The b*****d is here

Ah yes, the somewhat obligatory first post in the newbie-section. I guess there's not much to do, but to say "Hello" and express a lot of gratitude to the creators for taking their time with a site like this.


Now, to the second part of my post, which is a short summary of my favorite and most influential bands and also a request for everybody to name some new bands for me to listen to. The reason I decided to combine these two things into one post, is that I could not find a proper subforum for a recommendations thread.. though that could be due to my moderately drunken state and drug-addled brain.. damn you brain, work!

See, I used to listen to Eminem. Then, something wonderful happened. I heard Cream's Tales Of Brave Ulysses in an episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, of all places. Of course, at first, I didn't know what song or who the performer was, all I could think about was the amazing sound and insane lyrics. From there, my obsession with psychedelic/progressive rock began and branched out to metal, punk etc. I won't get into a lengthy monologue about every band I listen to, though I will mention a few.

Even with the amount of bands I listen to, there are still a few from way back that I hold dear, with certain songs that create this unexplainable, euphoric feeling, this amazing high, that I can't put into words. From Hendrix, it would be "All Along The Watchtower", Zeppelin's "Gallow's Pole", Cream's "Tales Of Brave Ulysses" obviously, Murphy Blend's "Speed Is Coming Back", Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love" and Porcupine Tree's "Footprints".

Soon after Cream, I lucked into Sir Lord Baltimore. A little-known band from Brooklyn, USA. Apparently, from what I've read, they're the first band in the US to be described as "heavy metal" by Creem magazine. The compilation album collecting both their self-titled and "Kingdom Come" is absolutely mind-blowing. The two main songs are "Kingdom Come" and "Caesar LXXI". The music is fast, deep (what I mean, is that it isn't flat like coming from the speakers, but like you're listening to the band live and they are performing just for you), it cuts right through you, the lyrics are medieval, talking about wizards, kings, religion. "Caesar LXXI", especially, manages to create an over-whelming atmosphere and make you feel like you're back in ancient times.

Some time later, Jethro Tull caught my eye. I managed to get ahold of a compilation album again, "20 Years Of Jehtro Tull". The best song would have to be "Chateau D'Isaster Tapes" because it isn't a simple song. It isn't just lyrics and music, it's a story. It's a tale told in song-form with a beginning and an end. It's like a wonderfully crafted play, that is narrated by a person in the middle of it all. Like Eagle's "Hotel California". Hell, I can't explain it better, but I'm sure anyone who has heard one of these two songs, understands.

Which brings me to the end (yes, you can breathe easily, this will end very soon) and the second purpose for this post, that I mentioned in the second paragraph. I would like for you, fellow prog-rock aficionados, to help me out by naming bands or even specific songs that are similar to those of Baltimore's and Tull's that I just described.

Now I shall retreat back to my murky dungeon and proceed to destroy the last working parts of my brain with Hendrix and whatever mind-altering substances I can find.


Edited by rorschach - September 19 2006 at 19:07