The Show That Never Ends

by David Weigel

  Procol Harum, 1967

  The Moody Blues, 1967

  Keith Emerson and the Nice, 1968

  Soft Machine, 1967

  King Crimson, 1969

  Virgin Records founder Richard Branson, 1969

  Mike Oldfield, 1970

  Genesis, with Peter Gabriel in costume and Phil Collins on drums, 1974

  Bob Moog with his synthesizer in 1970

  Rick Wakeman in Ken Russell’s 1975 film Lisztomania

  Gong, 1974

  Kevin Ayers (bottom left), with (clockwise) Brian Eno, Nico, and John Cale, 1974

  Pink Floyd, 1973

  Van der Graaf Generator, 1975

  Magma, 1974

  Rush, 1976

  Jethro Tull, 1976

  Styx, 1978

  Yes, 1978

  Kansas, 1978

  Asia, 1983

  NOTES

  INTRODUCTION

  1Unless otherwise noted, all quotes in this Introduction come from conversations with the author during the Cruise to the Edge, April 2014.

  2Lloyd Grossman, “Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Emerson, Lake & Palmer,” Rolling Stone, April 15, 1971.

  3Eric Tamm, Robert Fripp: From King Crimson to Guitar Craft (Faber and Faber, 1990), 31.

  4Dave Laing, “Yes: Essay,” Let It Rock, February 1974.

  5Tim Morse, Yesstories: Yes in Their Own Words (St. Martin’s Press, 1996), 9.

  6Jon Anderson, interview by the author, 2013.

  7Peter Sinfield, interview by the author, May 2012.

  8John Atkins, The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963–1998 (McFarland, 2000), 73.

  9Greg Lake, interview by the author, summer 2013.

  10Ibid.

  11Edward Macan, Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture (Oxford University Press, 1997), 34.

  12Paul Stump, The Music’s All That Matters: A History of Progressive Rock (Quartet Books, 1997), 129.

  13Jon Davison, interview by Jon Kirkman, “Storytellers” series, Cruise to the Edge, April 2014.

  CHAPTER ONE: CHILDREN OF THE BLITZ

  1Hans Christian Andersen, A Poet’s Bazaar, 11.

  2As quoted in “Master Liszt,” Musical Times, April 1, 1902.

  3Alan Walker, Franz Liszt, vol. 3, The Final Years, 1861–1886 (Knopf, 1996), 174.

  4Alan Walker, Franz Liszt, vol. 1, The Virtuoso Years, 1811–1847 (Knopf, 1983), 371–72.

  5Ibid., 372.

  6O. G. Sonneck, “Heinrich Heine’s Musical Feuilletons,” Musical Quarterly 8, no. 4 (1922), https://books.google.com/books?id=alk5AAAAIAAJ.

  7Edward Macan, Endless Enigma: A Musical Biography of Emerson, Lake and Palmer (Open Court, 2006), 36.

  8Kevin Holm-Hudson, “A Promise Deferred: Multiply Directed Time and Thematic Transformation in Emerson Lake and Palmer’s ‘Trilogy,’ ” in Progressive Rock Reconsidered, ed. Kevin Holm-Hudson (Routledge, 2002), 112.

  9Stephen Walsh, Musorgsky and His Circle: A Russian Musical Adventure (Knopf, 2013), 296.

  10C. Hubert H. Parry, Summary of the History and Development of Mediaeval and Modern European Music (London: Novello, 1905), 119, https://archive.org/details/summaryofhistory00parrrich.

  11Ibid.

  12Robert Fripp, Robert Fripp’s Diary: Sunday, 11th March 2001, Discipline Global Mobile, http://www.dgmlive.com/diaries.htm?entry=899.

  13Roger Nichols, Ravel (Dent, 1977), 137.

  14Robin Maconie, Other Planets: The Music of Karlheinz Stockhausen (Scarecrow Press, 2005), 178.

