Yes

[RogueSpirit]

I would add in In a Glass house as a good starter along with those albums metioned by Rougespirit. If you want to start of with the most complex then go for Power and the Glory. I think Gentle Giant had a really cool band thing going, individually they were'nt on the level of Yes and King Crimson as players but as a group they could pull off the most amazing stuff.

Considering the members of GG each could play something like 3 or more instruments, I don't know about that. Although KC and Yes are probably a bit stronger on their main instruments. PatG is pretty good, but I would not recommend that as a first listen since it's quite complex and quirky. IAGH ranks a bit lower for me (if I ranked everything from Acquiring The Taste to Interview), but considering the band itself just remastered it, it's probably the best sounding GG release (although I haven't heard the Japanese remasters).

The atlantic remasters pwn.. I couldn't imagine them sounding any clearer..

But once the new remasters come out, I'll download them.. I've already bought more yes albums than any orther band..

First of all, the first 4 remasters are already out (S/T, Time and a Word, The Yes Album, Fragile)...

At first, I thought Rhino was simply rereleasing them to make an extra buck, but it sounds better to my ears with everything being louder and clearer. Plus Squire's bass is louder, and that's always a good thing.
If anything, just go to the CD store and listen for yourself and see if you're willing to put down the extra cash. I should also mention that the improvement to Fragile is more noticeable than TYA (those are the two I own).

Then again, I couldn't find it anywhere on IRC, most prog channels I've been to only carry the Atlantic remaster.

 

[O'blivion]

Yes is great, but i much prefer Uriah Heep. also, Gentle Giant is definately the most progressive of the classic prog bands.

 

[blueskytheory]

theres a quality that gentle giant, genesis, and a few other prog bands have that i personally dont like.. i believe its called being "twee"...

i really want to like these bands too, but i cringe a bit at some of them

 

[Pieless]

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=7:43:08|PM&sql=B2zsqoaeabijm

Beatles discography, I would personally start with Revolver, that album is amazing, one of my favorites, and at the time my favorite Beatles.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=7:43:36|PM&sql=Br69us35ba3xg

There is another Yes discography, www.allmusic.com rules you, and you know it. (It even gave Emperor albums 4.5 stars out of 5, that's a site that knows what it's talking about. :Spin: )

 

[Demonspell]

Agreed, although they were all accomplished musicians and frequently employed bizarre arrangements and unorthodox instrumentation, Gentle Giant always possessed a group dynamic that made the divergent parts somehow sound cohesive...

 

[Thorns of Sorrow]

hehehe Rick Wakeman used to wear a cape hehehe. I was Rick Wakeman for Halloween 3 yrs ago, I wore this crazy cape, a fake moustache, and like bright colorful gay clothes. Hehe and I carried around this lil casio keyboard making all those annoying sounds he made on ever Yes album he played on. That day ruled.

 

[IanDork107]

Relayer is easily in my top few albums ever. Close To The Edge and Tales From Topographic Oceans are up there too. I think Camel is almost as good as Yes in a different way, at least on Mirage and Moonmadness.

 

[ProgMetalFan]

I've never been able to get into Yes... a little too wussy and "gay"... and Jon Anderson's voice is certainly something you either love or hate

Gentle Giant, on the other hand... are one of my favorite 70's prog bands... those guys were geniuses. "The Power and the Glory" rules all.

 

[IanDork107]

Don't like Yes, yet you call yourself ProgMetalFan? You're no longer allowed to use that title.

kthxbye

 

[luke]

*Goes to store in search of Power and the Glory*
thanks guys

 

[Thorns of Sorrow]

O yeah I also wore a blonde wig...

John Andersons voice makes me violent, so I guess thats pretty metal huh? I mean when I hear him butcher Gates of Delirium, I wanna like stab screwdrivers in peoples eyes.