Latest articles by Jo Kendall
“The director told me he wanted a song about death… Not only that, but it was a rabbit”: Mike Batt on Watership Down, his concept albums and the connection between the Wombles, Steeleye Span and (maybe) Hawkwind
Performer, composer and director on his early introduction to prog, the shelved 1973 rock opera that cost him £11,000 and keeping Dave Brock under control
"Donovan came to my flat for a songwriting session. He brought a Tupperware box full of hash cakes": Catching up with Kula Shaker's Crispian Mills
Still influenced by the colourful 1960s and Indian mysticism, Kula Shaker's new album is "lightning in a bottle"
14 peace anthems and the stories behind them
From pleas for equality to anti-war sentiments and social commentary, we look at some of the greatest peace songs of all time
“He sees the big picture and gets that classic English sound… I’m still very awestruck by his history”: Christopher Cross on why Alan Parsons is his prog hero
Texan rocker loved Dark Side Of The Moon, leading him to an admiration for, and later friendship with, the man behind the controls
“I was completely petrified by Kate Bush singing Wuthering Heights on TV. Anyone I was scared of I was interested by”: How Matt Berry discovered prog
Toast Of London star and self-taught musician became a fan of Jean Michel Jarre, Mike Oldfield, Pink Floyd and more
"We got high without drink or anything. It's a record that still takes me to another sphere": Doro picks the soundtrack of her life
Metal Queen Doro picks her records, artists and gigs of lasting significance, and reveals what happens when 30 metalheads take on 120 punks
“Brian Eno has a very simple view on music - the more we clutter it up with things the more foggy the goodness gets”: Huey Morgan’s prog education
Former Fun Lovin’ Criminals frontman traces a line from Nat King Cole and Frank SInatra to Talk Talk, Marillion, Jethro Tull and others
“Served up as ‘hi-def’ – but should that be hi-deaf? The raw, frantic energy might be too much for some”: Meshuggah’s Chaosphere 25th Anniversary edition
Groundbreaking third album keeps pushing boundaries with lively remaster
“Occasionally one of their legs would go up slightly. Were they playing or checking emails? I thought it would be fun to have them doing The Hokey Cokey”: Bill Bailey’s Kraftwerk sketch
Comedian and master prog musician discusses the gems in his record collection, including Yes, Roxy Music and Hawkwind – and outlines plans to play the Albert Hall like an instrument
“I speak like I do because I spent years trying to impersonate Vivian Stanshall”: Comedian and musician Ade Edmondson’s prog record collection
The Young Ones and Bottom star fronted The Bad Shepherds with inspirations including the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Jethro Tull, Focus, Alex Harvey and a stack of folk influences
"It’s a bad combination to be really loud and have no fans if you’re playing at a bar": how Dinosaur Jr. overcame indifference to became one of the 80s most influential bands
For Dinosaur Jr. founder and mastermind J Mascis, the 80s was a time of noisy punk and alt.rock, paving the way for the decade that would explode that scene: the 90
"I had a phone call from Dave Gilmour and he said, 'Would you be interested in coming down?' Former XTC man Colin Moulding on how he almost joined Pink Floyd
Revelations from former XTC bassist, singer and songwriter Colin Moulding when he released his TC&I EP Great Aspirations with old band mate Terry Chambers
"I’d seen this wild-eyed, crazy-haired guy and my parents were horrified!" Marc Almond's lifelong passion for Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson
Soft Cell singer cherishes memory of performing Thick As A Brick with the man who wrote it
“Ray visited him just before he died and apologised for putting him at the centre of the story”: It took five decades for the Kinks’ Arthur to come of age
The 1969 empire-themed concept album, a commercial flop at the time, is perfectly suited to the current political climate
Les Claypool on Pink Floyd, working with superstar offspring, and "one of the stupidest things I ever decided to do"
After a gap of two decades, Primus mainman Les Claypool has reactivated one of his many other projects, the Pink Floyd-friendly Fearless Flying Frog Brigade
"I'm not hiding behind wizards, mountains, goblins and fire" - meet vintage rockers Sweat
Sweat are a Swiss-American quartet whose cathartic debut album Who Do They Think They Are? is packed with the sounds of the 70s and 80s
"The song virtually played itself" - the Steely Dan classic starring Jimmy Page’s favourite guitar solo
From 1972’s debut Steely Dan album Can’t Buy A Thrill, Reelin’ In The Years accidentally benefitted from an engineer who neglected to run the tape
Steve Harley: The soundtrack of my life
Singer and songwriter Steve Harley picks his records, artists and gigs of lasting significance, and reveals the song that reminds him of his first love, Glenda White from Wickford
Jello Biafra: "Hawkwind's Space Ritual is my Ground Zero!"
The former Dead Kennedy's frontman Jello Biafra is a big fan of space rockers Hawkwind
How a psychotic reaction inspired The Groundhogs' revolutionary classic Split
In 1971 The Groundhogs released Split, a savage, four-part suite titled documenting a traumatic brush with drugs experienced by frontman Tony McPhee
Robert Fripp: How I met Toyah and why I love her
King Crimson founder Robert Fripp reveals the secrets of his long marriage to actress, musician and Sunday Lunch viral video partner Toyah Willcox
Kelly Jay was on the cover of Rush's Moving Pictures: he never listened to it
Kelly Jay was the frontman of Canadian rock band Crowbar. Before his death in 2019, he told us about his appearance on the cover of Moving Pictures
Brant Bjork: "Kyuss was very dysfunctional, but that’s what made the music"
Desert rock pioneer Brant Bjork talks new music, old bands, and how his sons might carry the torch
