On Track – serie

IIf Genesis, according to British comedian and fan Al Murray 'were the progressive rock band who progressed', then Peter Gabriel as a solo artist would be the member that progressed the most. Who would have thought that listening to early Genesis would eventually take the listener to Senegal, Armenia, South Africa and beyond, via the artistic endeavours of their former vocalist?This is a journey through Peter Gabriel's solo albums, his live recordings and soundtrack compositions. During his forty-year plus solo career, Gabriel has become a worldwide pop star via his early, self-titled albums and his seminal 1986 record So. He has had hit singles throughout his career, including the bucolic 'Solsbury Hill' in 1977 and the poignant 'Don't Give Up'. He also helped pioneer video creativity with the song 'Sledgehammer'. In doing so, he has reached beyond his progressive rock origins to achieve a level of popularity and respect that other musicians from that genre could only dream about. You may have heard many of these songs before, but there's always something new to be found by digging in the dirt. This is the perfect guide to his music for new listeners and long-term fans alike. What on earth is going on? In the words of the Burgermiester: 'I...will...find...out.'

Of all of the 'classic' British rockers who came to prominence in the 1960s, only a very few have achieved significant, sustained success through to the present day. A list that comprises Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones should also include Eric Clapton. His critical and commercial accomplishments with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith and his first solo album between 1965 and 1970 was followed the inexplicable failure of the Layla album, released under the semi-pseudonym of Derek & The Dominos. Clapton withdrew into heroin addiction for several years.In 1974, his 'comeback' album, 461 Ocean Boulevard, returned him to the top three in both the UK and America. Always a strong concert draw, Clapton has released another sixteen top twenty albums since. Even 'Layla' returned to the charts in 1982.Eric Clapton Solo reviews and analyses all of Clapton's studio albums since 1974, as well as successful collaborations with BB King and JJ Cale. It's been a long, varied journey: the laid-back rocker of the 1970s; the commercial sheen of the 1980s; the polished, acoustic yuppie music and hard blues of the 1990s; the slick R & B stylings of the 2000s and the roots homages of the 2010s. All of this was underpinned by the skill and talent of Britain's greatest blues guitarist and a hugely underrated vocalist

Pink Floyd are one of the most innovative and enduringly successful bands in history. 1973's Dark Side of the Moon, though far from the first concept album, established a new model for quasi-symphonic, long-form investigations into the human condition. It is a record of thoughtfully poignant lyrics and some of the most powerful, genre-defining rock music ever made. Roger Waters, Rick Wright, Nick Mason and the tragically brilliant Syd Barrett fused English whimsy with electrifying voyages through inner and outer space. Their underground gigs are the stuff of psychedelic legend, but between 1968 and 1971, with Barrett replaced by David Gilmour, their sonic inquiries were never braver. Some were delivered instantly while others were revealed slowly, but all played crucial parts in rock's development. During the 1970s, the music matured as the messages darkened. While Floyd continued to prove that emotional weight can be forged from deceptively modest arrangements, the band's live spectaculars reached a pitch of technical complexity and extravagance none has matched.With insightful analysis and witty objectivity, Richard Butterworth appraises afresh Pink Floyd's official recorded canon, from 'Arnold Layne' to The Endless River and beyond to 2022 and the first all-new Floyd music for 28 years.

As Love’s mostrevered album is titled Forever Changes, it’s little wonder that their superiorback catalogue encompasses a multitude of genres: folk rock, garage, jazz rock,baroque, psychedelia, soul, funk, and reggae - or certainly Arthur Lee’s does. Butwho can separate Love from their beleaguered yet brilliant front man? Love OnTrack explores the many embodiments of his group, with his solo work closelyexamined at the same time. Love were the first rock signing to folklabel Elektra and something of this contradiction inhabits their work. From theraw beat of their eponymous debut, to sweetly ruminative songs on Da Capo, tothe ultimate comment on the counter-culture in Forever Changes, onto FourSail’s auguring the hard rocking 1970s, these albums represent Love’s bestknown work.  But the book knows the Love story doesn’tend there. There’s the epic double album Out Here, collaborations with JimiHendrix, vegetarian protest songs, and a gorgeously romantic revival in FiveString Serenade. There are also stops along the way to recall the solo work ofBryan MacLean et al, a new interview with Berton Averre, who played with Lee inthe 1990s, and a detailed look at live recordings – the book is a real labourof Love.

