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ProgBlog goes to Sweden
If you thought that the only musical export from Sweden was the over-produced Abba singing meaningless nonsense, you need to reappraise. Not only was Bo Hansson riding the golden age of progressive rock, it was the Swedes who resurrected the genre and began the ‘third wave’, not just as ‘prog’ but as genuine progressive rock in the 90s. Bring on the Bo Hansson, Anekdoten and Änglagård T-shirts!

garethsprogblog
Oct 2910 min read


ProgBlog goes to Norway
ProgBlog goes in search of Norwegian prog

garethsprogblog
Sep 1711 min read


Electrostatic maelstrom
It was the 20th anniversary of the live reunion of Van der Graaf Generator in May this year. I eventually secured my seat at the concert...

garethsprogblog
Jul 218 min read


THE VOYAGE CONTINUES: The Alphataurus story - from 1971 to the third studio album, 2084: Viaggio nel nulla
A history of progressivo italiano group Alphataurus - the voyage continues as they release their third studio

garethsprogblog
May 186 min read


ProgBlog and Meta
When social media turns sour, discard it

garethsprogblog
Apr 106 min read


The difficult second
A band's second album (American: sophomore) is frequently cited as 'difficult' but should it tread the same ground as its predecessor?

garethsprogblog
Mar 118 min read


The art of Genesis’ Trespass
Will Romano tells the tale in Mountains Come Out Of The Skies (Backbeat Books, 2010): The pastoral cover painting for Trespass was...

garethsprogblog
Jan 213 min read


Anthem?
I’ve just reposted, with only minor editing, the blog ‘ 100 not out ’, the story of Prog magazine reaching its 100th edition in ten...

garethsprogblog
Dec 20, 20249 min read


A ProgBlog guide to Milan
Everything the prog fan needs to know about Milan

garethsprogblog
Dec 7, 202419 min read


Canterbury pilgrimage
There are a number of different reasons to make the pilgrimage to Canterbury; 3 independent record stores and an HMV to cater for all tastes

garethsprogblog
Nov 24, 202416 min read


Progressive rock in 1974
By 1974 I’d had over a full year of immersion into progressive rock, a term which wasn’t yet being applied to the genre, though what I...

garethsprogblog
Nov 16, 20249 min read


Instant gratification - the phenomenon of ‘taking the gig home with you straight after the show’
I'm very much in favour of buying recordings of gigs I've attended, should they become available at some date after the concert in...

garethsprogblog
Oct 12, 20246 min read


Prog and TV theme tunes
I grew up at a time when progressive rock was a successful musical form and when there were programmes to stimulate my teenage imagination.

garethsprogblog
Sep 5, 20249 min read


ProgBlog and UK politics
I started writing this blog the day before the 2024 UK General Election, an unexpected gamble called on a rainy afternoon in May, finally...

garethsprogblog
Jul 25, 202430 min read


ProgBlog and the C18 agriculturalist
For someone who was into progressive rock in 1972, my appreciation of the music of Jethro Tull, indisputably one of the genre’s ‘big...

garethsprogblog
Feb 20, 202411 min read


Born in the USA
I’ve always been something of a US sceptic and never bought into the American Dream. While entirely admirable, the Declaration of...

garethsprogblog
Feb 5, 202412 min read


Maths lesson
My first dalliance with a form of rock music other than progressive or jazz/jazz-fusion came in the guise of Robert Fripp and the League...

garethsprogblog
Dec 18, 20237 min read


The Pink Floyd Experience
Ten years ago (11th November 2013) I went to see Think Floyd, who made the claims ‘the UK’s premier Pink Floyd tribute band’ and ‘the...

garethsprogblog
Nov 16, 202313 min read


A ProgBlog guide to Venice
Contrary to my previous pronouncements about the availability of prog in Venice, I can now reveal that there is a record store in the...

garethsprogblog
Apr 22, 202310 min read


Coffee and prog
Any fool knows that progressive rock was invented by the English and by extension, the best beverage to consume while you’re listening to...

garethsprogblog
Mar 18, 202311 min read
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