Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant

Author: Gary Steel

Publisher: On Track

Published: 2020-03

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 9781789520583

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They lasted only a decade and never lit up the world's charts, but progressive rock connoisseurs always knew what today's audiences are now beginning to discover: that Gentle Giant belong in the pantheon of great bands of the era. At times edgy and experimental but also capable of great beauty (not to mention some of the greatest riffs known to man), the group's explorations of medieval music gave their sound unique character. But it was the thrilling complexity of their compositions - which Frank Zappa might have called the "statistical density" of their writing - together with the instrumental ability of its players that make their music as potent today as they were at their peak nearly 50 years ago. This book takes a microscopic look at each of Gentle Giant's eleven studio albums and provides fresh assessments of the many live and 'odds'n'sods' recordings, as well as rounding up existant DVD/Blu-ray documentary and performance footage. In doing so, it tells the story of one of progressive music's most fascinating groups and the thrilling - and occasionally tortuous - ride the Shulman brothers and key band-mates like Kerry Minnear and Gary Green experienced along the way.

Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant

Author: Gary Steel

Publisher: Sonicbond Publishing Ltd

Published: 2024-10-31

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 1789521130

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They lasted for only a decade and never lit up the world's charts, but Gentle Giant belong in the pantheon of great progressive rock bands of the era. At times edgy and experimental, but also capable of great beauty – not to mention some of the greatest riffs known to man – the group's explorations of medieval music gave their sound its unique character. But it was the thrilling complexity of their compositions – which Frank Zappa might have called the 'statistical density' of their writing – together with the instrumental ability of its players, that make their music as potent today as it was at their peak nearly 50 years ago when albums like Octopus and The Power And The Glory helped define the progressive rock era. This book takes a microscopic look at each of Gentle Giant's eleven studio albums and provides fresh assessments of the many live and 'odds and sods' recordings. It also rounds up their existing documentary and performance footage. In doing so, it tells the story of one of progressive music's most fascinating groups and the thrilling – and occasionally tortuous – ride the Shulman brothers and key band-mates like Kerry Minnear and Gary Green experienced along the way. Gary Steel is a New Zealand-based journalist who has developed severe tinnitus from attending thousands of rock gigs in his 40-plus years of rock writing. In that time he has also interviewed a who's who of contemporary music and reviewed just about every record going for whoever would publish his pungent opinions. As a pimply adolescent with Rick Wakeman hair, he tried unsuccessfully to turn his schoolmates away from their obsessions with glam and disco and convert them to ELP, King Crimson and Gentle Giant. He has edited and published several music magazines, run his own record shop and is a late-in-life first-time Dad of young kids.

The Sonicbond Publishing Progressive Rock Sampler
The Sonicbond Publishing Progressive Rock Sampler

Author: Stephen Lambe

Publisher: Sonicbond Publishing Ltd

Published: 2024-08-27

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13: 1789520568

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Since Sonicbond Publishing launched at the end of 2018, iwe have published books that span most genres in popular music, from easy listening to psychedelia and from pop to metal. However, it is in the world of progressive rock that we have found our most comfortable home. This book features eleven chapters from books on some of the greats of the genre, including from our On Track series Yes, Genesis, Caravan, ELP, Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree and Steve Hackett solo. Our Decades series offers up chapters on Marillion in the 1980s and Van Der Graaf Generator in the 1970s and our Year In series has a chapter on Aphrodite’s Child’s seminal 666. This is just the tip of the iceberg, though, and for the up-to-date list, check out the complete stocklist at the back of this book. The book contains two exclusive pieces that you won’t find in printed books anywhere else. Nick Holmes’ detailed chapter on Porcupine Tree’s Closure/Continuation can be found in the current E-book but not yet in the printed version. Stephen Lambe has rewritten his own chapter on Yes’ ‘lost album’ Talk, released 30 years ago. Contents: Closure/Continuation (2022) from Porcupine Tree On Track (Revised Edition) by Nick Holmes (to be published in 2025) Talk (1994) from Yes On Track by Stephen Lambe. Revised version for future Editions Aphrodite’s Child – 666 (1972) from 1972: The Year Progressive Rock Ruled The World by Kevan Furbank If I Could Do It All Over Again It Again I’d Do It All Over You (1970) from Caravan On Track by Andy Boot Tarkus (1971) from Emerson, Lake & Palmer On Track by Mike Goode Wind & Wuthering (1976) and the Spot The Pigeon EP from Genesis On Track by Stuart Macfarlane Acquiring The Taste (1971) from Gentle Giant On Track by Gary Steel Songs From The Wood (1977) from Jethro Tull On Track by Jordan Blum 1985: The Heart That We Have Live from Marillion in the 1980s by Nathaniel Webb Meddle (1971) from Pink Floyd On Track by Richard Butterworth Defector (1980) from Steve Hackett On Track by Geoffrey Feakes 1975: The Undercover Men From Van der Graaf Generator In The 1970s by Steve Pilkington

