Think 1969, and you’ll be thinking of the genesis (pardon me) of many great prog acts, some might even say the progressive movement in general. Unfortunately, Little Free Rock was not to become one of these acts, due to poor…
View More Little Free Rock – Little Free RockAuthor: Basil Francis
Tim Blake – Crystal Machine / Blake’s New Jerusalem
Prog writer and Whitley Bay enthusiast Sid Smith recently divulged that his desert island Gong album was 1973’s Flying Teapot. Of course, he was wrong to write that, as the best Gong album, from a subjective and objective point view,…
View More Tim Blake – Crystal Machine / Blake’s New JerusalemQuiet World – The Road
Esoteric have a knack for finding the most obscure records that only bear a passing resemblance or connection to progressive rock. At first glance, The Road seems like an overblown religious folk concept album. And even though this still rings…
View More Quiet World – The RoadSummer Breeze Project – Contact: Part 3
Dutch progressive outfit Summer Breeze Project – often shortened to SBP – complete their Contact “triptych” (their word, not mine) of EPs with Part 3, a single track lasting over 25 minutes, automatically making it longer than any song Yes…
View More Summer Breeze Project – Contact: Part 3Anthony Phillips – Private Parts & Pieces V-VIII
I’ve never understood the need to endlessly compare Anthony Phillips’ work with Genesis. Sure, he was the original guitarist, but it has been over forty-five years since he quit the band; doesn’t the man deserve to be examined as an…
View More Anthony Phillips – Private Parts & Pieces V-VIIICarl Palmer
2016 has been a tough year for many, but for Emerson, Lake and Palmer fans, the losses have been especially tragic. On 8th December, only two days after the following interview was conducted, legendary bassist and singer Greg Lake passed…
View More Carl PalmerEmerson Lake & Palmer – Trilogy | Brain Salad Surgery | Welcome Back My Friends… (2016 Remasters)
Leo Trimming Trilogy (2016 Remastered Edition / 2015 3-Disc Edition including 5.1 Mix of the original 1972 Album) [A quick note: in 2015 we reviewed the then newly reissued Deluxe 3-Disc Edition of Trilogy which included a 5.1 Surround Mix…
View More Emerson Lake & Palmer – Trilogy | Brain Salad Surgery | Welcome Back My Friends… (2016 Remasters)Magma – Köhnzert Zünd
Say the phrase ‘box set’ and you’ll immediately grab anybody’s interest. It may be a brightly coloured flimsy bit of cardboard clasping your CDs or DVDs together, but somehow in the eye of the beholder, that simply makes it immeasurably…
View More Magma – Köhnzert ZündAdam Warne & Robin Johnson – Kyros
TPA’s Basil Francis was fortunate to witness the genesis of Kyros, or Synaesthesia as they were then known, back in 2013 at The Boerderij in the Netherlands supporting IQ. Says Basil:- “On that night they brought the house down before…
View More Adam Warne & Robin Johnson – KyrosBrand X – Nuclear Burn
I’m a grumpy sod sometimes and when I’m trying to concentrate I absolutely cannot stand the relentless banter that my colleagues have about house prices, dietary righteousness, gym habits; basically anything that isn’t work. Because there’s only so many times…
View More Brand X – Nuclear Burn