The 50th anniversary of Genesis' A Trick of the Tail

Atlantic Records

#OTD 1976 (2 February): Genesis released A Trick of the Tail, their first work set forth with Phil Collins taking upon himself the role of lead singer; yet it remaineth steadfastly grounded in the progressive manner. Indeed, it standeth as fine an example of English prog of the 1970s as any that may be named. A strong argument may well be made that this is, in truth, the greatest achievement of Genesis: a claim that endureth even when set against the formidable works with Peter Gabriel. (For mine own part, nothing surpasseth Foxtrot, yet this followeth hard upon its heels.) It is a work of rare coherence and polish, free from any needless or ill-judged passage; just absolute perfection throughout. Among its many excellences, “Ripples” remaineth one of the most exquisitely fashioned ballads in the whole history of recorded music: poised, elegiac, and softly ruinous in its beauty. And if any doubt yet linger, let the hearer but seek it out - on YouTube or elsewhere - and return thereafter, duly and wholly persuaded.

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

John Lodge, bassist and vocalist of the Moody Blues, 1943 – 2025. Another light gone out in the firmament

Getty Images

{BBC 10 October} ‘Moody Blues singer John Lodge dies, aged 82’

A fond and reverent farewell to John Lodge—not ‘just a singer in a rock and roll band’, as his own lyric once wryly insisted, but one of the true gentlemen and master craftsmen of progressive rock. A quietly noble Englishman who treated music not as commerce but as a vocation. Lodge, bassist, vocalist, songwriter, and spiritual ballast of The Moody Blues, hath departed this unworthy and ungrateful realm aged 82. Born 20 July 1943 in Erdington, Birmingham, he and Justin Hayward joined a reconfigured Moody Blues in 1966, and together they turned what had been a competent R&B outfit into something altogether grander: a vessel of symphonic splendour and celestial vision.

Their 1967 opus, Days of Future Passed, stands as the first proper flowering of what we came to call progressive rock, fusing symphonic orchestration with poetic lyricism and rock instrumentation, creating a sound that could swell the heart and paint pictures in the mind in a way no one had dared attempt before. To list one’s favourite albums is an act of futility—every decade renders one’s own past judgement embarrassing, and I am no whit exempt—yet that record shall always remain in my upper pantheon without any hesitation. It hath the stateliness of a cathedral and the soft grace of a lullaby.

Mr Lodge’s own contributions to the Moody Blues canon are numerous and indelible, and include ‘Ride My See-Saw’, ‘Isn’t Life Strange’, ‘Gemini Dream’, and that deathless confession, ‘I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)’, one of the most honest anthems ever wrought upon the absurdity of the touring life. By all accounts I have ever read or heard—and especially upon this day—he was a warm and generous man of sound judgement and sober mind, untainted by the usual vanities that so oft beset his calling.

A man who did embody the spirit of that golden age when rock music strove not merely to entertain but to elevate—to wed the mind unto the heart, and art unto melody—John Lodge shall be missed. I do pray that the noble legacy of English progressive rock, which he and his peers so bravely fashioned, shall never be cast into oblivion. For in this darkening technological and Orwellian age of ours, wherein history is daily mangled and made to vanish with fearful haste, it behoveth us all the more to hold dear, and remember truly, the pure and human artistry of such men as he.

Rest in Peace, good sir. 

—Arthur Newhook, 10 October 2025

{alternate text for the above image} A colour studio portrait of John Lodge, bassist and vocalist of The Moody Blues, captured in the 1970s. His expression is introspective, almost pensive, as though caught mid-thought. Soft, diffused lighting highlights the contours of his face and the gentle sheen of his skin, while his long, wavy brown hair—styled in the characteristic fashion of the era—frames his features in a halo of texture. He wears a patterned shirt, its muted psychedelic design subtly evocative of the period’s aesthetic: colourful yet understated. The photograph embodies the introspective artistry that defined Lodge’s contribution to the band’s sound—lyrical, melodic, and quietly spiritual—while the restrained composition suggests a man more attuned to reflection than spectacle. It is a portrait of a musician at once ordinary and transcendent, poised at the intersection of English reserve and rock’s romantic idealism.

Copyright 2025, Arthur Newhook. FULL LIST OF LINKS - linktr.ee/arthurnewhook. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED on Cash App ($ANewhook).

Atom Heart Mother turns 55

PINK FLOYD – Atom Heart Mother, released 2 October 1970 in the UK. Hardly anyone’s notion of the quintessential Pink Floyd record—and I am no exception. The title suite, a twenty-three–minute tapestry of orchestral bliss, remains a triumph of ambition and atmosphere, and I do love it a great deal: luxuriant, strange, and utterly absorbing. Yet what follows on the second side largely descends into listless filler—inoffensive, faintly agreeable, but lacking any urgency. The closing piece, the thirteen-minute curio 'Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast', is little more than an indulgent sound collage, whimsical in conception but barren in substance: not a song so much as a half-hearted conceit that soon outstays its welcome. 