In ten short years, Roxy Music made two of the most experimental albums in popular music history and one of the most smoothly romantic. Conceived by Bryan Ferry at the turn of the 1970s, the band released its first album, Roxy Music, to wide acclaim in 1972 and swiftly followed up with the ground-breaking single 'Virginia Plain'. Ferry, Andy Mackay, and Phil Manzanera remained Roxy's core players over seven more albums, in three distinct phases. The debut and For Your Pleasure (1973) featured all manner of electronic weirdness from Brian Eno, while Stranded (1973), Country Life (1974), and Siren (1975) marked the peak of Ferry's songwriting and struck a delicate balance between edgy art and gorgeous craft. Finally, Manifesto (1979), Flesh + Blood (1980), and Avalon (1982), the last two without powerhouse founding drummer Paul Thompson, framed Ferry's tales of doomed romance within a sophisticated wash of sound that used the studio itself as an instrument.The members of Roxy Music have had long and distinguished careers outside the band, but nothing can surpass the eight albums they made together. This book tells the musical story of this most enigmatic of British bands.

There’s more to Iggy Pop than The Stooges, wild tales and the occasional ‘Lust For Life’ sync in a commercial. Much of his solo career, spanning decades of reckless reinvention, is often overlooked, reduced to a handful of hits or dismissed as a footnote to his incendiary past. Yet there is a vast world to explore: the sheer variety of musical styles, the energy, the humour, the vivid imagery, the sharp social critique, the highs, the misfires, the unexpected detours and his collaborations with some of music’s biggest names.This book dives deep into Iggy’s solo output from 1977 to 1999, exploring every album track by track. It unpacks the music, lyrics, influences and the stories behind them. Fact-driven yet opinionated, it draws from interviews, archival material and trivia to trace the evolution of America’s ultimate rock’n’roll outlaw. Whether crooning over icy synths, bellowing over scuzzy guitars or delivering deadpan one-liners with a smirk, Iggy has never stopped moving. This is the sound of his journey.

The DoobieBrothers On Track tells the story of a band that helped define one of the mosttransformative decades in popular music. Formed in California in 1970, TheDoobie Brothers blended blues, folk and R&B with tight harmonies androad-tested musicianship. Their early hits-'Listen to the Music', 'Long TrainRunnin'', 'China Grove' and 'Black Water'-captured the easygoing optimism ofthe West Coast while reflecting a country in transition after the upheavals ofthe 1960s. As the decadeunfolded, the band evolved alongside the changing sound of rock. Guitarist Jeff"Skunk" Baxter brought a jazz sensibility from his time with Steely Dan, whilesinger and keyboardist Michael McDonald introduced smooth, soulful texturesthat reshaped the group's identity. With Takin' It to the Streets and theGrammy-winning Minute by Minute, The Doobie Brothers became one of the fewbands able to bridge bar-band grit and radio polish without losing credibility.This book placestheir journey within the broader story of 1970s American music-a period ofgenre-blending, studio innovation and shifting cultural moods. Drawingconnections to contemporaries like Little Feat and Steely Dan, it explores howThe Doobies balanced experimentation with accessibility and why their songscontinue to resonate today. More than a bandbiography, it's a portrait of resilience and reinvention-how a group rooted inCalifornia's club scene learned to adapt, thrive and keep audiences listeningfor over fifty years.

