BBC4 - Fri 2 Jan 2009; Prog @ the BBC & Prog Rock Brittania
Posted by: DenisA on 31 December 2008
Prog at the BBC 02 Jan 2009, 21:00 on BBC Four
Compilation of some of the greatest names in progressive rock, filmed live in the BBC studios in the 1970s. Includes Yes, Genesis, ELP, Caravan, Barclay James Harvest, Gentle Giant, Family, Atomic Rooster and more.
Prog Rock Brittania: An Observation in Three Movements 02 Jan 2009, 22:00 on BBC Four
Documentary about progressive music and the generation of bands that were invloved, from the international success stories of Yes, Genesis, ELP, King Crimson and Jethro Tull to the trials and tribulations of lesser-known bands such as Caravan and Egg.
The film is structured in three parts, charting the birth, rise and decline of a movement famed for complex musical structures, weird time signatures, technical virtuosity and strange, and quintessentially English, literary influences.
It looks at the psychedelic pop scene that gave birth to progressive rock in the late 1960s, the golden age of progressive music in the early 1970s, complete with drum solos and gatefold record sleeves, and the over-ambition, commercialisation and eventual fall from grace of this rarefied musical experiment at the hands of punk in 1977.
Contributors include Robert Wyatt, Mike Oldfield, Pete Sinfield, Rick Wakeman, Phil Collins, Arthur Brown, Carl Palmer and Ian Anderson.
Prog Rock Britannia Home Page
Compilation of some of the greatest names in progressive rock, filmed live in the BBC studios in the 1970s. Includes Yes, Genesis, ELP, Caravan, Barclay James Harvest, Gentle Giant, Family, Atomic Rooster and more.
Prog Rock Brittania: An Observation in Three Movements 02 Jan 2009, 22:00 on BBC Four
Documentary about progressive music and the generation of bands that were invloved, from the international success stories of Yes, Genesis, ELP, King Crimson and Jethro Tull to the trials and tribulations of lesser-known bands such as Caravan and Egg.
The film is structured in three parts, charting the birth, rise and decline of a movement famed for complex musical structures, weird time signatures, technical virtuosity and strange, and quintessentially English, literary influences.
It looks at the psychedelic pop scene that gave birth to progressive rock in the late 1960s, the golden age of progressive music in the early 1970s, complete with drum solos and gatefold record sleeves, and the over-ambition, commercialisation and eventual fall from grace of this rarefied musical experiment at the hands of punk in 1977.
Contributors include Robert Wyatt, Mike Oldfield, Pete Sinfield, Rick Wakeman, Phil Collins, Arthur Brown, Carl Palmer and Ian Anderson.
Prog Rock Britannia Home Page
Howard,
I have this
And I also have most of the Robert Wyatt solo albums which are nothing like the Soft Machine jazz.
Let me know if you want to borrow the Soft Machine :
I have this
And I also have most of the Robert Wyatt solo albums which are nothing like the Soft Machine jazz.
Let me know if you want to borrow the Soft Machine :
Now where was part four. The Porcupine tree story
Adrian,
You can check out Egg and others of the Canterbury Scene at Burning Shed.
I thought the Prog Brittania programme was really well made. I enjoyed Caravan, who somehow passed me by back in the day. It was great to see Rick Wakeman's humour on show. He must be the best 'sit down' comic of Prog
I loved his quote "success is buried in the garden of failure", if I remembered it correctly. I wonder if they consider Prog is still alive now and will introduce other bands
You can check out Egg and others of the Canterbury Scene at Burning Shed.
I thought the Prog Brittania programme was really well made. I enjoyed Caravan, who somehow passed me by back in the day. It was great to see Rick Wakeman's humour on show. He must be the best 'sit down' comic of Prog
I loved his quote "success is buried in the garden of failure", if I remembered it correctly. I wonder if they consider Prog is still alive now and will introduce other bands quote:Originally posted by Lontano:
By the way anyone know how to get the programme off the skyplus box onto me computer? then i can send it to smilesmiles
Now that would really be cool.
Enjoyed the majority of what was shown by BBC4 last night to the extent it's the first time I've sat down in front of the TV for 2-1/2 hours all holiday.
The hour long 'prog at the BBC' had some good footage (although a few seen before) and I can never tire of seeing that Genesis performance of 'I know what I like' - not sure I'd have had Family down as being prog.
and it's a shame the only King Crimson clip they could roll out was some 1982 OGWT footage of a King Crimson by name that were really not in context with the programme (as good as those particular musicians shown were) - overall though a well padded out hours worth of viewing.
As somebody else has stated , the documentary seemed to wane a bit in the last half hour but again overall it was good viewing - the nostalgia moment was when Palmer , Bruford & Wakeman all longed for the days of vinyl & gatefold sleeves - something you could physically handle and cherish.
