Prog Rock Britannia, BBC4 last night

[Evangelion]

I videoed this and have just watched it. What a load of old rubbish. Should have been called Prog Lite in my opinion.

Where were Barclay James Harvest, Supertramp, Camel, Hawkwind and, the greatest sin of all, Pink Floyd? And despite constant references to 'the lost chord' and the use of one of their songs as a closing theme, the Moody Blues didn't get a single mention. Okay they featured in the following programme, 'Prog At The BBC,' but Question is hardly their most proggy song is it?

And who decided Wishbone Ash were prog? Fantastic band, but surely not prog?

[lockhart flawse]

I watched it and enjoyed it and thought it was a fair attempt to explore the origins of prog although I agree that Pink Floyd might have been included; maybe they couldn't get anyone although Nick Mason is usually up for this stuff. But I never really think of Supertramp or Moody Blues as progressive, they're a bit too close to the Pop end of the spectrum. I think that they were right to focus on YES in particular and early Genesis was also pretty safe under the heading. Less sure about king Crimson as I have them nearer the Jazz end of things. YES were the real progressives in my view.

L.F.

[Evangelion]

I agree that KC were a bit jazz and indeed never thought of Soft Machine as anything else.

With regard to the Moodies, Andy Thompson of Planet Mellotron has suggested they should be labelled 'progressive pop' and I suppose Supertramp fit the same label. Can't understand why Caravan were included but not Camel, particularly as they weere featured in that Top Ten Prog Bands programme a couple of years back (was it on Channel 4?).