Henry Priestman - The Last Mad Surge Of Youth

Henry Priestman's career in music begins some 35 years ago with the band The Yachts, whose first single ("Suffice To Say") was released on Stiff Records in 1977.  Following their demise (or sinking?) in 1981, he became a member of Its Immaterial as keyboard player, and producer/engineer.  Unable to get his own songs recorded with Its Immaterial, he began working with others  (notably The Mighty Wah for the 'Sinful' LP, and remaining with Its Immaterial as a session player.
In 1985, he joined The Christians, and set to work on a new batch of his own songs.  The Christians signed to Island Records in mid-1986, and their debut album (entirely written by Henry Priestman) followed in October 1987.  Off the back of 5 hit singles, the album went to sell over 1,000,000 copies becoming Island's biggest selling debut album.
Throughout his time with The Christians, Henry had been doing a spot of moonlighting as a keyboard session player on tracks with The Lightning Seeds, Echo & The Bunnymen and Ian McCulloch, and dabbling in film and TV music.
In 1994, he built a new home studio in North Wales, making him virtually self sufficient for the writing and recording of demos, songs and soundtrack work.
The Christians effectively finished in 1995 when lead singer Garry Christian left, and Henry continued as a keyboard-ist for hire, working (and co-writing) with Sarah Cracknell, Ian MacNabb, Echo & The Bunnymen and The Mighty Wah.
Various activities including keyboard sessions, live work, co-writing, production (Echo & The Bunnymen, Mark Owen, Mel C, Tom Jones and Jools Holland), television (including music for BBC's Natural World series), adverts and music for XBox games filled up the first few years of the 21st Century.

In 2007, Henry embarked on a solo career and was (re-)signed to Stiff Records.
His debut album 'The Chronicles Of Modern Life' was released in 2008.  This album, which musically is a mixture of folk, country and punk (certainly in attitude, if not instrumentation and time signatures) all wrapped up in a prime pop sensibility, with tunes and melody very much to the fore.
The album offered a wry, world weary, sometimes cynical, look at life as seen through the eyes of a middle aged bloke.  Radio 2 Disc Jock Johnnie Walker declared the album as 'music for grumpy old men'.  As a headline, this is probably a fair summary of the album, but ultimately fails to recognise the whole of the content.  It contains varying degrees of frustration, wisdom, acceptance, humour and self-deprecation.
When re-released by Island the following year, it brought his career full circle by tacking a new version of "Suffice To Say" onto the end of the album.

This new album, 6 years in the making, continues where the last left off, complete with a musical pallette combing folk, country, americana and punk stylings (albeit in attitude, not so much in instrumentation and time signatures).
Thematically similar to the debut, the album is a collection of songs about honesty, reflection, frustration with the world, and loss (both perceived loss of the past, and two songs of genuine loss (both of which may lead you to believe you have something in your eye)).

The playing and arrangements are confidently delivered, and the sequencing of the album and the production is spot on.  Yes, there are moments of grumpiness, but this is tempered by moments of sheer tenderness and not taking oneself to seriously.

Bravely opening with a downbeat brass band leading to the first of the two 'something in the eye tracks' ("At The End Of The Day") - a song of genuine loss, and dedicated to the memory of his late mother.
"True Believer" contains a luscious production job, and an eloquent philosophy:

I believe that life goes on,
what doesn't kill you makes you strong
somewhere deep inside you're gonna find
peace of mind and blue skies
I'm a true believer

Grounding in family life was evident on the debut album, and returns on this release with "We Used To Be You", which deals with the concept of empty nest syndrome.

"Goodbye Common Sense" is a return to the acerbic - sounding very much like it is performed by someone who is just fed up with what he sees going on around him, and an inability to do anything about it.  Surely, the answer is simple - bring back a bit of common sense, purpose and thought for others.
"Rant and Rave" is cut from similar cloth.  Tantamount to a "punk" song for the middle-aged, it bounces along with real air-punching tendencies.  It highlights a number of potential inequalities, but is wrapped up in the acceptance that a song isn't going to change too much, but at least we can all get it off our chest.

"Valentines Song" (as the title probably suggests) is a song of enduring love.  It is delivered with great tenderness, and has a touch of Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways" about it.

"The Last Mad Surge Of Youth" is a song which deals with perceived loss of the past, and the shortening of the future.  From confusion and frustration comes redemption, and similar to the tone of "True Believer" it concludes thus: "and d'you know what, lets just enjoy it".