Gong Every Album, Every Song (On Track )
Gong Every Album, Every Song (On Track )

Author: Kevan Furbank

Publisher: On Track

Published: 2020-10-29

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 9781789520828

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Every now and then a band comes along that defies convention, refuses to be pigeon-holed, thumbs its nose at comfy predictability and blows raspberries at commercial wisdom. That band is Gong. From 1970 to the present day, Gong have ploughed a unique musical furrow - part progressive rock, part spacey psychedelia, part proto-punk, ambient trance, drum 'n' bass and absurdist political performance art. With a cup of tea in hand (and a revolving propellor on his head) long-time fan Kevan Furbank examines all the Gong albums from Magick Brother in 1970 to 2019's The Universe Also Collapses, chronicles the stories behind each recording and examines the songwriting, arrangements and mythology that inspired each track - with new insights from Gong bassist Mike Howlett and synth wizard Tim Blake. In doing so, he also looks at the contributions made by the many great musicians who have passed through Gong in the last 50-odd years, including guitar hero Steve Hillage, mercurial drummer Pierre Moerlen, flute and sax maestro Didier Malherbe and, of course, hippy foole, whimsical visionary and Gong founder Daevid Allen. He also attempts to gather together the branches and off-shoots of the Gong family tree - including Mother Gong, Gongmaison and Pierre Moerlen's Gong - and the important solo recordings.If you have never heard any Gong, this book is the perfect introduction. If you have, you will want to go back and revisit the glorious music this band has made. In the words of the Pot Head Pixies, why don't you try...

Toto On Track
Toto On Track

Author: Jacob Holm Lupo

Publisher: Sonicbond Publishing Ltd

Published: 2020-06-05

Total Pages: 163

ISBN-13: 1789520851

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Turn on the radio anytime, anywhere in the world, and sooner or later you will hear 'Africa'. Along with just a handful of songs by other artists, Toto’s worldwide hit is one of the most ubiquitous musical works of our time, written by a group of musicians who grew up together in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. Together they helped define the sound of the late 70s and 80s, appearing on numerous hit records by Michael Jackson, Boz Scaggs and Steely Dan. But it was together, as Toto, that they found their true form, fashioning a fine blend of funk, hard rock, pop and progressive rock. 'Hold the Line', 'Rosanna' and 'Pamela' are just a few of their other iconic hits. However, from the early days, Toto were a target for the music press, who disdained their slick chops and polished sound – all at odds with the post-punk and new wave aesthetics prevalent at the time. Yet Toto have always persevered, driven by their love for the music, and their fans’ love for them. Lately, Toto has been riding a renewed wave of popularity – fuelled by hard touring – not to mention a belated restitution from the rock media. This book discusses each of their albums in detail, track by track, from their smash-hit debut to 2015's magnificent Toto XIV. Jacob Holm-Lupo is a musician and journalist from Norway. He has written extensively about progressive rock, hard rock and AOR, including the book Blue Öyster Cult on track for Sonicbond, published in 2019. With his own bands White Willow and The Opium Cartel he has released ten albums, and he runs a recording and mixing studio. He is also active on the Classic Album Sunday circuit where he has, among other things, covered Toto IV and The Seventh One. He lives on an island with his wife, two children, a rabbit and a dog.

Steely Dan
Steely Dan

Author: Jez Rowden

Publisher: On Track

Published: 2019-10

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 9781789520439

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Dust & Grooves
Dust & Grooves

Author: Eilon Paz

Publisher: Ten Speed Press

Published: 2015-09-15

Total Pages: 577

ISBN-13: 1607748703

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A photographic look into the world of vinyl record collectors—including Questlove—in the most intimate of environments—their record rooms. Compelling photographic essays from photographer Eilon Paz are paired with in-depth and insightful interviews to illustrate what motivates these collectors to keep digging for more records. The reader gets an up close and personal look at a variety of well-known vinyl champions, including Gilles Peterson and King Britt, as well as a glimpse into the collections of known and unknown DJs, producers, record dealers, and everyday enthusiasts. Driven by his love for vinyl records, Paz takes us on a five-year journey unearthing the very soul of the vinyl community.

