Classic Rock And Prog Almanac

Today Peter gives his ranking of The Incredible String Band albums. Topics covered include: the Edinburgh folk scene, the distinctive String Band cover art, the influence ISB had on other bands of the period, the band’s unusual lyrics and the Williamson-Heron dialectic. Also, who is the worst singer in the band? Exactly how cold is Edinburgh? Who is Wee Tam? Why is The Hedgehog Song so popular? When did the scientology kick in? Who does worse fake laughter, the String Band or Joni Mitchell? And of course, which album will be number one?!

This week Tim had a conversation with himself about Roger Waters’ third studio album, Amused To Death. Topics covered include: whether this is Waters’ best solo album, the subterranean structure of the album, the difference between George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, whether the album is written like a musical, and the debt the album owes to Pink Floyd. Also, how does Roger Waters echo the 19th Century German philosopher Feuerbach? Is TV a good thing or a bad thing? Is Jeff Beck doing Dave Gilmour doing Jeff Beck? Can Dark Side Of The Moon really be played in sync with The Wizard Of Oz? Why is Andrew Lloyd-Weber so bad? And what exactly is basketball?

This week, Tim, Shaun and Peter discussed their top five albums of 1968. Topics covered include: whether 1968 is very different from 1967, whether rock albums carry the day in 1968 or other genres, what role nostalgia plays in the albums, and whether the U.S. or the U.K. had better albums at that time. Also, do the 1970s begin in 1968? Did Roy Wood from ELO invent the general theory of relativity? Do you have to be a musician to make music? How many times did Timothy Leary die? And is Ray Davies Shaun’s own personal Morrissey?

This week Tim did a monologue on the newly-re-released second album by Queen, otherwise known as Queen 2. Topics covered include: whether the critical consensus on this album is accurate, why the band called one side white and one side black, the extent to which the album can be considered a concept album, whether this album is an originator of the later British heavy metal scene, and whether Queen in their turn were influenced by Gentle Giant. Also, has a worse acronym ever been invented than NWOBHM? What was the name of the film whose title track was “Flash”? How many proto-Bohemian Rhapsodies did Queen produce? How bad are the lyrics to Loser In The End? And how much is it possible to complain about Queen whilst both celebrating and lauding one of their key works?

This week, Tim discussed the third album by Kate Bush, Never For Ever. Topics covered include: Kate Bush's harmonic sophistication, the poetic mastery she displays on the album, whether she should be considered an underrated artist, the constant Freudian sexual motifs she uses and the literary and cinematic dimension of the record. Also, why is the angel and the whore motif so popular? Why are the monsters on the cover emerging from Kate’s dress? Has anyone ever sat through a whole Ken Russell film? Are we really all just trying to get back to our mother’s breast? And is Babooshka trying to seduce her husband because she wants to win him back or is she just collecting material for the divorce papers?