Political inequality is much to the fore with both "Hunting and Gathering (ain't what it used to be)" and "Same Circus Different Clowns".

The eyes may start to fill again with "I Cried Today" which is delivered with a light touch and a personal connection.  One review I have read suggested that this song be covered by an ageing country star (a la Johnny Cash with "Hurt") and there may not be a dry eye in the house.

There also two songs of sublime, tongue in cheek, self-deprecation.
"In My Head" is basically a hymn to self-delusion, but with a realisation of the truth at the end of it, and "A Pint Of Bitter and Twisted" has an autobiographical ring to it, containing some superb lyrics/couplets ("abseiling slowly down the ladder of success, forever disproving more is less"), and closing lines of the song  advise us that "as we march towards the brink, there's surely time for one more drink"

This is an album for anyone who's getting older, but still feels the inequality and unfairness inherent in life. Rather than sitting there stewing on it, put this album on and laugh, cry and jump around your kitchen until your kids give you that look of "weirdo!" in their eyes - I promise you'll feel a whole lot better.

So raise your glasses to the triumphant return of Henry Priestman, even if you have written a pile of songs which when my wife hears them remarks: "that's you that is!"


The debut single: The Yachts - Suffice To Say

From the new album: Goodbye Common Sense

Len Price 3 - Nobody Knows

This is the fourth album from the Len Price 3, and continues in the same vein as the previous collections.
I feel I should qualify this, and say that this is a GOOD thing.

'Nobody Knows' continues the tradition of spiky garage/powerpop, with melody and harmony a-plenty.
The touchstones of The Who, The Small Faces and the Kinks mixed with viscarel punk(ish) sounds and a dollop of psychedelia to boot.  But it's not just a nod to the past.  As a whole entity, 'Nobody Knows' is a properly contemporary album in style, sound and delivery.

You get 13 tracks all done and dusted in 35 minutes with changes of pace at just the right moments.  The slower pace tracks like "Swing Like A Monkey" or the relaxed reverie of "Medway Sun" sit perfectly against the high energy tracks like "Wigmore Swingers", "Billy Mason", "My Grandad Jim" or the title track "Nobody Knows".  Indeed, the title track is almost an object lesson on how to start an album - the click of drum sticks counting in, and then BANG! and we're off.

In another nod the days gone by, the album was recorded entirely on analogue tape, and to quote guitarist/singer Glen Page:


"When we recorded this I wanted it to be a bit like the sound I remember getting when I was in my first band, aged about 16 and we would record ourselves playing with a cassette recorder. I wanted to recapture the excitement, energy and roughness of us trying to be like Jimi Hendrix."

And I think that is what has been achieved - even to the point where after 6/7 tracks you feel the need to rise from your seat and turn the album over for Side 2
(or maybe thats just me being an old fart?)

The closing track "The London Institute" is a relentless track, slowly building from guitar/vocal introduction and bursting into full glory, with a psychedelic/freak-out explosion in the middle.  An epic finish to a truly blistering album.

For a track-by-track guide "straight from the horses mouth" (ie Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter Glenn Page), fly over to the Retroman Blog and have a gander:

• Part 1
• Part 2

Len Price 3 - My Grandad Jim

Morrissey

I've just finished the Morrissey Autobiography.
Do I win some sort of prize, or get a certificate recognising this feat of human endeavour?
What have we learnt?
1. He's not one for a quick, off the cuff soundbite.  Or a general description of what happened at the time.
2.  He's got a bit of a thin skin, and definitely bears a grudge
3.  He does go on a bit

Had a similar problem reading Keith Richards book (Life) a couple of years ago.  Once I realised it was written in "Keith Speak", it became easier to read.  It was the same with Autobiography, it just took a lot longer.
Remembrance of Smiths albums speeds up proceedings, but never goes too far.
Indeed, it seems that The Smiths phase is "just something that happened", and he doesn't want to dwell on that time.  But then he sort of contradicts himself when talking about his early meeting with David Johannsen, and the fact that he didn't want to talk at length about the New York Dolls.
The Smiths period is dealt with in about 70 odd pages, and their demise in 1987 summed up as "we were no longer getting along".  The subsequent Court Case occupies the same number of pages (and more) with further references (of the exasperated tone) to Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce, Andy Rourke and Judge Weeks throughout.
The second half (or so) of the book is the solo Morrissey.  A period of time and output that he is clearly more comfortable about talking about, and he goes to great length.  Even providing a virtual day by day account of being on tour (I reckon he is an ardent diarist, as some of the detail and dates can't be straight from memory alone).