Rising to prominence in 1994 on the back of their eponymous debut album, Korn ushered in a new sound within heavy metal which many would try and imitate in the years that followed. Earning themselves the title of "The Godfathers of Nu Metal", the Bakersfield quintet has sold well over 40 million records, they have topped charts all around the world, and they have also won multiple awards which include two prestigious Grammys. Still firing on all cylinders after three decades, Korn continues to produce powerful and accessible anthems in the present day.Korn On Track covers all the band's studio releases thus far- from their 1993 demo tape, Neidermayer's Mind, to their thirteenth studio album, The Nothing, released in 2018. Reviewing every track and delving into the stories behind many of them, also discussed is Korn's largely unheralded unreleased material, and B-sides which also include songs exclusively featured on movie soundtracks.

Thin Lizzy emerged as a four-piece in Dublin as the 1960s drew to a close, when guitarist Eric Bell and keyboard player Eric Wrixon, both from Belfast, encountered a band named Orphanage, which included Dubliners Brian Downey on drums and charismatic front man Philip Lynott. Evolving through a number of incarnations, through psychedelic power trio through classic four-piece guitar-toting rockers, to a quintet of heavy metal heroes, with the ever-present Lynott and Downey at its core, Thin Lizzy rose to become one of the most powerful and iconic rock bands in Europe, before the erosive effects of the rock'n'roll lifestyle took their toll.The purpose of this book is to present a history of the band through its music - to cover every song released through official channels, presented in context, including an overview of its content. From the difficult early years of the early 1970s, which did produce the surprise hit single 'Whisky In The Jar', via their breakthrough album Jailbreak and the heavy rock excesses of the early 80s, this book follows the evolution of Thin Lizzy and its stellar cast of guitarists, from start to finish through their music, track by glorious track.

Celebrating 50 years as a band in 2022, Magnum remain a musical enigma, much loved by legions of fans despite never fitting easily into the sub-genres favoured by rock music critics. Formed in the West Midlands of England around a nucleus of guitarist and songwriter Tony Clarkin and vocalist Bob Catley, the band dabbled with pomp rock and progressive sounds in the late 1970s before achieving success in the 1980s with records like Chase the Dragon, On a Storyteller's Night and their commercial highpoint, Wings of Heaven. They even had two top thirty singles in the UK, with 'Start Talking Love' and 'Rockin' Chair'. The changing musical landscape of the 1990s led to a split, but the band returned in 2001 and continue to release records of remarkable consistency while entertaining live audiences across Europe. This is the first book on the history and music of Magnum. It covers each of the band's twenty-two studio albums, as well as live recordings, compilations and the late 1990s Hard Rain project. Charting the ups and downs in commercial and artistic achievement, it is an essential guide to one of Britain's most underappreciated rock bands.

Once, there were four university students who started a rock band named after a firetruck. Five and a half decades later, REO Speedwagon are still going strong, still drawing massive crowds, and, thankfully, still have no plans to stop. With classic albums like the multi-platinum You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish and the ten million-selling Hi Infidelity, REO conquered America's heartland, then the nation, and then - as a ten-year 'overnight sensation' - the world. It was the rock tunes like 'Golden Country' and 'Back on the Road Again' that built their reputation before the ballads like 'Keep on Loving You' and 'Can't Fight this Feeling' brought them global fame. REO have sold over 40 million records under their own name and are further featured on the soundtracks to scores of films and television programs, including Supernatural and Ozark. The current line-up with the 'new guys' has been together for more than 30 years.REO Speedwagon On Track shines a light on the band's lengthy career. This book delves into the tracks on each of their 16 studio albums, their official live releases, and several compilations, and provides a glimpse of some of the band members' outside projects,

AC/DC - a global rock institution and big brand name. The secret to their success has always been they are a rock 'n' roll band, pure and simple, undiluted by trends. They have a solid authenticity with no frills or pretentiousness. Chris Sutton examines the recorded output of the band in detail, helped by new interview material with former members, collaborators and friends in Michael Browning (manager), Peter Clack (drums), Tony Currenti (drums), Mike Fraser (engineer/ producer), Gerard Huerta (logo design), Ian Hampton (bass), Noel Taylor (drums) and Dave Thoener (engineer). Hampton reveals the time that he was close to replacing Mark Evans. They have one of the world's biggest-selling albums in Back In Black, but is it their best album, and which are their best songs? As well as commentary and analysis of every track on every studio album, space is also given to B-sides and out-takes. The live albums and box sets are also featured. The background to each album is also covered as the band navigate tragedy and setbacks with a determination to keep going - rock or bust!The book's aim is to send you back to the albums and listen again, or catch up with the ones you have missed.

