A New Day Yesterday

UK Progressive Rock & the 1970s

By: Mike Barnes

Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies

Music journalist Mike Barnes (MOJO, The Wire, Prog, and author of the acclaimed biography Captain Beefheart) goes back to the birth of progressive rock and surveys the cultural conditions and attitudes that fed into, and were in turn affected by, this remarkable musical phenomenon. He examines the myths and misconceptions that have grown up around progressive rock and paints a vivid, colorful picture of the '70s based on hundreds of hours of his own interviews with musicians, music business insiders, journalists, and DJs, and from the personal testimonies of those who were fans of the music in that extraordinary decade.

©2020 Omnibus Press (P)2022 Tantor

An enjoyable and detailed look at English prog.

I consider myself fairly knowledgeable when it comes to prog rock and have to say I learned a lot! OK, maybe not so much about the big five bands, as many of us are fans and know them inside and out, but I found a lot to learn about the 1960s music scene and how it developed into what we now consider the prog rock movement. Also, there was a comprehensive look at many of the fringe bands that were on my radar, but for whatever reason, I never explored. It all rounded out by highlighting what happened to many of the groups by the end of the 1970s mostly because of the shifting muical tastes of the audiences and record labels. I found myself pulling up Apple Music and checking out many of the songs and albums being described as I went along. This really helped get a grasp of many of the nuances. I have to say this all widened my perspective the genre and made me a fan of even more artists and groups. Highly recommended for those who want to learn more about prog no matter how much you think might know. At the outset, the author states he realizes many won't agree with some of his opinions, which is wise if you've ever been in a debate about "what is prog?" ! :-)

a bit pretentious

The book itself isn't horrible, there are some interesting passages. But the narrator is really tough to take.