  15Karlheinz Stockhausen, “How Times Passes By,” Reihe (English ed.) 3 (1959): 10–40, http://www.artesonoro.net/artesonoroglobal/HOW%20TIME%20PASSES%20BY.PDF.

  16Daevid Allen, interview by the author, November 2013.

  17Aidan Smith, “Interview: Daevid Allen, Musician,” Scotsman, November 19, 2009, http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/music/interview-daevid-allen-musician-1-768818.

  18Marcus O’Dair, Different Every Time: The Authorised Biography of Robert Wyatt (Serpent’s Tail, 2014), 32.

  19Ibid.

  20Ryan Dombal, “Robert Wyatt,” Pitchfork, February 21, 2012, http://pitchfork.com/features/5-10-15-20/8776-robert-wyatt.

  21O’Dair, Different Every Time, 28.

  22Rob Chapman, “Soft Machine,” Mojo, June 1997, http://www.rob-chapman.com/pages/soft.html.

  23Ibid.

  24O’Dair, Different Every Time, 38–39.

  25Ibid., 43.

  26Ibid., 44.

  27Ibid., 45.

  28Anil Prasad, “Terry Riley: Lighting Up Nodes,” Innerviews, 2014, http://www.innerviews.org/inner/riley.html.

  29Ibid.

  30O’Dair, Different Every Time, 47.

  31Sid Smith, In the Court of King Crimson (Helter Skelter, 2001), 10.

  32Keith Emerson, Pictures of an Exhibitionist (John Blake, 2004), 13.

  33Smith, In the Court, 14.

  34Ibid., 15.

  35Paul Stump, Gentle Giant: Acquiring the Taste (SAF, 2005), 12.

  36Tony Banks et al., Genesis: Chapter & Verse (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007), 13.

  37“Robert Wyatt Story (BBC Four, 2001),” YouTube, September 22, 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdNKPqG-0ss.

  38Ray Coleman, Phil Collins: The Definitive Biography (Simon & Schuster, 1997), 27.

  39Peter Banks and Billy James, Beyond and Before: The Formative Years of Yes (Golden Treasures, 2001), 11–12.

  40Nick Awde et al., Mellotron: The Machine and the Musicians That Revolutionised Rock (Desert Hearts, 2008), 283.

  41Greg Lake, interview by the author, summer 2013.

  42Awde et al., Mellotron, 284.

  43Ibid., 196.

  44Ibid., 500.

  45Smith, In the Court, 15.

  46Jean-Gilles Blum, “Interview with Robert Fripp in Best,” trans. Louis Courteau, January 1979, ETWiki, http://www.elephant-talk.com/wiki/Interview_with_Robert_Fripp_in_Best.

  47Smith, In the Court, 24.

  48Nick Logan, “Easier to Dislike Than to Like,” New Musical Express, November 7, 1970.

  49David Rees, Minstrels in the Gallery: A History of Jethro Tull (Fire Fly, 1998), 45.

  50Awde et al., Mellotron, 110.

  51Smith, In the Court, 26.

  52Emerson, Pictures, 27.

  53Michael Gray, “Emerson, Lake & Palmer Ascending,” Crawdaddy!, August 1971, Rock’s Backpages, http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/emerson-lake--palmer-ascending.

  54Emerson, Pictures, 35.

  55Ibid.

  56Graham Bennett, Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous (SAF, 2005), 56.

  57Ibid., 62.

  58Ibid., 63.

  59Ibid., 64.

  60Ibid., 65.

  61O’Dair, Different Every Time, 58.

  62Jimmy James, “Kevin Ayers Interview,” Perfect Sound Forever, May 1998, http://www.furious.com/perfect/kevinayers.html.

  63Bennett, Soft Machine, 74.

  CHAPTER TWO: THE PSYCHADELIC BOOM

  1Henry Scott-Irvine, Procol Harum: The Ghosts of a Whiter Shade of Pale (Omnibus, 2012), 18.

  2Keith Emerson, Pictures of an Exhibitionist (John Blake, 2004), 43.

