WIN!
JOHN WETTON
is vangel s u t delec t e box s
Friends and colleagues remember a true prog icon
prog 75 Mar 2017
Digital Edition
GreatDigitalMags.com
atest P e r G 0 0 rog 1 e Th
T l l ime A f O Exclusive interviews
Genesis, Yes, Crimson, Marillion, Supertramp & more side one
33¹⁄₃ Stereo PR 0075 g
Did your vote count?
Your choice of the greatest prog songs ever written
Mastodon Alan Reed Magenta Richard Barbieri Cruise To The Edge and more…
Contents Issue 75 22.03.17
it’s on here
stuart wood
if it’s in there
Greatest Pr 0 0 og e1 h T
All Time f O
100 Greatest Prog Anthems We asked, you voted. But what is the greatest prog song ever written?
p43
FEATURES REGULARS
BLOODY WELL WRITE pg 10
Prog pays tribute to the late great John Wetton.
Missives, musings and tweets from Planet Prog.
THE INTRO
pg12
Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/getty images
Anathema get ready for their anticipated return, plus the latest news from Hawkwind, Sólstafir, Pye Hastings and Mike + The Mechanics.
RECORD COLLECTION pg 30 Artist Phil Smee has his own record label and designs album covers. As it turns out, his record collection is pretty impressive, too!
Q&A
pg 32
Leslie Mándoki escaped from Russian communism through a tunnel for the freedom of prog rock. This is his amazing story…
THE PROG INTERVIEW pg 56 This issue, The Prog Interview is part of our 100 Greatest Prog Anthems Of All Time cover story, as Marillion guitarist Steve Rothery steps up to the plate to discuss his impressive career.
THE OUTER LIMITS
pg 82
Epic rock and metal, soaring operatic female vocals and concept albums all about quantum physics. Which begs the question: just how prog are Epica?
THE MUSICAL BOX
pg 98
Mastodon’s return to proggy conceptuality takes centre stage, plus we look at releases from Alan Reed, Procol Harum, Allan Holdsworth, Mike Oldfield, Antimatter, Ayreon and more…
TAKE A BOW
pg 118
Steve Hackett kicks off his The Night Siren tour in America, plus Prog heads to see The Pineapple Thief, Pain Of Salvation, District 97, Julian Cope, Arcane Roots and more…
my prog
pg 130
Ghost Community founder and bassist Matt Cohen opens up his prog world for all to see!
John Wetton________ Pg 34 A six-page tribute to the much-missed and much-loved King Crimson, UK, Asia and Family vocalist and bassist.
Mastodon__________ Pg 70 The Atlanta quartet’s new album marks a return to prog rock and conceptuality.
Cruise To The Edge___ Pg 74 Prog hits the high seas as the genre’s floating extravaganza sets sail once more.
Alan Reed__________ Pg 78 The one-time Pallas singer spreads his musical wings with solo album No. 2.
Richard Barbieri_____Pg 86 The former Japan and Porcupine Tree man creates an impressive musical landscape with his latest solo venutre.
Magenta___________Pg 90 The Welsh prog wizards take bold new musical steps with new album We Are Legend.
Disperse___________Pg 94 Young Polish prog rockers really come of age with a new line-up and their excellent new third album Foreword.
“You’re always going to get criticised if you stay the same and then there are others who will criticise you if you change too much. I think as you get older, you start thinking that you know what you want, that you’re going to do it, and if people don’t like it then basically they can go fuck themselves.”
stuart wood
Christina Booth
progrockmag.com 7
Jerry Ewing - Editor
FIND US ONLINE
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You can subscribe to Prog at www. myfavouritemagazines. co.uk/PROG. See page 116 for further details.
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hat defines a great prog song? For many of you, it seems, mere length will suffice. For others, it’s mind-bendingly complex time signatures. For some, lyrical themes of other-worldly content is a must, with some dense, highbrow literary allusion thrown in for good measure. And some of you, well, some of you just like a damn good tune. Me? Because I feel such singular definitions do not do justice to this vast musical landscape, it’s a combination of these and other factors. I’m as fond of a damn good melody as I am a twisting, turning musical trajectory. And I’m equally partial to a plaintive ballad as I am to a richly tapestried epic. I mention this because, of course, we have asked you to tell us your own favourite anthems when it comes to progressive rock, in an attempt to create the ultimate list of progressive rock’s great and good. And your response was predictably epic in itself - poor Hannah’s still a shaking wreck, having counted up all your votes. The final 100 brings with it more than a few surprises, and some obvious choices. And we’re sure you’ll spend much of the next month dissecting the list and debating the merit of the contents on our letters page and various prog forums for the next month. Please do remember when you begin writing those letters that this is what you voted for however, not a list we’ve concocted in the office. We also take time in this issue to say goodbye to the rich talent that was John Wetton. A sublime singer, ebullient bassist and master craftsman when it came to songwriting. It’s always tough seeing our musical heroes pass on. Let’s hope there’s a lull in musician deaths for a bit. But enjoy the issue and the remainder of the contents. I look forward to reading your thoughts on the Prog 100, too. We’re back on April 25. I hope you’ll join us again. Until then, take care, and prog on.
