Did you go through a similar phase? Was it more or less successful than mine?

 

No, I was not very successful at bringing people over to the Prog Side.

It's ok to play a little bit of music now and then, but if you put on Faust, Can, or 20-minute epics for normal people, your kind of being a socially awkward weirdo. Most likely. Just play an occasional Yes, Porcpuine Tree, or Marillion track. If they like it then whatever.

No one lies an evangelist, no matter what the subject matter.

Yes, my interest in music started to flourish at the first year in high school very much as a consequence of discovering internet. I searched for "Saga" and eventually learned about progressive music. Started listening to Marillion, discovered the Gibraltar encyclopedia of progressive rock, discovered many great prog bands.

 

Around the same time radio was changing and new commercial stations was becoming very popular. So that was the antithesis to my interest and approach to music. I couldn't understand how all people voluntarily would listen to a very limited amount of songs playing over and over, plus commercials and loud crazy jingles. I could criticize bad artists, but I was more puzzled to the fact that people wanted to listen to it, and only hit songs that are repeated. Another puzzling thing was that on radio shows were people can call in and wish for any song they like, they most often picked a song that already was playing everyday on radio. Or alternatively a well known "classic" hit song. I thought, why do they only play hits on the radio, why is it so commercialized, and why does people want it to be that way?

 

So I really didn't push prog on people, I didn't even introduced it to anyone if they didn't show interest. Commercialism exploded at the end of the 90's, people didn't mind , it was rather admired. I was going in the opposite direction that the times where moving in.

 

 

As I have gotten older, I have been pleasantly surprised at just how many acquaintances appreciate progressive rock, without ever deeming themselves to be "fans".

 

I went overboard with my efforts introducing people to the sounds of Gong and Camel which they cringed at relentlessly. The only artist I recall from the underground prog scene that made an impact was Mike Oldfield with his Tubular Bells release. I remember kids who listened to Karen Carpenter having that album and I couldn't quite understand then...how it could be possible? I had a lot of bizzare sadistic in nature type males for friends who would call me on the phone asking to borrow a CAN album. They would do this only to scare off their girlfriends. They would put on a strobe light and a CAN album to scare a girl away instead of telling her they wanted to break up. Totally insane if you ask me? Or they would borrow a Tangerine Dream album , set the speakers up in the windows, and scare off the trick or treaters who wanted candy. Beyond using prog for pranks...they had no real interest in it. Sometimes they found me annoying because I listened to it.

 

After that the only person I tried to convert was my long-time girfriend but I quickly realised that it was a hopeless endeavour so I gave up quickly and i have been listening to prog on headphones or when alone since

We just split though, so as from now I will be able to listen to prog again at ease at home.

So could say my Preaching has mostly been about moving from there into King Crims / Fripp

Was I successful ? Partly !

Today I don't preach a lot, but I still try opening friends into new prog landscapes, But now I actually don't care much, if they like it or not.

These days I meet some prog friends sometimes and we want to let each other listen to our latest discoveries, but that's a different thing: my friends already liked prog, and are open to some new prog stuff.

That is a tiny bit cynical 

I don't bother converting people. I've had this discussion before. I'll play them something I think they might enjoy simply because I want people to get the same enjoyment that I get from it. I'm generally very good a guessing whether they will like it or not though, and I rarely do it.

 

Not true.

 

I the top 50 chart albums were all prog I'd be happier than a dog with 2 tails. I've never liked prog because it's not mainstream because when I was in my teens/early 20s, it was.

 

I've always loved it because it's great music (well, some is).

 

And I used to use prog in my university lectures and still do in my more recent school classes and it's amazing how many students like it when they hear it. Last year, doing a physics masterclass practical with Opeth, Gentle Giant Steve Hackett and Camel playing resulted in several students going out and buying/downloading tracks and albums by them. Not one person complained.

Frankly, I disagree. All music is NOT equal. Does this mean the music I listen to is better? No, personal preference is a big part of it, but the "music" that focuses so obviously on being as shallow as possible is not a musical style in my opinion, it is mere business. 

I have always found a very distinct difference between music I don't like and can't understand that anyone would like and music that I don't like but respect for being creative. In essence, some music is art, some is business. No artist (well ok, hardly any) that has got a record deal is 100% art, but I still claim that I can identify music that focus on what is the easiest product to sell to most people. 

