“Musically it was our most ambitious album of all.” Banks, Hackett, Rutherford and more recall the band’s last big prog rock epic!
Hawkwind Venture into dark new worlds on latest album
Big Big Train
Less folk and more prog on Grimspound
“People tend to say there was ‘The Pete era’ and ‘The Phil era’. They always forget what came in between.” Steve Hackett
Ayreon Mostly Autumn Wire Ryuichi Sakamoto Mew White Willow
Contents Issue 76 25.04.17
it’s on here
Genesis Wind and Wuthering 1976 Cover Design: Hipgnosis/C. Elgie Illustration: C. Elgie © 2017 Hipgnosis Ltd
if it’s in there
“None of the songs have any conventional design, which I think is good.”
Genesis
p34
Was Wind & Wuthering the band’s last throw of the prog dice?
FEATURES Mike+The Mechanics_Pg48
REGULARS
BLOODY WELL WRITE pg 10
Rutherford and co are gearing up for more live dates and album number eight.
Missives, musings and tweets from Planet Prog.
Big Big Train________ Pg 52
THE INTRO
UK proggers and their corvine feathered friend are back with a new album.
pg12
Public Service Broadcasting are back, plus the latest news from Threshold, Gungfly, Arcadea, Voyager, Lifesigns, Galahad and more.
RECORD COLLECTION pg 30 Comedian and writer Will Smith is best known for The Thick Of It and Veep. And now for his love of prog!
Q&A
pg 32
Organisers Matt Cohen and Touchstone’s Moo talk about this year’s charity prog bash, Trinity 2…
THE PROG INTERVIEW pg 42 Steve Hackett discusses his new solo album, his forthcoming tour and his time with this issue’s cover stars, Genesis.
THE OUTER LIMITS
pg 66
He’s a true pioneer from Japan, breaking new ground with Yellow Magic Orchestra, working with David Bowie and David Sylvian and into a career of film soundtracks and solo work. But just how prog is Ryuichi Sakamoto?
THE MUSICAL BOX
pg 98
John Mitchell’s second album under the Lonely Robot banner takes centre stage, plus we look at releases from Big Big Train, Mostly Autumn, Mew, Sólstafir, Ulver, Keith Emerson, John Martyn, Quintessence, Patto and more…
TAKE A BOW
pg 118
ARW finally hit the UK, plus Prog heads to see Marillion, Haken, Peter Hammill, Ash Ra Tempel, Devin Townsend, Procol Harum, HRH Prog, Progdreams Festival and more.
my prog
pg 130
Mike Portnoy needs little in the way of introduction to any Prog reader. Here he opens up his prog world for all to see!
White Willow_______ Pg 56 Eclectic Norwegians return with their first album in six years.
Physics House Band_Pg 60 Young Brits making mind-bending music.
Hawkwind_________ Pg 62 Captain Brock steers the veteran space rockers into the woods with latest work.
Uneven Structure___ Pg 70 French prog metallers tone down the metal and up the prog ante.
Mostly Autumn_____ Pg 74 From an album about death to a new one brimming with fresh life.
Soen______________ Pg 78 Swedish prog metallers forge a stronger identity on album number three.
Mew______________ Pg 82 Stridently uplifting and melodic prog from these young Danes.
Ayreon____________Pg 86 Arjen Lucassen returns with a starstudded, mind-bending new concept.
The Parallax Method_Pg 90 Young British proggers making genrebending music for fun.
Post-Rock__________ Pg 92 How did the post-rock genre find itself part of the prog world? Wire, sleepmakeswaves, I Like Trains and more discuss…
“I played the baby some Mostly Autumn the other day… definitely liked it! And there was some kicking along to The Moody Blues too.”
