Year In – serie

1974 was probably the last of the 'golden years' of the first wave of progressive rock. It was a year in which the classic bands that came to define the genre released some of their most acclaimed albums, the long players that, more than 50 years later, are still cherished by discerning music lovers. Find an old proghead and watch their eyes light up at the mention of Relayer by Yes, King Crimson's Red, Rock Bottom by Robert Wyatt, Hero And Heroine by The Strawbs, Supertramp's Crime Of The Century and You by Gong.In this indispensable book, music writer Kevan Furbank delves into the past to unearth the vinyl gems that made the miserable mid-Seventies more bearable. Travel with him to Hergest Ridge with Mike Oldfield, visit Todd Rundgren's Utopia, accompany Rick Wakeman on a Journey To The Centre of The Earth and discover why Hatfield And The North was more than just a British road sign.Furbank reveals how and why the albums were recorded and what inspired the songwriting, ranging beyond the music to the political and social upheavals of the time. Which cigarette company dictated the cover design for Camel's Mirage? Which motorway led to Kraftwerk recording Autobahn? How did Richard Nixon inspire Gentle Giant on The Power And The Glory? And why did Frank Zappa tell us not to eat the yellow snow?All these questions and more will be answered in 1974: Progressive Rock Comes Of Age. It may seem like the dim and distant past. But for many people, this music is still alive and kicking. As Peter Gabriel said in the year's double album epic from Genesis, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway: 'It is here. It is now.'

1970 was a year of change in pop and rock music, with divisions between both becoming ever more blurred. More ambitiously-constructed epics, heavy rock numbers and contemporary folk songs competed with mainstream and easy listening fare on Top of the Pops and in the Top 30 singles, while progressive and jazz-rock took their bow in the album charts. Some acts disbanded, notably The Beatles, all of whom relished their freedom and launched solo careers, and Simon & Garfunkel, or else parted company and partially regrouped under new names. Festivals came into their own, particularly in Britain where the first Glastonbury event was launched, as did live albums, notably from The Rolling Stones and The Who, partly to combat the market in bootleg recordings; several singer-songwriters found major acceptance; the death of Jimi Hendrix was widely mourned; and the likes of Marc Bolan, Elton John, Rod Stewart (as a soloist, and as front man of The Faces), Lindisfarne and Hot Chocolate achieved their initial successes. By the end of the year, many a critic and music fan could look back on a 12-month period in which their landscape had altered almost beyond recognition. This is the story of that year and the key albums that helped define it.

The prevailing wisdom is that, in 1977, punk rock killed prog - presumably by drowning it in spittle. But is this really true? Not at all! Prog didn't just survive what turned out to be the short-lived rule of the barbarians, it evolved and arguably, prospered. And in 1977 - the year punk supposedly conquered the world (well, the UK anyway) - many of our most well-established progressive rock bands released some of their best albums, including Pink Floyd's Animals, Going For The One by Yes, Rush's A Farewell to Kings, Jethro Tull's Songs From The Wood and the debut from American band Happy The Man, while Godley and Creme released their astonishing triple album Consequences. These were infinitely varied takes on a genre that was still - for a while at least - in rude health despite the column inches devoted to punk.In this informative, readable and - for punk fans at least - annoying book, Kevan Furbank looks at the progressive rock bands and albums that left punk reeling in the moshpit. To misquote the Sex Pistols, never mind the b*llocks - here's the progressive rock of 1977.