Beyond and Before: Progressive Rock Since the 1960s: Amazon.co.uk: Martin Halliwell, Paul Hegarty: Books

Review

"Examining every aspect of progressive rock - words and music, theatre and politics - Hegarty and Halliwell deftly unpick the tangled threads of tradition and radicalism that make up the genre's tapestry. In addition to shedding vital new light on an often maligned and misunderstood phase in rock's history, this probing and incisive study tracks prog's continued and unexpected reverberations through popular music long after punk had supposedly vanquished and banished it." --Simon Reynolds, author of Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past and Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-84

"Beyond and Before is a wonderful account of both the rich legacy and the ongoing story of progressive rock in all its forms. At last, here is a book that gives prog its due respect as a vital part of the history of rock music, without tying it to a simplistic narrative of over-ambition, decadence and decline. The best thing about the book is its comprehensive, nuanced definition of what counts as progressive. In Hegarty and Halliwell's capable hands we journey from such unlikely precursors of the concept album as Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington, through the 1970s Golden Age of Jethro Tull, Genesis and Pink Floyd to contemporary exponents as various as Spock's Beard, Porcupine Tree and The Decemberists." --Greg Walker, Regius Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature, University of Edinburgh

This is a great book. Hegarty and Halliwell have rescued progressive rock from the condescension of history by crafting a work that is smart, sympathetic, and impressively sweeping in its coverage of a much derided, yet enormously diverse and influential transnational music. Whether your taste is Porcupine Tree or Pink Floyd, Epica or ELP, Mike Oldfield or Midlake, there is plenty to admire and ponder in this ambitious and compelling account. By offering an expanded definition of prog rock in terms of its roots, musical and lyrical characteristics, geographic sources, artwork, performance practices, and legacies, Beyond and Before offers an exhilarating read. --Brian Ward, Professor of American Studies at the University of Manchester

Product Description

This is a brilliant new survey of progressive rock, from its roots through to more contemporary artists who share similar traits including Sonic Youth and Radiohead. A sleeping new study, "Beyond and Before" considers the high period of the early to mid-1970s, where there was widespread acceptance of the 'progressive' approach of detailed instrumentation, extended tracks and conceptual linkage and development across albums. Hegarty and Halliwell assess the roots of progressive rock, arguing convincingly that a fusion of styles, approaches and genres defined the 1970s period, and the authors develop tools to assess other, later progressive musics. Each set of connections are justified and grounded by close textual readings of musical works, a consideration of their material presentation, and an examination of performance and cultural contexts. Through close analysis, the authors show that something 'progressive' underpins many subgenres of rock. Featuring discussions not just of the obvious subjects and albums, but also of music by artists as diverse as Kate Bush, Talk Talk, Mars Volta, Tortoise, Joanna Newsom, Sonic Youth and Radiohead, "Beyond and Before" is ideal reading for anyone who's interested in exploring the history and meaning of progressive rock in all its forms.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

The acceptable face of academia 22 Aug 2011

By A. ADAM

Format:Paperback

The book gets off to a dodgy start - Magma a German band; 'Revolver' a 1965 album - but the authors eventual settle down into quite a nice groove. The writing is not for the casual reader - a bit of effort is required. The early sections cover ground that will be quite familiar to readers of other prog. books - perhaps too familiar - and the interpretations of lyrics and concepts are, at times, specious, though this is common enough in books on the genre. It's the later sections that I found most interesting - on women in prog., on progressive metal (even though I don't like the stuff), and on progressive folk. The chapter on jazz-rock fusion, by contrast, is quite poor - though I'm an aficionado and clearly the authors aren't. All-in-all, a worthwhile addition to the growing canon of prog. tomes. Not for me as snappy as Paul Stump's frequently derided 'The Music's All That Matters' but an enjoyable read just the same. Prog. fans can be very confident that the authors are taking their music seriously - which is as it should be.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Music on the Edge of Time 4 Nov 2011

By Hammer Philosophy

I really like the balance of this book - it reevaluates the progressive music I remember from the 1970s and explores bands that combine progressive elements with other musical influences and directions. The book's central concept of time, and the fascinating connections that the authors make between early and recent versions of prog, suggest to me that we are still only approaching the edge of understanding the breadth and impact of progressive music. A must for serious music lovers.

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Opening new doors for understanding prog 30 Oct 2011

By EncounterGroup

A new and exciting account of prog, as well as its antecdents and more recent descendents. With a robust central thesis, the authors are free to range beyond the more hackneyed and narrow accounts of progressive rock. As a result, Hegarty and Halliwell uncover previously unexplored terrain showing that we never properly got to grips with prog and its legacy. Maybe now we can start.