1977 (How Progressive Rock Defied Punk)

The prevailing wisdom is that, in 1977, punk rock killed prog – presumably by drowning it in spittle. But is this really true? Not at all! Prog didn’t just survive what turned out to be the short-lived rule of the barbarians, it evolved and arguably, prospered. And in 1977 – the year punk supposedly conquered the world (well, the UK anyway) – many of our most well-established progressive rock bands released some of their best albums, including Pink Floyd’s Animals, Going For The One by Yes, Rush’s A Farewell to Kings, Jethro Tull’s Songs From The Wood and the debut from American band Happy The Man, while Godley and Crème released their astonishing triple album Consequences. These were infinitely varied takes on a genre that was still - for a while at least – in rude health despite the column inches devoted to punk. In this informative, readable and – for punk fans at least – annoying book, Kevan Furbank looks at the progressive rock bands and albums that left punk reeling in the moshpit. To misquote the Sex Pistols, never mind the b*llocks – here’s the progressive rock of 1977.