Like all good books, stories, films etc it does make you want to go back and listen to the tunes.
I freely admit to never being a big fan of The Smiths in their lifetime.  I was aware of them (how could you not be?), but beyond buying most of the singles, I'd never invested in a Smiths album
Until the release of 'Best I' compilation, which was effectively the singles plus a couple of album tracks.  It was after this that I finally went out and bought the albums.  And did I rue my mistake for not entering the world of The Smiths earlier?  Not really, no.  They were good albums, I was glad I owned them and could now talk about Smiths tracks other than the singles.  But I  never got the feeling that I'd missed out somehow by not buying them sooner.
And I had (and still have) the same relationship with Morrissey, the difference here is that I do own a smattering of his albums, but remain fairly ambivalent to their content.

The one thing that is truly surprising about The Smiths catalogue, and its repackaging, is the sheer number of Compilations available.
In the lifetime of the band, they manged 3 distinct compilations ("Hatful of Hollow" (1984), and in 1987,  "The World Won't Listen" and "Louder Than Bombs" (which was effectively the same album with more tracks, and originally intended for the US market).
Add to that the live album "Rank" from 1988, and thats 4 compilations in 5 years.
Since the bands demise, and ownership of the catalogue passing to WEA in 1992, there have been a further 5 compilations ('Best ... 1', 'Best ... 2', 'Singles', 'The Very Best Of The Smiths', 'The Sound Of The Smiths' and 2 Box Sets (one of all the singles, and one repackaging all the albums)).
For a band with 4 studio albums and a further 11 singles not on albums, this is a masterclass in re-cycling.

Morrisseys solo career started in February 1988 with the release of the single "Suedehead", followed a month later by the album 'Viva Hate'.  This album spawned 1 more single ("Everyday Is Like Sunday"), and then 5 more singles followed in 1989 and 1990.
Due, no doubt, to the plethora of non-album singles, 2 years into his solo career the first solo compilation ('Bona Drag') was released.  And this was the first of many.  To date, Morrissey has 11 compilations (plus 2 Live albums) in his catalogue.
Its a better ratio of singles/albums to compilation packages, but still a remarkable number.  In fairness, he has shifted labels a fair bit, and many of these compilations are probably a 'contractual obligation'.

Despite the previously quoted ambivalence to solo Morrissey, 'You Are The Quarry' is (probably) his best album, and this track being the standout.

Compiled

When you first start buying your own music, developing your tastes, and trying to gain as much knowledge in a short space of time, a compilation album is the best way to achieve the most information for the lowest outlay.

For the cost of a single (or more often double album) you receive a couple of tracks (or more) that you are familiar/comfortable with, and then a glut of new stuff.

As time marches on, that original compilation will be rendered obsolete by the accumulation of the actual albums (and/or singles) of the artists contained therein.  But the initial joy of discovery is not dampened, and those compilations remain important tenets of the collection.

The most memorable, record buying habit changing compilations that have echoed in my ears in the past are:

Classic Rock: Rock Legends
Opens with "Layla" (what else could it open with?), and closes with "Smoke On The Water".  Also includes Lynyrd Skynyrd (go on, guess which track?), Cream, The Who and Black Sabbath.
The cover had a picture of a Gibson SG, which inspires the question "how much more Rock can you get?), and apart from the inclusion of a couple of tracks which don't feel right (Peter Frampton: "Show Me The Way", Steve Harley And Cockney Rebel: "Make Me Smile", Dire Straits: "Lady Writer" and Meatloaf: "Dead Ringer For Love"), this a thoroughly competent collection and gives a real insight/understanding of what Classic Rock is all about.
The only down-side to the album is that includes the Far Corporation version of "Stairway To Heaven".

Punk (1): Burning Ambitions
Covering the lesser known bands of punk from its early incarnations (eg The 101ers) through a selection of the Oi and Hardcore bands of the later punk years (eg Cockney Rejects and The Exploited).
Buzzcocks, The Damned and The Stranglers make an appearance, but the obvious omissions are Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Ramones (although The Heartbreakers version of "Chinese Rock" is included).
These ommissions are probably due to licensing issues and/or costs - this compilation is produced by small(ish) independent label Cherry Red.
Tracks from The Fall, Wire, The Vibrators, The Saints, The Ruts, UK Subs show the breadth of bands under the punk umbrella, and the diversity of sounds/influences created.

