Win The Batlord Over to Prog
 

I'm thieving the idea behind Janszoon's "Win Janszoon Over to the Beatles" thread. Suck it, Jans.

As some of you know, I don't really give much of a **** about prog. I've dug some of it, but in general, it makes me snooze, or at least even if I dig it my attention starts to wander after a while since I have the attention span of a gnat. But I still haven't listened to that much of it.

So, feel free to post album recs to try to change my mind. Just keep in mind that I'm a metalhead, prefer accessibility, and have no real grasp of technicality. Previously I've dug a bit of King Crimson---though I really haven't listened to that much of them---, I actually enjoyed Asia's debut a few weeks ago, and love Queensryche.

Depending on how many, if any, recs I get, I might not get around to it all, or at least not for a while, but what I listen to I'll review in this thread.

P.S. Though I have stolen Jans' idea, I still give him no credit.


Already Reviewed...

Albums

Rush - 2112

Rush - Hemispheres

miRthkon - Vehicle


Songs

Genesis - "The Knife"/Marillion - "Forgotten Sons"/Twelfth Night - "Creepshow"

If you're gonna do it, might as well start with one of the founders of the *cough* genre. Still stands the test of time.

Actually I'd say 2112 has dated quite a bit, I'd go wit Hemispheres if you're looking for proggy Rush.

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/GJJSe4YnhYU/maxresdefault.jpg

I thought about that (actually, my favorite), but wanted to start off with something that would be more 'roots' grounded. I looked at tracklistings for everything after their debut and when all the smoke cleared, 2112 was the winner.

Will write more on this later, but I just wanted to say that the title track is fantastic.

Alright I think that's fair enough.

Try miRthkon - Vehicle for a little avant-prog zaniness. Also try Etron Fou Leloublan - Batlages for some of the best RIO has to offer. They're both pretty accessible.

I think you might enjoy the rabble-rousing images and violence in this early Genesis song... Give it a chance. It's quite heavy for a prog band.

The reason you enjoy the Asia debut so much, is that it's AOR and not prog. The whole concept of Asia was that they were a supergroup of prog artists dedicated to doing shorter tracks, that were radio friendly, slick enough for MTV and designed to fill out rock arenas in the early 1980s, they were literally artists jumping onto the AOR bandwagon.

Yeah, I would not call Asia prog in any sense of the word, despite having ex-members of Yes and ELP in it.

While you're at it, have one of the greatest songs Marillion ever wrote (don't worry about the radio-tuning bit at the beginning, it's only a few seconds)

and since you like creepy/horror stuff, you may get something out of this classic...

I'm assuming if you are a metalhead you have listened to and enjoyed Opeth. Those guys went from death metal to prog death metal to straight up prog, so I think the most helpful suggestions would be from the guys who really influenced Opeth. And if you haven't listened to Opeth, they are the perfect place to start to get a taste for prog. Ghost Reveries is probably the first thing you need.

If, however, you have already gone through all that, then here's a couple albums to get you going:

Camel - Mirage
King Crimson - Red
Rush - A Farewell to Kings (I was about to agree with the 2112 rec up top but as far as accessibility while still being balls deep in their prog phase, this is the place to start)

If you want something more contemporary, you can't go wrong with

The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet

I'm surprised nobody has suggested ELP to him yet, that's the true test for somebody listening to prog.

The Canterbury Scene is a goldmine for prog, but its unique style is not for everybody, then there is the German Krautrock scene from the same era......... **** where should Batlord start:D

You know he would ****ing hate ELP.
As do I.
A recommendation in itself perhaps? ;)
Nah, they were just over-egotistic show offs.

To this day I still struggle to enjoy ELP. Tarkus is pretty good, but I never understood why Brain Salad Surgery is heralded as such a prog masterpiece. Still...You Turn Me On is pretty good, but the rest is ridiculous keyboard noodling.