The last half hour could have been summed up by simply saying 'the thing that finished prog. (at the time) was prog. itself'
The hour long 'prog at the BBC' had some good footage (although a few seen before) and I can never tire of seeing that Genesis performance of 'I know what I like' - not sure I'd have had Family down as being prog.
and it's a shame the only King Crimson clip they could roll out was some 1982 OGWT footage of a King Crimson by name that were really not in context with the programme (as good as those particular musicians shown were) - overall though a well padded out hours worth of viewing.As somebody else has stated , the documentary seemed to wane a bit in the last half hour but again overall it was good viewing - the nostalgia moment was when Palmer , Bruford & Wakeman all longed for the days of vinyl & gatefold sleeves
- something you could physically handle and cherish.The last half hour could have been summed up by simply saying 'the thing that finished prog. (at the time) was prog. itself'
quote:Originally posted by munch:
But all you learn is, it rained at every live show they did until the last one.The Free one in Italy
I love the band but glad i did not go.
Did n't rain at Manchester
Did at Twickenham.quote:Originally posted by munch:Acording to the band it rained at every out door show they played.quote:Originally posted by Lontano:quote:Originally posted by munch:
But all you learn is, it rained at every live show they did until the last one.The Free one in Italy
I love the band but glad i did not go.
Did n't rain at Manchester
But not Italy.
Stu I was at both shows. In the docu they state it rained a lot on the tour but do not say it rained at every show. Certainly did not at Dusseldorf as that was indoors.
If it was going to rain at a show the band would have a rain cover over them. Here is Manchester - no cover. It would be hanging over the light frames.
Here is Twickers with cover if you look carefully. It pissed in the middle of the concert as my copy of the show confirms.
Cheers
The documentary was poor compared with last nights - too many unsympathetic opinions and not enough about the music.
John Peel was a fantastic guy, but his views on prog-rock were rather strange. It was funny that JP said punk killed prog in the same way curry killed British cuisine - oh well, John I can't stand curry, especially as it makes me violent ill I'll stick to Cod & Chips and ELP. Still miss JP's show on the radio.
Charles Shar-Murray was as tedious as ever and his comment that punk took music back to rock and roll said it all - the Desperate Bicycles were as far away from the ennui that was rock and roll as it is possible to get - my teenage musical rebellion was to get away from the music of my parents and no way did I want to listen to Chuck Berry, Little Richard or Elvis Presley (actually I still don't care for 50s rock n roll, but I do respect the aforementioned trio and quite like some of their songs).
Once again the BBC felt it necessary to include footage of the Ramones and Sex Pistols in a programme about prog-rock. To me they are both irrelevant to the story of prog, but have a story of their own.
The ELP documentary was another wasted opportunity - they could have shown concert footage or at least something better.
So IMHO, a brilliant Friday night and a mediocre Saturday night.
Still we're in the next round of the cup after a brilliant display against the Spirites so I'm happy - sad to see my local team, Forest Green Rovers, exit though.
I missed the Genesis stuff first time around and unfortunately will miss it again on Sunday night as I just remembered I have to watch some paint dry
ATB Rotf
John Peel was a fantastic guy, but his views on prog-rock were rather strange. It was funny that JP said punk killed prog in the same way curry killed British cuisine - oh well, John I can't stand curry, especially as it makes me violent ill I'll stick to Cod & Chips and ELP. Still miss JP's show on the radio.
Charles Shar-Murray was as tedious as ever and his comment that punk took music back to rock and roll said it all - the Desperate Bicycles were as far away from the ennui that was rock and roll as it is possible to get - my teenage musical rebellion was to get away from the music of my parents and no way did I want to listen to Chuck Berry, Little Richard or Elvis Presley (actually I still don't care for 50s rock n roll, but I do respect the aforementioned trio and quite like some of their songs).
Once again the BBC felt it necessary to include footage of the Ramones and Sex Pistols in a programme about prog-rock. To me they are both irrelevant to the story of prog, but have a story of their own.
The ELP documentary was another wasted opportunity - they could have shown concert footage or at least something better.
So IMHO, a brilliant Friday night and a mediocre Saturday night.
Still we're in the next round of the cup after a brilliant display against the Spirites so I'm happy - sad to see my local team, Forest Green Rovers, exit though.
I missed the Genesis stuff first time around and unfortunately will miss it again on Sunday night as I just remembered I have to watch some paint dry
ATB Rotf
quote:Originally posted by ROTF:
I just remembered I have to watch some paint dry
What colour - Magnolia?
How did you know my favourite colour is Sugar Magnolia?quote:Originally posted by Lontano:What colour - Magnolia?quote:Originally posted by ROTF:
I just remembered I have to watch some paint dry
ATB Rotf