Punk (2): Vinyl Solution
Similar to the above, but only a single disc.  The quality control is slightly higher, containing a clutch of more widely known tracks.  Buzzcocks and The Stranglers have two tracks each, and The Damned have a single track in the form of their cover of"Jet Boy, Jet Girl".
This album has a place in personal folklore as the first time I heard a Stiff Little Fingers track ("Straw Dogs") - my world was never the same again.
see 'Thats When Your Blood Bumps' for the full story ...

New Wave: That Summer - including tracks from Elvis Costello, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Nick Lowe, The Boomtown Rats, Wreckless Eric and The Only Ones peerless "Another Girl Another Planet", this album really is a masterclass in New Wave.
The Soundtrack album is findable, often at Record Fairs and on ebay, but the film is rarely seen.  I don't think it ever got an official DVD release, and any DVD versions that are knocking about are likely to be transfers from the video version.  Although, it wasn't a great film (as I remember, I've only seen it once), but it did have a superb soundtrack.

Mod Revival: On Target - 20 Direct Hits From The Mod Revival
The Mod Revival is often attributed the rise of The Jam, coupled with the release of the film Quadrophenia.  For whatever reason, 1979 saw a group of bands kited out in Levis, Fred Perry shirts and Parkas playing high octane, adrenaline fueled (and possibly other substances?) R&B.  From the recognised "big bands" of the movement (The Jam, The Chords, Secret Affair, Purple Hearts) to the less well known, but no less exciting tracks from bands such as The Killermeters, Teenage Filmstars and The Jolt

NWOBHM: New Wave Of British Heavy Metal '79 Revisited
Also from 1979, and taking elements of the past and updating them with the energy and exhilaration provided by Punk, the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal sprang forth.  The term was first used in Sounds in Spring 1979, and was used to describe a plethora of bands who were updating their beloved blues rock, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and/or Prog Rock into a tougher more direct sound.
This set ranges from the "soon to be massive" (Iron Maiden and Def Leppard) to the smaller, but no less important, bands who released a couple of singles and maybe an album (usually on an independent label (many being on Neat Records) and then no more"one or two singles and then not much else" (Trespass, Sledgehammer, White Spirtit).  Also includes offerings from the "big, but never massive" (Saxon and Girlschool) and the "influence on a future generation of Heavy Metal" (Diamond Head and Venom).

The one compilation from the past that is probably responsible for the most investment in albums (apart from the punk/new wave ones) is this one:

Back On The Road

Effectively purchased as an introduction to Prog.  In truth, the compilation is not really Prog in its truest, commonly understood form.  It is, as the sub-title states "Progressive Underground" - which is sort of the same thing, but not quite.

And how's this for a track list:

1. All Right Now / Free
2. All Along The Watchtower / Jimi Hendrix
3. Living In The Past / Jethro Tull
4. Hocus Pocus / Focus
5. Eight Miles High / The Byrds
6. Rainbow Chaser / Nirvana
7. America & 2nd Amendment / Nice
8. Northern Sky / Nick Drake
9. On The Road Again / Canned Heat
10. Paranoid / Black Sabbath
11. White Rabbit / Jefferson Airplane
12. Mona / Quicksilver Messenger Service
13. My White Bicycle / Tomorrow
14. Love Really Changed Me / Spooky Tooth
15. Race With The Devil / Gun
16. 10.30 Returns To The Bedroom / Soft Machine

Disc 2
1. Strange Brew / Cream
2. Silver Machine / Hawkwind
3. Meet On The Ledge / Fairport Convention
4. Fire / The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown
5. Woodstock / Matthews Southern Comfort
6. Paper Sun / Traffic
7. Do It / Pink Fairies
8. Tom Tiddler's Ground / Roy Harper
9. Black Night / Deep Purple
10. Out Demons Out / Edgar Broughton Band
11. Loves Like A Man / Ten Years After
12. Venus In Furs / Velvet Underground
13. Fresh Garbage / Spirit
14. One And One Is One / Medicine Head
15. Change Song / Blodwyn Pig
16. Something In The Air / Thunderclap Newman

Admittedly, upon first purchase I was probably familiar with no more than about 25% of the artists.  However, by the end of the next year my record shelves were heaving with slabs of vinyl from virtually all of them (Matthes Southern Comfort, Edgar Broughton Band and Spirit remain unrepresented in my collection)

There was later a single CD version available.  Like a lot of early release CDs, traks were ommitted to allow transfer to a single CD format (other prime examples: Jam - Snap (later re-released in full form, and the Dr Feelgood compilation 'The UA Years').  The CD version also changed the running order (for some reason?).

