Winter Wine (Caravan, 1971)

Taken from the wonderful album "In The Land of  Grey And Pink", here's an old fashioned prog and folk rock song from the group leading the Canterbury scene, a sip of eccentric and soooo british music. I especially like the warm and light vocals, but also the instrumental passages and the imaginative choirs. The melody is plain and well found and the lyrics perfectly fit the framework.

Do you remember this nice cover?

I know Caravan created more adventurous songs and suites, more structured tracks and richer melodies during their career, but this song always made me think of Old England greens, cottages and afternoon teas. With a scent of Flower Power to finish the picture.  

Jordrök (Änglagård, 1992)

This is actually a jewel, one of the best prog songs of the '90s, IMHO. It's an instrumental track, full of nostalgy and with a scent of Trespass era Genesis. The folk influence is present (the title itself is the name of a spontaneous plant, the "fumaria" or fumitory in English), melt with all the 70s sound you can desire. The winning point is the perfect balance of acoustic and electric instruments, producing a sweet but not sweetish athmosphere. And it's not an useless replica of the golden era songs: the volume and tempo changes give its own character to the track, along with that northern, crepuscular touch.

Änglagård in their '90s lineup.

All the "Hybris" album is a gem, to say the truth, and this track is maybe its most representative one, summing up all the best qualities of the group. A never compromising but always enjoyable progressive rock song.

Lady Fantasy (Camel, 1974)

Taken from the album "Mirage", this long and beautiful song features all the main ingredients of prog: tempo changes, very good melodies, instrumental passages, guitar/keyboard dialogues and solos, imaginative arrangements. Of course, Andrew Latimer's dreaming guitar is the winning card of this play, but "Lady Fantasy" is a well-balanced song, where all the instruments share the stage. As always in Camel's tracks, the sound is agreeable, like a journey in a pleasant country, but you also find here some heavier moments, perfectly fit into the big picture.

 

The beautiful cover of "Mirage".

 

The lyrics, where an ideal woman is compared with a real one, lie somewhere between the earth and the sky, just like a mirage, especially when Latimer enters...

Think of Me with Kindness (Gentle Giant, 1972)

I like this song very much. The melody is so well found and the sweetness of the scoustic arrangement is powered by the softness of Ray Shulman's vocals. Just a simple ballad, "kept simple to retain the essentially intimate mood of the piece", as the group say in their liner notes. The "Octopus" album features more structured and also well known songs, but this one's a little and bright jewel, IMHO.

Gentle Giant at their best.

Now, the lyrics. The song is about a fading away love, and I never read such a tender text. When a love comes to an end, there's still so much to remember and so many reasons to think of the other "with kindness". Prog meets love song.

The Last Man on Earth (Pendragon, 1993)

Definitely one of my favourite songs by Nick Barrett's group. This gentle little suite is about death and separation, but also about the links that never end between those who die and those still alive. Like many other Pendragon's songs, you can find this a little mincing, but just listen twice and you'll see there's nothing less than sincere. It's a touching musical portrait of two worlds, and a very british one, too. The delicate athmosphere is somentimes broken by uptempo passages, but the general impression is one of lightness and peace.

 

 

Pendragon in concert. 

 

In about 15 minutes, the two main themes intertwine and create here and now spaces where for guitar and keyboard to go solo. When the track is over, I always stay there a little longer and think over. A good reason to listen to it once again.

Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Pink Floyd, 1975)

Should I say anything on this suite? Who doesn't know the David Gilmour's famous 4 guitar notes on part 2? And what about Rick Wright's cosmic chords on part 1? I had the priviledge to hear them spreading in the open space two times in concert. I'll never forget those moments, never. I prefer the first half of the suite (parts I-V), and I'm sure I'm not the only one, but all parts are very good, full of athmosphere and sense of wonder. "Shine on" is now a standard counting hundreds of followers. I'll just remember Dick Parry's sax adding human warmth to the fresco and the lyrics... they always touch me.

 

Abbey Road Studios

 

Some say old friend Syd Barrett came to Abbey Road's studios to pay a visit during "Wish You Were Here" album sessions. I don't know if it's true, but I just like the idea of a momentary reunion giving the final touch to this nusic. I don't even try to discuss here whether Pink Floyd are or aren't prog. It doesn't matter to me: they're part of the '70s "shoot down the walls" experience. So they're in.

Killer (Van Der Graaf Generator, 1970)

How strange this song was to me the first time I listened to it! Based on warm and rough sax riffs, a pulsing bass guitar and keyboard waves swarming around, the track features an intense vocal performance by Peter Hammill, the prince of sorrow singing his despair. The lyrics are very strong: the song is about a strange and murderous fish (the "killer") living in the deepest waters, destined to live alone ad feared by anyone else. Solitude, pain, darkness: these will be the trademarks of VDGG career and find here one of their greatest moments.

VDGG in the early '70s

Prog rock makes miracles. Even if the "killer" is a vicious predator, the listener ends up being sorry for him and recognising in the murder's life a bit of our common destiny. Cheer up!