The grandeur of its opening suite and Hipgnosis’s now-iconic cover design make Atom Heart Mother a must own for serious music fans and anyone who appreciates English progressive rock, but in the greater sweep of Floyd’s catalogue it must be placed firmly among their lesser works, though there are worse. —Arthur Newhook, 2 October 2025.

{alternate text for the above image} The cover of Pink Floyd’s 1970 album Atom Heart Mother presents an image of striking simplicity: a Friesian cow, its brown-and-white hide stark against the verdant expanse of an open field, turns its head to gaze back at the viewer with quiet indifference. The composition, devoid of title, lettering, or overt symbolism, rejects the baroque surrealism of contemporaneous rock imagery, embracing instead a blunt pastoral directness that is almost confrontational in its banality. The horizon stretches under a pale, cloudless sky, with only the faintest silhouettes of distant trees punctuating the emptiness, creating a sense of space that is at once serene and faintly absurd. In elevating the ordinary to the monumental, the image embodies both the anti-iconography of post-psychedelic art and the band’s wry refusal to be circumscribed by expectation.

Copyright 2025, Arthur Newhook. On X-TWITTER: @Sunking278 and @DollsFallen. REDDIT - https://www.reddit.com/user/SiberianKhatru278/. BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. FULL LIST OF LINKS - linktr.ee/arthurnewhook. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED on Cash App ($ANewhook), PayPal (paypal.me/Sunking278), and at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

‘Days of Future Passed' stands as the pioneering masterpiece of English Progressive rock, with much credit owed to this gentleman. #RIP Mike Pinder: the Moody Blues' last surviving founding member, who passed away at 82

WireImage

A trailblazer of the Mellotron and the visionary who guided the Moody Blues from their R&B roots, or more specifically, their 'British beat' origins, into something truly revolutionary. I firmly believe that 'Days of Future Passed' (1967) stands as the inaugural fully-fledged Progressive rock album and shall forever remain my favourite work by the Moodies. With all due respect to 'Sgt. Pepper's' and 'In the Court of the Crimson King', it is worth noting that Procol Harum's first full-length album did not emerge until after 'Days of Future Passed'. However, it is undeniable that Procol Harum did release one of the very first legitimate Progressive rock singles (the earliest being ‘Eleanor Rigby’) with 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' in early 1967, positioning themselves alongside the Moodies and a select few others in shaping this bold new era of music.

Mike Pinder remained with the Moody Blues until their break-up in 1972. He briefly rejoined the group when they reformed in 1978, only to step aside for former YES keyboardist Patrick Moraz. Whilst Mr. Moraz did perform valiantly during his time with YES - filling in for Rick Wakeman on 1974's masterwork 'Relayer' - it is questionable whether he left a comparable mark in replacing Mike Pinder in the Moody Blues. Despite the band's considerable chart success into the late 1980s and their respectable output during this period, nothing they produced after Pinder's departure matched the sonic and thematic depth of their golden era from 1967 to 1972. Not even close. Some sources do suggest that Mr. Moraz may have felt relegated to the role of a mere session player during his 13-year tenure with the Moodies, which is to say, beyond manning the keys, he did not fulfill quite the same roles with the ensemble as Mr. Pinder.

For the Moody Blues, Mike Pinder was irreplaceable. Whilst I cannot profess to have known much about him personally, this obituary does provide insight into an eccentric yet kind individual who remained devoted to music and spirituality until his final days. It is saddening that so many English Progressive rock pioneers have departed in recent years. Let us pay homage to those who have left us and honour those who remain, not named Roger Waters. Thank you, Mike Pinder, for your contributions and legacy.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social, and @arthurnewhook on POST. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

From the official Pink Floyd site on YouTube and in conjunction with the Perth Observatory, the Ningaloo eclipse in Exmouth, Western Australia, set to ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ in its entirety

AI generated image

Having just watched this incredible footage as I post, and being a bit groggy at six in the morning as I lay here in my bed, I can tell you that it is a very moving experience. Almost as amazing as the wonders of nature is how the collective piece of music such as ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ - or Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir,’ or any number of great symphonic pieces across a range of rock, jazz, and classical subgenres - can retain its majesty and its power across - quite literally - thousands of listens over the course of decades. Also, how certain artists from the Progressive Rock era of the 70s - David Gilmour, Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, to name a few - continue to find ways to remain innovative in their old age, and are still among the most ‘progressive’ musical artists alive today. 

Copyright 2023, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on TWITTER, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, and POST - @arthurnewhook.

