How did you find Prog?

My dad's favorite band since the late 70s has been Rush. One Christmas when I was about 8 or 10 or so, he gave me Rush's 2112. Instant love. Kind of odd, considering it has a 20 minute song, but I couldn't deny how sweet that song was. I have memories of jumping up and down on the furniture in the basement belting out the lyrics, proud that I could remember all of the words to a 20 minute rock song. My dad eventually gave me A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Chronicles and Geddy Lee's solo album (and I totally stole Fly by Night). I listened to them a lot but I don't have much memory of doing so. Following in my dad's steps in taking care of CDs... they got scratched up and I guess I kind of stopped listening to them. 2112 always remained my favorite song though!

Once I got a computer and into downloading music (don't worry, I buy more often now but I may have never gotten into prog if it weren't for such activity) when I was a freshman in high school, I fell back in love with Rush. While listening to Rush one day, one of my online friends suggested I check out Genesis' The Knife and Camel's Lady Fantasy. Did so and loved them. I didn't fall for Genesis as a whole until much later, but Camel and King Crimson soon reached my top 10 lists of favorite bands I made all the time. 

So thanks dad! You helpd me fall in love with the genre you call circus music! Haha!

Edited by Kestrel - November 06 2008 at 11:36

hawkcwg wrote: Who really helped you find progressive muic? Family? Friend? Time period? What Band? Or Artist?     For me I watched a youtube video of Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater playing drums and was so amazed and blown away and the fact that i had never seen anything like that, that kind of aproach to drums. After watching that i found his band on the internet checked out Dream Theater and Found other amazing prog bands like Porcupine Tree and King Crimson. I think King Crimsons song Courts of the Rising King that really led me to a lot of prog. Then i later found progarchives and was impressed with its archive. then I got into Krautrock after hearing Amon Duul and Cantebury music after hearing Gong and other amazing Cantebury bands.   So what really influenced you?

My father made me listen to Meddle one day, it was the start for me!

My favorite bands back in the High School days were Yes, King Crimson, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull, and a few others from that time period.   After graduating I got into Classical and Jazz and pretty much quit listening to anything rock.  A few years ago I found  PA and was shocked that Prog was still alive.  I started buying based on some of the reviews here. 

[QUOTE=zappaholic]I  My tastes can be summarized as "metal, classic rock and weird sh*t" - and prog just happens to be where the three intersect. 

Yeah i love Black metal and Death Metal too and i hate most of Progressive metal cause a lot of it just sounds like Dream Theater imitations. Or wierd Power Metal, I usually stick to Heavy Prog, Prog Folk, Krautrock, and Cantebury.

Jimi Hendrix and all 70's stuff such as Black Sabbath,Wishbone Ash,Blue Oyster Cult and first of all I was looking for something very different.I remember that The Wall rapidly grew on me when 8.Barry Godber's 21st Century Schizoid Man cover also provoked my interest in it.

Via early Queen and Jethro Tull

I found prog at a very early age, in the shape of RPI, the Italian progressive rock movement of the Seventies. Later, in my teens and early twenties, I got into the British classics, and beefed up my musical education. Then, after a longish stretch of time away from it, I got back into prog in the early 2000s, which led me to discover this site (by a mere chance). The rest, including my upcoming move to the US, is history...

In 1969 at the tender age of 14(yes I am a senior member of the forum ) I discovered King Crimson's "In The Court of the Crimson King". I remember going into a local record shop and seeing this LP with such an awesome cover - I asked to listen to it and was played 21st Century Sczhoid Man. It blew me away as I had not heard any music like this before. I fell in love with KC there and then and managed to wangle $4.50 off my parents to buy it. I had already been listening to Jethro Tull, The Moody Blues, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Procul Harem and Pink Floyd among others at about this time and was intrigued by this form of music because of it's complexity and beauty (in most instances). That was a long time ago and since then I have delved into many of prog rock's subgenres. I have an eclectic taste in music but prog rock will always remain one of the most important musical forms for my listening pleasure.