Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the third album by Yes, The Yes Album. The discussion includes: the rebirth of Yes as a group, why they decided to get rid of Tony Kaye and Peter Banks, why the band sounds so American, whether Jon Anderson’s lyrics are good or not, and whether this is an example of a perfectly programmed album. Also, we know what Tony Banks thought of this album, but what about Peter Kay? What did Heraclitus think about rivers? Who is Ray Cooper? And was the cover photo taken in an outpatient clinic?

Shaun, Peter and Tim discuss their favourite female rock artists. On the agenda for today: is cultural importance relevant to musical importance? Which is the best period for female rock stars? How do we distinguish an individual contribution from a collective one? And do women appreciate certain female artists more than men, and vice versa? Also, how many of the contributors owned a dansette? Can we get through one episode without discussing Doctor Who? And why does a fight break out every time a member of the team tries to play a Whitney Houston song in public?

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the third album by Camel, The Snow Goose. The discussion includes: the quality of Camel's musicianship, why they decided to do an instrumental album, where does the band stand in the British prog canon and to what extent can music represent images? Also, were the band influenced by 70's game show music? Why did they choose duck sounds to represent a goose? Why didn't the Nazis finish off the British army at Dunkirk? And does Canterbury really exist?

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim did a monologue about the newly-rereleased Queen 1. The monologue includes: the uneven development between Queen’s songwriters, the brilliance of Brian May’s guitar playing, whether Queen’s singles are better than their albums, and is the cover an early example of ‘queering’? Also, was Freddie a Christian? Did Roger Taylor really need a drum solo? And would Leon Trotsky have liked Bohemian Rhapsody?

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinons of the second album by Led Zeppelin. The discussion includes: the British blues explosion of the sixties, the difference between English folk and American folk, why couldn’t the band think of proper names for their albums?, and did John Bonham write Whole Lotta Love? Also: are the lyrics on this album good or not? Did they understand that the name Led Zeppelin was a metaphor? And which is better: Toad by Cream or Moby Dick by Led Zeppelin? There’s only one way to find out…

Peter, Shaun and Tim rank the Genesis studio albums. There's a few surprises, and one or two good rants. Also, how many ways are there to count to 15? And what does Shaun's brother Steve think?

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the fourth album by Jethro Tull, Aqualung. The discussion includes: Jethro Tull’s innovative lyrics, whether their style precipitated prog rock and heavy metal, why the album was so big in America, and, most crucially, was it a concept album or not? Also, did Ian Anderson really threaten to do a flute solo if the band didn’t nail their solos in two takes? What's the English word for pants? And what’s it like to share a bathroom with John Bonham?

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the fourth album by Rush, 2112. The discussion includes: Rush’s career swerve, the band’s fascination with Ayn Rand, why the album was considered better than Caress of Steel, and whether the whole concept for the album actually came from Tchaikovsky. Also, what actually happens in the title track? Would it really be so bad to live under the rule of the Priests? And is the postcode for The Temples of Syrinx SY or SX?

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim had a debate with himself, about the eighteenth studio album by Marillion, F.E.A.R.. The ‘discussion’ includes: whether Marillion owe more to Genesis or to Pink Floyd, why the band’s abstract compositional technique is so difficult to discuss conceptually, and whether ultimately they are writing tracks or albums. Also, did they read Thomas Pikkety’s Capital in the 21st. Century? Can the band be considered political catastrophists? And who is that at the door?

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the fourth (or fifth?) album by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Brain Salad Surgery. The discussion includes: ELP's astonishing musical talent, whether this was supposed to be a concept album or not and the question of why the band chose to do so many cover versions. Also, why was everyone so keen to go to Switzerland? Can we put together a crowd funder to reclaim Carl Palmer's drum kit? And what exactly did Greg Lake need a ladder for?

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the debut album by King Crimson, In The Court Of The Crimson King. The discussion includes: King Crimson as singularity, what makes Michael Giles such a good drummer and why the heavy reliance on the mellotron? Also, should Mirrors be used on Strictly Come Dancing? And how do you pronounce Judy Dyble's surname?

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the eighth album by Pink Floyd, Dark Side Of The Moon. The discussion includes: Pink Floyd's musical ability, whether it truly works as a concept album and whether the cover was based on the Black Magic chocolate box or Milk Tray. Also, is the opening of 'Money' the sound of someone paying Clare Torry her 60 quid session fee? And who on earth is Barry St. John?

