Milano's Prog Thread
 

I'm not sure if these types of threads are frowned upon around here or whatever, but I feel like posting it. I listen to a lot of prog, and if my memory serves me correctly, the prog section of this forum hasn't been the most active, so I figure...why not make it at least a bit more interesting. This will also make it easier on me in terms of not having to make a new thread for each new band I run into. Frankly, I just don't have the time anymore to do something like that, also considering there's a lot of bands I would like to post.

And just in case you "tl;dr"'d the first part of that post, just...listen to the music i'll post. Nothing out of the ordinary, really.


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Band / Artist Highlights (throughout the thread)

Porcupine Tree / Blackfield / Steven Wilson
Asia
Eclipse
Knight Area
Animations
Myrath
Demians

Anathema's 'Judgement' is a great album in my opinion, what do you make of it Milano?

I really really dig it. I'm not too picky when it comes to prog, but the band has to have a good vocalist, which they do. So the album really flowed well for me in terms of that. Instrumentally, I thought it was brilliant. As most prog albums tend to be.

I apologize if that response was vague. My mind isn't working well, but it's the best I could do for the moment.

Man, I'm not a big prog guy myself, but I'll post some that I like, perhaps you could give me recommendations off the back of it, as it's a genre I'm trying to get into more.

^A perfect circle is prog?

What would you consider it to be?

Not sure, I guess the definition of prog is pretty wide.

I bought that album a long time ago and I never thought of it as prog, it just sounded like some sort of rock (just like most of the Porcupine Tree I've heard). I guess i just don't know what constitutes prog.

Definitely.

Some bands I can think of at the top of my head that you'd probably really enjoy are: Demians, Animations, Blackfield (since you like Porcupine Tree), anything to do with Devin Townsend, Theocracy, Yes, King Crimson, Marillion, Myrath, Opeth, and The Pineapple Thief. If anything, those bands I listed will at least give you a good head start on progressive rock and progressive metal.

Not as proggy as a classic prog band would represent, but yes, APC is technically under the prog genre, as is Tool and Puscifer(sp?)

I always thought of it as rock music that blended itself with other types of music, i.e. jazz, hardcore, blues, classical, etc and used a musical pattern which progressed throughout each track.
Knowing how some people get really pretentious about genre on here, I'm probably in for a torn arsehole for that definition :laughing:


Thanks man. Which Yes album do you think I should start with? They've released a **** tonne. Also, do you consider early Genesis as worth checking out, I've got most of their stuff with Collins as frontman, but none of their progressive music.

With Yes, I would personally start out with the 90125 album. It's not too difficult to stomach, and it's been proven (in my experience anyway) that it's a great album to start with in terms of getting into the band. I had a friend of mine listen to it for the first time, and now she loves the band.

As for Genesis, it's tough to say, they have been pretty successful to my listening regardless, they have a lot of good releases, but again, I would personally go for Duke and Selling England By The Pound if you're wanting to check out earlier releases.

I also don't know a whole lot about prog, but i really dig these songs and their respective albums (especially the mars volta one).





Holy **** Amputechture's a crazy album.

King Crimson is a fantastic band, and rightfully so. Especially with how much respect I give them for the release of In The Court of the Crimson King. Talk about a good start.

I also want to add that I am not an expert at all in this genre, I just know a lot of bands in the genre, that would typically would be considered to be "not so well known". And I listen to the genre a lot.

neo-prog is all you guys listen to?

I'll eventually post more of some progressive death metal / melodic death metal stuff.

Steven Wilson / Blackfield / Porcupine Tree

Can't go wrong with some chilled out prog with an incredibly underrated vocalist / guitar player. At first, Porcupine Tree was sort of a hit and miss with me, more for the fact that I was just casually listening, and wasn't entirely informed about the band as a whole, so they were one of those "i'll listen to it, just cuz" bands. But ever since I listened the Deadwing album all the way through, it changed my point of view on the band completely, in a good way. Especially if you've sat through Arriving Somewhere But Not Here at least once.

This is a live version, which sounds just as amazing, if not better than the studio version:



And now for some Blackfield:




I don't want to post Steven Wilson's solo stuff, because it's really not all that's cracked up to be. It's some great chill music, but nothing as powerful as the other two projects.

Now playing on the turntable:

Jon Anderson - Animation

Here's an album that will take a couple listens to fully grasp. Though if you like Yes, it won't be too difficult. If not, or you just never listened to Jon Anderson's vocal style, just give it a bit, you'll come to like it.

^^the only solo Yes I've heard thus far is Chris Squire's Fish out of Water

it's ok

I think you'd like Jon Anderson's solo work. It's basically Yes without the more overwhelming prog elements. And it's a bit groovy, though it makes sense, it being released in the 80's.

