A GREAT INFLUENCE

As a younger fan of progressive music, I always find plenty to appreciate in your magazine. The blend of new and exciting artists and established greats of the genre always makes for brilliant reading, especially in these often monotonous times. I particularly enjoyed your recent feature on prog’s most influential albums, which provided an excellent overview of the genre.

As someone who holds a broad definition of progressive music, I was delighted to see acts such as Mahavishnu Orchestra (who were a massive influence on Yes) and Kate Bush (who I discovered in lockdown and is rapidly becoming one of my favourite artists) alongside many of the classic prog artists we all know and love. While your selection was comprehensive and covered all of the most popular subgenres, one area which deserved a mention, in my opinion, is the wonderful but often overlooked world of rock progressivo Italiano.

I first noticed Premiata Forneria Marconi [PFM] in your magazine and they have now become possibly my favourite band of all time. They have been releasing consistently creative and high-quality music for half a century now as well as pioneering the usage of the synthesiser and incorporating influences from Italian classical and folk music and jazz into their unique sound. They even became the first Italian act to break into the US Billboard album chart and are an astounding live act. Frontman/ drummer Franz Di Cioccio’s impeccable musicianship is allied to an incredible energy and refreshing sense of humour. He even took the time to meet and greet myself and other fans after a masterful gig – getting a photo and handshake from one of my musical heroes was an experience I will cherish for the rest of my days. I can’t thank you enough for introducing me to them!

RPI also has many other fantastic bands to offer, such as Banco Del

Mutuo Soccorso and Le Orme – I can’t recommend this genre highly enough to any fans of melodic, musical and eccentric sounds.

Sam Embray, via email