Having spent many hours listening to this compilation, I have become so used to the running order that my brain still can't accept it if anything other than the introduction to "Hocus Pocus" follows the final notes of "Living In The Past".  Or like night follows day, "Change Song" will ALWAYS be followed by "Something In The Air".

The CD version would break this rule, and probably cause my head to explode!

To avoid this unwelcome departure, I have "acquired" all the tracks from various sources and burned to CD, just so I can listen to those tracks in that order.

And this album also gave rise to a fantastic piece of musical snobbery/being obtuse.
In late 1991/early 1992, Grunge broke in the UK, and Nirvana were doing big business with 'Nevermind'.
At parties, or other social gatherings, there was always the argument about what music should be played.  At this time someone would always ask: "Can you play some Nirvana?", and so what did I do?
I played this track:

Nirvana - Rainbow Chaser

Overload (or the "only listened to it once scenario")

How do you consume music?
It should be a simple process: Buy, Listen, File, Listen Again

There was once a time when buying a new album was an event.  They weren't cheap, and with only paper boys wages I was limited to one (maybe two, at a push) albums a month.
But that one album was a cherished event - I would listen to the album intently, read and remember the sleeve notes, running order, producer, rogue names in the "Thanks to .." section (Iron Maiden often gave thanks to Ruddles Bitter).
Extra paper rounds, and the discovery of a local second hand record shop meant more albums could be added to the collection.  But the ritual remained - listening intently and poring over every detail of the cover and band history.
These albums would be committed to tape, and the headphones clamped to my ears whilst paper-rounding.  The few (increasing in number) albums I owned would eventually become hard wired.
Starting work meant increased income, and therefore more music flowing into my lug-holes.  The Walkman was eventually superseded by the car stereo, but the committing vinyl to tape regime remained the same.  The time spent driving to work meant that a whole album could be consumed in each trip.

Life continues, income rises and more music is purchased.
And then comes the tipping point - the quantity and regularity of purchase means that I now have a collection where some of the albums have only been listened to once.
Sometimes, I can justify this to myself in the case of the following criteria:

• Albums bought on the strength of one track
• Albums bought because they were being flogged off cheap on the counter at FOPP or HMV (or wherever)
• Albums bought because I think I "might" like it

Most of the time, I just feel a slightly uneasy pang of guilt when I stumble across a single played CD.  The internal monologue goes something like: "Well, you bought it so you must've wanted it.  Therefore you should listen to it"

Problem is on-line buying offers such choice.  Its just a case of sit in my chair, stare at the screen and click.  More stuff will be arriving through my letterbox.  More stuff competing for listening time with the pile of stuff I've yet to put away, or indeed even listen to yet.

And Box Sets?  Well, theres another difficulty.  The sheer investment of time required to get through all the box set, means nothing else will be listened to for a time.  And what are the chances of listening to the content of that Box Set again?  Slim, would be my general assumption (although, this is not always the case).

So, maybe this is the future - I will continue to buy stuff, but find less and less time to listen more than once.
Problem is that being slightly fickle, if an album doesn't grab me, or pique some sort of interest on first listen, it could be many weeks, months or even years before I go back to it.
And then when I do return to it, I will spend an inordinate amount of time cursing myself for missing out on it first time round.
Here's a case in point - I recently listened to this for the first time in many years, and was shocked that I've let it gather dust for 20 (!) years, and only giving it a single play.

Rocket From The Crypt - Born In 69 (from the album 'Scream, Dracula, Scream!'):

Noises From 2013

It will surprise no-one that at this time of year I'm going to publish a list of those noises which have given the greatest listening pleasure of the last 12 months.

You may agree with the selections, you may disagree.  You may think I'm a cloth-eared noodle for not including Daft Punk or Public Service Broadcasting.

In my defence, I was possibly the only person in the world who remained wholly underwhelmed by the Daft Punk single ("Get Lucky").  And whilst I own the Public Service Broadcasting album, it don't make the Top 10.

So the choice is yours - you can either stop reading now, or take a goosey-gander at the following 10 "platters that mattered!" in 2013.

