Mountains Come Out of the Sky: The Illustrated History of Prog Rock (Book)

The best place to start This is a huge, lengthy, detailed history of progressive rock, smoothly written and beautiful to look at. There are some minor problems. Hard-core fans will undoubtedly find some artists who were left out of Romano's history (an entire chapter on trailblazers Van der Graaf Generator was reportedly dropped because the band wasn't commercial enough), some bands aren't represented by their best works, some artists included aren't really prog, some album covers are mis-identified, etc. But the book . "The Best History of Prog Rock Yet Assembled" according to Jerky LeBoeuf. A beautifully illustrated history of a maligned and misunderstood musical genre. This is the overview that devoted prog fans have been waiting for. All the big acts are covered in depth, as are some of the obscure acts and artists who made an impact and exerted an important influence over larger acts that came after, in this chronological survey, which also does an admirable job of pointing the reader in the direction of some newer musical acts that continue to live up to the prog rock credo of . "Errors from Typograhic Oceans" according to Galfridus. This book contains lengthy histories of the major progressive rock bands (Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis, and others)--plus histories of lesser known and lesser selling elements of prog-rock, such as the bands in the Canterbury (UK) scene such as Caravan. Additionally, the author discusses each album the group has produced up to publication date in a discerning, reasonable manner. Finally, he includes additional chapters to cover the resurgence in the '80s of Yes and Genesis, and the changes--positive

. He is the author of Big Boss Man: The Life and Music of Bluesman Jimmy Reed and Incurable Blues: The Trouble and Triumph of Blues Legend Hubert Sumlin. Will Romano has written for the New York Post, Modern Drummer, Goldmine, EQ, and Guitar Player

--Blues RevuePraise for Big Boss Man: dispels the myths, casts some light on popular folktales and uncovers hard truths that even die-hard fans wouldn't know. Praise for Big Boss Man: A serious contender for blues book of the year, it's essential reading for Reed's fans. --Time Out Chicago

(Book). From its artful beginnings (Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, the Mothers of Invention, and those progressive forebearers, the Sgt. This is indeed the book prog rock fans have been waiting for, the only one of its kind, as fantastic as the subjects it covers.. Pepper-era Beatles), through the towering guitar solos, monumental synthesizer banks, and mind-boggling special effects of the Golden Age of Prog (Rush, Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP, Genesis, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, UK), through the radio-friendly "pop era" (Asia, the Phil Collins-led Genesis, and a reformed Yes), and right up to the present state of the art (Marillion, Spock's Beard, and Mars Volta), this is a wickedly incisive tou