- Seventh Arrow
- Jan 26, 2005
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So your friend is interested in getting into metal/polka/space rock/hillbilly punk/disco/etc and you, being an expert in said genre, know exactly what albums will fire him/her up. What are they?
Jazz:
- Miles Davis - Kind of Blue; a classic...this really has that cool jazz sound that people think of when they hear the word "jazz"
- Charles Mingus - Ah Um; a jazz newbie would be pulled in by the strength of Mingus' compositions and arrangements
- Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'; a very groovy album all around...great compositions, great improvisation
- Cannonball Adderly & Nancy Wilson; Nancy Wilson's effortless vocals help to make this album accessible
- Chick Corea & John McLaughlin - Five Peace Band; most of the songs reflect a different era of jazz history, making it a good "all in one" package
- Dave Holland - Extensions; a good introduction to the esoteric side of jazz
- Dizzy Gillespie - Sonny Side Up; Dizzy teams up with Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt, what's not to like? Also has a really fun version of "On The Sunny Side of the Street" with vocals by Diz
- Donald Byrd - Fuego; great rhythm section, great blowing...also has a fun song called "Amen"
- Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett - Throb; this may be the only opportunity to introduce someone to Country-Jazz
- Grant Green - His Majesty King Funk; a great introduction to Soul-Jazz
- John Coltrane - Blue Train; like "Kind of Blue," this album is very accessible to newbies and has some great grooves and Coltrane's classic lines
- Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds Of Fire; just to see if they run away
- Weather Report - Heavy Weather; possibly the most accessible fusion album of its era
- Wes Montgomery - Smokin' at the Half Note; a fantastic album of jazz guitar, Wes really kills it all over this album
Prog:
- Asia - Asia; purists will frown, but it's an easy-on-the-ears, "catchy" album that will lure newbies into the prog trap
- Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You; a very gonzo album with Carl Palmer on drums...invites multiple listens
- Beardfish - The Void; pretty weird, but the strong melodies are compelling
- Big Big Train - Gathering Speed; Genesis-a-like with the same melodic leanings but none of the eccentricities
- Camel - Mirage; good for your buddies who are into classic rock
- Cathedral - Stained Glass Stories; Yes-a-like with a very different vocalist
- Coheed & Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Vol 1; eventually, your friend will have to accept the fact that prog is very very pretentious
- Curved Air - Phantasmagoria; very tight songwriting, mixing classical, jazz, and rock elements
- Discipline - To Shatter All Accord
- Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2
- ELP - Emerson, Lake, & Palmer; the single "Lucky Man" is pretty catchy
- The Flower Kings - Back in the World of Adventure; a bit generic, but there's some good song hooks and neat guitar throughout
- Flying Colors - Flying Colors; some fantastic musicians are here...Steve Morse, Dave LaRue, Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, fantastic, well-written songs
- Focus - Moving Waves; the yodelling on "Hocus Pocus" might be frightening, but much of the album rocks hard
- Fuzzy Duck - Fuzzy Duck; they made one fantastic album and then disappeared into nowhere
- Genesis - Foxtrot; it's hard to pick just two Genesis albums, but here they are. Just get your friend to listen, that's all they need
- Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
- Gentle Giant - Free Hand; probably their most accessible album...these guys are amazing musicians
- Glass Hammer - If; GH out-yesses Yes
- Hawkwind - In Search of Space; the best of Space-Prog
- IQ - The Wake; I generally don't care for 90's prog, but this is a strong album
- Jethro Tull - Aqualung; as with Genesis...just listen
- Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick
- King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King; ditto
- King Crimson - Lark's Tongue in Aspic
- King Crimson - Red
- The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium; the lyrics are bizarre, maybe even off-putting, but the musicianship is totally solid throughout
- Oblivion Sun - Oblivion Sun; poppy prog with lots of twists & turns
- Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
- Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
- Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
- Pure Reason Revolution - Cautionary Tales for the Brave; really interesting EP....well-written songs, cool harmonies and guitar riffs
- Queensryche - Empire
- Renaissance - Scheherazade and Other Stories; probably the best prog band with a female vocalist...this album really captures your attention throughout
- Rush - Moving Pictures
- Rush - 2112
- Soft Machine - Bundles; The One With Allan Holdsworth
- Spock's Beard - Day for Night
- Squackett - A Life Within a Day; Squackett = Chris Squire + Steve Hackett, haha get it? Very pop-oriented, makes for good "gateway prog"
- Steve Hackett - Voyage of the Acolyte
- Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing
- Styx - The Grand Illusion; more gateway prog, catchy singalong stuff (come sail away! come sail away! x100)
- Supertramp - The Crime of the Century; this is the one where they found the sweet spot of pop melodicism and prog complexity
- Tool - Lateralus; the band that has actively tried to destroy 4/4
- UK - UK; an interesting mix of fusion and prog
- Unitopia - The Garden; a very underrated album, but so good...each development pulls you more and more into the songs
- Utopia - Ra; Todd Rundgren takes a stab at prog, with fantastic results
- Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts; very demented...see whether they run away screaming or not
- Wishbone Ash - Argus; a classic...test it out on your classic rock buddies
- Yes - Close to the Edge
- Yes - The Yes Album
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