If a white man doesn’t enjoy hip hop is there racism involved or just old age? The Atlantic hates Progressive Rock. Narcissism. Eating yer veg and broadening our minds. Beyoncé. Sugar Hill Gang. Grandmaster Flash. Sir Mixalot. Hamilton. Kendrick. The Guest Rapper Killed The Guitar Solo. Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. Journalists and music criticism. Rap, vegetables, Reagan and ketchup. Glenn Miller.

Roger CortonOK, there was a recent article in The Atlantic which is just damning of Progressive Rock. The author calls it ‘the whitest music ever’. So to respond you think it’s a good idea to talk about ‘rap’ music. Possibly the least prog-friendly music (if I can call it that) on this here planet. Why, Oh why?

JCHWell, first of all, I generally love The Atlantic. It’s probably my fave print mag ever. But they have this whole other group of people who blog for them; maybe they’re the minor league team. They tend to do narcissistic pieces like that.

[…]

Glenn Campbell, RIP. JC’s Co-Pilot. Not Steve Howe. Monkees. Superpower. Oceans Below. Louis Shelton.

Roger CortonYou wanted to talk about Glenn Campbell.

JCHYeah man. My fave. Absolutely my fave. Playing. Singing. The cat.

JCHThere was this period when he was doing Wichita Lineman and Galveston and so on and I just thought he was the coolest.

RCSeriously?

JCHOh yeah. When I was a kid he did a TV special where he got to play and that was it for me.

RCThat’s so funny to me because everyone always thinks you play like Steve Howe.

JCHThat’s only because Steve is the only guy in ‘Prog’ who was coming from any vaguely (cough) ‘country/folky’ aspect and to yer average ‘Prog’ fan [fake chinese accent] velly solly, we all look arike to you round eyes. (laughs). But his playing and mine actually have little in common. His playing came from Chet Atkins and Merle Travis […]

Part II.I of a discussion of Dave Weigel’s new book The Show That Never Ends, a history of Progressive Rock, which is getting all sorts of discussion on social media. A follow up where JCH actually reads a book (shock). Moody Blues. Definitions. What makes for a real Indian? Even more Fripp.

Roger CortonYou finally read it (laughs)?

JCHI did. So a couple of quick things I got WRONG and then off to the weenie roasts.

RCYou? Using the ‘W’ word?

JCHWell that’s what happens when you review a book you haven’t actually read! (laughs).

RCGood point.

JCHI didn’t realize how much the thing reads like a history. Fact. Fact. Fact. Fact. Far less of an analysis then I expected.

RCI know. The way you were gassing on.

JCHWell in my defense all those reviews, the guy is giving all these long expositions

RCLike in that Libertarian magazine article. Ayn Rand and […]

Part II of a discussion of Dave Weigel’s new book The Show That Never Ends, a history of Progressive Rock, which is getting all sorts of discussion on social media. The chat ended breaking down into two broad topics. Part I was about Robert Fripp vs. Keith Emerson. This time, we discuss the notion of Progressive Rock as ‘art’ or entertainment. The Prog Tree Of Life. Jumping The Shark. No regroup. Mr. