MARCH OF NO PROGRESS

A reader asks: ‘Why can’t the high street be more progressive?’

I enjoy nothing more than browsing albums in music shops, looking for that ‘gem’ or exciting new band. I remember when ‘prog’ was a new term used to describe a growing number of acts that were becoming more and more creative and experimental with their music; bands who were releasing stunning concept albums packaged in amazing gatefold sleeves.

I remember walking into a local pub one night and hearing Flaming Youth’s From Now On (Immortal Invisible) on the jukebox. I was blown away by it, and bought Ark 2 from the local record shop the next day. I still play the album even now. It was easy to find up-and-coming bands in the racks then, and I discovered King Crimson, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Iron Butterfly, Captain Beyond, Spirit and countless others. In the late 60s and early 70s, even WH Smith had a record department and you could listen to album tracks on headphones in a booth.

However now, virtually no music shops on the high street have a designated prog section, so I usually end up trawling through the metal or rock and pop sections, often to no avail. When I wanted to buy Threshold’s Legends Of The Shires on CD, I ended up locating it in HMV’s metal area! Pendragon are another band that tend to migrate between sections. I can’t be the only prog fan who would go straight there to look for something special.

Although there are more and more specialist music shops appearing thanks to the rise in popularity of vinyl, many of these overlook a prog section. Unless you live in a large city with more diversity, it’s almost impossible to buy prog CDs and vinyl from physical shops. Okay, we have the internet, which is where I eventually end up buying my music, but it lacks the excitement of browsing, when the ‘feel’ of an album, in terms of packaging and artwork, can often influence your buying choice. There’s nothing more satisfying than browsing CDs and vinyl and being able to hold and admire the beautiful artwork, while reading the sleeve notes. Take for example In Search Of Space by Hawkwind, with its intricate gatefold and amazing booklet notes, and Jethro Tull’s Stand Up, both of which are still in my collection today. What a delight when you’ve taken a chance on an album based on the artwork, and discovered the contents to be a wonderful find. Digital downloads don’t work for me, but Prog and physical albums do. I really wish that high-street music shops would get progressive and realise there’s a bigger market than ever for prog albums. HMV and Fopp? Forget it, I’m tired of asking. Come on, record stores, get that ‘prog’ sign up and watch it quickly become established as a favourite section.

So I guess for now I’ll continue to ask the record shops I visit if they have a prog section. In the meantime, thank heaven for Prog, where I continue to discover bands such as Dream Theater, Mostly Autumn, Tinyfish, Big Big Train… the list is endless!’