^^i'll check it out, though i haven't really any favourable comments about his solo work from "prog experts"

Well, that's probably for the fact that his solo work doesn't have a lot of prog elements, it's very groovy and more focused on his vocals. So, my advice would be to not go into it with a prog mindset, and I wouldn't go into it expecting to hear a prog album, otherwise you will be disappointed. I only posted it in this thread because Jon Anderson is technically a prog vocalist.

^^ok, i see your point

thx for the "warning"

No prob. I think you'll enjoy it though. If not Animation, I would also give Song of Seven a chance as well.

I would go with The Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge, possibly Relayer. Close to the Edge is their greatest achievement.

Not dissing on milano's suggestion, but 90125 is really the band re-invented and, although a successful album with good songs, is a little different (and very 80s) from the albums which really made them great.

No offense taken Tore :)

I actually agree strongly with your recommendation for Close To The Edge. Probably one of the best prog albums I have in my vinyl collection.

i second your recommendations

i wouldn't really forgo 90125 so easily, though, it is probably their most accessible, and i love it

then again, i even like stuff like "Drama" and "Tormato" so i am a bit biased

You like Drama! You must be a Buggles fan.

i thought you already knew that

i have both Buggles albums

and i like "Fly From Here" a lot (essentially the same line-up as "Drama")

I also never really considered APC to be prog. as with puscifer, I saw them last December and Maynard called themselves an "indie band, a real independent band". And he went on to say that indie has turned into some new kind of lame music.

I never really think of tool as prog. I tend to think of them as tool, a very unique band that is hard to define.

On another note, Milano, have you not been very active lately? It says you created your account and I don't recall seeing you post before. Maybe Milano is a new name change?

I've been very inactive until recently. I was gone for most if not all of 2011.

tool borrows too much from King Crimson to not be labelled as "prog"

in fact, when i first heard tool, i thought they were pretty blah, i only started enjoying them once i got into King Crimson

They were definitely influence by king crimson, but they still sound quite a bit different. I can't remember which member of king crimson said it, but one of them said something along the lines of "tool influenced king crimson more than king crimson influenced tool".

Here are the exact quotes:

King Crimson member Robert Fripp has downplayed any influence his band had on Tool. In an interview with Tool, he touched briefly on how the two bands relate to each other, stating "Do you hear the influence? There's just one figure where I hear an influence, just one. It was a piece we were developing that we dropped. And it's almost exactly the same figure: three note arpeggio with a particular accent from the guitar. So I do not think you could have heard it. That's the only thing."

He also revealed, "I happen to be a Tool fan. The members of Tool have been generous enough to suggest that Crimson has been an influence on them. Adam Jones asked me if I could detect it in their music, and I said I couldn’t. I can detect more Tool influence in King Crimson, than I can hear King Crimson in Tool."

Artist highlight:

Asia

Geoff Downes
John Wetton
Steve Howe
Carl Palmer

This band has quickly become one of my all time favorite classic progressive rock bands. More specifically because Steve Howe and Geoff Downes are included. And i'm sure we all know why Steve Howe is one of the highlighted members, if not, think "guitarist of Yes". Anyway, won't drag on too long, let the music do the talking.

From the Omega album

Also, I just added this to the bottom of the OP:

Milano if you dig the Porcupine Tree/Anathema sound then I strongly suggest you give the Polish band Riverside a listen.

Most people who are introduced to the band become fans.

I've actually listened to a lot of Riverside. One of my all time favorites. I have Rapid Eye Movement in my collection and it's incredible.

ECLIPSE

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

KNIGHT AREA

Here's a band that has got some good and bad reviews. Some people would say they are very bland, and some would say they are pretty energetic. I find them a bit more than decent in some cases. This is a band that I discovered through last.fm and am pretty happy I did. One of my favorites of Realm of Shadows would be A Million Lives. It flows extraordinarily well and the vocalist has a perfect fit for what's going on throughout. The rest of the album is incredible as well. I won't point out much from any other releases, that'll be for you to decide if it's good or not.

Only unfortunate thing. There isn't a whole lot on Youtube or Grooveshark to share a lot of their music. However, i'll do what I can.

From: Nine Paths

Wakerun



If you want to download one of their albums, I can provide a link to Nine Paths and if more is wanted, just ask and i'll post more links:

Knight Area - Nine Paths

At the moment, i'm listening to the Union album by Yes and something dawned on me. Whenever i'm listening to a Yes album, it doesn't feel like an album, more like an experience. I was just listening casually, and I took a look at the music player and I was already half way through the album without even knowing.

And just to add, this song is incredible:

well, some interesting stuff here that I ought to check out

For sure. I think you'd like a lot of it.