Jefferson Airplane were not the sole exemplars of 1960s Californian acid rock; the Grateful Dead could equally claim the mantle of house band to the Summer of Love. Airplane's instrumentation was conventional, comprising mainly vocal harmonies, guitars, bass and drums. The band drew upon the folk traditions of The Weavers, the legendary bluesmen Gary Davis and B.B. King, improvisational masters from Miles Davis to Cream, even literary visionaries such as James Joyce and Isaac Asimov.Yet fusing together these influences in the creative furnace of San Francisco between 1966 and 1970, Jefferson Airplane's classic lineup – one ex-model, two ex-folkies, one ex-jazzer and two ex-D.C. guitarslingers – crafted music that was at once powerful, innovative and beautiful. Birthed in the dizzy hippie heartland of Haight-Ashbury, no other group were so wedded to their environment, winning international acclaim with two anthemic hit singles even as they impishly prodded the morés of middle Amerika. A musical and social force of nature, Airplane mirrored the psychedelic dream, burning higher, fiercer and brighter than any of their contemporaries.Combining a concise history of this magnificent band and their milieu with comprehensive and entertaining reviews of all their recordings, this is the most accessible book on the band yet written

U2 were Formed at a Dublin Secondary School by Adam Clayton, Bono, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr. Like most bands, they wanted to be among the best in the world. By 1991, with Achtung Baby in the pipeline and War, The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree behind them, they were arguably deserving of that intention. Yet there was more to the band than the stadium records that made their fans deliriously happy and the music's creators artistically and lucratively fulfilled. Their second album, October, opened the four piece into a spiritual journey that fed their later work. Their double album Rattle and Hum proved one of the greatest torchbearers of American music of its time. And then there were Zooropa and Pop - dance oriented albums that showed the initially-punk oriented quartet exploring effects, sounds and territories that few of their contemporaries dared contemplate. That they should exist forty years after their debut is testament to the will, fortitude and versatility U2 holds. Their most recent works Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience have proven their most reflective and perhaps their most autobiographical. What lies next for U2 only the band know, but this book delves into their past work, without leaving a passenger behind.

Any consideration of the song writing craft would be incomplete without the inclusion of American singer/songwriter Aimee Mann. From her first steps as singer and bass player with '80s synth pop band 'Til Tuesday, who scored a massive MTV hit with 'Voices Carry' in 1985, she has continually produced starkly autobiographical and often ironically melodic songs that cut through the emotional detail. With a career now spanning almost forty years, she has built a catalogue of nine studio albums since going solo in the early 1990s and, via a series of record label frustrations, has developed into a fiercely independent recording artist, flying outside the mainstream. Her critical acclaim has never wavered, and whilst happy to work in a niche market, her soundtrack for the film Magnolia and the accompanying Oscar nomination raised her profile considerably, adding to her stalwart army of fans. This book gives an overview of Aimee Mann's career from her earliest days, making it big with 'Til Tuesday and onward through her solo career to date, investigating every recorded track in a comprehensive guide for fans and new listeners keen to investigate a true original and double Grammy winner whose songs should be much more widely recognised.

The music of Crosby, Stills and Nash, and especially their 1969 self-titled debut album, exemplified the Woodstock generation – three men, three voices, one common view of freedom and justice. Their decision to recruit Neil Young before their first public performance fundamentally altered CSNY the band dynamic. Worldwide acclaim and success followed: their first three albums, released 1969-1971, have sold almost 30 million copies. In 1974 they embarked on the biggest stadium tour then attempted, playing baseball and football stadiums and racetracks across the US to thousands of fans. They were also pop stars, securing nine top 40 singles between 1969 and 1982. And yet, today, with Neil Young regarded as a musical legend with a classic back catalogue, his colleagues Crosby, Stills and Nash remain far less acclaimed. They comprised Crosby: the drug-addled hippy with weird songs and golden voice, Stills: the blues man and guitar genius and Nash: the hard-as-nails balladeer with a strong social conscience. Together, at their best, they were unbeatable. This book tells you why, aiming to set things straight, with an album by album analysis of CSN’s five studio albums, as well as the three they made with Neil Young.