  3Mark Blake, Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd (Da Capo Press, 2008), 58, 61.

  4Ibid., 70.

  5Graham Bennett, Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous (SAF, 2005), 79.

  6Stephen Nardelli, interview by Henry Potts, October–November 2003, http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/iv/sninterview.htm.

  7Peter Banks and Billy James, Beyond and Before: The Formative Years of Yes (Golden Treasures, 2001), 19–20.

  8Ibid., 20.

  9Emerson, Pictures, 52, 65.

  10Scott-Irvine, Procol Harum, 34.

  11Ibid., 35.

  12Ibid., 38.

  13Matthew Fisher, interview by the author, summer 2013.

  14Scott-Irvine, Procol Harum, 39.

  15Ibid., 37–38.

  16Ibid., 41.

  17Ibid., 41–42.
r />   18Ibid., 42.

  19Bennett, Soft Machine, 88.

  20Keith Shadwich, Jimi Hendrix: Musician (Hal Leonard Corporation, 2012), 91.

  21Bennett, Soft Machine, 91.

  22Banks and James, Beyond and Before, 26.

  23Chris Welch, Close to the Edge: The Story of Yes (Omnibus, 1999), 87.

  24Jim DeRogatis, Kaleidoscope Eyes: Psychedelic Rock from the ’60s to the ’90s (Carol Publishing Group, 1996), 86.

  25“The Story of Caravan,” ZigZag, May 1975.

  26Bennett, Soft Machine, 109.

  27Ibid., 112.

  28Emerson, Pictures, 71.

  29Nick Awde et al., Mellotron: The Machine and the Musicians That Revolutionised Rock (Desert Hearts, 2008), 92.

  30Ibid., 169.

  31Ibid., 92.

  32David Beard, “Revisit the Moody Blues’ Landmark Album, ‘Days of Future Passed,’ ” Goldmine, June 12, 2012, http://www.goldminemag.com/article/revisit-the-moody-blues-landmark-album-days-of-future-passed.

  33Awde et al., Mellotron, 93.

  34Beard, “Revisit the Moody Blues’ Landmark Album.”

  35Awde et al., Mellotron, 167.

  36Beard, “Revisit the Moody Blues’ Landmark Album.”

  37Awde et al., Mellotron, 170.

  38Ibid., 171.

  39Beard, “Revisit the Moody Blues’ Landmark Album.”

  40Banks and James, Beyond and Before, 29.

  41Ibid., 33, 34.

  42Ibid., 35.

  43Ibid., 38.

  44Welch, Close to the Edge, 48.

  45Banks and James, Beyond and Before, 39.

  46Welch, Close to the Edge, 48.

  47Banks and James, Beyond and Before, 40.

  48“Pink Floyd & the Story of Prog Rock,” Mojo Classic, Collectors Edition, July 2005.

  49Scott-Irvine, Procol Harum, 66.

  50[Barry] Miles, “The Who: Pete on Tommy #2,” International Times, June 13, 1969, Rock’s Backpages, http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-who-pete-on-itommyi-2.

  51Armando Gallo, Genesis: I Know What I Like (Gallo, 2014), Kindle ed., loc. 367.

  52“Peter Gabriel Talks about the Downs and Ups of Genesis . . . ‚” ZigZag, May 1971, Rock’s Backpages, http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/genesis.

  53Daryl Easlea, Without Frontiers: The Life and Music of Peter Gabriel (Omnibus, 2014), 41.

  54Gallo, Genesis, loc. 404–5.

  55Barry Miles, “The Nice: Two Thirds Nice,” International Times, April 25, 1969.

  56Emerson, Pictures, 80.

  57Nick Jones, “London Notes,” Rolling Stone, November 1967.

  58Ibid.

  59Chris Welch, “1968 the Year of the Nice,” Melody Maker, July 13, 1968.

  60Emerson, Pictures, 100.

  61Ibid., 98.

  62Ibid., 116.

  63The Nice, Ars Longa Vita Brevis (Immediate Records, 1968), liner notes.