Exactly how I feel about them, except I also hate Tarkus. Boring, boring, boring, look at me how great I am, I can stick knives in my keyboard! Yeah, Keith, great stuff! :rolleyes:

I'd recommend a sampling by the very biggest prog bands as the place to start and from there branch out.

Genesis- Foxtrot
Genesis- Selling England by the Pound
Yes- Yes Album
Yes- Fragile
Yes- Close to the Edge
KC- In the Court of the Crimson King
KC- In the Wake of Poseidan
(I would only listen to Red if listening to the two other albums that came just before it Larks and Starless)

Tarkus is normally the album that metalheads are supposedly meant to dig.

We were talking about Supertramp the other day, why not give Crime of the Century a shot? It's not on YouTube, or I'd post a video. I have a feeling you're going to hate it, but oh well.

I wouldn't suggest to him, who has the attention span, to quote himself, of a gnat, an album on which one of the songs is over twenty minutes long! :rofl: Even if it is a classic. I'd go for "Trespass" or maybe "Nursery cryme". I feel songs like "The return of the giant hogweed", "The musical box" and "White mountain" would be more likely to engage his attention, if at all...

That's one killer album. You won't find ANY Supertramp on YT. I know, cos I've looked. Their music distributor kill everything that's put up. Your best bet is Roger singing their songs on his solo material.

lol @ the Genesis recs.

Gotta try man! If he really wants to get into prog he's gonna have to do the G-word sometime! ;)

So imma just start recing some weird **** and newer stuff.

Krautrock:
Can - Tago Mago
Can - Ege Bamyasi
Neu! - Neu!
Neu! - Neu! '75
Faust - IV

Classic Prog:
Rush - Hemispheres
Rush - A Farewell To Kings
Rush - 2112
Yes - The Yes Album
King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson - Larks Tounge In Aspic
King Crimson - Red

Other **** I consider to be prog:
King Crimson - Three Of A Perfect Pair
Tool - Ænima
Tool - Lateralus
Primus - Pork Soda
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Opeth - Heritage
The Dillinger Escape Plan any of their albums will do
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd - Meddle
Pink Floyd - Animals

Sorry if any of these are repeats

Just listen to this

He might think he has the attention span of a gnat but far from it, we're talking about a guy that has almost finished reading all of the Wheel of Time and believe me that series of books requires dedicated attention throughout.

I might steal this type of thread idea at some point reat way to get recs fast.

I meant musically. He doesn't like long songs and gets bored easily. I know he can concentrate: after all, he wrote that "Return of the Kings of Metal" thing and he's doing the comic book journal. I just mean that he wouldn't be prepared to wait for what might be seen as the better parts of something like "Supper's ready".

Also, I think we're bombarding him here, which is never a good idea with prog. You want to try it, see what you like and move on from there, rather than pile up a list of recs, many of which he may not ever try. I'd suggest limiting your ideas to one or two tracks you think might appeal to him.

Like I said on page 1, the twenty-something minute title track is fantastic. Multiple listens are kind of dulling the effect, but it's still pretty awesome. The first part, "Overture" perhaps throws a few too many riffs out without sticking to them long enough, but for the most part they're high quality, and when it leads into "The Temples of Syrinx" the awesomeness kicks into high gear. With a beefier production it would actually be heavy as **** at times. As it is, it's still metal as ****.

This also contains my fav vocal performance of the album. Their singer has always been what got between me and liking this band. His voice is just borderline annoying. But his more raw singing style on much of this album really brings an energy that is just infectious, and especially during this part of the title track.

Third part, "Discovery" is one of several melodic interludes. I'm ignorant of songwriting in general, and with prog I'm pretty much adrift without a sail or an oar, so I have no idea why there should be a tempo shift here, or why the band should use this rather than that change. I'm still digging this though. Each softer part is unique, and when it gets more metallic the song is all the more intense for it. So I'm just gonna assume Rush know what they're doing.

