In late 1977, Steve Hillage spent some time with his ex-Gong cohorts producing ex-Hawkwind member Nik Turner's 1978 solo album, Xitintoday. He then toured the UK, assisted by Americans Joe Blocker on drums and Curtis Robertson on bass (from the funk band Karma) and, of course, his ever-present partner Miquette Giraudy on keyboards. For his fourth album, Hillage manned the producer's chair with Pink Floyd's Nick Mason; so it should be no surprise that Green is one of his spacier releases.

Jethro Tull celebrated a decade in the music business with a second compilation, Repeat – The Best of Jethro Tull – Vol II (released in November 1977), and their 11th studio album—no small feat. On Heavy Horses, Ian Anderson continues his lyrical dalliance with most things country, including farm animals and...two songs about mice. Anderson again sticks to the tried-and-true Tull formula he first pitched on Too Old To Rock ‘n' Roll: Too Young To Die!, and precious little seems to have changed, save the song's titles.

Following the demise of King Crimson in 1974, the rhythm section—the formidable duo of Bill Bruford and John Wetton—took some journeyman work (separately, for Gong, Genesis, National Health, Roxy Music and Uriah Heep) and then tried to form a trio with Rick Wakeman; scuttled by management, the keyboardist opted to return to Yes. Then, in 1977, the pair decided to each pick a bandmate: Wetton brought in violin and keyboard man Eddie Jobson, while Bruford recruited guitarist Allan Holdsworth.

Steve Hackett began his solo career in earnest with his second record. So, it should come as no surprise that none of his Genesis bandmates contribute here. Instead, Hackett opted for a diverse guest list: Steve Walsh and Phil Ehart of Kansas, labelmate Graham Smith, Chester Thompson (well, not technically a member of Genesis), the returning John Acock and John Hackett, and a few unlikely candidates—namely, vocalists Richie Havens and Randy Crawford. Please Don't Touch begins with a few numbers that wouldn't sound out of place on a Kansas record.

Shortly after mixing Seconds Out, Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford (hence the album title) headed to Amsterdam to record this, their 11th record. Rutherford chose to fill Steve Hackett's now vacant position, but that wasn't the only change: Genesis also made a conscious decision to shorten the songs in order to present a greater diversity across the record. Boasting 11 tracks, …And Then There Were Three… still contains the band's substantial musicality, and a wonderfully dark production that gives it a uniform feel—something not usually associated with the band.

Produced by David Hentschel, Renaissance's next two albums reveal a significant change in direction from their previous work. Hentschel had, of course, perfected his technique with Genesis, and he certainly brought some of that influence here; just listen to the opening of "Kindness (At the End)." Predictably, the songs are shorter and more pop-oriented, with Michael Dunford's songwriting now mostly co-authored with Jon Camp.

Synthesist Michael Hoenig got his start in the German group Agitation Free, alongside drummer Chris Franke. That connection was renewed when Hoenig filled in for a vacationing Peter Baumann on Tangerine Dream's 1975 tours; and obviously, he learned a bit of their craft along the way. In 1976, he worked with Ashra's Manuel Göttsching, but recordings would not surface until decades later (as Early Water). In 1977, Hoenig became one of the first German musicians to sign an international deal, inking with Warner Brothers in the US.

Following Tangerine Dream's 1977 US tour and Peter Baumann's departure, Edgar Froese and Chris Franke took the dramatic steps of reinventing Tangerine Dream by inviting drummer Klaus Krieger and wind instrumentalist Steve Jolliffe into the fold. The latter had been in an early incarnation of the band during the late 60s; but his tenure at this stage would certainly be more controversial, as Jolliffe would also supply Tangerine Dream with-wait for it-vocals.

Before Kraan's 1978 release, Flyday, original member Jan Fride took a break from music and was replaced by drummer Udo Dahmen, previously in Aachen's Rufus Zuphall. With compositions credited to either Peter Wolbrandt or Hellmut Hattler, the album covers much of the same ground as the last. The instrumental "Far West" kicks off with the band soaring along to the jazzy tempo. The vocal effort "My Brother Said" is a real treat, reminiscent of the aggressive rock of the band's earlier Wintrup album.

National Health's beginnings precede this debut recording by about two years. Two keyboardists, Hatfield and the North's Dave Stewart and Gilgamesh's Alan Gowen, founded the group as a large-scale rock ensemble in 1975. Early lineups included Stewart and Gowen, along with Phil Lee and Phil Miller on guitars, Mont Campbell on bass, Amanda Parsons on vocals and Bill Bruford on drums. Large indeed. Lee left first, to be temporarily replaced by Steve Hillage. Bruford was the next to depart, followed by Campbell and Gowen.