Classic Rock And Prog Almanac

This week Tim discussed Brian Eno’s fifth album Before And After Science. Topics discussed include: the influence of Erik Satie on Brian Eno, the role of humour on the album, the Talking Heads connection, the extent to which Eno can be considered a minimalist, the hauntological dimension of Eno’s music, and what Eno understands by science. Also, how can one sum up the Carry On films? Why is Eno obsessed with spiders? What constitutes a claim to fame story? Which famous hitchhiker did Tim’s dad pick up on the M1? And most importantly, who’s Kurt?

This week Peter and Tim discussed the eleventh studio album by Fleetwood Mac, Rumours. Topics covered include: the continuity between this album and the so-called California sound, whether this is Fleetwood Mac’s best album, the American versus the British aspects of the band, why Stevie Nicks’ best material was left off the album, and why you should and shouldn’t listen to music exclusively on headphones. Also, what alternative titles has Peter invented for all the songs? What’s the smallest number of chords you need to write a song? What’s the most annoying use of rock music by a politician? Who’s the best guitarist at playing just one note? Is the ending of The Chain in the wrong key? And finally, there’s a welcome return for Turner’s Turntable.

This week Tim had a conversation with himself about the fourth David Bowie album, Hunky Dory. Topics covered include: whether this is Bowie’s best album, which Beatle he is closest to in style, Bowie’s exceptional lyrical gift, whether there are trans themes on the album and the importance of Rick Wakeman's contribution to the album. Also, what’s Bowie’s favourite chord sequence? Is ‘My Way’ any good? What did Bridget Jones mean by singleton? Did the Nazis misinterpret Nietzsche? And most importantly of all, is it pronounced Bowie, or Bowie?

This week, Shaun and Tim ranked their Top Ten side-long rock epics. Topics covered include: what constitutes a side-long track, how many different ways there are of structuring such a track, what differentiates normal art from working-class art, how many apotheoses you need in a side-long piece, and why all British side-longs seem to concern industrial development. Also, what’s the connection betwen Rick Wakeman and Paddington Bear? What does the Al-Hambra building have to do with the band Renaissance? What happened when Shaun’s art tutor met Vangelis? What’s the connection between Rush and Tom Jones? And most important of all, who will be number one?

This week Tim ranked the Rush studio albums, from 19 to 1. Topics covered include: Tim’s Rush autobiography, Rush’s exceptional arrangement skills, the quality of Rush’s lyrics, whether Rush work better in minor or major keys, and why Rush sound like a string quartet. Also, was Lady Gaga influenced by Rush? What’s the difference between synchrony and diachrony in the social sciences? Did Rush invent thrash metal? What would Walter Benjamin have thought of the band? Why did Neil Peart keep going on about Ayn Rand? And crucially, which will be number one?

This week, Peter and Tim discussed their favourite songs about animals. Which produce the best material, vertebrates or invertebrates? Which period produces the best animal songs? What do animals mean in art? What did Kant think of animals? Who really runs the planet, humans or insects? And can you get double points if both the song and the band name make reference to animals? Find out all this and more in this week’s (sort of Christmas special) episode.

This week Tim discussed the connection or otherwise between prog and punk, with particular reference to Peter Hammill’s album Nadir’s Big Chance and Devo’s album Q. Are We Not Men? A. We Are Devo! Topics for discussion this week include: the connection between Van der Graaf Generator and Nadir’s Big Chance, Devo’s connection with the musical scene in Germany, whether punk music sounds more European or American and how each group deals with the ‘schizoid position’. Also, what’s a Moebius strip? What did Johnny Rotten think of Peter Hammill? Did George Orwell really see a hanging? And who is the mysterious figure that connects prog and punk? Find out all this and more, in this week’s episode!

This week, Shaun and Tim discussed the sixth studio album by Renaissance, Scheherazade And Other Stories. Topics discussed include: whether the album could be made today; whether Renaissance can be considered prog rock or symphonic rock; how many musical references to Rimsky-Korsakov the band include in this album (and others); whether or not the band were considered cool at the time; and how many octaves Annie Haslam can sing. Also, what’s the connection between Renaissance and Jilted John? What’s it like to go on a date with Roy Wood? What language do they speak in Cornwall? And how soon will Shaun be able to stage his hip hop version of the life of Admiral Nelson?

In this week’s episode, Shaun discusses Steve Hackett’s debut solo album Voyage Of The Acolyte. Topics covered include: the extent to which Genesis was the genesis of this material, the Christian echoes on the album, whether the final title of the LP was the optimal choice, Steve Hackett’s use of dynamics and how the cover matches up to other Kim Poor material. Also, should Steve Hackett be considered the George Harrison of Genesis? Why didn’t Shaun go and watch John Hackett playing live? Why are there both crows and owls in Shaun’s wood? What happened when Shaun met Steve Hackett? And were Shaun’s schoolfriends really able to use Tarot cards to raise the spirit of Shaun’s maths teacher’s dustman?

This week, Tim did a monologue about H to He Who Am The Only One, by Van der Graaf Generator. Topics covered include: whether VdGG are really heavy metal without guitars, whether H to He can be considered a pop album, the extent to which the album precipitates the band’s later work, and how the dialectic between voice and sax works in the band. Also, how did VdGG influence Iron Maiden? Do the wind parts represent the Freudian drives? Is the ‘hit’ song Killer a comic or a tragic piece? Is there a schizoid element in the band’s work? And can fishes fly? Or would that constitute a black swan?