Been into prog rock since I was 17, I'm now 53, and have begun to write blogs here on the subject. My first deals with the extensive and intensive history of our favourite genre, while the second (to be published tomorrow) will be a more freeform prog album review thing. Hope you can drop by and say Hi!

I may be an oddity, in that though I'm a confirmed proghead, there are some bands I do not like that most prog lovers would be expected to be into. Crimson, ELP, early Yes, are all bands I either dislike or have not got into, while my favourites are numerous, including Genesis, Rush, Marillion, Arena, Mostly Autumn, Pendragon, Jadis, to name but a few, as well as more prog metal bands such as Shadow Gallery, Threshold and Kamelot. 

Thing is, I know what I like, so to speak, and bands like Dream Theater, for instance, bore me. I don't necessarily feel I'm missing out by not being into certain "accepted" bands, though through my blog on the history of prog rock I am intending to at least listen to them all. 

Always happy to discuss prog rock, so feel free to drop me a line especially in my blogs.

Nice to be here and hope to get to know you all over the next while.

Trollheart

 

Welcome aboard, Trollheart! 

Right on, man, that's a great attitude to have. 

Trollheart wrote: I may be an oddity, in that though I'm a confirmed proghead, there are some bands I do not like that most prog lovers would be expected to be into. Crimson, ELP, early Yes, are all bands I either dislike or have not got into, while my favourites are numerous, including Genesis, Rush, Marillion, Arena, Mostly Autumn, Pendragon, Jadis, to name but a few, as well as more prog metal bands such as Shadow Gallery, Threshold and Kamelot.

Ah, I see you're quite the sucker for the melodic side of things. Very nice. If you aren't familiar with them already, I'm certain that you'd adore IQ, especially their first two albums, Tales From The Lush Attic and The Wake. 

Oddly, I found Tales very hard to get into (always fell asleep during "The Last Human Gateway", although I guess it is 24 plus minutes long. Had the same problem with Pallas: love the Arrive Alive album but nothing after that really clicked with me.

You're right: melody is key to my enjoyment of music, something my friends on another music site could not fully come to grips with, wondering why I couldn't enjoy the likes of Merzbow or Gorguts or other "experimental/noise music". Just didn't do it for me. I want to enjoy what I hear, not endure it. I also hate to see bands being too self-congratulatory - "Look what I can do! Aren't I clever?" when what they're playing is not really an intrinsic part of the song, which is why early Yes, ELP and DT are all kind of closed books to me.

Oh yes, I love Mystery! One Among the Living, The World is a Game, Delusion Rain? Excellent band, and Benoit sounds SO much like Jon, doesn't he?

I have a review of OATL done, will post that soon in my blog.

Nice to meet you!

Go raibh mhath agat! 

Thanks man.

I like to think that we old fogeys have a little more to contribute than just being studied to determine what nutrients can be extracted from us... 

Yeah, but it takes twenty-four minutes to eat compared to a burger, is packaged in a really lavish gatefold and nobody knows what it's about! 

Isn't everything? I heard he has it written into his contract that he has to produce, play on, write or at the very least sweep the studios on every single prog record made since 2005...