Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 216
•
Trim: 6¼ x 9¼
978-1-4422-6602-5 • Hardback • May 2018 • $51.00 • (£39.00)
978-1-4422-6603-2 • eBook • May 2018 • $48.50 • (£37.00)
Robert G. H. Burns is associate professor at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. Prior to moving to New Zealand, he was a professional studio bassist in the UK performing and recording with David Gilmour, Pete Townsend, Jerry Donahue, James Burton, Ian Paice and Jon Lord, Eric Burdon, and members of Abba, among others. He also played on the soundtracks of UK television shows such as Red Dwarf, Mr. Bean, and Blackadder. Among his academic interests are progressive rock music; the combination of folk music, rock music, and modern nationalism in the UK and Germany; popular music history; and bass guitar performance.
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 “From the Beginning”: The Struggle for Definition
Chapter 3 Conceptuality: Embracing the Long Player and Advances in Technology in Sound Reproduction
Chapter 4 Enemies at the Door: Prog Under Threat
Chapter 5 A New Decade and a New Progressive Rock
Chapter 6 New Directions in the 1990s and 2000s
Chapter 7 Tripping the Light Fantastic: Progressive Rock and Spectacle
Chapter 8 New Life: Reuniting for Renewed Success
Chapter 9 Post-Prog: A New Struggle for Definition
Chapter 10 Conclusion: Is Contemporary Progressive Rock Driven by Musical “Progression”?
As both a scholar and bassist, Burns melds a professional musician’s ear with a musicologist’s analytical pen to produce a tribute and history of the genre. . . The inclusion of both an extensive reading and listening lists invites the reader to indulge in complex instrumentals and reverberating Mellotrons to truly understand the meaning of progressive rock.
— American Reference Books Annual
Progressive Music has always been full of surprises. It's the one form of music that has always embraced genre-hopping. At the end of the day, music without prejudice is what it is all about. A film for the ear... The explosion of experimentation in the 1960s enabled talented and imaginative musicians to fly and shake off the shackles of musical limitations.
— Steve Hackett, guitarist for Genesis
A thumping good read from a thunderously good bass man.
— Tim Renwick, guitarist for Eric Clapton, Elton John, Mike Oldfield, Al Stewart, and Pink Floyd
A comprehensive examination of Prog Rock, including interviews with band members, engineers, and producers. It also includes decryptions of lyrics and an in-depth study of the musical composition of various tracks. A well-researched fascinating read.
— Craig Milliner, engineer, and producer for Peter Gabriel, Brand X, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and others
Burns gets inside the warp and weft of progressive rock’s intricate tapestry and shows us the hows and whys of it all. He neatly defines what makes prog-rock so different and such a product of its time, technologically and culturally. Most of all, he brings the music to life and makes you want to listen to it.
— Simon Nicol, Fairport Convention