Tim and Peter were busy this week, so Shaun had a debate with himself, about the fifth studio album by Hawkwind, Warrior On The Edge Of Time. The ‘discussion’ includes the following topics: where ‘Warrior’ stands in the Hawkwind canon, Hawkwind’s relationship to the British counterculture and whether ‘the Warrior’ was a metaphor for the band itself. Also, is it pronounced Elrich, or Elrich? What happened when the Anglo-Saxons broke ranks at Senlac Hill? And how many member of Hawkwind has Shaun actually met (while playing cricket)?

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the fifth studio album by Yes, Close To The Edge, as well as Jon Anderson's early work, as a milkman in Accrington, Lancashire.

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the fifth studio album by Genesis, Selling England By The Pound.

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the tenth album by Pink Floyd, Animals. The discussion includes: whether the album was an attempt to fit in with the punk aesthetic, whether Roger Waters is a genius or not, to what extent is the band channeling George Orwell and what role love has to play in the album’s theme. Also, what is the band’s problem with the animals? Who was Mary Whitehouse? Is it pronounced Battersea or Battersea? And what happened when Shaun bumped into Dave Mattacks in the toilets?

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim had a conversation with himself, about the unreleased album by The Beach Boys, Smile! The ‘discussion’ includes: the myth versus the reality of Smile!, whether it really would have changed the course of rock history if it had been released, how it relates to the following album Smiley Smile and how The Beach Boys and The Beatles saw each other. Also, why did Capitol Records print 400,000 album covers for an album that didn’t exist? What happened to the missing chorus of Heroes and Villains? And did Brian Wilson really start the fire that happened next door to the Beach Boys’ studio because he recorded a song called ‘Fire’?

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their favourite 60s bands, minus ‘the big two’. How does the British rock and pop scene stand up without its two most famous elements? The guys discuss: the difference between musical contributions and cultural contributions, the influence of folk and blues, what it means to say that a band made its key contributions in the 60s (if they continued into the 70s) and whether the musicianship at the time matched the songwriting. Also, which 60s pop drummer was the best? Which band looked coolest on the Ed Sullivan show? And which 60s musicians would play which role in a hypothetical casting of Oliver?

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the third album by Cream, Wheels Of Fire (Studio). The discussion includes: whether the band can be considered psychedelic or not, why they are masters of the art of syncopation and why they hated each other so much. Also, was Cream really a jazz band but noone had bothered to tell Eric? Is Pressed Rat And Warthog really like Wind in the Willows on acid? Is Ginger Baker doing satirical drumming on Politician? And were things really so great in the lost city of Atlantis?

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim had a conversation with himself, about the third album by Iron Maiden, The Number Of The Beast. The ‘discussion’ includes: the programmatic nature of Maiden’s music, why this album is considered their best, why they always use the same chords, and which their best line-up was. Also, was Hallowed Be Thy Name based on a book by Dostoyevsky? Is this Iron Maiden’s most woke album? Is 22 Acacia Avenue based on Roxanne by The Police?  And did the title track ultimately lead to Brexit?

This week, Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their least favourite songs by possibly the greatest band of all time, thus providing a potential track listing for a third mythical album to add to “The White Album” and “The Black Album”: “The Brown Album”. Topics discussed include the following. Will George and Ringo be over-represented in the list? Are later bad Beatles songs worse than early bad Beatles songs? Is ‘over-McCartneyish’ a legitimate criticism? And: is ‘the greatest Beatles song of all time’ actually their worst? Also: on how many levels can a bad song be bad? What was Paul McCartney really doing ‘in the road’? If Harrison was so tired on Blue Jay Way, why didn’t he just go to bed? And finally, if The Beatles really believed that ‘All You Need Is Love’, why did they start by quoting the Marseillaise, the most bloodthirsty song in history?

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the seventh studio album by King Crimson, Red. The discussion includes: the band’s incredible musicianship, the relative merits of the albums in the Mark III period, whether the group sounds better with or without violin, and whether Starless is the greatest King Crimson track of all time. Also, can Robert Fripp play the blues? Does Phil Collins sound like a seal? Does time literally slow down when the band is doing an over-long improvisational passage? And what would it sound like if cardboard could sing?

Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the second album by Black Sabbath, Paranoid. The discussion includes: whether Black Sabbath started heavy metal, who the most important member of the band was, the influence of drugs on their performance, what their influences were and what the relationship is between jazz and heavy metal. Also, what would Kant have made of Black Sabbath? Why did they keep setting the drummer on fire? Who can do the best Birmingham accent? And why does Shaun keep throwing salt over his shoulder?

Tim and Peter were busy this week, so Shaun had a conversation with himself, about the debut album by Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells. The following topics were covered: how Tubular Bells relates to the rest of the Oldfield catalogue, the relationship between Tubular Bells and early minimalism and how Oldfield's early life affected his compositional processes. Also, did Oldfield exclusively write his music down on the back of cigarette packets? Why hasn’t Shaun seen The Exorcist? And how good is Viv Stanshall?!

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim did a monologue, on the first album by 10cc. ‘We discuss’ the history and pre-history of the band, the gap between 10cc’s talent and the way they’re remembered, the nature of the band’s harmonic and creative gifts, as well as the poor quality of 10cc reissues. Also, are 10cc the Beatles of the 70s? Why did they open the album with what is objectively the worst track? Who's funnier, 10cc or Frank Zappa? And what would Stalin have made of the band?

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their favourite Top Ten UK Bands of the 1970s. The discussion includes: the difference between cultural importance and musical importance, punk versus pre-punk genres, whether we trust one band to write better than another, and why we had so many honourable mentions. Also, who were the real heirs to The Beatles? Why did Phil Collins play on everybody’s records? Did Shaun preempt early US rap music? And what does lampooning mean?

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim did a monologue about the debut album by The Move, Move. The ‘conversation’ included: the multicultural nature of The Move’s music, the ELO connection, whether this is the best UK album of the 1960s and why this was both the beginning and the end for the band. Also, why didn’t they make a concept album about gardening? Who the hell is singing each song? How did the album tapes end up in a bin in central London? And who was Mr. Chad? 

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their favourite Beatles outtakes. The discussion includes: the ratio of John songs to Paul songs and of John and Paul songs to George songs; why there are so many early outtakes and late outtakes; who did the best solo album; and why they gave so many songs to Billy J. Kramer. Also, are there any Ringo songs on the list? Is there anything that shouldn't have been on the White Album? Is ‘Every Night’ brilliant or awful? And why did Cilla Black sound like that?

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim did the second part of his ‘Birmingham Beatles’ duology: the first album by the Electric Light Orchestra. The ‘conversation’ included: the Move connection, the differences between ELO and the later prog movement, the incredibly high quality of ELO’s musicianship and the nature of the creative relationship between Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood. Also, why did so many of the songs have two titles? Why was the album called ‘No Answer’ in the U.S. (as opposed to, say, ‘Press one for hold’)? Where would one cry from if not from one’s eyes? And who led the Royalist forces against Cromwell in the English Civil War?

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim did a monologue, on the first album by Curved Air, Air Conditioning. Topics that come up are: Curved Air’s role in the English rock scene post-psychedelia and pre-prog rock, the nature of the writing committeee they mobilised, how the album fits into the band’s career trajectory, and the extent to which they can be considered a fusion band. Also: how do Curved Air relate to French philosopher Alain Badiou? What would Kant have said? What would Stumpy have said? How does the band incorporate quantum mechanics in their work? And we know that something happened today, but what exactly was it?

Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the third album by Strawbs, From The Witchwood. The discussion includes: whether it should be thought of as a concept album, where it stands in the Strawbs canon, why we can’t find any information on the cover, whether Wordsworth was an influence on the lyrics, and how important the Christian influence was on the band. Also, does Rick Wakeman ever stop playing? Can we trust Artificial Intelligence? Does the animatronic Oliver Cromwell have a Norfolk accent? And which is better, the English Civil War or the Norman Invasions? There’s only one way to find out…

This week, the first of an occasional series: “Pods from the wood”, in which Shaun goes back to nature and discusses one of his favourite albums whilst moving around in the Essex countryside. Today’s topic is the third album by Caravan, In The Land Of Grey And Pink. Themes discussed include: the influence of Chaucer on the band, where the album stands in the Canterbury canon, the Tolkeinesque nature of the cover, and how Caravan relates to its successor bands. Also, is that wind, or an earthquake in the Home Counties? Can you think of another band with cousins in? What is a winter wine (when it’s at home)? And who’s that on the phone?

