. But haven't delved too deeply into them, which would be difficult to do now that all the file sharing sites have up and died.....

I have to find the new Astra album. I'm excited about that.

I got the new Astra last week. It's very good. I think if you liked their debut, you should dig this one as well.

Sweet. It should be today's mail.

SpectreFate wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

SpectreFate wrote:

I like Nektar. But haven't delved too deeply into them, which would be difficult to do now that all the file sharing sites have up and died.....

I have to find the new Astra album. I'm excited about that.

I got the new Astra last week. It's very good. I think if you liked their debut, you should dig this one as well.

Sweet. It should be today's mail.

Sounds good!

Have you guys ever heard of the band Ad Infinitum? They only did one album in the late 90s early 2000s. I actually was talking to the keyboardist/writer/founder and they were suppossed to do a second album, but it never came to be. Very good retro stuff:

I first heard this song on a Kineses Label Sampler. I liked it enough to buy the album:






I also liked the fact they they had two vocalists. One of the guys is like a David Pack/Peter Gabriel hybrid. To me he sounds more like David Pack. Excellent harmonies as well.

Check this OUT!!!!!



Gotta see if this is coming to a venue near me!!