Now then, do I present the list in a logical sequence, and entirely random sequence (involving links to other pages and bits missing from the narrative), or in reverse order to build up the tension?

1. Steve Mason - Monkey Minds In The Devils Time The Stuff & Nonsense Review...
Heard one track on ThisIsMyJam ("Oh My Lord") which was enough to convince me to invest hard earned cash in the album.  It was one of those albums that was just about perfect on first listen.  And then just got better with each subsequent listen.
S&N Top Track: Oh My Lord

2. Manic Street Preachers - Rewind The Film The Stuff & Nonsense Review...
I always felt slightly let down by The Manics when it came to their albums.  However, their last 3 releases ('Send Away The Tigers', 'Postcards From A Young Man' and this 'un) have, for me, been the most cohesive they've released.
S&N Top Track: This Sullen Welsh Heart

3. Frank Turner - Tape Deck Heart
This is the album which should have exploded Frank Turner across the cosmos.  5 albums in he has now appeared at the Olympic Opening Ceremony, picked up some favourable press in Q and Mojo and received fairly wide airplay on Radio.  This album is raw, honest, toughtful, and in many places good loud fun jumping up and down music - try it, you just might like it.
S&N Top Track: Recovery

4. Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)
5 Tracks, all approaching (or exceeding) the 10 minutes, the bass player from Kajagoogoo and a Chapman Stick.
On the face of it, there is a lot to put people off this album.  Well, they're the fools.  This is an epic work touching all bases of Prog greats (Yes, Rush, Genesis, King Crimson et al), but is in no way simply derivative or repetitive of its fore-bearers.
Sit back in your favourite chair, maybe with a drink or two to hand, and marvel in the sounds created
S&N Top Track: The Raven That Refused To Sing

5. David Bowie - The Next Day
The preceding single "Where Are We Now" was released, in secret, on Bowie's 66th birthday.  Building on that initial shock/intrigue/surprise, the album came out a couple of months later.
No-one knew what to expect really, but I don't think it was a disappointment.  Corking tunes, top lyrics - more than could be hoped from someone who had effectively retired, at least in public consiosness, and released nothing for 10 years.  I remain shocked/intrigued and surprised by the album even now
S&N Top Track: Valentines Day

6. Duckworth Lewis Method - Sticky Wickets
More cricketing shenningans and top tunes from the Divine Comedy/Pugwash collective.
This album is almost as good as the first, covering many more musical styles.  Who knew the sport of cricket could be so interesting.  The album with have you smiling from ear-to-ear, and/or marvelling at some the harmonies and melodies created.  Keep an ear out for the host of "Special Guest Voices", including Matt Berry, Steven Fry, Daniel Radcliffe, David 'Bumble' Lloyd and Henry Blofield (to mention just a few - a whole host of others appear on the album closer "Nudging and Nurdling")
S&N Top Track: Third Man

7. John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts
Thematically similar to previous release "Queen Of Denmark", this album has a more confident feel running through it.  And, be under no illusion, it is not Queen Of Denmark Part 2.  The atmosphere, the balladry, the heartfelt honesty remains, but the music stylings are electronica in intent.  Repeated listening definitley pays dividends.
S&N Top Track: GMF

8. Primal Scream - More Light
Opening with a song called "2013", is a pretty sure way to make sure your bands name is mentioned in the Year End Lists.  This album is a melange of Rock, Soul, Garage Rock, Space Rock, a bit of Funk and a wallop of psychadelia.  It shows the Primal Scream don't need to rely on Stones/Faces revisits to deliver the goods.
S&N Top Track: Its Alright, Its OK

9. Arctic Monkeys - AM
Alex Turner's voice has always annoyed me.  The previous Monkeys albums ........
Theres a nod to Led Zeppelin, Slade, Hip Hop stylings and a more experimental bent than perhaps was expected.
Arctic Monkeys have got the riffs, the lyrics and have chucked out their best album since the debut 'I Don't Want What I Haven't Got'.
S&N Top Track: I Want It All

10. Paul McCartney - New
OK, its Paul McCartney.  He has been there, done it, gone back again, done it some more. And with this album goes back again for some more.  Yes, you can hear his voice cracking in places, but what did you expect from a 71 year old bloke.  To me, it just sounds like he's really trying.  This set is the equal of anything he did in the 80s (and close to his 70s high points too).
S&N Top Track: Early Days