This week, Shaun and Tim did a marathon ranking of the 28 albums by The Beach Boys. The discussion included: the difference between a great album and a favourite album; who the best songwriter was after Brian; whether Pet Sounds is really that good; whether the Beach Boys discography is a curate’s egg or jam sandwich; and how many of The Beach Boys albums are concept albums. Also, how bad does one song have to be to ruin an album? What happened to Shaun when he was in the bath while listening to 20/20? And how many references to Stalin can the lads include in a Beach Boys ranking?

This week, Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their Top Ten favourite US bands of all time. The discussion includes: the difference between bands and solo artists; whether a subjective analysis is the same as an opinion; who the most influential bands were; and which decade produced the best music? Also, why was there a fetish for misspelling animal names? Why doesn’t Shaun listen to anything that was released after 1993? Why did noone mention The Doobie Brothers? And who will be number one?

This week, Tim discussed the fifth album by Van der Graaf Generator, Godbluff. Topics covered are: where the album sits in the band’s trajectory, the band’s unusual line-up, whether they can be considered prog rock, the European influences on the band and the meaning of the album title. Also, what was their influence on Iron Maiden? Were the band influenced by romantic literature? Were they really obsessed with the wars of religion? Are the band “heavy metal without guitars”? And does the word “George Harrison-y” constitute an acceptable use of the English language?

Peter, Shaun and Tim compare and contrast the two classic prog rock double albums: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis and Tales From Topographic Oceans by Yes. The discussion includes: why the bands decided to do double albums at this point; the role of jamming on both albums; the religious character of the two themes; and who’s better: Roger Dean or Hipgnosis? Also, are Jon Anderson’s words wonderful or terrible? Was The Lamb based on The TV show The Prisoner? Why did Alan White play a tree? Who was Lilith? And is Shaun using a microphone or a telescope?

This week, Shaun and Tim did a review of the folk-rock classic, the fourth album by Fairport Convention, Liege And Lief. The discussion included: what the album title means; whether this was the band’s last great album, or their first great album; how close to romanticism folk music is; and whether the album is optimally sequenced. Also, how do you pronounce ‘Hutchings’? What is that object on the back cover? What’s the difference between Matty Groves and Titanic? Is Shaun qualified to join the cast of Time Team? And is Jacob Rees-Mogg a were-fox?

This week Tim did a monologue on Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. He attempted to answer the question as to whether it is as good as everybody says it is. Did he manage it? Listen and find out!

This week, Tim discussed the fifth album by Gentle Giant, In a Glass House. Topics covered are: the band being dropped by their record label, whether the band is a prog band or a ‘sublimated pop band', the complexity of the band’s playing and writing and their relationship with the missing brother and how it affected the theme of the album. Also, had the band read Jean-Paul Sartre? What happened when the band supported Black Sabbath? Why the hell did they make Giant For A Day? How did Kant define the Enlightenment? And finally, who were The Moles?

This week, Shaun and Tim did a ranking of the first six solo albums by the key members of Genesis. Topics included: the difference between band writing and solo writing, the difference between instrumental writing and songwriting, the punk-prog dialectic, the prevalence of journeying themes in the albums, and sexual difference when it comes to choosing your favourite Genesis member. Also, where is the Mick Barnard album? How many wine glasses did Steve Hackett actually crush? What kind of trade union member is Phil Collins? And how many members of Genesis does it take to fit cannons and tympanis in a canal boat?

This week Tim did a monologue on the first album by Godley and Creme, Consequences. The discussion includes: the extensive artistic talents of the duo, the nature of the split with 10cc, what Deceptive Bends would have been like if Godley and Creme had stayed, and the environmental theme. Also, was the album a hello or a goodbye? Should it really have been a triple? Can it be described as the weirdest album in the history of rock? What was the Gizmotron? How on earth did they get Peter Cook and Sarah Vaughan involved? And is the answer to life, the universe and everything: “17”?