Formed in 1964 and still going strong in 2019, the Moody Blues are one of the most enduring bands in the history of rock. R&B, pop, psychedelic, symphonic, prog rock, folk rock, synth-pop, mainstream rock, they've experienced it all. 'Go Now', A number one single in 1965 was very nearly a postscript for the band had it not been for the pioneering 1967 album Days Of Future Passed. This set in motion a run of seven classic and hugely popular albums that put them at the forefront of symphonic rock in the early 1970s. A hiatus saw a flurry of solo projects before the band reconvened in 1977. Subsequent recordings were eagerly greeted by a loyal fan base and sell out concerts continue to this day. In 2018 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. This book examines each one of the band's studio albums and related recordings as well as tracing the band's long and diverse history. Solo projects and live recordings are also discussed making this the most comprehensive guide to the music of the Moody Blues yet published. Whether you are a loyal fan or someone who is curious to see what lies beyond `Nights in White Satin', this is essential reading.

Hailing from Manchester, England, sophisticated pop purveyors 10cc hit the ground running with their 1972 debut single, 'Donna'. This book examines every released recording by both Godley & Creme and 10cc, including the band's debut album under their early name, Hotlegs.

Mention the words `heavy metal' with regards to the past four decades, and chances are one of the first names you'll get back is Iron Maiden. From their early days as front-runners of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal in 1980, through to their epic and progressive works of more recent times, via 30 years fronted by Bruce Dickinson broken up by a short period with Blaze Bayley, the band have been 'All Things To All Men' in the metal world. Such is their profile that even the non-metal fan would probably cite them as a key example of the genre. This book lifts the lid on every single track recorded by the band, album by album, from the punk-ish debut album with original vocalist Paul DiAnno through to the sprawling double disc epic Book Of Souls. By way of facts, anecdotes, analysis and a dollop of opinion, author Steve Pilkington provides both an informative companion for the die-hard fan and perfect road-map for the more casual listener to follow. From `Prowler' to `Empire Of The Clouds', through each and every line up change, this is every Number recorded by The Beast - the ultimate recording history of Iron Maiden.

Renaissance, a much beloved but highly underrated English progressive rock band, began life in 1969 as an offshoot of The Yardbirds. Keith Relf and Jim McCarty, who had recently left that iconic blues-rock group, decided to put together a new band that would differ from its predecessor by being more influenced by classical and folk music. After releasing two albums in 1969 and 1971, The band then quickly underwent a 100 percent turnover in personnel, resulting in an entirely new RenaissanceThe new band was distinguished by the astonishingly beautiful five-octave-range vocals of their lead singer, Annie Haslam, their lengthy, multi-movement, classically inspired compositions, and their unusual instrumentation. Renaissance released six classic studio albums, and one live double album, between 1972 and 1978, even scoring a UK hit with 'Northern Lights'. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw the band commercialise with limited success, before folding.The 21st century, with Haslam continuing as the band's distinctive voice, Renaissance has returned to its orchestral/symphonic rock roots with two studio albums of new material and multiple live releases featuring contemporary treatments of its 1970s classics. This volume, the first ever published on Renaissance, assesses their entire career, covering every song on every album. It is the essential guide to the recorded works of a group that deserves to be ranked among the greatest in the progressive rock genre.