  64Welch, “1968 the Year of the Nice.”

  65David O’List, interview by the author, May 2013.

  66Keith Jordan and Davy O’List, “An Interview with the Nice’s Davy O’List,” Pink Floyd Blog, October 5, 2006, http://www.neptunepinkfloyd.co.uk/tag/keith-emerson.

  67Emerson, Pictures, 119.

  CHAPTER THREE: A BILLION TIMES THE IMPACT

  1Sid Smith, In the Court of King Crimson (Helter Skelter, 2001), 41.

  2Ibid., 44.

  3Nick Awde et al., Mellotron: The Machine and the Musicians That Revolutionised Rock (Desert Hearts, 2008), 502–3.

  4Smith, In the Court, chap. 2.

  5Ibid., 44.

  6“King Crimson Journal,” January 13, 1969, ETWiki, http://www.elephant-talk.com/articles/fripp-yp.htm.

  7Smith, In the Court, 46.

  8Peter Sinfield, interview by the author, May 2012.

  9Paul Stump, The Music’s All That Matters: A History of Progressive Rock (Quartet Books, 1997), 43.

  10“King Crimson Journal,” January 27, 1969.

  11Ibid., February 23–March 1, 1969.

  12“It’s Underground? It’s Chrysalis! The Whole Scene under One Roof,” Top Pops and Music Now, September 1969.

  13Daviona Burman, “The Van Der Graff [sic] Generator,” [Manchester Independent], http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/pawnhearts/68_2a.jpg, accessed November 14, 2016.

  14Jim Christopulos and Phil Smart, Van der Graaf Generator, the Book: A History of the Band Van der Graaf Generator, 1967 to 1978 (“Phil and Jim,” 2005), Kindle ed., loc. 1091.

  15Ibid., loc. 487.

  16Peter Hammill, “The Aerosol Grey Machine CD Sleeve Notes,” 1997, http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/aeronote.htm.

  17Smith, In the Court, 37.

  18Ibid.

  19Ibid., 49.

  20Ibid.

  21Robert Fripp Unplugged! Ultimate Conversations with Robert Fripp [audio recording] (Musical Concepts, 2007).

  22Smith, In the Court, 48.

  23Robert Fripp Unplugged!

  24Robert Fripp, “Robert Fripp’s Diary: Saturday, 5th July 1969,” Discipline Global Mobile, http://www.dgmlive.com/diaries.htm?diarist=3&entry=242.

  25Robert Fripp, “Robert Fripp’s Diary: Sunday, 6th July 1969,” Discipline Global Mobile, http://www.dgmlive.com/diaries.htm?artist=&show=&member=3&entry=237.

  26Ibid.

  27Smith, In the Court, 54.

  28Ibid., 68.

  29“What Pete Townshend Thinks about King Crimson,” Rolling Stone, December 27, 1969, http://www.songsouponsea.com/Promenade/lyrics/gallery/RS122769.html.

  30Steve Turner, “King Crimson,” Beat Instrumental, January 1972.

  31Smith, In the Court, 74.

  32John Mendelsohn, “King Crimson Opens Its Rock ’n’ Roll Stand,” Los Angeles Times, December 5, 1969.

  33Smith, In the Court, 76.

  34John Mendelsohn, “King Crimson: In the Court of King Crimson,” Rolling Stone, December 27, 1969.

  35Michael Wale, “A Long and Rambling Interview with Robert Fripp,” ZigZag, October 1973.

  36Peter Banks and Billy James, Beyond and Before: The Formative Years of Yes (Golden Treasures, 2001), 62.

  37Ibid., 63.

  38Keith Emerson, Pictures of an Exhibitionist (John Blake, 2004), 161.

  39Ibid.

  40Ibid., 163.

  41Ibid., 171.

  42Smith, In the Court, 83.

  43Ibid., 82.

