Music cannot be divorced from its context; if Starcastle had released their debut album a decade earlier, in 1966, they would be hailed as prog-rock visionaries and not Yes clones. Procol Harum, named after their friend’s cat’s pedigree name, may…
View More Procol Harum – Procol Harum (Vinyl Edition: LP & 12″ EP)
Cherry Red’s Esoteric Recordings imprint continues to revive, remix and reissue classic and forgotten prog releases. Amongst them, at the start of 2026, we have IQ’s Live From London release which has circulated in various official and bootleg versions since…
View More IQ – Live From London: Camden Palace 1985 (CD/Blu-ray)
“Searching for a place Find a different way Let go of what has gone And cannot be returned” These lyrics from Woodcut, Big Big Train’s sixteenth studio album, seem singularly appropriate. As the founder, bassist and last standing original member…
View More Big Big Train – Woodcut
English musician Pete Barnes (based in Utrecht, The Netherlands) formed the cinematic post-rock project Thistle Sifter, after a serious cycling accident in November 2020, during his rehabilitation to express personal emotions and struggles. Moving on from his first two previous…
View More Thistle Sifter – Forever The Optimist
Can an eight-year-old kid have the blues, asked a 1996 Oscar-nominated documentary. It turned out he could – not only that, he could ‘have’ jazz too and play guitar like a pint-sized Pat Metheny. The kid was Californian prodigy Julian…
View More Julian Lage – Scenes From Above
Two years ago, I ended my review of We Can Work It Out: Covers of the Beatles, 1962 – 1966 with the following sentence: From the 1962 to 1966 caveat in the title, I’m hoping that Strawberry is working on…
View More Various Artists – With A Little Help From My Friends (3CD Set)
The Prophets introduce their new album with a statement of intent: this is “a mind’s journey to places where conflicts are overcome.” What’s more: “Those who give their time will be truly blessed.” If you’re going to make a record,…
View More The Prophets Of Zarquon – Galleon Ascending
Art Griffin’s Sound Chaser is a vehicle for the instrumental compositions of Canadian multi-instrumentalist, Art Griffin. The third album, Approaching Translucence, has recently been released and is another wonderful merging of modern jazz fusion and progressive rock, following on from…
View More Art Griffin’s Sound Chaser – Approaching Translucence
The onslaught of Nektar reissues is incessant, but I, dear reader, will be your faithful companion as we navigate the barrage. Two years ago, I was less than impressed with the group’s live offering Journey to the Other Side, celebrating…
View More Nektar – Fortyfied (2CD Edition)
The Lighthouse & The Rocks was released in June 2025. Yes, I know. It is January 2026, and only now have I finally decided to put fingers to keyboard and try to find the words which might do justice to…
View More Mailman – The Lighthouse & The Rocks