Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s first major performance was at the Isle of Wight festival on August 29th, 1970, where they offered their rendition of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” It was a grand show, complete with cannon fire and Keith Emerson’s organ-flinging antics, and even filmed for posterity. (Their actual debut was six days earlier at the Plymouth Guildhall.) The album Pictures At An Exhibition, however, was recorded live in March of 1971 at the Newcastle City Hall. It follows Emerson’s “Nice” tradition of adapting classical compositions into a rock context.

After the critical (and self-critical) reaction to their previous album Atom Heart Mother, Pink Floyd spent a great deal of time on their follow-up, Meddle. The album is often mistakenly called “Echoes,” as the track of the same name encompasses the record’s entire second side. Except for a break to compile Relics, the band spent the better part of six months on the track, which they first played live under the name “Return of the Son of Nothing” in April 1971. Using Morgan, AIR (with 16-track capabilities) and Abbey Road Studios, the band finally finished the track in July.

After the upheaval that followed their last album, the core members of Genesis-Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel and Mike Rutherford-forged ahead, adding two members who would be crucial to their future. Drummer Phil Collins, previously in Flaming Youth, was recruited at the recommendation of Charisma boss Tony Stratton-Smith. The band then spent a brief period as a four piece before the bearded and bespectacled guitarist Steve Hackett arrived, virtually without audition, from a Melody Maker advert.

There’s a seeming tradition in the Netherlands, beginning with the original Dutch export Ekseption, of souping-up classical music themes into a rock format. Focus ventured onto this path, but borrowed more from the Baroque and Renaissance eras; and more importantly, used those influences to create something of their own. Keyboardist and flautist Thijs van Leer formed the group in 1969 as the pit band for the Dutch production of Hair. At the end of the year, guitarist Jan Akkerman was recruited from another Dutch rock band, Brainbox.

Success may have proved too much for Arthur Brown, as his attempts to keep the Crazy World together failed. Along with Drachen Theaker, Brown assembled a new band, provisionally called Puddletown Express, in late 1969. The lineup included saxophonist George Khan, organist Jonah Mitchell, bassist Dennis Taylor and guitarist Andy Rickell, aka “Android Funnel.” A follow-up to the Crazy World was recorded, but ultimately abandoned. (It did see release decades later as Strange Lands, as did the Brown-less Rustic Hinge recordings).

Pawn Hearts would be the final statement of Van der Graaf Generator’s “first generation,” and they ended it with a masterpiece. The album’s first side contains “Lemmings (Including COG)” and “Man-Erg,” the latter being the only number that was previously road tested before the recording session. Both are full of VdGG mechanics: the relative calm of “Man-Erg” pierced by Hugh Banton’s hammering organ, while “Lemmings” plunges into even darker imagery, both lyrically and sonically.

One of Germany’s rock pioneers, Achim Reichel founded beat-era The Rattles, the country’s equivalent to The Beatles, with Herbert Hildebrandt and Dicky Tarrach in 1960. The band toured the UK with The Rolling Stones, supported The Beatles in 1966 and had an international hit, “The Witch” b/w “Geraldine” in 1970. Military service drew Reichel from the band in 1966 but upon discharge, he continued his musical career with the pop group Wonderland. At the start of the 70s, however, his interests in Eastern philosophies coincided with the burgeoning progressive trend.

Infinitely more rewarding than their debut was Curved Air’s aptly titled Second Album. Bassist Ian Eyre replaced Robert Martin, the first in what would become an all-too-frequent occurrence for the band. The considerable musical talents of the classically-trained violinist Darryl Way and keyboardist Francis Monkman finally gel here, even though their compositions split the album’s sides. Way’s “Young Mother” (with lyrics from Sonja Kristina Linwood) opens and features some excellent synthesizer work from Monkman.

The title of Gentle Giant’s second album, Acquiring The Taste, was of course a reference to their musical oeuvre. The liner notes insist, “It has taken every shred of our combined musical and technical knowledge… to expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music.” And there you have it: the progressive ethos! The band plays what seems to be an orchestra of instruments over the course of the album. From the baroque recorders on “Wreck” to the alto and tenor saxophones of “The Moon Is Down,” Giant extend the range of their music in a genuinely eclectic way.

Judging by the success of their last album and single, this was indeed the year of the Rooster (though technically, it was the Year of the Boar). Another single, this time penned by John Du Cann, was released in July. “Devil’s Answer” b/w “The Rock” was a hit, reaching No. 4 on the UK charts. However, the creative differences between Du Cann and Vincent Crane had come to a head. Crane recruited vocalist Pete French, formerly in Leafhound, to re-record Du Cann’s vocals on the nearly completed album.