Progressive Metal
- Thread starter Metman
- Start date
DeepestPurple
Member
- Jul 9, 2004
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Dream Theater's Scenes From a Memory, discovered because a local radio station at the time played "Strange Deja Vu".
DJ's Locker
Member
- Jul 10, 2009
- 394
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Me too.
But did not discover from a radio station. No radio stations around here play good music. It was, this looks interesting, think I'll buy it. So, I did. 
Mullmuzzler
Member
Sir Exar Kun
Member
Probably QR's "Rage for Order", but may depend on your definition. "Images & Words" was right there too, but I got into 'Ryche first with Empire, then worked backwards quickly.
Leyth Mulla
Senior Member
lasercd
Man Behind The Curtain
First I ever bought was Dream Theater - Images and Words. First I ever sold was Ayreon - The Final Experiment.
Mullmuzzler
Member
lasercd
Man Behind The Curtain
Gather round children and I will tell you the tale of how The Laser's Edge got started...
Starting in the mid-70s I became an avid collector of progressive rock. By the late 80s I had amassed a pretty sizable vinyl collection. CDs were just taking hold - I had no interest in them. In fact I was very much anti-digital. In 1987 I developed an interest in Italian prog rock of the 70s. Unfortunately Japanese dealers and collectors were driving up the prices of these rarities. I discovered that a Japanese CD label (Nexus - part of King Records) was reissuing rare Italian prog albums on CD. They were expensive but a fraction of the price of their original Italian vinyl counterpart. I started to accumulate these CDs with the intent to check out the music and if I liked it I would track down the original vinyl.
By this point I had gotten married. In early 1988 I commented to my wife that I thought there was a business here but I wasn't sure what it was. Sometimes I mentally circle around a problem before I come up with a solution. After days, it finally struck me as clear as day (it was pretty obvious in hindsight). There were a lot of schmucks like myself that were interested in progressive rock on CD. It was the new technology and it had taken root. I would start a specialist mail order company for progressive rock CDs. No vinyl, no cassettes (this was pre-DVD). I literally came up with the name "The Laser's Edge" while shaving. Laser's Edge - Razor's Edge. Pretty clever? (The plan was that if I would ever start a vinyl business it would be called "The Eye Of The Needle"...but I digress.) I started to contact labels and distributors around the world and I began to build up inventory. I even *gasp* went out and bought a CD player. $1200 for a CD player at the time was a lot of money but I figured I had to hear these albums I was selling. I still hated the silver things.
At that point with no idea what the hell I was doing, I contacted Ric Levine who had a short lived magazine called Cymbiosis. Ric graciously rented me his mailing list. In the fall of 1988, I prepared my first catalog and did a mail out. I started to run regular ads in Goldmine magazine. Customers came out of nowhere - from countries I had never heard of. I'm still not sure where the Faroe Islands are.
In 1990 I started up the The Laser's Edge label. I added progressive metal to the mix around 1996. Ayreon "The Final Experiment" was the first metal title I stocked. Some customers asked me to order some other prog metal for them and it started to snowball. I started the Sensory label in 1997. Free Electric Sound started up in 2001.
Not very thrilling but those are the facts. Someday you can tell your children!
Starting in the mid-70s I became an avid collector of progressive rock. By the late 80s I had amassed a pretty sizable vinyl collection. CDs were just taking hold - I had no interest in them. In fact I was very much anti-digital. In 1987 I developed an interest in Italian prog rock of the 70s. Unfortunately Japanese dealers and collectors were driving up the prices of these rarities. I discovered that a Japanese CD label (Nexus - part of King Records) was reissuing rare Italian prog albums on CD. They were expensive but a fraction of the price of their original Italian vinyl counterpart. I started to accumulate these CDs with the intent to check out the music and if I liked it I would track down the original vinyl.
By this point I had gotten married. In early 1988 I commented to my wife that I thought there was a business here but I wasn't sure what it was. Sometimes I mentally circle around a problem before I come up with a solution. After days, it finally struck me as clear as day (it was pretty obvious in hindsight). There were a lot of schmucks like myself that were interested in progressive rock on CD. It was the new technology and it had taken root. I would start a specialist mail order company for progressive rock CDs. No vinyl, no cassettes (this was pre-DVD). I literally came up with the name "The Laser's Edge" while shaving. Laser's Edge - Razor's Edge. Pretty clever?
