The best thing about being part of the prog rock fan community is how close and tight-knit we all are. It almost feels like being part of a family, and almost all of us are serious about our favorite bands. Classic prog bands might not have as big a fanbase as some other artists, but their fans are definitely loyal and dedicated. When you think about it, the small fanbase starts to seem like a great thing.
Unfortunately, it brings a few problems as well. One of the largest is finding resources on the internet, such as fansites, lyrics, or even basic information on your favorite bands. I surely can't be the only one who's suffered through the frustration of trying to find images of "Yes" in a picture search engine. After years of looking through the deepest and darkest corners of the internet, I've found a few absolute treasures.
Here is a list of my favorite sites on everything prog rock for you to enjoy.
One of the best resources for both prog and general classic rock is Prog Archives, which can be found at http://www.progarchives.com/
Be prepared to spend hours on this site alone; it features detailed information and resources for almost any classic rock band you could think of, no matter how obscure. One of the most interesting features on the page is a highly organized list of over 20 different prog rock sub-genres, with descriptions and examples of popular bands from each.The list of bands and artists is organized from A-Z; click on any one and you'll be greeted with a bio, popular full length songs and videos to stream, posts relating to that band in the discussion forum, related items currently for sale online, full discography, and detailed fan reviews. You can even create an account and write a few reviews of your own, or join in on the fun at the forums. This is a must see for all fans of prog music.
You'll probably spend just as much time browsing Progressive World's huge archive of music, album reviews, and rare interviews and pictures. Progressive World is located at http://www.progressiveworld.net/
If you're interested in listening without downloading, you might want to try imeem or last fm.
http://www.imeem.com/
http://www.last.fm/
Both of these sites offer large databases of full length music, free for you to stream. There's no need to pay for or download anything, and the only requirement to begin at either is a free account. Both of these sites are general music, but feature a lot of classic rock music, including obscure and live songs that I haven't hear anywhere else. You can create playlists of your favorite songs and videos, discover new artists, and meet friends with the same music tastes.
One great free streaming site I've found is http://1000plastinok.info/ It's not in English, but it's still simple enough to navigate. I've found an absolutely incredible database here, including extremely rare bootlegs and live versions. Just look at the Yes section alone!
http://1000plastinok.info/artist1428.html37331
With thousands of new videos being added each minute, http://www.youtube.com/ is a great place to find obscure concert footage. When you put the name of the band into the search box, it helps to add the names of the band members as well. For example, instead of searching for "Rush" and wading through pages of unrelated videos, try searching for "Rush Geddy Alex Neil" to get detailed results.
If it's live concert footage that you want, you'll be happy to spend some time at http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/ Here, you'll find free live videos to stream, along with links to vintage merchandise.
http://progrock.com/ is another great site, with an archive of official album reviews and news articles, interviews, chat and forum, and playlists.
If you're interested in learning about a radio station that plays nothing but your favorite prog hits, then you might want to check out this place:
http://www.progrockradio.com/index.php
Registration is required to listen, but it's free and easy. You can listen in great quality, read about the different bands they play regularly, or look at their program and playlists.
http://www.songmeanings.net/ is a great resource for anyone looking for lyrics, with an added bonus: after creating an account, you can start join discussions on the lyrics to each song. They have a nice database, with plenty of classic/prog rock bands and lyrics. If a particular artist or set of lyrics you love is missing, you can even add it to the site yourself.
For all of the musically inclined fans out there, http://www.guitarmasta.net/ is a great free guitar tab resource.
If you're interested in exploring the roots and influences of many prog bands, here's a great free site to listen to thousands of classical pieces.
http://www.classicalarchives.com/
Here are a few other cool links to some of my own favorite sites; some are for individual bands:
http://www.theroc.org/mus-link/bands.htm
http://www.soundchaser.org/links/index.php?cat=2
http://www.yestalk.org/cgi-bin/ringlink/list.pl?ringid=yesring;siteid=bootbeast
http://www.lotsasites.com/topic?topic=rushring
http://musicmoz.org/Styles/Rock/Progressive/
http://www.pinkfloydonline.com/
http://www.ringsurf.com/ring/tullring/
Hopefully you'll enjoy these sites as much as I do, and maybe even discover a few new links on your own to share with other prog fans. Remember that the fanbase grows everyday and new resources are being created as you read this. Here's to everyone out there that's keeping the classic spirit alive!
