1974 was probably the last of the ‘golden years’ of the first wave of progressive rock. It was a year in which the classic bands that came to define the genre released some of their most acclaimed albums that, more than 50 years later, are still being talked about. 

 

Yes’s Relayer, King Crimson’s Red, Supertramp’s Crime Of The Century, Gong’s You, Mike Oldfield's Hergest Ridge, Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, Genesis’s mighty (and mightily confusing!) The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and many many more.

   

Kevan Furbank reveals how and why the albums were recorded, ranging beyond the music to the political and social upheavals of the time. Which cigarette company dictated the cover design for Camel’s Mirage, and how did Richard Nixon inspire Gentle Giant on The Power And The Glory? All this and more are answered in Progressive Rock Comes Of Age.

 

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Now happily retired, Kevan Furbank was Managing Editor of Reach Ireland, publishers of the Irish Daily Mirror and the Irish Daily Star and a journalist on local and national newspapers for more than 40 years. He has published books on local history and written stories, articles and columns on practically every subject under the sun. This is his fifth book for Sonicbond. His musical tastes encompass prog, rock, folk and jazz, and in his spare time, he likes to pretend he can play guitar, bass, ukulele, bouzouki and keyboards. He is married with two grown-up daughters and lives in Northern Ireland.