(The plan was that if I would ever start a vinyl business it would be called "The Eye Of The Needle"...but I digress.) I started to contact labels and distributors around the world and I began to build up inventory. I even *gasp* went out and bought a CD player. $1200 for a CD player at the time was a lot of money but I figured I had to hear these albums I was selling. I still hated the silver things. At that point with no idea what the hell I was doing, I contacted Ric Levine who had a short lived magazine called Cymbiosis. Ric graciously rented me his mailing list. In the fall of 1988, I prepared my first catalog and did a mail out. I started to run regular ads in Goldmine magazine. Customers came out of nowhere - from countries I had never heard of. I'm still not sure where the Faroe Islands are.
In 1990 I started up the The Laser's Edge label. I added progressive metal to the mix around 1996. Ayreon "The Final Experiment" was the first metal title I stocked. Some customers asked me to order some other prog metal for them and it started to snowball. I started the Sensory label in 1997. Free Electric Sound started up in 2001.
Not very thrilling but those are the facts. Someday you can tell your children!
DeepestPurple
Member
- Jul 9, 2004
- 591
- 0
- 16
Very cool story, thanks for sharing.
Actually my ex-girlfriend, an archaeology major, spent some time in the Faroes (technically part of Denmark IIRC) studying digs and stuff, some nice scenery in those photos. The band Tyr (on Napalm Records) are from there too I believe.
Actually my ex-girlfriend, an archaeology major, spent some time in the Faroes (technically part of Denmark IIRC) studying digs and stuff, some nice scenery in those photos. The band Tyr (on Napalm Records) are from there too I believe.
Mullmuzzler
Member
lasercd
Man Behind The Curtain
I buy and I sell. Selling off large parts of the collection on Ebay but still acquiring things of interest.
s Edge got start Pretty clever? (The plan was that if I would ever start a vinyl business it would be called "The Eye Of The Needle"...but I digress.) I started to contact labels and distributors around the world and I began to build up inventory. I even *gasp* went out and bought a CD player. $1200 for a CD player at the time was a lot of money but I figured I had to hear these albums I was selling. I still hated the silver things.
At that point with no idea what the hell I was doing, I contacted Ric Levine who had a short lived magazine called Cymbiosis. Ric graciously rented me his mailing list. In the fall of 1988, I prepared my first catalog and did a mail out. I started to run regular ads in Goldmine magazine. Customers came out of nowhere - from countries I had never heard of. I'm still not sure where the Faroe Islands are.
In 1990 I started up the The Laser's Edge label. I added progressive metal to the mix around 1996. Ayreon "The Final Experiment" was the first metal title I stocked. Some customers asked me to order some other prog metal for them and it started to snowball. I started the Sensory label in 1997. Free Electric Sound started up in 2001.
Not very thrilling but those are the facts. Someday you can tell your children![/quote]
.
(The plan was that if I would ever start a vinyl business it would be called "The Eye Of The Needle"...but I digress.) I started to contact labels and distributors around the world and I began to build up inventory. I even *gasp* went out and bought a CD player. $1200 for a CD player at the time was a lot of money but I figured I had to hear these albums I was selling. I still hated the silver things. At that point with no idea what the hell I was doing, I contacted Ric Levine who had a short lived magazine called Cymbiosis. Ric graciously rented me his mailing list. In the fall of 1988, I prepared my first catalog and did a mail out. I started to run regular ads in Goldmine magazine. Customers came out of nowhere - from countries I had never heard of. I'm still not sure where the Faroe Islands are.
In 1990 I started up the The Laser's Edge label. I added progressive metal to the mix around 1996. Ayreon "The Final Experiment" was the first metal title I stocked. Some customers asked me to order some other prog metal for them and it started to snowball. I started the Sensory label in 1997. Free Electric Sound started up in 2001.
Not very thrilling but those are the facts. Someday you can tell your children![/quote]
.
lasercd
Man Behind The Curtain
Cool Story Ken, thanks for sharing!
I came late into the Progressive Metal scene and am still finding out about releases and bands from the 90's. I guess the first true Prog Metal band I started listening to is Dream Theater and their Scenes from a Memory release. Come to think of it, my son turned me onto this disc.:Smokin:
I came late into the Progressive Metal scene and am still finding out about releases and bands from the 90's. I guess the first true Prog Metal band I started listening to is Dream Theater and their Scenes from a Memory release. Come to think of it, my son turned me onto this disc.:Smokin:
Bloody hell.....You think I can remember the answer to this question??!!
I am also a wee bit frustrated, Ken. When we did the label feature for Fireworks Magazine, why did you not relate this story to me? It would have made great copy!!
Paul
I am also a wee bit frustrated, Ken. When we did the label feature for Fireworks Magazine, why did you not relate this story to me? It would have made great copy!!
Paul