ne
Ed’s Letter
Letters
Send your letters to us at: Prog, Future Publishing, 1-10 Praed Mews, London W2 1QY, or email prog@futurenet.com. We regret that we cannot reply to phone calls. For more comment and prog news and views, find us on facebook.com under Prog. A DREAM… OR A NIGHTMARE? As a longtime fan of Dream Theater, I was happy to see you guys cover the 25th anniversary of the band’s 1992 breakthrough album, Images and Words. But I feel like the album deserves more. For starters, the album’s anniversary should have been the cover story. You need to remember this is the top-ranked progressive metal album of all-time, according to www.ProgArchives.com. It’s a landmark release that defined the genre. This anniversary is up there with others that have gotten the magazine’s cover in the past. Also, we can all read about the making of the album in the band’s biographical book Lifting Shadows. This anniversary story should’ve also been about the album’s legacy and impact on progressive metal, with input from other high-profile musicians in the genre. Instead, the story only quotes the band’s vocalist James LaBrie and guitarist John Petrucci. Luckily, the album’s official anniversary isn’t until July, so you still have a chance to do it justice. Lastly, I could’ve done without the writer trying to stir up drama and negativity. For example, the remark about Dream Theater’s representative coming on the phone and the ‘Disappointment of the Year’ reference regarding their latest album The Astonishing were both completely unnecessary. And while I’m on the subject, shame on Prog for printing that ‘disappointment list’ with The Astonishing ranked above the unexpected death of Riverside’s guitarist Piotr Grudzinski. I love the magazine, but that was not one of your finer moments. Michael Ebert, Long Island, NY You seem to have missed the point of a reader-voted poll. We’re merely conveying what was voted for in the Readers’ Poll. We pride ourselves on adhering strictly to what people voted for and not interfering with your choices. To that end, we didn’t mess around with the 100 Greatest Prog Anthems that readers voted for either, in case you were thinking of complaining about Dream Theater’s showing in this issue. - Ed
One reader finds our coverage of Dream Theater astonishing!
Above: Dream Theater’s Images And Words.
printing my recent letter in the latest issue. I never imagined this would happen in a million years – I am gobsmacked as well as thrilled! Also I am very glad, like all your readers, to see that you are still in business. Prog is pretty much the only magazine that covers our sort of music, so as I said in my letter, we need you! Thanks again and keep up the good work. Olly Renton, Northumberland Below: UK’s In The Dead Of Night.
LETTER LOVE Just a note to say a huge thanks for
Jem Godfrey
tweet talk follow us on twitter.com/ progmagazineUK 10 progmagazine.com
@JemGodfrey Sorry I haven’t tweeted for a bit, I forgot me password. Anyway look! I’m on a boat near Mexico!
GOLDEN AGING OF ROCK Welcome back, and long may you stay! Currently recovering from hernia surgery, I have been out of the loop regards both the mag and the rest of the Prog world, but unfortunately I learn from issue 74 that we’ve lost both John Wetton and Jaki Liebezeit – two very diverse and
Dave Kilminster
@DaveKilminster Said an emotional goodbye to John Wetton yesterday… Rest in Peace, John… God only knows what I’d be without you…
very influentual influences on not just prog but the wider world of rock. Both will be sadly missed. It was the late Alan Freeman who taught me about UK (In The Dead Of Night is an underrated classic), and my love of krautrock that taught me about Can, and to lose these two stalwarts of rock is carrying on the bad vibes we had (only too often) back in 2016. Unfortunately, with an aging Golden Age Of Rock generation of musicians, this sort of thing can only continue, so Prog fans, it’s time for nerves of steel, backbones of iron and sinews of carbon fibre/graphene (or something suitable), and we’ll get through these dark times together with resolve and dignity – plus, we will still have The Great Ones’ music to enjoy (and respect) for all time, so maybe that could be a good definition of immortality.
Flying Colors
@FlyingColors We had a great time with our surprise set at cruise to the edge! hope everyone who made it there did too!
letter
and the Postman pops the latest edition of Prog through my letter box. Pretty good timing you might think. Even better than that, the cover star and lead article was my all time favourite band, Jethro Tull. You may think that Prog don’t do afternoons but if they did, it would probably be the best afternoon in the world. And it was. Ian McIntyre
Along with everyone else, I was delighted when this fantastic magazine was saved. Are you sure though that it was Future Publishing and not Carlsberg that stepped in? Picture the scene: it’s Friday afternoon at about 3.30pm and I am about to jump in the bath, where I would normally read the paper before heading down the local,
This issue’s star letter wins a goodie bag from The Merch Desk at www.themerchdesk.com. Olly Renton (letters 74) makes a good point about long albums, especially on CD. Just because it is possible to play, say, the whole of …Topographic Oceans on one CD, doesn’t mean it’s meant to be listened to in one continuous session. It’s four separate sides of music, and maybe needs to be listened with a break every ‘side’/20 minutes or so, maybe to stop Intense Music Overload… Kate Bush split her album Aerial into two CDs, when they could have easily fitted on one disc (Floyd did the same with The Wall), so obviously long, continuous, listening sessions are not approved of by The Powers That Entertain Us, although it is convenient. I therefore humbly suggest a toilet break after each side or two of vinyl (or 40 minutes of a long CD) to stop your musical palate becoming overwhelmed/ swamped with too much good stuff, and maybe losing your enjoyment as a result. Prog music may go on for a long time compared to your average three-minute pop single, but it shouldn’t become a slog. It’s too good for that! John Malcolm
Nick Beggs
@NickBeggs Love from Royal Oak Detroit.