Just my opinion, and it really seems like very few agree with me here but I had to get that said :D

You and I had virtually identical experiences, friend!  

Let's see....started high school in 1969, graduated in 1973....ELP, Focus, Yes, Tull were all HUGE, both on the radio (even commercial AM stations!) as well live & on the turntable!  

We had a great little station in Chicago called TRIAD, please see  http://pages.ripco.net/~saxmania/triad.html" rel="nofollow - http://pages.ripco.net/~saxmania/triad.html

They played fusion, Kraut-rock, stuff like Magma etc. late at night!  Also, "space rock" (electronic stuff like T. Dream, local acts like Stratosled) were heavily featured!  At one point, Chicago in the mid-70's was declared the "Space Rock Capital of the World".  

I didn't have to work hard to convert others to my tastes, although some good friends couldn't handle the British goofiness of early Genesis for some reason!   I quickly found out if someone shared my musical tastes & we went from there.  

 

Always great to read your posts. I feel like we are too ancient and the world cannot relate to our experiences. It's interesting to hear about prog in Chicago. Space Rock Capital of the World...that would have been perfect for me. It's very sad to me personally how there were once actual isolated Prog scenes in the 70's and now they are gone. Actually ..there are still local prog scenes but not with the impact we experienced. Strawbs or King Crimson opening for a band like Humble Pie and tickets advertised on the radio ...I still can't believe it. In 2001 or 2002...I saw Nektar at the War Memorial in Trenton, N,J,  Bruce Springsteen was playing across the street that night. I stood outside the theatre remembering when bands like PFM used to open for mainstream Rock acts in the 70's. Wishbone Ash and Camel touring together across the Southern U.S.  Man and Hawkwind touring the U.S. together in 74' and Triumvirat on Don Kirshner's In Concert.  It's been too long since I experienced this and it feels like it all has been replaced with something else.....like phone booths were replace with cell phones. You can drive through South Jersey and not see a phone booth anywhere and that is the feeling I get from it.....as if it is dead. It's good because it's dead...

Thanks, man!  I feel the same, you'd fit right in with my circle of friends (same guys for 50+ years)!!  

My buddy Curt saw King Crimson & their "Islands" tour open for Humble Pie!  I saw the Eagles open for Yes on CTTE!!  

The concert experiences are just too many to recount....Led Zepplin on July 4, 1974 (Chicago Stadium was like a battleground from all the fireworks!), Wild Turkey opening for Jethro Tull's TAAB tour, freakin' PETER FRAMPTON opening for King Crimson & the LTIA show at the late/great Kinetic Playground!!  On & on!   Tickets were usually about $5.00 each (instead of $100.00++!!)

Amazing thing is, us old hippies (or wanna-be's like I am) still hang out & do the same basic stuff!  Now we have amazing local tribute bands like the remarkable "Tributasaurus," who have done entire shows mimicking Genesis, Yes, ABBA, etc.!!  Check 'em out:   http://tributosaurus.bandzoogle.com/setlists.cfm?postid=1536718&feature=2940617" rel="nofollow - http://tributosaurus.bandzoogle.com/setlists.cfm?postid=1536718&feature=2940617

Everybody prog blows through Chicago sooner or later, but the days of the huge concert venue are over....the big shows these days involve all sorts of dance routines.  Lady GaGa, Madonna etc.  

Keep in touch, Toddler!  Here's a photo from the past by my buddy Curt (best concert photographer I ever saw), Yes "Relayer" tour, 1975!!   This would be "Ritual" (notice the Les Paul Junior guitar).  

 

I don't get bothered by it though, i know it isn't for everyone. 

Great point!  No, I missed that lineup by months (I saw White with the guys on the CTTE show, my first Yes show).  I knew a few older guys who saw a show at the late/great Kinetic Playground (a dangerous dump of a venue that burned down, taking a King Crimson Mellotron with it!)....the show had Yes open for Led Zeppelin!  Must have been Fragile I think.  

It's interesting, there are a few bits of TV tape with Banks and Kaye in the band, but nothing of the Fragile lineup (when "Roundabout" was topping the charts!).   I don't have an answer to that!  

Oh well, I had the chance to see ABWH, and Bruford with the Union tour (man, did he look bored!).  You bring up some great points, Toddler!  Keep it up!  Cheers, Chuck in Chicago

Ha!  When I saw Lifeson onstage, he was wearing high stockings & short-legged pants ("Fly By Night" tour)! 

