The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock [Paperback]

Charles Snider (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 2008

Dig out that long lost box of vinyl records, slap on some headphones and travel back to the 1970s. Here's your definitive guide to progressive rock, with band histories, musical synopses and critical commentary, all presented in the historical context of a timeline. Album by album, we'll chart each release from the giant dinosaurs of the era and uncover eccentric Eurorock obscurities as we create the ultimate head music playlist. We'll trip through concept records, indulgent solos and epic album-side long compositions in a definitive reappraisal of rock's most cerebral and renowned genre. The candid prologue and epilogue offer one of the most coherent portraits of the progressive rock era, while the discography details offshoots, solo albums, side projects and more. From the British kings of prog, to the eclectic Italian progressives, heady German krautrock artists and European jazz fusion groups - it's all inside!

Product Details

• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: Strawberry Bricks; 1 edition (April 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 061517566X
• ISBN-13: 978-0615175669
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #613,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Prog Rock Record Guide, June 5, 2008

By 

Herb Atlas "herb_atlas" (Chicago IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock (Paperback)

On the surface, Snider's work is a collection of album reviews - and a great listener's guide to progressive rock at that, amassing some 250-300 reviews of classic prog rock records. They're neither cursory nor hagiographic, and for the most part he's right on the mark with each album. But taken as a whole, he offers the history of the genre's "classic" era, with loads of facts and insights running throughout his commentary. For the new listener, it's a goldmine of discovery. For the hardcore fan, it's an affirmation of what made prog rock such good listening.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a book!, June 10, 2008

By 

K. Eden (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock (Paperback)

To write a complete history of prog rock would be nigh on impossible but with The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock Charles Snider has practically succeeded.
Using a year by year timeline to review not only all the major releases but also some fairly obscure, mostly European, releases Charles successfully unfolds the story of progs development, evolution and decline.
Although an American Charles has succeeded in understanding this predominatly British musical phenomenon and its impact on popular culture.
This book is for both afficiandos and beginners and will wet the appetite of anyone interested in listening some some of the best, and worst, music of the past 40 years.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledgeable and talented, February 7, 2010

By 

Golovanov Alexey (Limassol, Cyprus) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock (Paperback)

Excellently well researched, knowledgeable and serious book - far superiour to many scholastic monographs (which are just hording minor facts without real understanding). A true "progressive rock encyclopeadia" of a kind which covers almost everything - from inevitable founders of the genre (ELP, Yes, King Crimson etc) to less known Italian bands (PFM, Osanna,Balletto di Bronzo...), French (Gong, Magma...), Krautrock and - even (I couldn't believe my eyes!) - Greek "Socrates"Phos and Finnish "Wigwam".
It's not just a collection of LPs reviews: Charles Snider gives a sharp analysis of each year in progressive rock history through the prism of several most essential LPs (which were the cornerstones of the genre). But: it provides you with brief and basic essay of the state of the society in general and the music, plus covers the developments in various countries. Let's take 1976, for example: Gong ("Shamal"), Rush ("2112"), Genesis ("Trick of the Tail"), Nektar ("Recycled"), PFM ("Chocolate Kings"), Van Der Graaf, Nova, Camel, Gentle Giant, Hoelderlin, Novalis, Jethro Tull...
I would say that the book covered (finally!) the huge gap left by the "Great Rock Discography" - well, many bands didn't make into the charts, but left deep impact on the musical culture.
As bonuses you'll get decent discography, plus recommended further reading, plus index of the artists, etc, etc.
It is an enjoyable and pleasant reading too - I did it already twice, and now studying the book for third. It's like a time machine: taking back to the days when the music was forged, when Levi's, Wrangler and Lee were the only true jeans (and the rest either didn't exist, or were pantalons or trousers), when long hair, beard & Nehru jacket were a must...
Of course, my most humble suggestion is to add a few names - Jane, Frumpy, Sandrose, Analogy, Toad, Julian's Treatment, De De Lind, Biglietto per l'Inferno, Ekseption... Saint-Preux is a must, while great musicians from behind the Iron Curtain really deserve a word or two - Cheslaw Niemen, SBB, Omega, Locomotiv GT. On the other hand, it might be not a bad idea to pay hommage to the unknown soldiers of prog-rock ("Ford Theatre", for example).
In any case, get Archie Patterson "Eurock" as a companion to this book, you wouldn't regret it -Eurock: European Rock & the Second Culture
I hope to see an expanded edition of "The Strawberry Bricks".
P.S. Special thanks for "Rare Bird"
P.P.S. I would have given SIX STARS to the book, and Amazon should do the same - I am afraid, I have to spend more money...