  44Cameron Crowe, “King Crimson’s Fripp: ‘Music’s Just a Means for Magic’ ” [Rolling Stone, no. 149 (December 6, 1973)], The Uncool (blog), http://www.theuncool.com/journalism/rs149-robert-fripp.

  45Smith, In the Court, 85.

  46Ibid., 87.

  47Ibid., 88.

  48Richard Williams, “McDonald & Giles: Outside the Court of the Crimson King,” Melody Maker, November 21, 1970.

  49Smith, In the Court, 99.

  50Ibid., 93.

  51Ibid., 78.

  52Gordon Haskell, interview by the author, December 2013.

  53Ibid.

  54Smith, In the Court, 111.

  55Ibid., 113.

  56Ibid., 110.

  57Ibid.

  58Ibid., 111.

  59Haskell, interview, December 2013.

  60Tony Norman, “The Crimson ‘Lizard,’ ” Music Now, October 26, 1970.

  61Haskell, interview, December 2013.

  62Smith, In the Court, 115.

  63Ibid., 114.

  64Haskell, interview, December 2013.

  65Ibid.

  66Norman, “Crimson ‘Lizard.’ ”

  67Ibid.

  CHAPTER FOUR: MOOG MEN

  1Keith Emerson, Pictures of an Exhibitionist (John Blake, 2004), 174.

  2Dick Meadows, “Carl Palmer,” Sounds, November 27, 1971.

  3Emerson, Pictures, 175–76.

  4Ibid., 178–79.

  5Trevor J. Pinch and Frank Trocco, Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer (Harvard University Press, 2004), 203.

  6Eme
rson, Pictures, 166.

  7Ibid., 180.

  8Ibid.

  9Ibid., 181.

  10Ibid.

  11Ibid.

  12“Gary James’ Interview with Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer,” ClassicBands, [1997], http://www.classicbands.com/GregLakeInterview.html.

  13Emerson, Pictures, 186, 187.

  14Chris Welch et al., “The Isle of Wight Festival: Five Days That Rocked Britain,” Melody Maker, September 5, 1970.

  15Penny Valentine, “Here Comes Another Orgasmic Peak,” Sounds, October 31, 1970.

  16Peter Banks and Billy James, Beyond and Before: The Formative Years of Yes (Golden Treasures, 2001), 100.

  17Chris Squire, “Open Your Eyes (Eagle)” (interview with Anil Prasad, Innerview), January 1998, http://www.progrock.fateback.com/sider/anmeldel/yes/openyour.htm.

  18Banks and James, Beyond and Before, 100.

  19Tim Morse, Yesstories: Yes in Their Own Words (St. Martin’s Press, 1996), 20.

  20Chris Welch, Close to the Edge: The Story of Yes (Omnibus, 1999), 89.

  21Joe Bosso, “Steve Howe Talks The Yes Album Track-by-Track,” MusicRadar, December 17, 2012, http://www.musicradar.com/us/news/guitars/steve-howe-talks-the-yes-album-track-by-track-568616.

  22Morse, Yesstories, 978.

  23Tony Norman, “Yes: The Time Is Now, the Word Is Love,” Music Now, August 8, 1970.

  24Bosso, “Steve Howe Talks.”

  25Penny Valentine, “The Anderson Tapes,” Sounds, March 10, 1973.

  26Morse, Yesstories, 25.

  27Ibid., 24.

  28Valentine, “Anderson Tapes.”

  29Karen de Groot, “Yes: ‘We Owe Our Audiences to Really Sweat for Good Sound Quality,’ ” Music Now, January 30, 1971.

  30Ibid.

  31Emerson, Pictures, 190.

  32Ibid., 201.

  33Blair Pethel, Keith Emerson: The Emergence and Growth of Style: A Study of Selected Works (UMI, 1988), 19.

  34Emerson, Pictures, 203.

  35Ibid., 204.

  36Meadows, “Carl Palmer.”

  37“Emerson, Lake & Palmer: The Dagger Does More Than You Think,” Circus, March 1972, http://ladiesofthelake.com/cabinet/circus72.html.