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Latest news: Work has begun on The Strawberry Bricks Companion, a curated and annotated discography of the artists and groups from the timeline, 1967 to present. Due sometime in 2025.

Buy the book: The third edition of The Strawberry Bricks Guide To Progressive Rock is available for individual purchase through your country's Amazon website, including local shipping and Prime benefits: Amazon.com (US) | Amazon.co.uk (UK) | Amazon.ca (CA) | Amazon.de (DE) | Amazon.fr (FR) | Amazon.es (ES) | Amazon.it (IT) | Amazon.jp (JP) | Amazon.com.au (AU)

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Reviews for the Third Edition

Reviews for the third edition of The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive rock (will be updated).

Totally missed this review! Thank you Pete Pardo and Sea of Tranquility!

Red Queen To Gryphon Three > Gryphon

Artist: Gryphon
Label: Bell Records
Catalog#: BELL 1316
Format: Vinyl
Country: United States
Released: 1974-11
Strawberry Bricks Entry: 
Gryphon wasn't initially a rock band, but a folk band, and one playing medieval and Renaissance music at that; their first two albums were acoustic affairs recorded for the Transatlantic label. Richard Harvey and Brian Gulland, both Royal College of Music graduates, formed the band in 1971, and later added guitarist Graeme Taylor and drummer David Oberlé. Bassist Phil Nestor jumped aboard for their second album, Midnight Mushrumps, which featured the lengthy track of the same name.

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway > Genesis

Artist: Genesis
Label: ATCO Records
Catalog#: SD 2-401
Format: Vinyl
Country: United States
Released: 1974-11-18
Strawberry Bricks Entry: 
If one had to pick an album to define progressive rock, it would be a double; and more often than not, Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway would top the list. The sprawling double-album revolves around Peter Gabriel's story of a NYC street kid, Rael; that it roughly approximates every boy's journey out of adolescence is more than likely what gives the album its universal appeal. The anthem of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" begins with Tony Banks's rolling piano giving away to Mike Rutherford's monster bass line.

Autobahn > Kraftwerk

Artist: Kraftwerk
Label: Vertigo
Catalog#: VEL-2003
Format: Vinyl
Country: United States
Released: 1974-11
Strawberry Bricks Entry: 
That Kraftwerk ventured into pop territory isn't that far of a stretch; they'd always had a way with melody, and the whole krautrock trip was getting a little passé by now. The journey down side one of Autobahn is just like a Sunday afternoon cruise on the freeway: scenic, ambling with the windows down. Driven by a cheery, pulsing beat, "Autobahn" shifts between reoccurring themes throughout, the destination being as irrelevant as the location—once aboard, you just enjoy the ride.

Illusions On A Double Dimple > Triumvirat

Artist: Triumvirat
Label: Harvest
Catalog#: ST-11311
Format: Vinyl
Country: United States
Released: 1974-10
Strawberry Bricks Entry: 
Triumvirat hailed from Cologne, but offered a style of music that was pure British progressive rock. Their debut album Mediterranean Tales was recorded and released in 1972, with two Hans, Pape on bass and vocal, and Bathelt on drums, plus Jürgen Fritz on keyboards. Anchored by the classically-trained keyboards of the latter, the album sat firmly in Emerson, Lake and Palmer tradition, but contained enough originality to hold its own. Released by Capitol Records, the follow-up Illusions On A Double Dimple was the band's first in a run of albums to have chart success in the US.

You > Gong

Artist: Gong
Label: Virgin Records America, Inc.
Catalog#: VR 13-113
Format: Vinyl
Country: United States
Released: 1974-10
Strawberry Bricks Entry: 
With the opening tracks "Thought for Naught/A P.H.P.'s Advice," Didier Malherbe and Daevid Allen playfully set the stage for the third and final installment of Gong's Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy. For the most part though, Gong forgoes the song format of the previous album and instead rides the long rock-solid grooves of Mike Howlett and Pierre Moerlen's ace rhythm team. That said, it's hardly surprising that You is Gong's strongest release yet. The mantra of "Master Builder" ignites with Steve Hillage's formidable lead guitar.

The Power And The Glory > Gentle Giant

Artist: Gentle Giant
Label: Capitol Records
Catalog#: ST-11337
Format: Vinyl
Country: United States
Released: 1974-09
Strawberry Bricks Entry: 
For Gentle Giant's sixth album, the band wanted a "more spontaneous feel," prompting them to record most of the tracks on the first or second take. To that end, they succeeded, as The Power And The Glory ranks as one of the band's most unified and cohesive efforts. The album revolves around the concept of political power; and whether intentionally or not, the album's recording did coincide with the Watergate hearings, making it by-and-large a contemporary subject—something for which prog rock would rarely be known.

Red > King Crimson

Artist: King Crimson
Label: Atlantic
Catalog#: SD 18110
Format: Vinyl
Country: United States
Released: 1974-10
Strawberry Bricks Entry: 
By the time the reinvigorated King Crimson recorded this third offering, the band was down to Robert Fripp and the rhythm section of Bill Bruford and John Wetton. Though it wasn't known at the time, Red would be their swansong, and an album on which Fripp could proudly wrap up the Crim saga. Oddly though, Fripp invited two former members to the recording, Ian McDonald and Mel Collins; while David Cross's part came from a previously recorded improvisation.

War Child > Jethro Tull

Artist: Jethro Tull
Label: Chrysalis
Catalog#: CHR 1067
Format: Vinyl
Country: United States
Released: 1974-10
Strawberry Bricks Entry: 
War Child was nearly an orphan. Originally meant as a soundtrack to a film (something about a child's adventures in the afterlife), Ian Anderson's unwillingness to relinquish artistic control killed the project. Jethro Tull recovered, and instead put together a collection of (previously written) songs, giving it the distinction of being their first album since Benefit to avoid an epic construct. The album though is rich in arrangement, with David Palmer's orchestrations playing a central role.

Clic > Battiato, Franco

Artist: Franco Battiato
Label: Island Records
Catalog#: ILPS 9323
Format: Vinyl
Country: United Kingdom
Released: 1974-09
Strawberry Bricks Entry: 
Franco Battiato's next two recordings saw his music take another step towards the avant-garde. Combining synthesizers, piano, electronics, voices and tapes into a musique concrete of effortless, hypnotic music, Sulle Corde di Aries was released in 1973. "Sequenze e Frequenze" covered the first side, while three shorter tracks filled the second; here, Battiato opted for an eastern flavor, combining electronics and acoustic tabla, with his layered voice providing the magnetic icing. Clic followed the next year, again for the Bla Bla label.

Trace > Trace

Artist: Trace
Label: Sire
Catalog#: SASD-7504
Format: Vinyl
Country: United States
Released: 1974-09
Strawberry Bricks Entry: 
Hailing from the Netherlands, Trace featured the talents of two (cousins) van der Lindens. Rick, the classically-trained keyboard player, cut his teeth with classical performance before leading Ekseption (sic) for nearly five years. That band found considerable success by rocking up classical adaptations and jazz standards, though they offered little more than novelty. And yet, this would become the popular Dutch variant of prog rock. Drummer Pierre had been in several Dutch groups, including Brainbox and Focus. In 1974, the pair joined up with bassist Jaap van Eik to form Trace.