Before glam rock and punk rock hit mainstream Britain in the early to mid-1970s, it was either pop music for children or prog-rock for their older siblings, the Generation post-Beatles / post-psychedelic whose musical tastes were taken into account. not only through college / university live music circuits, but also through the emergence of outdoor events (notably the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970).

Back then, fusion – jazz, blues, classical, rock, folk, anything but pop music – was the name of the game; it was a malleable format that, in a few years, would be pummeled to death by bands like Roxy Music, David Bowie and quite a few sulky punk bands.

This is the condensed story, but, as with any musical movement, there are exceptions to the rule. Questions too, such as why Van Der Graaf’s prog / folk melody Generator, Refugees, sounds brilliant, why Hawkwind’s Hurry on Sundown is a lost acoustic psyche classic, and why Kevin Ayers’ Singing a Song in the Morning is a double of Beck’s early work. .

Several avenues stretch patience. Unfortunately, Caravan’s Can’t Be Long Now is, and two songs from Yes (Astral Traveler and No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed) are just horrible. Musical preferences aside, there’s plenty to keep curious minds occupied, including the accompanying booklet, which is a treasure trove of detailed information about each act. Cherryred.co.uk