Latest Features on Prog
“Write lyrics? He’d rather wash the car”: Polly Samson on cajoling David Gilmour into work
The guitarist’s wife and long-term creative partner helped him put a full-stop on The Endless River, before the couple brought his 2015 album Rattle That Lock to fruition
When Soen’s songs got shorter but not shallower on Memorial
They were dismissed by many as a one-off supergroup. But vocalist Joel Ekelöf insisted the spirit of Genesis and Peter Gabriel were embedded in his band’s concise sixth album
How Jeff Lynne built the Electric Light Orchestra
The story of a trio of Brummies who created the progressive orchestral pop-rock band that became a global phenomenon
How Kate Bush answered her critics with Hounds Of Love
Her fifth album came out of relationships, nature and old movies, along with all her nightmares in one song. It became one of her most-loved releases, featuring big hit Running Up That Hill, but she endured a challenging climb to complete it
Twisted Sister’s Jay Jay French doesn’t love prog, but adores Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Glam metal guitar slinger had been a fan of The Nice but hadn’t even heard of Carl Palmer when the super-talented supergroup blew him away live
Spock’s Beard made Noise Floor with stubbornness, repurposed Kansas songs and letting an ambition go
By the time they delivered their 13th album in 2018, they’d already outlived many of their expectations. With line-up issues returning and the market having changed, they decided to focus on artistic achievement
Arjen Lucassen decided to be an egomaniac, and the result is Songs No One Will Hear
Ayreon mastermind’s third solo album mixes humour and tragedy as he explores the countdown to an extinction-level event
Chantel McGregor admires Steven Wilson’s risky approach to music
From his dalliances with pop to taking comedians on tour, blues rock singer-guitarist believes he illustrates a perfectly progressive attitude – and he’s a nice bloke to boot
Stewart Copeland on why it's unlikely The Police will ever reform
Former Police man Stewart Copeland is about to embark on a trip around the UK telling stories about the band and more
Nosound’s rush return after seven years with To The Core
Giancarlo Erra had been avoiding guitar in favour of synths in solo and collab projects. Then he realised he’d assembled enough music to form a release, and had a good reason to do it quickly
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s Tomorrow Belongs To Me is a prog epic
Gravel-voiced bandleader plays eco-warrior, futurist and satirist on 1975 genre-crossing album wrapped in a sleeve where Roger Dean meets Marvel
The unexpected triumph of Mike Oldfield’s Hergest Ridge, an album he didn’t want to make
Overwhelmed by the success of Tubular Bells, he found peace in a solitary house on a hill and in playing ancient music in an old mansion. Even when his peace was shattered, he managed to create an uplifting and chart-topping record
Yes created longer songs than Close To The Edge, but none with as much impact
Classical music, Eastern mysticism and the River Thames came together to inspire the 19-minute title track from their fifth album in 1972
BBC sport writer Phil McNulty recommends albums by Roger Waters, Asia, Supertramp and others
The pundit, who met John Wetton and Geoff Downes through their mutual love of the sport, recommends albums by Asia, Supertramp, Marillion and others
The poems, movies and sheep that inspired Rush’s A Farewell To Kings
The Canadian trio’s fifth album set them on a new course that embraced synths, double-necked guitars and exploring the concept of loss. It was an experience they’d never be able to replicate, even though they tried
“The song was haunted!” Marillion producer Dave Meegan’s fight to make Afraid Of Sunlight
He eventually came to love the 1995 release – but he’s glad he didn’t like it at the time, and he helped the band develop a method of working they still use today
“It’s written from the point of view of being older; mortality is the constant.” The inspiration that helped David Gilmour create Luck And Strange
Collaboration, family, mortality and that stridently emotive guitar work - it's all there on David Gilmour's fifth studio album Luck And Strange
When The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord realised the truth about his stage fright
It may have been the 13th album by Bruce Soord’s band, but he regarded is as their third, after drummer Gavin Harrison’s arrival changed everything
Claudia Brücken and Susanne Freytag couldn’t leave Propaganda and their prog roots in the past
Their 1985 contained tones of Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk and Supertramp. It took until 2022 for the singers and producer Stephen Lipson, as xPropaganda, to deliver The Heart Is Strange. But it was worth the wait
