Chris Roberts

Chris Roberts

Chris Roberts has written about music, films, and art for innumerable outlets. His new book The Velvet Underground is out April 4. He has also published books on Lou Reed, Elton John, the Gothic arts, Talk Talk, Kate Moss, Scarlett Johansson, Abba, Tom Jones and others. Among his interviewees over the years have been David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, Bryan Ferry, Al Green, Tom Waits & Lou Reed. Born in North Wales, he lives in London.

Articles by: Chris Roberts

Matt Berry

Matt Berry - Gather Up: "an appetite-whetting beginner’s guide"

By Chris Roberts last updated

Not yet rated

Toast of the town: Matt’s music earns respect.

Neu!, Harmonia and early Kraftwerk guitarist Michael Rother

The Krautrock albums you should definitely own

By Chris Roberts published

Krautrock runs a truly revolutionary gamut from avant-garde dance to proggy space rock to minimalist electronica and beyond – and these are its best albums

Genesis on a train

How Genesis journeyed from pioneering prog to eighties' superstardom

By Chris Roberts published

Peter Gabriel left Genesis, and that was supposed to be that. But they adapted, survived punk, defined 80s rock, climbed the pop charts, and became one of the biggest bands of all time

Kaye Bush in Japan in 1978

The Kate Bush albums you should definitely own

By Chris Roberts published

Kate Bush is probably the most important and influential British female singer-writer-musician ever - and these are her best albums

Yes

Yes - The Quest: "a spirited attempt to roll back the years."

By Chris Roberts published

Not yet rated

Age and a global pandemic cannot wither them, as prog’s founding fathers notch up another landmark with album number 22.

Mark Knopfler: The Studio Albums 1996-2007 cover art

Mark Knopfler does it gently on The Studio Albums 1996-2007

By Chris Roberts published

Dire Straits mainman Mark Knopfler's steady-going box set showcases the value of underplaying

Jaco Pastorious

10 examples of the supernatural genius of Jaco Pastorius

By Chris Roberts last updated

We investigate the career highlights of Jaco Pastorius, bass player extraordinaire

Tears For Fears

“I was a big early Genesis fan and I loved King Crimson." How Tears For Fears added prog to pop and ruled the 80s

By Chris Roberts published

A shared love of Blue Oyster Cult, Genesis and King Crimson saw Tears For Fears become much more than an 80s pop band

Caravan

Caravan - Who Do You Think We Are? review

By Chris Roberts published

Not yet rated

Eccentric brilliance, double entendres and Canterbury tales: prog’s gentlest geniuses get the career-spanning treatment they deserve on this epic 37-disc box set.

Caravan: Who Do You Think We Are?

Caravan: 37 discs of rule breaking and treasure on Who Do You Think We Are?

By Chris Roberts published

Caravan's massive, career-wide box set Who Do You Think We Are? lays down their enchanting legacy

Ultravox

“In Britain we rarely heard European music, until Kraftwerk’s Autobahn made the charts. And then we started to unravel all these threads." Why Ultravox were more prog than new romantic...

By Chris Roberts published

The Midge Ure-fronted Ultravox may have been 80s chart regulars but their sound owed more to prog and Krautrock than 80s pop

Earl Slick: Fist Full Of Devils

Earl Slick lets his fingers do the talking on Fist Full Of Devils

By Chris Roberts published

Out now: Guitar legend Earl Slick plays blues with feeling on Fist Full Of Devils, his first solo album for 18 years

cover of Imogen Heap's soundtrack to Harry Potter And The Cursed Child

Imogen Heap's soundtrack to Harry Potter And The Cursed Child is a hidden prog gem!

By Chris Roberts published

Why hasn’t the world noticed how blatantly and blissfully prog Imogen Heap’s Harry Potter soundtrack is?

cover of Jon Anderson's Animation

Jon Anderson - Animation album review

By Chris Roberts published

Not yet rated

Jon Anderson’s electronic 80s epiphany rarely stops moving

Field Music

Field Music - Flat White Moon review

By Chris Roberts published

Not yet rated

Superbly astute art poppers shine again.

Tom Petty: Finding Wildflowers (Alternate Versions)

Finding Wildflowers is a mellow snapshot of a maturing Tom Petty

By Chris Roberts published

Tom Petty's Finding Wildflowers (Alternate Versions) is a bouquet picked of versions which strayed from the path

The Anchoress

The Anchoress - The Art Of Losing review

By Chris Roberts published

Not yet rated

Art-pop chameleon Catherine Anne Davies hits the (wuthering) heights on luminous, literary second album. Existential torment has never sounded so alluring…

Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe

Transatlantic's The Absolute Universe: not one technically flawless concept album, but two

By Chris Roberts published

Acclaimed proggers Transatlantic go for broke on fifth album The Absolute Universe

montage of prog books

12 of the best books about prog for you to read

By Grant Moon, Sid Smith, David West, Mike Barnes, Natasha Scharf, Rachel Mann, Joe Banks, Chris Roberts last updated

Want to catch up on some reading? Here are 12 of the best books about progressive music

Peter Gabriel

How Peter Gabriel ditched the masks and made the album that changed his life

By Chris Roberts published

Cooped up inside success, Peter Gabriel walked out of the Genesis machinery and into a brand new, mumble-free dawn

Jon Anderson

Jon Anderson - Song Of Seven: Remastered And Expanded review

By Chris Roberts published

Not yet rated

Yes man’s second solo album remains infectiously joyful.

Elton John: Jewel Box

Elton John goes crate digging in his own vaults on Jewel Box and strikes gold

By Chris Roberts published

In-depth catalogue sweep Jewell Box reveals young Elton John’s insatiable appetite

Jakko Jakszyk

Jakko M Jakszyk - Secrets & Lies review

By Chris Roberts published

Not yet rated

Solid solo outing for Crimson torch-carrier.

Fish - Weltschmerz

Fish's Weltschmerz: ending on a note of beautiful melancholy

By Chris Roberts published

Fish signs off with imposing swansong Weltschmerz before retiring to become a writer

Rick Wakeman

Rick Wakeman - The Red Planet review

By Chris Roberts last updated

Not yet rated

The Caped Crusader parks the wisecracks and ivory-tinkling covers on Earth and teams up with The English Rock Ensemble for a long-overdue journey back to prog’s extra-terrestrial realms.