This week, Peter and Tim ranked the 15 Pink Floyd studio albums. Topics covered included: Hipgnosis cover art, the transition from psychedelia to prog, or art rock, whether we can separate our views of Pink Floyd from their cultural significance and the relative merits of the different members of the band. Also: who has the best joke about Momentary Lapse of Reason? Is anyone prepared to watch an entire Barbet Schroeder film? How does Piper At The Gates Of Dawn resemble a chocolate box? Why is Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast so long? And which is the bravest 9 minutes in Pink Floyd’s career? And finally, the crucial question: how many Pink Floyds are there?

This week, Tim discussed Frank Zappa’s 1979 album Sheik Yerbouti. Issues discussed are the artistic status of the rock double album, the role of humour in music, what to make of the accusation of racism, whether Frank Zappa had read Freud, the musical eclecticism one finds on the album and the role of aleatory music in Zappa’s oeuvre. Also: how are the musique concrète pieces like a Japanese restaurant? Is the character of Bobby Brown a metaphor for today’s culture? Who’s funnier: Frank Zappa or the Bonzo Dog Band? Is the closing track a veiled threat to his own musicians? And most important of all: do unicorns exist or not?

This week Tim and Shaun ranked the first eight (or is it seven?!) Yes solo debut albums. Issues which emerge are: what the thinking was in putting these albums together; who has the best musicianship on their album; how the sound of these albums relates to the Yes sound; and how the onstage dynamic might affect the group dynamic as a whole. Also, what would King Crimson have sounded like with Phil Collins on drums? Is the phrase Alan White a metaphor? Which exactly are the two sides of Peter Banks? Who plays pervy sax on Fish Out Of Water? Why is Richard Nixon on the cover of Henry? And what on earth is ramschackling?

This week Shaun and Tim discussed the ninth studio album by Genesis, And Then There Were Three. Themes discussed include: whether this was Genesis’ least experimental album, what Steve Hackett’s absence meant to the band, whether the unexpected is a necessary but insufficient condition for artistic creation and whether the album should have been called “Selling America By The Pound”. Also, was there any instrument on the album that couldn’t have been played by Tony Banks? Was Ballad of Big about Steve Hackett? Did Shaun get off the Genesis bus before or after Tesco’s? What the hell is Snowbound about? And which was the first Genesis track on which Phil start discussing his Mama?

This week, Peter and Tim discussed the fourth album by Simon and Garfunkel, Bookends. Topics considered include: whether the album was an attack on hippy ideals and culture, whether it was a New York broadside against California, what connects Simon and Garfunkel and The Kinks, the nature of Paul Simon’s writing process and whether the album would be considered “meta” today. Also: what does “America” mean? Who was “Kathy”? Was Mrs. Robinson really Mrs. Roosevelt? Is it pronounced “Hazy Shade Of Winter” or “Whiter Shade Of Pale”? And is all the world really a stage?

This week Shaun and Tim discussed the third album by Peter Gabriel: 3 (Melt). Themes covered include: whether this is a psychological or a political album (or both), whether it’s a concept album about apartheid, the status of the album within Gabriel’s discography, the psychological resonances of the cover and the influence of world music on the album. Also, are some of the lyrics based on Freud’s analysis of the Schreber case? Was the track Intruder about the Milk Tray man? Are there too many songs on side one? Did Lee Harvey Oswald kill JFK? And what happened to William the Conqueror when they tried to put him in his coffin?

This week Tim discussed side one of Mike Rutherford’s first solo album, Smallcreep’s Day. Topics covered include: the playing on the album, the programmatic implications of the Smallcreep’s Day Suite, the differences between Smallcreep’s Day and Supper’s Ready by Genesis, and the decisive use of suspended chords on the album. Also, why is the cover better than the source material? Is Rutherford a romantic or a transcendental idealist? What exactly is the problem with the Marxist concept of alienation? How many apotheoses are required in a 24-minute piece? How is Smallcreep like James Bond? And how do you say “thief” in Spanish?

This week Tim did a monologue on Five Bridges by The Nice. Topics covered include: whether Five Bridges is the first stage in the development of the progressive rock "paradigm"; where the album stands in the band’s catalogue; how The Nice compares to ELP; and whether the dialectic between band and orchestra is successful. Also, why don’t bands get Arts Council grants any more? What does the band have to do with the philosophy of science? Was the introduction influenced by tantric sex? Was Lee Jackson a Maoist? How do you say “ars” without causing offence? And most importantly of all, what does Stumpy say?

This week Shaun, Peter and Tim rank their top five favourite live prog rock albums. Who will be number one?