UFO, the legendary band which have been gracing the world’s stages for the last 50 years, have given us more than their fair share of superb quality hard rock songs including ‘Doctor, Doctor’, ‘Rock Bottom’, ‘Shoot Shoot’, ‘Too Hot To Handle’, and ‘Only You Can Rock Me’. And that was just during the Seventies!Albums such as ‘Force It’, ‘Obsession’, ‘The Wild, The Willing, And The Innocent’, ‘Walk On Water’ and ‘You Are Here’ are acknowledged as classics of the melodic hard rock genre, and their live masterpiece ‘Strangers In The Night’ regularly features at or near the top of rock music polls.UFO’s history can be delineated by the guitarists who have passed through their ranks. From the early ‘Space Rock’ stumblings, their astonishing development with the brilliant, mercurial Michael Schenker, the consolidation and first downfall during Paul Chapman’s tenure, subsequent re-launches and crash-landings, a troubled reformation of the Schenker line-up, and the final mostly settled version with Vinnie Moore, this book explores each of the band’s 23 studio albums, and, of course, ‘Strangers’. Every song is analysed in detail and opinions are numerous in this passionate critique of one of Britain’s best loved and most influential rock institutions

In her long career, Canadian songstress Joni Mitchell has been hailed as everything from 1960s folk icon to 20th century cultural figure, artistic iconoclast to musical heroine, extreme romantic confessor to outspoken commentator and lyrical painter. While some criticised what they viewed as her seeming dismissal of commercial considerations, she simply viewed her trajectory as that of any artist serious about the integrity of their work. But whatever musical position she took, she was always one step ahead of the game, making eclectic and innovative music Albums like The Ladies Of The Canyon, Blue , Hejira and Mingus helped define each era of the 1970s, as she moved from exquisitely pitched singer songwriter material towards jazz. Her past influence was obvious in the 1980s when hoards of assuming successors (some highly respectable) gathered her exotic breadcrumbs with a view to distilling their illusive compounds, while Joni simultaneously forged ahead. This book revisits her studio albums in detail from 1968's Song to a Seagull to 2007's Shine, providing anecdote and insight into the recording sessions, an in depth analysis along with a complimentary level of lyrical and instrumental examination.

Guitarist Steve Hackett first came to many fan's attention when he joined Genesis in 1971. Following seven excellent albums with the band, he went his own way in 1977. He had already kick started his solo career with the critically acclaimed Voyage of the Acolyte in 1975 but 24 studio albums followed, making him the most prolific member of the classic Genesis line-up. In the 1980s, he also formed GTR with Yes guitarist Steve Howe and they enjoyed commercial success with a hit album and single. Steve's solo work has embraced rock, prog, classical, blues, pop, jazz and world music, all performed with style and panache and his most recent album At the Edge of Light released in 2019 is perhaps his best since the classic Spectral Mornings in 1979. On stage, he has kept the Genesis flame burning brightly, performing the band's classic material from the 1970s alongside his own work. He remains one of the most innovative and influential musicians in rock.This book examines, in detail, each one of Steve's studio albums and traces his long and varied history. Collaborations, live albums and compilations are also discussed, making this the most comprehensive guide to the music of Steve Hackett yet published. Whether the reader is a diehard fan or someone wishing to catch-up on his post Genesis work, Steve Hackett on track is essential reading

A progressive rock supergroup? In the 1980s? Who would want such a thing critics asked, as they immediately went on the attack. But music fans disagreed. John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Steve Howe and Carl Palmer had played with the likes of King Crimson, Roxy Music, Yes and ELP to name just a few and they lived up to the supergroup tag. Asia's self-titled debut album went to number one for nine weeks on the US charts, went top twenty in the UK and sold over ten million copies worldwide. Asia was all over MTV, had a sold-out world tour, several hit singles and a Grammy nomination.After 1983's Alpha album, Wetton left to be replaced, bizarrely by Greg Lake was in, then Wetton was back and Howe was gone, replaced by Mandy Meyer for Astra in 1985. Fans needed a scorecard to keep track of it all, then the group split. Geoff Downes would struggle to keep the flame alive with John Payne from 1991-2005 until the original line up reunited in 2006 with newfound respect accorded them by both the media and fans until Wetton's sad passing in 2017. This book covers every studio album as well as key live albums, compilations and solo projects in detail, making it a comprehensive guide to the music of this enigmatic and ever-changing band.

