Latest articles by Joe Banks
Former Hawkwind and David Bowie violinist and keyboardist Simon House has died, aged 76
House also featured in early prog bands High Tide and Third Ear Band before joining Hawkwind in 1974
"If we’d kept things together and stopped arguing, we could have all been multi-millionaires!" The story of Hawkwind's most prog-friendly album, Warrior On The Edge Of Time
Bruised and battle-weary after a punishing live schedule, in 1975 Hawkwind weren’t in the best place ahead of recording their fifth studio LP. But what emerged was a stunning tour de force of science fantasy-inspired progressive space rock
"Amid the sepulchral gloom there are moments of real beauty”: Roger Water’s TDSOTM Redux box set
The former Pink Floyd leader’s take on their 1973 signature album includes superior version of his moody reimagining.
“A fabulous performance feels even more vital”: Camel’s Mirage and Moonmadness reissues
Steven Tayler’s stereo and 5.1 remixes add fresh value to what are arguably the underrated band’s best albums
Hawkwind’s bid to spread the counterculture with In Search Of Space (if that’s its name)
After spending endless nights on the road – complete with Stacia Blake colouring their shows – the band proved what a musical powerhouse they’d become with their second record in 1971
Deram (and Decca) celebrated in Psych! British Prog, Rock, Folk & Blues box set
A sprawling 3CD / 2LP retrospective of Britain’s first “groovy” record label
“Heatstroke and cannabis led to a month of terror”: The Groundhogs’ prog credentials
They might have lived on the periphery of the genre, but their 70s cross-fertilisation with the blues left us with stunning examples of left-field creativity
Bookset edition of Jethro Tull’s Bursting Out: a huge improvement on previous reissue
Bookset series turns to the band’s first live release, which showcases Ian Anderson as zany ringmaster
“Terrific playing but a regrettable lyrical default”: Warhorse’s The Recordings 1970-72
2CD set from group with Rick Wakeman and Deep Purple connections, who hovered promisingly at the junction of pysch rock and prog
“What’s clear is the decision to pursue a direction that’s both harder and more experimental – electronics, looping and some fierce guitar”: Jethro Tull’s The Château D’Hérouville Sessions vinyl edition
‘Lost’ album from the studio they nicknamed ‘Château D’Isaster’ is a chance to hear A Passion Play material in embryonic form
“Tony Hill’s experiments in six-string overload go to places even Hendrix feared to tread… Simon House’s sonic attack is equal to anything he did with Hawkwind”: High Tide’s Sea Shanties reissue
Remastered vinyl edition retains the apocalyptic heavy psych and proto-prog first delivered in 1969
“Great fun… lovingly dashed off in a few hours, in homage to the way library musicians had to work”: Matt Berry’s Simplicity
Actor and musician captures the feeling of the specialist genre with a collection of almost entirely self-performed tracks
“Not just an amorphous stream of swirly pothead trance rock… In fact, this album feels more focused than its predecessor:” Gong’s Unending Ascending
With the late Daevid Allen’s blessing, Kavus Torabi continues the 54-year-old band’s mission to music’s outer reaches
“Hearing each concert side by side demonstrates just how well rehearsed the presentation was, while allowing for individual improvisation”: Hawkwind’s Space Ritual 50th Anniversary Box Set
Complete with the previously unreleased third concert recording, 11-disc collection goes beyond the wildest dreams of even the most avid Hawkfan
"An album for a world where reality is being reconfigured": North Atlantic Oscillation's United Wire reviewed
Electro post-proggers deliver seamless immersion on fifth album
“People came up to us after gigs and said our music terrified them." The saga of Hawkwind's Space Ritual
After blasting out of the underground via the acid-laced rocket fuel of Silver Machine, Hawkwind created a spectacular multimedia live show unlike anything seen or heard before: the Space Ritual
Five times prog music brilliantly embraced Christmas
From Jethro Tull's typically oddball Top Of The Pops performance to Kate Bush in red pyjamas, prog isn't immune to getting as festive as the rest of us
This video of King Crimson playing Elephant Talk in Tokyo in 1984 proves that when they fancied it, they were one of prog rock's funnest bands
As Bill Bruford notes in his comment on the video, "contrary to some in the commentariat, it wasn't all doom and gloom in King Crimson"
Watch Jethro Tull, Soft Machine and Lemmy in wild French TV London special from 1969
This rediscovered documentary on London's music scene features some formidable performances
The Dark Side Of The Moan: watch Pink Floyd work – and argue a bit – in this amazing archive studio footage
Experience Pink Floyd's creative tension during the recording of their perennial 1973 classic
How Hawkwind went In Search Of Space
The story of Hawkwind's second album, 1971's In Search Of Space
Watch Kate Bush dance in front of a giant lizard on 80s German TV in one of her most delightfully strange moments ever
There was method to this madness, but it doesn't make it any less of a fascinating spectacle
Remembering the time Jethro Tull were allowed on kids TV and scared the hell out of everyone with a truly bizarre performance
It started innocently enough. Then things got weird. Really weird.