stuart wood
Olivia Sparnenn-Josh
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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teve Hackett makes an interesting point in The Prog Interview this issue when he tells Mark Blake that, in regard to Genesis, “People tend to say there was ‘The Pete era’ and ‘The Phil era’. They always forget what came in between.” Well Prog certainly doesn’t, and neither, I suspect, do many of our readers. To my mind, 1976’s double hit of A Trick Of The Tail and Wind & Wuthering stand proudly alongside what preceded them. And in terms of full-on prog, well, after Steve Hackett left in 1977, Genesis may have developed into a massive commercial success, and yes, even as Tony Banks points out in this very issue, they still kept their prog hand in on every album, for many, things were never quite the same again. This issue we talk to Banks and Hackett, as well as Mike Rutherford and producer David Hentschel, as they look fondly back on what many see as the band’s last fully-fledged prog rock record. And, as an extra treat for Genesis aficionados, in this issue Mr Hackett also talks in depth about his new solo album The Night Siren, and Mr Rutherford brings us up to speed with what’s going on with Mike + The Mechanics. There’s a pretty strong supporting cast in this issue, too: Big Big Train, Hawkwind, White Willow, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mostly Autumn, Wire, Ayreon, Mew and more, all discussing brand new albums. A sure sign that the scene remains as healthy as ever. Thanks for all the comments about our last issue and the Top 100 Anthems list. We expected a bulging mail bag and you didn’t disappoint. Always good to see prog fans debating their points of view earnestly, and, for the large part, healthily. We’re back on May 25. I hope you’ll join us again. Until then, take care, and, as ever, 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.
IN WITH THE OLD? Referring to the letter from Alan Atkinson [in Prog 75: Alan wanted more coverage given to older bands], I couldn’t agree more. I also made a similar point many moons ago suggesting you should be concentrating more on ‘older prog’ and that far too much emphasis was put on unheard of up-and-coming artists. I’m all for new artists being given a chance, but do we, the readers, want a certain amount of pages given over to these artists? In the end, there are only a certain amount of hours per day to actually listen to music.
The greatly missed bass maestro John Wetton.
Big Big Train’s epic Wassail: a classic prog anthem?
getty
ANTHEM ANGER Oh dear, this one will spark controversy. I know it’s a readers’ poll [issue 75’s Greatest Prog Anthems], but seriously, some of these songs are not anthems. And the lack of representation for the last two decades in the Top 30 is stark. Each year we have the Prog Awards, including Anthem – not a look-in for these, I see. Didn’t The Von Hertzen Brothers, Public Service Broadcasting and Riverside all win this category? I thought an anthem was an uplifting song, or one you can sing along to, or one that has lyrics that stick in your head. So, take for example the brilliant Big Big Train. I saw them live last year, and the anthem from that set was clearly Wassail, not East Coast Racer, even though the latter is one of their best works. And how can the 25-minute A Change Of Seasons [by Dream Theater] be an anthem? And Jethro Tull? I’m not sure if Ian Anderson has ever written an anthem, and if he did, it certainly wasn’t Thick As A Brick. I love this magazine and have been a subscriber since day one, but I’m getting fed up of reading about Genesis and Yes. How many different ways can one write about albums and songs released over 40 years ago? I thought progression was all about moving forward, but it looks like we have ignored a lot of what has happened post-1990. Martin Molloy I think you, as some others did, read too much into the word ‘anthem’. ‘Song’ would preclude instrumentals and we thought ‘track’ just sounded too boring - Ed.
Issue 75: counting down the best prog anthems.
Geoffrey Downes
tweet talk follow us on twitter.com/ progmagazineUK 10 progmagazine.com
@asiageoff At the hairdressers again, having a bit of colour under the expert guidance of superstar coiffeur @rhysgileshair @TheCelticManor
My letter got printed, which must have caused a bit of a furore because in the following publication you printed many replies from some agitated readers about my views! Correct me if I’m wrong, but I would have thought the bulk of your readers would be in the more ‘mature’ age bracket. Looking at the Top 10 prog anthems, they’re all from the 60s and 70s, which could be an indicator as to the age group of Prog readers. There’s an incredible amount of prog history, so more of that please. Stephen Hughes A MULTITALENTED MUSICIAN Bit disappointed that the otherwise excellent feature on John Wetton totally ignored his time in James Litherland’s Brotherhood, or Mogul Thrash as they later became. The band existed between
Jordan Rudess
@Jcrudess Here’s some hard truth for all musicians. To attain virtuosity one must have enormous patience.