Beyond and Before, Updated and Expanded Edition
Beyond and Before, Updated and Expanded Edition

Author: Paul Hegarty

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2021-12-02

Total Pages: 440

ISBN-13: 1501370839

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The original edition of Beyond and Before extends an understanding of “progressive rock” by providing a fuller definition of what progressive rock is, was and can be. Called by Record Collector “the most accomplished critical overview yet” of progressive rock and one of their 2011 books of the year, Beyond and Before moves away from the limited consensus that prog rock is exclusively English in origin and that it was destroyed by the advent of punk in 1976. Instead, by tracing its multiple origins and complex transitions, it argues for the integration of jazz and folk into progressive rock and the extension of prog in Kate Bush, Radiohead, Porcupine Tree and many more. This 10-year anniversary revised edition continues to further unpack definitions of progressive rock and includes a brand new chapter focusing on post-conceptual trends in the 2010s through to the contemporary moment. The new edition discusses the complex creativity of progressive metal and folk in greater depth, as well as new fusions of genre that move across global cultures and that rework the extended form and mission of progressive rock, including in recent pop concept albums. All chapters are revised to keep the process of rethinking progressive rock alive and vibrant as a hybrid, open form.

Reinventing Pink Floyd
Reinventing Pink Floyd

Author: Bill Kopp

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2018-02-09

Total Pages: 261

ISBN-13: 1538108283

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In celebration of the 45th anniversary of The Dark Side of the Moon, Bill Kopp explores the ingenuity with which Pink Floyd rebranded itself following the 1968 departure of Syd Barrett. Not only did the band survive Barrett’s departure, but it went on to release landmark albums that continue to influence generations of musicians and fans. Reinventing Pink Floyd follows the path taken by the remaining band members to establish a musical identity, develop a songwriting style, and create a new template for the manner in which albums are made and even enjoyed by listeners. As veteran music journalist Bill Kopp illustrates, that path was filled with failed experiments, creative blind alleys, one-off musical excursions, abortive collaborations, general restlessness, and—most importantly—a dedicated search for a distinctive musical personality. This exciting guide to the works of 1968 through 1973 highlights key innovations and musical breakthroughs of lasting influence. Kopp places Pink Floyd in its historical, cultural, and musical contexts while celebrating the test of fire that took the band from the brink of demise to enduring superstardom.

Van Der Graaf Generator
Van Der Graaf Generator

Author: Dan Coffey

Publisher: Sonicbond Publishing Ltd

Published: 2020-12-04

Total Pages: 135

ISBN-13: 178952122X

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No progressive rock band could ever be said to be a household name, but Van der Graaf Generator, who celebrated their fiftieth anniversary in 2018, rarely enjoyed that distinction even in the households of many prog fans. VdGG, and the band’s main creative force, Peter Hammill, only really had one foot in prog – the other pivoted between more straight-ahead rock, wild experimentation, and at times, brutal noise. While VdGG’s initial run ended prematurely, the band eventually came full-circle, reforming in 2005 and still going strong. Both Hammill and VdGG have been lauded as musicians’ musicians by such luminaries as Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, Julian Cope, Mark E. Smith, and Johnny Rotten. This book will explore what these musicians, and legions of dedicated fans, found so inspiring over the years: all of the VdGG albums, including Pawn Hearts and Godbluff as well as several solo Hammill albums crucial to the VdGG story, are discussed in these pages, including a handful of essential live recordings, experiments, and collaborations. Nothing like this analysis of the band has been published before, and this book will prove an invaluable guide for navigating the Van der Graaf Generator sonic labyrinth. Dan Coffey is a librarian, critic, and poet. He has written extensively on experimental and avant-garde music for Avant Music News, Stereo Embers and Perfect Sound Forever, as well as publishing numerous book reviews for Foreword Magazine. He once interviewed VdGG in an electrical storm! Coffey lives in Iowa with his wife and son, and his ever-growing record collection.