One of the most iconic and successful British bands of the 1980s, Level 42 are also arguably the ultimate 'fusion' unit, streamlining their energetic early jazz/funk/rock sound into slick, effortlessly-soulful pop music. Encompassing eleven studio albums, including twenty UK top 40 hits and two US top twenty singles, their catalogue, in many ways, defines the '80s but also reflects their musical virtuosity and vibrant eclecticism, peppering tracks with influences from Herbie Hancock, Return To Forever and The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Emerging from the so-called 'Britfunk' scene, Level 42 developed from being one of the most electrifying live acts of the era to become a true songwriters' collective, delivering the effervescent, ubiquitous hits 'The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)', 'Something About You' and 'Lessons In Love'.Level 42 - on track is the first in-depth study of the band's illustrious catalogue, track by track, album by album, with recording information, musical analysis, studio gossip, full musician credits and contributions from Mark King and Gary Husband. The book also covers the solo projects of the band's many members. Level 42 - on track is a must for fans and those interested in the wider musical landscape of the 1980s and 1990s.

The Incredible String Band evoke love and devotion to all those who fall under their spell. Their world is not ours, but a land of mythical creatures and fey beings. This book looks at all their recorded output from the first album which saw the turning point from the mix of old time American music and Scottish dance tunes to the first steps in song writing, through albums which still maintain a legendary reputation, 5000 Spirits and Hangman's Beautiful Daughter. It looks at their increasingly eclectic instrumentation and fantastical song writing. There is a fresh look at the slightly lesser known albums that followed and the later version of the band that moved steadily towards the rock mainstream before imploding in 1974. There is also a look at the albums that appeared when the band briefly reformed in the 21st century and a run through the best of the posthumous live albums and compilations of unreleased material.The band went from major success to cult status, and then via mockery in the punk period to finally becoming a highly respected band, whose albums still sell steadily to this day. This book will follow that journey and examine every stop on the way.

Caravan have a history that stretches back over half a century, with a catalogue of music that ranges from progressive rock classics to pop gems that should have been hits. Lumped into that strange category known as ‘the Canterbury Sound’, they are both the paradigm and the transcendent band within that nebulous category.This book traces their history, track-by-track, over eighteen canonical albums, stopping off to examine the plethora of live and BBC session releases that have swollen their back catalogue like a girl who grows plump in the night. Beginning with their pop-psych debut on Verve, continuing through the run of classic and revered albums on Decca/Deram that forged their reputation, and then on the albums that saw them move towards pop and be swept up by the tides of fashion, it ends with the decades of reunions that saw fewer albums, but a refinement of the sensibilities that define their unique sound.With ever-present Pye Hastings on guitar/vocals/songwriting, and Richard Coughlan at his back on drums, the band has also been defined by the skills of viola player Geoff Richardson and the Sinclair cousins – David on keys and Richard on bass. But this is not to belittle the contribution of every musician and songwriter whose talents have combined to make this most English of bands just that little bit special…

Roy Harper must be one of Britain's most undervalued rock musicians and songwriters. For over fifty years he has produced a series of innovative albums of consistently outstanding quality. He puts poetry and social commentary to music in a way that extends the boundaries of rock music. His 22 studio albums 16 live albums, made up of 250 songs, have created a unique body of work.Roy is a musician's musician. He is lauded by the likes of Dave Gilmour, Ian Anderson, Jimmy Page, Pete Townsend, Joanna Newsom, Fleet Foxes and Kate Bush. Who else could boast that he has had Keith Moon, Jimmy Page, Dave Gilmour, John Paul Jones, Ronnie Lane, Chris Spedding, Bill Bruford and Steve Broughton in his backing band? Notable albums include Stormcock, HQ and Bullinamingvase. Opher Goodwin, Roy's friend and a fan, guides the reader through every album and song, providing insight into the recording of the songs as well the times in which they were recorded. As his loyal and often fanatical fans will attest, Roy has produced a series of epic songs and he remains a raging, uncompromising individual.