On This Date, 1977: YES releases 'Going for the One'

YES onstage in 1977. From Left to Right: Alan White, Steve Howe, Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, and Chris Squire. Getty Images/BBC

YES: Going for the One - Released on this day in 1977. A timeless, flawless album that nonetheless sounded out of place for its time and in its environment. The United Kingdom was in a very dark mood in 1977, exemplified musically by the burgeoning Punk Rock movement, and also brilliantly reflected by Pink Floyd on their masterpiece of that year, ‘Animals.’ YES is still operating very much in the spirit of the Summer of Love here, so in the context of 1977 ‘Going for the One’ was viewed as an anachronism and out-of-touch. In spite of that, the album managed to sell fairly well (and in spite of a truly awful choice for cover art, featuring a naked man’s buttocks, that undoubtedly turned off Middle American male teenagers who otherwise were lapping this stuff up in the ‘70s. Remember, we’re talking about 1977, and even now we are not as enlightened in matters of sexuality as we pretend to believe. However, let’s also be clear that one does not have to be a raging homophobe to not want to look at another person’s bare ass, but I digress.) YES even managed to notch their highest-charting single ever in the UK, ‘Wonderous Stories’ (peaked at No. 7. By contrast, their biggest American single - the No. 1 ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ from 1983, only peaked at No. 28 in the UK.) Rick Wakeman’s return to the band after being away for close to three years no doubt helped sales, even in the midst of a pretty vicious backlash against Progressive Rock in the UK. The unfortunate choice of cover art, however, was made worse by the fact that the imagery had absolutely nothing to do with the contents of the album. With its depiction of a naked man standing in front of the Century Towers in Los Angeles, the cover suggests something futuristic, but pretty much all of ‘Going for the One’ is nostalgic and/or pastoral in nature. The Chris Squire standout ‘Parallels’ - arguably the most modern-sounding track - opens with a glorious Rick Wakeman organ line straight out of the Baroque Era. The emotional and sweeping Steve Howe showcase ‘Turn of the Century’ is not looking forward to the coming Millennium, but is rather wistful for the Victorian Age. The two tracks that make up side two - the UK radio hit ‘Wonderous Stories’ and the supremely majestic epic ‘Awaken’ - speak to matters that transcend time and space. Even the raucous opening title track - one of the hardest-rocking songs in the entire YES catalog - looks back a couple decades with its Rockabilly flourishes via Steve Howe’s steel guitar. ‘Going for the One’ is an album that is accessible enough for more mainstream and casual listeners, and still pleasing to the devoted fans who demand complexity and unconventionality. By my count, YES has exactly eight albums that are basically perfect from beginning-to-end - all of them recorded between 1971 and 1983, with only one record in that entire period not being up to par, 1978’s ‘Tormato.’ ‘Going for the One’ is a vibrant, life-affirming record, and the sound of the most masterful musicians of their age at the height of their magical powers. With the recent passing of drummer Alan White and the passing of Chris Squire in 2015, this record has only taken on more poignancy for me. As essential a record as there is.

GRADE: A+

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On This Date, 1972: Emerson, Lake and Palmer release Trilogy

Hipgnosis

Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Trilogy - Released 50 years ago today, July 6, 1972. This album and its follow-up, Brain Salad Surgery, are the ultimate peak of the legendary (or infamously) aristocratic and bombastic ELP. Easily a tighter, more-focused affair than the album that preceded it, 1971’s Tarkus. How many times have I heard ‘From the Beginning’ over the years? Maybe 10,000 times or so, yet that spacey outro never fails to send a chill down my spine. The perfect song for around Midnight. Another classic rock radio staple to this day is the wonderful take on Copland, ‘Hoedown.’ How I love that technicolor moment about three minutes into the title track when the tempo picks up pace dramatically, like Dorothy entering the Land of Oz. The closing march, ‘Abaddon’s Bolero,’ is pure bliss. Frankly, after not having played Trilogy from beginning-to-end and in one sitting in many years, I was a bit surprised by how much I enjoyed revisiting this record. ELP is not my absolute favorite band from the era, but this is an absolutely essential masterwork of 1970s Progressive and Classic Rock, no questions asked. (That cover, on the other hand, is hideous. There was a strange trend of bands consisting of pale, skinny, ugly white guys posing shirtless for publicity photos and album covers at that time.)

GRADE: A

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On This Date, 1972: Frank Zappa's Waka/Jawaka is released

Cal Schenkel

Frank Zappa: Waka/Jawaka - Released 50 years ago today - July 5, 1972. The 17:23 instrumental opener ‘Big Swifty’ is top-notch, ultra-quirky jazz fusion that explicitly pays tribute to Miles, and is guaranteed to greatly irritate anyone with more conventional tastes. Two shorter vocal tracks in the middle are at least as quirky, but do not really stand out relative to the overall multitude of satirical songs Zappa put forth in his time. Then, however, we come to the 11:17 instrumental closing title track, and another great ear worm for those of us who are demented enough to enjoy this sort of thing. For the two pieces bookending it, Waka/Jawaka is a must-have for all fans of Progressive Rock, Jazz Fusion, Free Jazz, and novelty songs.

GRADE: A-

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