Musics All That Matters [Paperback]

Martin approaches the subject from a sociologist's perspective, and this is valuable. Also, Martin probably goes into depth with the most individual albums than the other writers. However, Martin's knowledge of the genre is too incomplete, too biased towards Yes and too full of needless Marxist claptrap to be on Stump's level.

Why is Stump's book the best? Well, it's easily the best written of the three -- it's an invigorating, entertaining read. Martin even admits in his own book that he wished he had Stump's facility with language. Secondly, Stump isn't just presenting the history of prog from the rose-colored glasses of a fan. He is a fan, but his goal was to describe what actually happened, and what is worth reconsidering and what is not. The fact is, some prog rock *was* garbage, and Stump is perfectly willing to expose what he thinks fits this bill.

Is the book perfectly comprehensive? No. Stump (like the others) focuses almost entirely on British prog. Also, it is arguable that more information on certain major bands would have been preferable. But that would likely have come at the expense of the wealth of information included on lesser-known artists.

Still, there isn't a more intelligent or accurate volume on progressive rock available, so make this your first purchase on the subject.

I wanted to briefly address some of the comments made by some of the other insightful reviewers.

1-I do believe that Stump thoroughly enjoys progressive rock. He just likes Robert Wyatt, (he sounds like the only person I have ever heard that has actually listened to EVERY Soft Machine album), Henry Cow and The Enid more than Yes, Pink Floyd and ELP. He does present with the bias that somehow if you became popular the music was no longer valid. Now this did happen to the most popular progressive bands as the 70's wore on, but he is also highly critical of the most successful progressive bands better work as well. However, I take his criticism to be that of an insider, one of us. It is like family making fun of each other, its ok when it is with each other. With that said, I question does he really think ELP covered Pictures at an Exhibition because they thought it would make them international pop stars? It was about the music baby (at least in the beginning and I think among the current prog groups). I found myself wanting to apologize to Bradley Smith (Billboard's Guide to Progressive Music) for saying in an Amazon Review that his writing was preachy, cause by comparison, Stump is MUCH more highly opinionated, and much more direct in his presentation that HE knows what is the really good and essential music. (Hey, Ant Phillips seems like a great guy, and Trespass is my favorite Genesis album, but a whole section devoted to him? Some of those Private Parts albums are about as exciting as listening to someone tune their guitar!! That said, go buy Phillip's The Geese and the Ghost- it is a fantastic, sensitive progressive work).

2. Stump's writing is, as other's have pointed out, often difficult. (Who were you trying to impress Stumpy?). I mean, progsters are often educated folk, but only a few of us are actually Professors of literature. It is interesting that Stump has also written a book on Roxy Music because a friend of mine used to say that Brian Ferry sounded like he was singing to hear himself sing/amuse himself. Sometimes I felt like this book was written solely to amuse the author. I found myself comparing the writing to music and coming up with the two following analogies.
1-At times the writing is like those dissonant bits in Henry Cow, you know the ones where you know it has some significance, but you really just keep listening to see if you are strong enough to take it.
2-The best album I could think of to compare the writing to was ELP's Works. Self-indulgent (nothing wrong with some self-indulgence on occassion), bombastic and "clodhopping" in its attempt to be more than it is. Also, so obvious in its attempt to be clever that it at times becomes self-parody. None the less, it is still something I drag out on occassion and thoroughly enjoy bits of.

And that is what I thought of this book. It was often too much work. While there are some amusing thoughts on prog and some prog albums, (some of his criticism of the most popular progressive rock albums is actually fairly humoruous) overall, it isn't an essential read on the subject. But, most progster like to collect things, so you are probably going to buy this anyways. I did.