The Day My World Turned Prog

Prog Rock can be bluntly summed up as:
Rock Music with Orchestral and Classical pretensions.  It will probably be overlong, possibly pompous, and more than likley deal with wizards, elves or the writings of J R R Tolkien.  Other favoured subjects are medieval history or science fiction.  The band will probably entail one (if not all) of the following: a Rickenbaker Bass, Hammond Organ, oversized drum kit that TWO drummers would have difficulty navigating.
The sound will probably be a bit jazz-fusion-y, almost spacey and will incoporate an extreme number of widdly-widdly solos, or elongated musical diversions.
Oh, and lets not forget the inclusion in the bands catalogue of at least one Concept Album.  A related song-cycle/narrative, spread over 4 sides of vinyl.

It's undoubted peak in the UK was the early to mid-70s, with the most famous exponents being  Pink Floyd, Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
(there are MANY others, but brevity prevents my producing a definitive list)

I have dabbled in the waters of Prog, but to be honest my knowledge of all things Prog is probably best described as "adequate".
Is there such a thing a populist Prog? If there is, then the Prog albums I do own (variable numbers of releases by Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes, ELP, Jethro Tull, Genesis & Rush), may well act as a definition.

And then a couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail from Universal Music (not just me, I think loads of people did) informing me of the 10 Prog Albums You MUST Own.

Now I fully accept that this list is basically a list of "someones" favourites, and therefore not definitive.

In actuality, it is probably a list of 10 albums that Universal hold the rights to and are trying to make some cash out of.

Anyway, it piqued my interest, containing artists I'd heard of, but never actually heard.

And it caught me at a time when the CD on permaplay chez-Digit was/is: Steven Wilson's "The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)"

In a foretaster of a soon to be published bog entry (probably), this album sits comfortably in my Top 5 Albums of 2013.

But the one thing it did do was make me want to go and listen to the Prog albums I do own, particularly Genesis and Rush.

And so with fortuitous timing I received an invitation to discover more Prog stuff.

But I still wasn't sure - Prog is (as stated before) overlong, pompous and at time a tad pretentious.

So I posed the question to similar minded individuals who inhabit The Afterword blog.

The response was varied and a number of stand out recommendations were apparent.  In exchange for money, Amazon have sent me in the past fortnight Peter Hammill's "The Silent Corner and The Empty Stage" and Caravan's "In the Land of Grey and Pink".  Also pending delivery is an album called "Garden Shed" by England.

Released in 1977 to very little response, the music therein touches all 70s Prog Rock bases from Yes, King Crimson and Genesis, with future echoes to later Prog like Marillion (or did Fish and the boys simply look backwards?).  To alleviate the anticipation of the wait, there is a whole album video on YouTube which is taking a bit of a caning at the moment.  Maybe its my in-built musical snobbery taking over, but I really do believe that this is a great album, and deserves a wider audience.

This is not the full album, but the first track on the album ('Midnight Madness'):

And so after my initial question, and the responses/recommendations received, I was contacted by e-mail by one of the residents of the blog offering a "Prog Starter Kit", and a week or so later a jiffy bag landed with a thwack on my doormat.

The bag contained undiscovered/unheard wonders including Matching Mole, Gentle Giant Steve Hillage, Egg and Gong.  That was my weekend sorted.

At the moment, the undoubted pick of the bunch is "The Rotters Club" by Hatfield & The North (a band that is forever confused in my head with Kilburn & The High Roads).  Aside from the 20 minute long 'Mumps', the songs on this album rarely exceed 5 minutes.

'Share It' (Track 1):

So what have I learnt?

1. Prog is not as exacting as the throwaway definition at the introduction

2. Not all Prog is overlong and eternally widdly-widdly

3. Sometimes the helpfulness and generosity of people really does surprise you

4. Don't be fooled by initial impressions of a genre, Try It, You Might Like It

5. When you want to investigate different forms of music, Amazon gets richer and I get poorer (I think I know why)

Final question:

Progs heyday was undoubtedly the 1970s, but by 1975/76 it's popularity was on the wane.

Did Punk kill Prog?

Well, consider the fact that albums by Yes, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd et al continued to sell by the lorry-load, and ELP had that most un-Prog things (ie a hit single) in 1977 and that might give you a clue.

Also, John Lydon has never hidden the fact that he is a massive fan of bands like Magma, Can and Van der Graaf Generator and the Prog like influence apparent in some Public Image Ltd and the case for the defence is looking stronger.