September 1969 and February 1971 with a future Average White Band brass section, and the one cruelly overlooked Mogul Thrash album was issued in 1971, probably after the band had split due to management legal issues. Although the album could well have been a James Litherland post-Colosseum ego trip, listening today, it stands up really well. Litherland obviously knew he had a special bass player as John Wetton is heavily featured throughout. The bass playing was what really appealed to me back in 1971: albums with a bass player stamping his presence all over the record were rare. Sadly, the sole John Wetton penned and sung track, St Peter, gave no indication of what was to come. However, the standout track, Going North, Going West, is still a delight. Rob Tough
Mike Portnoy
@MikePortnoy In my dressing room here in Warsaw, Poland surrounded by friends… @dillingerescpln @dvntownsend
letter
up in Dublin this year with Opeth, Thank you for printing my letter in Prog Katatonia and Anathema all to look 64 last year regarding Irish proggers. forward to, as well as trips across the Through printing my letter, I have met pond to see Dream fellow progger Mark Theater and Panic Room. Feldon and we have It was great to see the attended some amazing magazine saved at the shows both in Ireland start of the year – it has and the UK over the helped to connect prog last year. We recently fans far and wide. returned from HRH If there are other Irish Prog in Wales, and proggers out there, feel it was a great festival. free to get in touch! The bands, the arenas, Ollie McGahon the sound – we had Clockwise from top Never underestimate the a great time. left: Anathema, power of the Prog Letters We have some Katatonia and Opeth. page! – Dep Ed great shows coming
This issue’s star letter wins a goodie bag from The Merch Desk at www.themerchdesk.com. WE’RE BLUSHING! I started to follow your magazine since the Keith Emerson tribute issue and now I’m a one-year subscriber. I would like to say many things but I can sum it up in this way: how beautiful! Yes, Prog magazine is beautiful and well done, and how fine it is that it’s delivered with a CD with many musical suggestions on it. I particularly appreciated the 100 Greatest Prog Anthems poll in the last issue. I have to admit that the results include many titles I know and appreciate, and also many that I do not know – but I found it fine, true, beautiful. Browsing from the 100th position to the top, the last 20th positions are a further concentration of big progressive songs. I was delighted when I saw page 65, for Close To The Edge’s second position, and I hesitated a little to move forward… Then I saw the winner (Supper’s Ready), and it was marvellous. I completely agree! Thank you, and prog on! Luigi Scagliarini, Italy
Nick Beggs
@NickBeggs Barcelona with the girls
Genesis’ Supper’s Ready, the all-time greatest prog anthem, as voted for by you!
ALL HAIL HACKETT Last Friday, March 24, Steve Hackett played a wonderful gig in San Sebastian, Spain during his Genesis Revisited With Classic Hackett tour. In a packed theatre, and over around two-and-a-half hours, Steve and his band kept up the very high level of professionalism and musicianship (apart from a pair of evident mistakes) that everyone expected. The concert was divided into two different parts: the first with Hackett solo songs, and the second with the Genesis-era material, the latter lasting around two thirds of the entire gig. Tracks such as the always impressive Shadow Of The Hierophant, the beautiful Firth Of Fifth, the unexpected The Musical Box and the grand finale Los Endos marked the highest peaks of the gig, and were the songs that got the biggest ovations. Steve, as well, behaved as an efficient presenter, introducing some songs and saying a few words in Spanish, showing himself as a friendly and very nice man. Nevertheless, the impression I got after the event is that of a certain pity for him. He’s one of the key elements in the progressive field, and his work marks an unquestionable milestone we’ve all been loving for years. So it makes me sad that, after a vast array of solo albums and a long solo career, he has to focus his show mainly on the older material more than the contemporary. For me, it’s evident that the fault is ours, who always request the old, classic Genesis songs. Nevertheless, for a man with such a long career, this ought to be disheartening, especially as he has a brand new album recently released. From here, my firm support for him, his professionalism and brilliance. Ignacio Loizaga Rio
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 Mark Wheatley 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, Grant Moon, 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 Sam Williams/Magictorch 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
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iamthemorning
@themorningband Marillion Weekend was so very, very special. Thank you everyone <3
progmagazine.com 11
INTRO
Into The Valley: Public Service Broadcasting.
if it’s out there, it’s in here
public Service Broadcasting Pay Tribute To Welsh Coalminers Electronic group chart the industrial rise and fall of Ebbw Vale on their forthcoming album, Every Valley.
12 progmagazine.com
“We had to get our hands a bit dirty.”