That being said, many of the sections seem more like samplers of songs, and I actually think that stretching this out into a thirty minute long song would have made each one feel more complete. "The Temples of Syrinx" is just far too awesome to be only two minutes long.

I've given this album a few listens to let it sink in, and honestly, I think I'm starting to dig the second half even more than "2112". Being separate songs, they seem to be allowed to develop more than the different sections of the title track. They range from heavier numbers, to somewhat complex power pop, and even a rather awesome ballad. Not to mention a killer closer in "Something for Nothing".

I can see why Machine would say this was dated, but it's still an excellent album to start off with, and possibly the first step to me not hating Rush. We'll see.

I might as well get god damn Genesis out of the way...

Oh god, that's heavy for prog? I'm ****ed. I guess it is kinda heavy though. It also manages to be whimsical rather than just absurd. I imagine there's gonna be a fine line between like and loathe with Genesis' singing, but whoever that dude is manages to sound charming, and has a fair amount of energy.

I think they might not being going for whimsical though. Sounds like Genesis is going for epic, in the LOTR sense of the word. It is a pretty epic song, but that Hammond organ makes it goofy as well. See Deep Purple for the proper use of a Hammond organ in a rock song.

I could listen to more Genesis.

I want to punch Marillion's singer in the face for being such a pompous douchebag. He makes Arcturus sound unpretentious. Other than that, I was merely bored by most of it, though there were a few good guitar and keyboard parts. Trollheart is a vag.

http://braindeadradio.com/wp-content...fight-club.gif

My recs are heavier. And I'm glad you share my hatred for Marrilion, there's hope for you yet.

The reason that interlude is in 2112 is that this is the point where (if you read the story of the concept) the hero finds an ancient guitar and starts to play it, thus leading to his "discovery" in another sense. The ending is pretty terrible though and I have always said it. Neil, you tosser.

Also, as to my recs, um, **** you. Night now! :)

See? Canadians can make music too.

Although I don't consider Rush to be "prog" in the "purist" sense, there's no doubt that it's a great place to start 'Batlord' if you want to objectively listen to progressive music. Personally, I prefer to call Rush progressive hard rock. They NEVER forgot the ROCK in their music, unlike some of the bands in that genre before them.

'Batlord', considering you're a fan of Queensryche, ( hugely influenced by Rush ) as am I, I'm surprised you haven't explored the Rush catalog already. Many of the bands you listen to also cite Rush as a prime influence. In short order, there would be no Queensryche without Rush paving the way for them.
Not to mention others like Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Savatage, Crimson Glory, and King's X.

Good luck on your quest for the best in prog rock ( :dj:...:D ).

Do you like Dream Theater, and I'd you do could you tell me why. I'm really truly interested because everything I've heard by them I've detested and I don't really have a good reason, the playing is excellent singing is usually good, but I feel like they make their songs over dramatic, and the 10 minute songs are just 3 minute songs and the rest is soloing.

It's been years since I've listened to them, but I remember Images and Words having some good songs on it. Pull Me Under or something like that? I'm too lazy to look it up. There's an 8 minute song on Octavarium that's a good one too, but again, lazy. But ja, they're generally **** and I knew that even when i was a fan.

That's kinda the whole point of Prog - lots of complex stuff going on, tempo changes, mood changes, key changes, etc. All within one song.

But I presume you knew that already. :)

I remember listening to Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence and pretty much quitting directly after.

I tend to like Greg Lake's stuff, but most of the rest of their stuff is kinda meh.

Ah I hated that one too. Next time you feel the urge to throw on Wilco, you might as well give Images and Words a try. Both are wastes of time for the wealth of great music that's out there to check out, in any case.

:laughing:

Dude I still don't get your problem with Wilco.

It's cool if you dig them I guess, there's fans for every form of bullshit, just look at Wolves In Sheepskin. But seriously, I could drink a gallon of espresso and Wilco could lull me into a sleep that's heavier than that of a toddler's on heroin.