|
Andy-
Welcome aboard, mate!
Classic Prog deals mainly with a handful of British bands from the late 60s through about 1977-78. I personally consider the Moody Blues' "Days of Future Passed" to be the first Prog album with any significant airplay.
The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper", while not considered Prog by some, is definitely a watermark in recorded music because the recording process contibuted significantly to the development and vision of many Prog artists.
King Crimson's debut, "In the Court of the Crimson King", is a must have. It features Greg Lake (later of Emerson Lake & Palmer), on vocals and bass, Bill Bruford (later with Yes) on drums, Ian McDonald (later with Foreigner) on keyboards, and of course, Robert Fripp on guitars. I believe Greg Lake played most of the acoustic guitars on this album, but I have never been able to confirm this.
The next "must have" album is Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". I would be surprised if you didn't already have this one, since it has been on the Billboard album charts longer than any album in history. It is routinely displayed on endcaps and waterfall displays in music retailers every Christmas season. It's the black album with a prism. a beam of light, and rainbow colors coming out the other end.
I have never been very impressed with Van Der Graaf Generator. They did have a tune called Theme One that was all right, and I liked Peter Hammill's solo album called "Fool's Mate". Peter's lyrics are somewhat depressing though.
Be sure to read the thread on top 5 classic prog albums. There are some great lists. Notice bands that are repeated. The top ones include Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, and Emerson Lake & Palmer.
Hope that helps.
|