Progressive Rock Reconsidered

by Kevin Holm-Hudson

In this book, the glory days of progressive rock are relived in a series of insightful essays about the key bands, songwriters and songs that made prog-rock such an innovative style.

Genres: Music

290 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 2001

Reviews

[George Hook]

A collection of profound essays on subjects such as "Precarious Pleasures: Situating Close to the Edge in Conflicting Male Desires"; "A Promise Deferred: Multiply [Multiple?] Directed Time and Thematic Transformation in Emerson Lake and Palmer's Trilogy"; and "King Crimson's Larks' Tongue in Aspic: A Case of Convergent Evolution". I am learning that nobody ever wrote about Herman's Hermits this way.

[David Catlin]

Could be re-titled “How to squeeze the joy out of the world’s most wonderful music, through the unnecessary application of the stifling weight of pompous academia”.

I’m sorry, but this is not how to enjoy music.

Sit back, headphones on, and listen to it instead.

[Recensioni in tre parole]

Frammentario. Accademico. Discreto.

[Jon]

A mixed bag: this includes excellent pieces about Pink Floyd, King Crimson, the much-underrated United States of America and (of all groups) Rush, but also boring articles about Pink Floyd ("Careful With That Axe, Eugene" is not worth listening to for 10 minutes, much less analyzing for 15 pages), Yes, and ELP. The bad pieces are sunk by personal detail that would only be of interest to a friend of the writer, detailed musical analysis that would only be of interest to musicians/music majors, or academic jargon that I suspect would put even academics to sleep. Not intended as a definitive survey--one of the main groups that started the "progressive" genre, Genesis, is barely mentioned--this is worth looking through even for non-prog types for its illuminating moments.

[Martin Hernandez]

Bastante decente, es una buena introducción a un análisis concienzudo de los aspectos culturales del rock progresivo

[William Ramsey]

Very approachable edited volume to a genre of music often derided. What's wrong with a 20 minute rock song?

[Michael Pickle]

Pretty damn academic.