Prog Fans In Our 50’s

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        Did a search for this after reading through “Prog music fans in their 60’s.  Couldn’t find same topic for us in our 50’s so here goes.  I have loved music and progressive music as far back as I can remember.  I grew up in a family/extended family who listened to primarily progressive and classic rock in relation to styles I like.  My grandfather played the guitar, mandolin, piano, clarinet and accordion.  While he played contemporary Italian music my love for R.P.I. or it’s roots came from my grandfather.  The Italians and other Southern European countries have a real love of melody.  
     My father plays the guitar and piano.  A lot of classical and some classic rock and light progressive rock was inspired from my dad.  I remember him playing The Beatles St. Peppers and loving this as a child.  Also proto-Prog Deep Purple Machine Head playing on reel to Reel.  The first album I bought was Machine Head.
      My two Uncle Johns had a big influence on me.  While my Uncle John Luisi listened to primarily classic rock/hard rock I would go through his vinyl and always gravitate to the prog/Prog related releases such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.  My Uncle John Grace was listening to proto Prog metal such as Deep Purple and this had a big influence.  Seems he listened to primarily Deep Purples Machine Head release an entire summer.  We would go for a ride in his 71 Le Mans with Highway Star and Space Truckin  etc. blasting.  
      My Uncle Tom was listening to full blown progressive rock and classic rock.  He introduced me formally to Jethro Tull, Genesis, and psychedelic bands such as Iron Butterfly, Grand Funk Railroad and Steppenwolf.  Although my father and Uncles had a big influence I went my own way and my Grandfather Luisi had the biggest influence as I absolutely love RPI and other European progressive rock bands.  Bands such as Banco, Le Orme, PFM.  My father also had a big influence concerning how classical music contributes to the symphonic progressive rock genre and my love for this.  Bands such as Yes and Renaissance.  Even though they didn’t listen to these bands they influenced me with contemporary music.  I don’t listen to the contemporary music as Prog is so much better.
     Now onto what I first bought and listened to through my already developing taste.  The first  two albums  I bought are considered protoprog/Prog related.  This would be Deep Purple Machine Head along with Purple  Passages a compilation from the first three albums.  I’m 55 years old.  I was 12 years old and just out of 6th grade.  I followed this up with King Crimson In The Court of the Crimson King and Pink Floyd Meddle/Atom Heart Mother.  I also bought Jethro Tull Aqualung along with ELP’s first 3 releases. The classics continued from this point on.  
     My collection grew quickly from here.  I’ve continued with progressive rock.  I listened to a lot of classic rock growing up too and a lot of the classic rock overlaps today with what is called progressive rock.  I remember buying releases such as Lizard by King Crimson when others were buying Pink Floyd The Wall etc.  Even though I was a Floyd fan I sold The Wall after buying it upon first release.  I didn’t like the disco sound that I felt crept in. I like The Wall now.  I was also into Rush.  Everything up to Hemisphere’s.  I remember not liking Permanent Waves or Moving Pictures that much as I felt they commercialized.  I like these releases now.   
     I ended up almost giving up on new music during the 80’s and early to mid 90’s.  I couldn’t find anything that sounded half progressive except for a few releases here and there.  Bands such as Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Porcupine Tree, and Tool were some of the Prog I found among the ashes of the post classic period.  I gravitated to different heavy metal genres for a while as I had mined the extensive classic progressive rock period at least as far as I knew.  I bought releases in these genres I would listen to  only once or never have gone back to its so disappointing.  Then I got a computer and rediscovered Prog.  My troubles with music were over.  There was a plethora of old and new Prog releases to buy and enjoy.  I couldn’t believe the old and new Prog I had missed and was missing.  
     Bands such as Banco, Camel, Ange, Morse Code, IQ, Anglagard, Renaissance, Hoelderlin, Anekdoten and Eloy to the heavier spectrum and bands such as Symphony X, Threshold, Riverside, and Pain of Salvation filled in the gaps. Also  Gentle Giant, Atomic Rooster, Vander Graaf Generator, Caravan, Djam Karet, Anathema, I’ll Balleto Di Bronzo, Uriah Heep, Nektar, Radiohead, Tool, Haken, Opeth, Magma, and Focus.  
     I currently listen to a broad range of progressive rock. Pretty much all of the subgenres listed here are included with a few exceptions.  The subgenres of heavy Prog, eclectic, symphonic, RPI, progressive metal, post Prog metal, and psychedelic space rock are favorites.  I also like Canterbury and Zheul along with Tech extreme Prog metal.  There’s so many bands I could list yet will refrain as lising can get boring and monotonous.  I bought about 50 releases the last couple of months and all of them within the Prog realm.  I remember the late 80’s through the late 90’s and thinking I went through all good available music.  I was in for a big and very pleasant surprise with all of the old Prog to be discovered alone and the new/newer Prog keeps coming in.  Keep progin.  

Edited by PaulG - February 04 2022 at 11:53

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