It's interesting, this "pleated cape" thing that Howe is wearing was the rage back then!  Brian May wore one during the "Night At The Opera" show in Chicago, and the late/great bassist for Starcastle, Gary Strater, also used to wear one!   

Back then, proggers had a well-defined sense of fashion (or lack thereof, if you figure in all the capes that Wakeman wore!).  

That was me in my early phase - less of an 'evangelist' and more of a 'progelytizer'...

 

Nope.

 

I was there before "prog" started. In those days some folks thought that the term "art rock" was more interesting.

 

Listening to the redo's of ELP and KC these days, reminds me what was in my head in those days ... that helped me think this stuff was great, regardless of its label! But you have to have a "side ear" away from the socio-politic idealism that is usually fed you, even with a board like this.

 

Even Rick Wakeman said it ... it's on the net ... it was about the freedom, and that freedom was not "defined" and did not have a name ... and I have to admit, I like it better that way!

I've actually had some success, at least in suggesting prog songs that I think people would like, if not turning people completely onto prog. One guy I kinda p-o'ed, since I tried everything from Animals as Leaders to Rush to Uzeb, but all were "too relaxing" (). Apart from that I've had pretty good luck. The one time I recommended less-heavy stuff (King Crimson's Starless and The Fierce and the Dead's Part 1) was the time I was talking to someone who *didn't* like heavy stuff, so that was pretty lucky. From there I showed them Relocator, and I might see if they like Ske next time I talk to them.

It's nice to meet new people in the real world that like prog tho as it's so rare - blundered into a classical improv concert down the road from me last week and the violin player was a beautiful woman who chatted to me about her love of King Crimson (pity I'm married ).

Huh? Did you recommend the '73-'74 efforts to them?

KC weren't exactly compelling to most 14 yr olds into Maiden, Diamond Head and Judas Priest at the time 

That's the point. More than Evangelism is the desire of sharing the emotions with the rest of the world. 

wtf? 

I have often used CAMEL's first four albums.

Of course I fell misarably in the attempt...The only Proghead friends I have are the ones that already liked Prog when i met them.

Here is a recent photo of the group

now i learned we all live in a post-modern world and there is no defined concept of art and etc etc etc

And they say that a camera adds ten pounds. As far as I can see, the camera AND the TV somehow managed to kick ten pounds off of Jimmy Page. 

Oh, boy. I don't evangelize on a regular basis, but ... stuff like Banco or Renaissance ... something with classical elements. Depends on the person I'm trying to convert. 

Send me a PM before you come.

... on one hand.

... on the other hand.

= I don't think it's gonna happen. Chances are it's not. I think it would take me 30 years to find the perfect mate for me.

So my friend began to show me the new bands, like Porcupine Tree, Pain of Salvation, Opeth, etc. And after i got into Camel, i couldnt stop anymore.

 

Elvis was the poster child to help sell the movies!

 

It was the in thing in those days for the movie studios. If you check out the Tom Dowd DVD, you will get the shock of your life and ... probably lose half of your interest in Elvis and Hollywood, and go check out even more music!

 

I will accept that for the time and place, some of his music became quite progressive in expression ... but he was merely copying over 1000 black singers whose records and recordings were wiped out by Elvis' fame! The great white flame!

 

Some more thinking on this subject.

 

IF you mean "evangelize" in terms of internalizing things ... and taking it into a "higher" level, I was doing this in the 70's and Klaus Schulze, Popol Vuh, Kitaro, Deuter, Eberhard Schoenner and many others were already doing stuff that had very spiritual/religious feelings behind it, or at least the inspiration for the music was such. This was one of my main reasons for getting these things ... along with the fact that they were my formative years in terms of writing and inspiration for artistic work.

 

For me, this was my own revolution in getting away from some rock music, whose lyrics and work, was ... depressing and not inspiring, and at times, down right trivial, and not worth the discussion.

 

IF you state this in terms of the music itself and how much we helped others learn about it? ... Guy had issues in Santa Barbara with it, from some folks saying idiotic things like "it's not rock'n'roll" to which Guy replied ... "who cares, it's GREAT music!" ... and the song? ... "Are You Receiving Me?". yeah ... I've pushed a few buttons ... but in the end, it's not really worth the battle to "convert" someone ... this music is not about "converts" ... it's about who you ARE ... and if you have to be converted, this music will never reach you! ... the good book is there to do that for you!