Latest articles by Sid Smith
“Otherworldly, intensely powerful and sometimes baffling… the product of an artist they no longer recognised”: Tim Buckley’s Lorca
1970 album contained more progressive elements than his label wanted from a sensitive hippie troubadour
“Unsettling - not exactly made for repeat listening but more occasional contemplation, like a book of poetry”: David Sylvian’s Samadhisound 2003-2014: Do You Know Me Now?
Box set illustrates an apparent disappearing act over a decade
“I’ve been very lucky throughout my life as a player." Soft Machine drummer John Marshall remembered
Prog writer Sid Smith pays tribute to former Soft Machine drummer John Marshall, who died over the weekend, aged 82
“Experimental tunings, daring approaches to form and a genuine improvisational sensibility”: David Crosby’s proggiest album, made against the odds
Debut solo release If I Could Only Remember My Name proved he could stand on his own
"There’ll always be questions like, ‘What’s going on with Mike Ratledge?’ Or a question about Robert Wyatt." Soft Machine on life in the new millennium
In 2015 Soft Machine dropped the 'legacy' tag and threw themselves headlong into being the Canterbury legends, Hidden Details was their first album under the new/old monicker
The most underrated albums by 10 major prog bands
Showing a little love for the overlooked classics by prog giants Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Rush and more
Haunting tunes from the head and heart, The Blue Nile's A Walk Across The Rooftops defies easy categorisation.
In praise of The Blue Nile's 1984 album, A Walk Across The Rooftops
Recorded between the gruelling Animals tour and the psycho-drama that was The Wall, the sentiments Richard Wright expressed in Wet Dream could apply to Pink Floyd as much as to his disintegrating marriage...
Richard Wright's Wet Dream album: The Pink Floyd keyboardist’s underrated solo debut remixed
40-odd years on, Gentle Giant's 1976 album Interview remains an object lesson in risk-taking
Gentle Giant's 1976 album In'terview (2023 Steven Wilson remix) – reviewed
“Pop music didn’t offer enough open space for improvisation… there was no way we were going to play a tune the same way twice”: How Soft Machine pioneered the Canterbury scene
By the time debut album The Soft Machine was released in 1968, they’d already split up - but its impact changed everything
Everything you wanted to know about Rock In Opposition but were too afraid to ask
Check out our RIO playlist and discover some gems from this oft-ignored sub-genre of prog
The ultimate Canterbury Scene playlist
Enter a world of Caravan, Soft Machine, Egg, Gilgamesh, Matching Mole and more
“Some people would want me to just be playing jazz-rock in a pub somewhere!" Dave Stewart refuses to bow to fan expectations
Former Egg/Hatfied & The North/National Health man Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin discuss their musical legacy
The Fierce & The Dead - News From The Invisible World: "Taut songs with glorious, air-punching choruses."
Not yet ratedProg faves The Fierce And The Dead are in fine voice on fourth album.
“Joe Walsh branched out – a genuine progressive instinct at work”: when future Eagles icon went prog with The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get
1973 album carries flavours of Genesis and the Beatles, helped on its way by a gift from Pete Townshend
A life well lived: remembering the late Alan White
Prog writer Sid Smith pays tribute to the former John Lennon and Yes drummer Alan White, who sadly died in 2022
"The best Yes album in more than 20 years!" How Yes made their 23rd studio album Mirror To The Sky
No Jon Anderson, Chris Squire or Alan White? No problem for Yes. Prog’s great survivors hit a late-career upswing on Mirror To The Sky
Jethro Tull - RökFlöte: "resounds with personality, meaning and drama."
Not yet ratedIan Anderson draws on Viking mythology on the follow-up to The Zealot Gene – but no one’s living in the past on Tull’s 23rd album.
"I’ve been booted out of King Crimson about three times": Bill Bruford on a life in music
From Yes and King Crimson to UK and Earthworks, the highly respected drummer with an extremely distinctive sound talks developing a thick skin, suffering for his art and why he doesn’t like looking backwards.
How Song Of Seven helped Jon Anderson survive the 80s!
Jon Andersons second solo album Song Of Seven helped him navigate choppy waters having quit Yes at the turn of the new decade and move on into the 80s
A Van der Graaf Generator primer playlist
Here's our pick of some of the finest VdGG music over the years, from their 1970 debut to 2016's Do Not Disturb
10 things we learned about the stellar new King Crimson documentary
Tobie Amies' In the Court Of The Crimson King, King Crimson At 50 launches in cinemas and online this week
Principal Edwards: Round One album review
Not yet ratedPink Floyd's Nick Mason produces entertaining folk rockers Principal Edwards.
