When it comes to finding the artists that were the foundation of progressive rock – shifting experimental psychedelia to something more focused and sophisticated – one cannot overlook Colosseum, founded by seminal drummer Jon Hiseman after a trip to Rome.…
View More Colosseum – Elegy: The Recordings 1968-1971 [6CD Box Set]
Having recently enjoyed the 3CD Beatles covers box set We Can Work it Out, I decided to give Patterns on the Window – which is presented in a very similar format – a try. The subtitle is The British Progressive…
View More Various Artists – Patterns on the Window: The British Progressive Pop Sounds of 1974 [3CD Boxset]
Back in 2017, Esoteric reissued all of Tim Blake’s existing studio albums and I was there to review all of them… except one. I loved Crystal Machine and Blake’s New Jerusalem, found The Tide of the Century to be lacking…
View More Tim Blake – Crystal Presence [3CD Boxset]
As a drummer, it’s rather embarrassing to admit that I had never listened to Ginger Baker in my life before I began reviewing this release. I had never listened to any music by Cream or Blind Faith and didn’t even…
View More The Baker Gurvitz Army – Neon Lights [5 Disc Boxset]
The liner notes for this new reissue of Family’s 1973 album It’s Only A Movie begins with this sentence: “Whenever a reissue series covers a highly respected band […] there is always an awareness of when the releases stop, and…
View More Family – It’s Only A Movie
As a reviewer, wrapping your head around new music and finding the words to explain it can be exhausting, especially if the music in question is no bueno. It helps when there are already some assurances of quality, and this…
View More Various Artists – We Can Work It Out: Covers of the Beatles, 1962 – 1966 [3CD Box Set]
I think we’re all guilty of procrastinating on checking out certain books, TV shows, films and – yes – music that we know we’d probably like if we gave it half a chance, but simply haven’t because we either don’t…
View More The Move – Shazam (Remastered Vinyl Edition)
I’ve had a pretty spotty history with Nektar. My first brush with the group was with their sophomore album A Tab in the Ocean, which is their highest rated on ProgArchives. I was especially charmed with the first side, the…
View More Nektar – Remember the Future [50th Anniversary Box Set]
When I get my classic prog fix, I don’t tend to venture as far back as the ’60s, simply because it was a nebulous time for the genre and progressive music hadn’t evolved into all of its trappings that I…
View More High Tide – The Complete Liberty Recordings
I became a fan of progressive rock in 2008… wait, I’ve said that before haven’t I? When I was reviewing Keith Emerson’s mammoth 20CD Variations set, I wondered what made Emerson so special when his long-time bandmate Greg Lake died…
View More Greg Lake – Magical