BACK IN BUSINESS Delighted to see the magazine back on the shelves at my local newsagents. That was quite a scare. I’ve been with you from the get go and, though critical at the beginning, it’s been a joy to see the magazine evolve into the informed and informative beast it is today. We can’t afford to lose it. The controversial disappearance of the cardboard sleeve has been a fine evolutionary step, I think. The mag sheds the unnecessary, to become a sleeker, more effective creature. Now, devoid of all that packaging, Prog looks muscular, robust and confident, no longer a “specialist” read but a cooler cousin to the Uncuts and Mojos that it now rubs shoulders with. Finally, many thanks to Olly Renton whose observations on the vinyl vs CD debate in issue 74 were timely and bang on the money. Keep it up guys. Great stuff. Andy McDuffie Below: the late Jaki Liebezeit with Can.
BRANCHING OUT? I am very happy to discover that the magazine has a future and I look forward to reading many more issues. An observation, however, regarding the content. I feel that more time should be afforded to older, more established acts. There are a great many progressive band from the 1970s and 1980s who have never been featured (I’m sure you know who they are!) and if they were to be perhaps you would sell more copies, given the nature of the readership. In my opinion, far too many pages are given over to acts hardly known and not worthy. Fingers crossed! Alan Atkinson, Kent
1-10 Praed Mews, London W2 1QY
Email prog@futurenet.com twitter.com/ProgMagazineUK You can also find us on facebook.com under Prog EDITORIAL Editor Jerry Ewing Deputy Editor Hannah May Kilroy Art Editor Russell Fairbrother News Editor Natasha Scharf Reviews Editor Jo Kendall Lives Editor Malcolm Dome Sub Editor Jayne Nelson Designer Louise Brock CONTRIBUTORS Joe Banks, Mike Barnes, Geoff Barton, Mark Blake, Chris Cope, Isere Lloyd-Davis, Stephen Dalton, Steve Davis, Daryl Easlea, Briony Edwards, Dave Everley, Ian Fortnam, Pete Fowler, Polly Glass, Paul Henderson, Iris Hidding, Rob Hughes, Stephen Humphries, Emma Johnston, David Keevill, Dom Lawson, Paul Lester, Fraser Lewry, Dave Ling, Roger Lotring, Alex Lynham, Rachel Mann, Rhodri Marsden, Clay Marshall, Julian Maszalek, Ben Myers, Greg Moffitt, Kris Needs, Kevin Nixon, Matt Parker, Steve Pilkington, Chris Roberts, Paul Sexton, Jonathan Selzer, Johnny Sharp, Nick Shilton, Sid Smith, Joseph Stannard, Rick Wakeman, David West, Mark Wheatley, Philip Wilding, Rich Wilson, Sarah Worsley, Holly Wright Cover Gijsbert Hanekroot./Redferns/Getty Images. Lettering: Steve Mitchell/57 Design ADVERTISING Commercial Sales Director Clare Dove clare.dove@futurenet.com Advertising Director Helen Walledge helen.walledge@futurenet.com Advertising Manager Kate Colgan kate.colgan@futurenet.com Account Director Anastasia Meldrum anastasia.meldrum@futurenet.com Account Director Lee Mann lee.mann@futurenet.com MARKETING Head of Brand and Trade Marketing Nada Khalil Brand Manager Emma Clapp Head of Subscriptions Sharon Todd Circulation Director Darren Pearce PRODUCTION Production Controller Keely Miller Production Manager Mark Constance Printed in the UK by William Gibbons & Sons Ltd on behalf of Future. Distributed by Marketforce, 2nd Floor, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU. MANAGEMENT Creative Director, Magazines Aaron Asadi Finance and Operations Director, Magazines Marco Peroni Editorial Director Paul Newman Art and Design Director Ross Andrews Editor-in-Chief Scott Rowley Business Operations Manager Alex Burrows LICENSING Senior Licensing & Syndication Manager Matt Ellis Matt.Ellis@futurenet.com +44 (0)1225 442244 SUBSCRIPTIONS +44(0)344 848 2852 www.myfavouritemagazines.oc.uk/PROG
All contents © 2017 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored, transmitted or used in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price and other details of products or services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any changes or updates to them. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage.
Periphery
@PeripheryBand Osaka! We’re in you and eating all of your food!
progmagazine.com 11
INTRO
if it’s out there, it’s in here
Anathema announce Optimistic New Album
Award-winning six-piece reveal their “ambitious” 11th studio recording.
“We were living together in the middle of nowhere. It felt like a cross between Father Ted and Withnail And I!”
12 progmagazine.com
A Fine Day: Anathema return with new material.