Latest articles by Martin Kielty
Haunted by Grocer Jack: Steve Howe’s pre-Yes band were derailed by a standalone single
The guitarist, along with Tomorrow frontman Keith West, found their band haunted by the spirit of Grocer Jack after Excerpt From A Teenage Opera reached No.2 in 1967
“She spent so long in the water she contracted hypothermia”: Kate Bush’s Before The Dawn was a triumph and a terror
22 shows, 25 songs, 80,000 witnesses – her triumph was tinged with terror, but she’ll never forget the love she felt from her audiences in 2014
Clannad’s brushes with prog stars Peter Gabriel, Marillion, Nightwish, King Crimson, Genesis and more
Once described as “spacey prog-folk,” the Irish family band’s unique blend of traditional themes and modern instrumentation pushed boundaries across the music world
When Keith Emerson tried to blag a £55,000 synth for free
The keyboard genius’ relationship with engineer Robert Moog may have had a shaky start, but it paid dividends to both men – and countless followers
Jailhouse rock: What happened when the Frankie Miller Band played San Quentin Prison
In August 1975, the Frankie Miller Band played a gig at California State Prison as rival gangs edgily eyed each other up
Poor Man’s Moody Blues: The story of a prog rock diss track
Les Holroyd is proud of BJH’s band’s first era – except for the time they rose to the bait of being compared to a rival band, and then he had to face one of its members
How Boz Burrell saved King Crimson when Robert Fripp had lost hope
If someone hadn’t left a bass behind in the band’s rehearsal room, leading to a change of role for their newly-hired singer, their career might well have ended before 1971’s Islands
“Overblown. Slightly pompous. Too prog rock by half!” The Jethro Tull album Ian Anderson would rather forget
Created in a rush amid challenging circumstances, their sixth record disappointed most critics, confused many fans and led to talk of splitting up
“We swore no more flags would be burnt. I did it again”: Keith Emerson and the world’s first instrumental protest song
1968 track and its associated antics enraged its original composer, shocked an American diplomat and got The Nice banned from the Royal Albert Hall for ever
“He was wandering off, not wanting to be a star”: The beginning of the end for Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett
1968 single will always be significant in their history – but not all for the best reasons
Rush’s Neil Peart, an exploding golf ball and two career-changing conversations
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson recall their late friend and bandmate, recalling what he brought to the band and how they began to move on without him
“We said, ‘We’re going out in 2026.’ The crowd laughed”: Rush, from political pariahs to comeback kings
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson draw a career line from the early 80s to 2027. They say they might continue after that, if they can stand each other – and if they can stand
The British thrash metal icon who adores prog eccentrics Gentle Giant (and he’s not the only one)
They may have bewildered some listeners in the 70s, but several leading lights of other genres happily confirm they were a massive influence
“I was struck by how he told the audience he wanted to die”: The Al Stewart hit that started out too dark
The folk icon with prog tendencies on how he persuaded his label to release a song that started out too dark – and the downside of hitting the US Top 10
“I walked home thinking: ‘I’m gonna be a plumber for the rest of my life!’” When Rush opened for the New York Dolls
The guitarist recalls an early-days Spinal Tap moment, and reveals what it might take for him to follow Geddy Lee’s lead and write a book
The happy accident that took folk-prog back into the charts in the punk era
They’d had two hits in the past and they’d have a novelty hit later – but this 1978 track by the reunited original line-up was their signature moment
Fighting fascism, riots and rock'n'roll: The onstage story of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band didn’t shift as many records as they deserved to, but as a live band they were like no other
The story of Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera, Quiet Sun and their sly posthumous album
Guitarist’s mid-70s juggling act proved his previous band’s worth via their LP Mainstream, assembled in a rush while he was tracking solo debut Diamond Head
The misunderstood Tom Jones cover that became the Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s biggest hit
Seen on Top Of The Pops alongside the sugary-sweet songs of the era, Delilah affected the band permanently, and not all in a good way.
Peter Gabriel launches new o/i single Won’t Stand Down
The Bright-Side Mix marks May’s first full moon, while the Dark-Side Mix will be released at the time of the new moon
Eivør breaks two-year silence with atmospheric new track Healer
Faroese artist says her first music since 2024 is a conversation with her younger self, who was full of doubt and didn’t know her own strength
Official Alan Parsons Project 50th anniversary book now available for pre-order
She’s spent years looking through late dad Eric Woolfson’s archive, so Joel McIver’s book is full of never-previously-seen material
Midge Ure announces new album A Man Of Two Worlds and releases lead single Just Words
Ultravox icon will launch 21-date tour when the half-instrumental LP arrives on May 8
