A J MacP

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Loved the early LPs, and 'East Side Story' is an all-time fav, so why do I own nothing later than 'Sweets...'? Well, I felt the typical mid-80s over-production of this suffocated the songs.

Like it more now, though.

Squeeze: 'Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti' (1985)

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I've never taken to The Cure. The songs and playing are fine, but I've never liked Robert Smith's voice - far too overwrought for my taste. I've heard quite a few of their albums in my continuing quest, but not this one.

The Cure: 'The Head on the Door' (1985)

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Last of the prog giants to release an album in the days of punk, and it's a puzzler. Don't think they had yet achieved a balance between 'pop' and prog; several songs have interesting hooks but feel undeveloped.

Genesis: '...And Then There Were Three...' (1978)

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Apparently, Rick hoped to recreate the success of '6 Wives' with this; musically, he did, mostly. I played this to death at the time, but I've not heard it for ages. Now, it holds up really well.

Rick Wakeman: 'Criminal Record' (1977)

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Not that I was aware of it at the time (indeed, not for another 4 years), but somewhere on the Wales/England border a certain Canadian trio were recording an album which took Planet Prog in a heavier new direction.

Rush: 'A Farewell to Kings' (1977)

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First heard this in '77. A friend's father had a ludicrously expensive hifi system, speakers the size of fridges, which could blow your eardrums. It was usually used for classical, but this sounded sensational on it.

The Alan Parsons Project: 'I Robot' (1977)

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Sometimes exploring albums previously unknown to me threatens to send me down really expensive rabbit holes. For instance, I've never knowingly heard anything by John Mellencamp before. And now I need to hear much more!

John Cougar Mellencamp: 'Scarecrow' (1985)

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When it comes to guitarists, I'm a 'spaces between the notes' type of guy, so I've always been suspicious of the 'million notes a second' brigade.

That being said: this is utterly preposterous, and I love it!

Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force: 'Marching Out' (1985)

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Oh look, there was yet another prog classic released in 1977....

(Beautifully produced, unlike the tinny album that followed.)

Yes: 'Going for the One' (1977)

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Another year, another defiantly impossible-to-pigeonhole album from The Toobs. As ever, though, there's enough prog-adjacent stuff to keep fans like me happy, plus Fee Waybill channelling his inner Bowies (several versions!)

The Tubes: 'Now' (1977)

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While there may be a few RHCP albums in the family vault, none of them are mine! Not my thing at all. So it was with much trepidation that I gave this a spin.

And I liked it. Oh, it was produced by George Clinton. Ah!

Red Hot Chili Peppers: 'Freaky Styley' (1985)

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I'm a fan of Ronnie's work in Rainbow and Sabbath, and 'Holy Diver' (the only other Dio I've heard previously) is a fine album, but this? It's okay, but it just seems uninspired and half-hearted in comparison. A bit of a plod, sadly.

Dio: 'Sacred Heart' (1985)

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And so to Aug '85, and a band I never warmed to at the time. Much as I loved Irish music, The Pogues just weren't my glass of whiskey. Decades on, I rather enjoyed this, particularly their own songs.

The Pogues: 'Rum, Sodomy and the Lash' (1985)

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Left this final Aug '75 album until last, as a Klaus Schulze recording guarantees quality.

As it does yet again....

(Not a great selection in August 1975, but I have higher hopes for August 1985.)

Klaus Schulze: 'Timewind' (1975)

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Given what came before and after, the 5th Supertramp album often seems underappreciated. At the time, however, I really liked it. Not one I reach for so much these days, though. 'Fools Overture' is pure prog.

Supertramp: 'Even in the Quietest Moments...' (1977)

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Following the ropiness of much of what I've heard that was released in Auguat '75 (outwith my collection anyway), this one comes as an utter delight. A fine album, from a band that I've not really thought about since the 70s.

Climax Blues Band: 'Stamp Duty' (1975)

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PH called it quits soon after this album and subsequent tour. Pity - I liked it at the time and still do. The 'epic' is a bit reminiscent of 'In Held 'Twas In I', but otherwise the writing and performances were still strong.

Procol Harum: 'Something Magic' (1977)

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So, if the Hall & Oates album was music for cuddling your partner, and the Ohio Players album was music for cuddling other people's partners, then this is music for doing more than just cuddling, if you get my drift....

Donna Summer: 'Love to Love You Baby' (1975)

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As an ELP superfan at the time, I was horribly disappointed by this. I had little interest in hearing the solo material (apart from Carl's Side 3) and didn't like 'Fanfare...'. Thank goodness for the magnificent 'Pirates'.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer: 'Works' (1977)

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Not really an Allmans fan, and this is really not the one to change my view. The band were, by all accounts, falling apart, and it shows. The sound of a band going through the motions.

The Allman Brothers Band: 'Win, Lose or Draw' (1975)

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Time for another prog heavy hitter. Tull spent 3 years of prime punk producing the so-called 'folk-rock' trilogy. As a huge fan of the latter genre, I was more than happy with this development. This was the best of them.

Jethro Tull: 'Songs From the Wood' (1977)

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Feel the funk... If last night's Hall & Oates album was, as I claimed, music for cuddling up to your partner, this album is clearly music for cuddling up to someone else's partner....

Ohio Players: 'Honey' (1975)

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Gabriel's first post-Genesis album was, and remains, a delight. I love it dearly, but I'm inclined to agree with PG himself that it was 'over-produced'. Such was the stylistic variety, though, that 'over-production' was almost inevitable.

'Peter Gabriel (1)' (1977)

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I loathed this album at the time. Bloody 'Sailing', absolute sh1te. So, what about now? Well, Side 1 is rather better than I remembered, but Side 2, the 'Slow Side'? OMG, it's awful. Never bothered with Rod again after this.

Rod Stewart: 'Atlantic Crossing' (1975)

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And so to Aug '75. Unusually for the 70s, the gruel is rather thin, but this is ok. Usually the phrase 'blue-eyed soul' has me running for the hills, but I have a soft spot for H&O. Music for cuddling up to your partner, er, to.

'Daryl Hall & John Oates' (1975)

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My then-girlfriend bought me this for my 16th birthday. She found me the US import version (as pictured), as it didn't find a UK release until later in the year, ludicrously. Their most underrated album, in my view.

Renaissance: 'Novella' (1977)

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Once again, I've tried... my jazz-loving friends tell me this is a classic. I'll have to take their word for it; I know they're all great musicians, but I'm sorry, it just leaves me cold.

Miles Davis: 'E.S.P.' (1965)

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A brief foray back to August 1965 tonight. Here's Paul armed with just his guitar, some classic songs, and no extraneous strings. I'm loving this.

Paul Simon: 'The Paul Simon Songbook' (1965)

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So while punk was (allegedly) laying waste to all around it, what were the proggers doing? This month, let's have a look....

Well, in the case of Pink Floyd, they were producing a masterpiece.

Pink Floyd: 'Animals' (1977)

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So as the peak period of UK punk receded into history, what would come along to replace it? Well, this would give us a pretty good hint....

Tubeway Army: 'Replicas' (1979)