*Legion*
 

 

Contact Info:
E-mail: legion@csufresno.edu
AOL Instant Messenger:AvantLegion
ICQ: #6605455
Known Aliases: The Hammer, El Martillo, Le Marteau.
 

Last Updated: December 2001

 

My journey into the realms of progressive rock began around the summer of 1997, when a friend of mine sold me his copy of Pink Floyd's The Wall for about $10. I initially found it of little interest, but began to warm up to it. I was merely a high-school sophomore at that time, just a wee lad. Up to that point, my musical exposure had been limited to some classic rock (Cream, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix) and "alternative rock" (Nirvana, Bush, Pearl Jam). Pink Floyd struck me as something... "different". Naturally, a purchase of Dark Side of the Moon followed, and soon the rest of PF's studio catalog.

Then, an online friend pointed me toward Rush. He was the first person that I heard use the term "progressive rock". After hearing a few songs, I quickly bought most of Rush's studio CDs. The idea of "progressive rock" interested me, so I grabbed some ELP, Yes, and King Crimson shortly thereafter. Then, I braved my way to rec.music.progressive, and that began my downward spiral to CD purchase-induced poverty. :)

Because of my rapid introduction into the prog "underground", I don't really have any built-up nostalgia for any of the classic prog bands, or even for that '70s symphonic style. I was basically discovering Yes and Thinking Plague and Can at the same time.

I'm convinced that the progressive rock fanbase could grow exponentially with wider exposure. Once I was exposed to this music, I ate it up. People can only listen to music that they know exists, and sadly, too few people realize that prog exists... and some that do have no idea how deep the pool goes.

My writing style is... blunt. I won't hesitate to say what I really think about an album. That's where the "Hammer" nickname came from. Did I hammer one of your favorite bands? Too bad. However, that doesn't mean my reviews won't be useful to you... on the contrary, I try my best to make my reviews descriptive enough that even people who disagree with the final opinion can make use of the writing. But are you still mad at me? Then let's hear it, sweet cakes. E-mail me. I just hope you have something better than "u are dumb u stoopid prognob dis band is da BEST, yo!"
 
 
 

Geographical location: central California

DOB: 03/11/1981

Enjoy these Styles and musical qualities: Ambient, Avant-Garde, Electronic, Fusion, Krautrock, Post-Rock, RIO, Symphonic, Space, Zeuhl

Other styles/genres/bands that I like not listed above: Classical (Baroque through modern), Classic rock, Campy '80s pop, Jazz, various others

Favorite or well-respected bands/artists: Far too many to list, with few real "favorites".

Dislike these Styles and musical qualities: "Disposable" music (music that is immensely popular one day and then fiercely "uncool" the next), "Proggy-Prog" bands (newer bands that follow the strict "this-and-that makes us prog" set of rules, as dictated in the ancient "Ye Olde 'Prog Band Recipe' Scrolls").

Musical styles or qualities that I do not like: Cheese (often associated with the two entries in the previous section)

Occupation: Student - undergraduate in Computer Science

Other musical activities: I play a variety of instruments with a complete lack of skill.

Hobbies / obsessions: Electronic/interactive gaming (pursuing a career in game development after college - hopefully we can push games out of Comic Book Land and into the realm of interactive experiences with substance), Football (the only career I've considered outside of software development has been football coaching).

Other comments: I floss my teeth with Alex Temple. He's tiny!