Prog on the BBC - 2nd Jan BBC4

[GaryC]

From the BBC press office.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/progin ... cfour_rock



Prog Rock Brittania –
An Observation In Three Movements
Friday 2 January
10.00-11.30pm BBC FOUR

                  

Prog Rock Britannia is the first comprehensive, feature-length documentary about progressive music and the generation of bands that made it – from the international success stories of Yes, Genesis, ELP, King Crimson and Jethro Tull, to the trials and tribulations of lesser-known bands such as Caravan and Egg.

 Narrated by Nigel Planer, the film is structured in three parts – charting the birth, rise and decline of a movement famed for complex musical structures, weird time signatures, technical virtuosity and strange – quintessentially English – literary influences.

 It looks at the psychedelic pop scene that gave birth to progressive rock in the late Sixties, the golden age of progressive music in the early Seventies – complete with drum solos and gatefold record sleeves – and the over-ambition, commercialisation and eventual fall from grace of this rarefied musical experiment at the hands of punk in 1977.

 The documentary is a provocative, humorous but affectionate re-appraisal of a music that was the value system of an all-too-brief period in British popular music.

 

Contributors include Robert Wyatt, Mike Oldfield, Pete Sinfield, Rick Wakeman, Phil Collins, Arthur Brown, Carl Palmer and Ian Anderson.

[D S]

Interesting - thanks for that!  
However, it will no doubt result in Frost*ies throwing things at the TV when it predictably concludes that all prog died in 1977 as a result of punk...  :roll:

[LivingForever]

Before that, from 9-10 there's an hour called 'Prog at the BBC' with live music from Genesis, Yes, and more!

[johninblack]

Before that, from 9-10 there's an hour called 'Prog at the BBC' with live music from Arena, Frost* IQ, Darwin's Radio, Credo and more!

Oh no, of course there won't, prog died in '77 these bands don't exist........stoopid me

[Geddy Lee]

Interesting - thanks for that!  
However, it will no doubt result in Frost*ies throwing things at the TV when it predictably concludes that all prog died in 1977 as a result of punk...  :roll:

But as anyone with any knowledge knows, Prog didn't die as a result of punk. It's a big media myth, in fact punk wasn't a revolt against prog at all

[Bert]

It looks to me as if this will pretty much be what you might expect really... from Nigel Planer, presumably chosen due to his hilarious turn as Neil in the Young Ones and the cast of luminaries (what price Rick Wakemen regaling us with stores of eating curry whilst performing Tales from Topographic Oceans...again !) weighing in with their tongue in cheek observations.

Why not, for example, Steven Wilson, Mikael Åkerfeldt, Thom Yorke or our own dear Jem G ?

I'm sure it'll be a bout of post-modern meedja sneering that'll pretty much get up the nose of any decent forward thinking music fan, inc I assume most of the regulars on this board.

I'd avoid the upset if I were you.

[johninblack]

I'd avoid the upset if I were you.

Nooooo! More vitriol to throw at the bloody hobbits :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted:
I actually (as most of you know) like an awful lot of "Old Prog". It's really good to listen to it, BUT, it's all about progression. To use it as an influence is great, to copy it is not, so come on hobbits, a challenge. Progress your minds, you never know you might actually enjoy some of this modern prog.

[johninblack]

I'd avoid the upset if I were you.

Nooooo! More vitriol to throw at the bloody hobbits :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted:
I actually (as most of you know) like an awful lot of "Old Prog". It's really good to listen to it, BUT, it's all about progression. To use it as an influence is great, to copy it is not, so come on hobbits, a challenge. Progress your minds, you never know you might actually enjoy some of this modern prog.

[johninblack]

Double post, sorry. It's these blasted internal server errors. :evil:

[Lerxst]

It looks to me as if this will pretty much be what you might expect really... from Nigel Planer, presumably chosen due to his hilarious turn as Neil in the Young Ones and the cast of luminaries (what price Rick Wakemen regaling us with stores of eating curry whilst performing Tales from Topographic Oceans...again !) weighing in with their tongue in cheek observations.

Why not, for example, Steven Wilson, Mikael Åkerfeldt, Thom Yorke or our own dear Jem G ?

I'm sure it'll be a bout of post-modern meedja sneering that'll pretty much get up the nose of any decent forward thinking music fan, inc I assume most of the regulars on this board.

I'd avoid the upset if I were you.

I totally agree - it will be sh*t, anything the beeb has produced related to prog has been sh*t, it has the same old same olds talking the same old sh*t about sh*t.

The end  

[The Cosmic Lawnmower]

It's a shame the people that make these programmes didn't do a bit more research instead of just following the old urban myth (yawn).
Perhaps they'd then see that prog never went away, I mean immediately after punk happened one of the biggest prog albums ever occured - 'The Wall' anybody? Wonder if they'll mention that... and where are all these punk bands now, eh?

It'd be great if just once they'd show today's abeit underground (for want of a better word) prog scene and the enthusiasm there is for it.

I'll probably watch it, for the footage if nothing else, but no doubt it'll be the same old, same old..... ah well.

[Philadelphia]

Wow, you guys must be spoiled with prog-related programming on television. I wouldn't care one bit what was being said about any of the music - the mere mention of these bands on the telly would be a miracle here*.


*"Here" not being entirely true as I'm currently in London. But let's pretend I'm back home in Sweden, typing this.

[tomskerous]

Um, you have to remember that the exec producers and commisisoners of these shows are all in their early 50s - when they were in their teenage years, what big musical change was happening? That was the best music of their lives - hence the predominant punk agenda on BBC music TV.

[Lerxst]

I bet one hundred of the queen's pounds they reference ELP's juggernauts across the US and Jon Anderson's silly lyrics - yawn Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I think I should stand up for the people and approach the beeb about making a relevant program about prog today - who's with me??

[johninblack]

I think I should stand up for the people and approach the beeb about making a relevant program about prog today - who's with me??

So who do we start sending emails to then?