Introducing prog to friends...?

Here are a couple of semi-recent threads that tread on this topic:

Pastmaster wrote: I pretty much agree with what's said above. Either find something that may fit their tastes, or just turn it on and ask what they think. That's what I do, I don't bother mentioning genres often. If it sounds good, it's good.

Yeah but does it depend on age and experience Mick?

Would you make different choices to introduce prog to old rock warhorses like us, than you would to teens who have listened mostly to pop/indie and hip hop so far?  (I'm thinking of my teen nieces here versus old middle aged friends.)  Would you throw RPI at both groups right out of the gate?

I guess it really doesn't matter Jim... it isn't like I am setting out to convert them... thus yes. I have my experiences with both young and old.

It is just exposing them via my own preferences.  I love having music while I work for example... and it has been Battiato more than any one specific one that got my coworkers, and a good number of my customers to stop me and ask...who is that.. I LOVE that.  Give me that much.... then I am on it like stink on sh*t. I'll explain to them what it is.  20 something blacks.. 50 something housewives...  doesn't matter. Music is music...

music is music... it is about the heart not the brain....and masters of melody touches all of us. Be it Whitney...Willie ....or Franco

therein in the key... music.  No one has a grasp or ear for melody like Italians.. why is RPI so beloved.. and the Germans.. well that is bit more of stretch in terms of melody but still what it may lack in basic appeal for hitting you where it counts it hits in a shear far out sense.  Most listeners have heard and can relate to great melodies that touch you... but the Germans... I've found many take to it...for they haven't heard anything like it. IN that it I've found a strong reaction to those first exposed to it. In many cases extremely positive.

and the lack of englishness to it... more a benefit than a detriment.  Again.. prog fans are a distinct minority. For most.. music is sensory.. not intellectual.  Nothing is more off putting than distracting and silly lyrics that mean nothing. For those in the gen pop that care about lyrics.. they want themes that speak DIRECTLY to them. ie Country music.. not some pseudo philosophical bullsh*t.. or too clever by half lyrics that make no sense. IN that way.. 'foreign' prog as it were.... i've found is the best to expose people to.  Where the voice is an instrument.. and the music speaks for itself.




Edited by micky - August 14 2016 at 10:13

try it.. see what happens!

though neice? I'd hit her with Uomo di Pezza myself.

HemispheresOfXanadu wrote: Something that's worked for me is looking at bands on the radio (in my case ones that are only big here in Canada) with sounds that push the boundaries of what's normally on rock radio. Then, dig into their discography a bit and find a song that's even more proggy than what they have on the radio and show it to friends. If they end up listening to whole CDs by that band, you can start throwing fully prog things at them that are somehow similar. Example: Rush - everyone's heard A Farewell to Kings so suggest La Villa Strangiato from the same album (say something like "if you like guitar solos, check this out!") then they might go ahead themselves and listen to Xanadu. -> Then recommend Porcupine Tree maybe. They have hard rock + psychedellic tracks too.

I think the radio technique depends strongly on the country you live in...

miamiscot wrote: I made a "Best Of Prog" mix CD for my wife who generally only likes pop stuff:   Roundabout Carry On Wayward Son Follow You, Follow Me Karn Evil 9 Hocus Pocus Tom Sawyer Aqualung Us And Them   (you get the point)   Worked like a charm. Now she wants to go to Cruise To The Edge. Victory is mine!

Nice mix for a neophyte.

If they don't like what I like it's their loss.....More for me.....Get off my lawn!!

I don't bother trying these days. Most people I know like music which is painful to my ears, with a few exceptions. They find prog rock comical, boring or both.

brainstormer wrote: Some of my friends I knew from the start had rejected Prog early on.  It was really no sense in trying as they have that minimalist music mindset.   They already consider themselves musically sophisticated, more sophisticated than prog rock, but it was about style and fashion more than complexity, but I think it takes complexity to create some textures, so I always thought there was as much "style" in Prog rock.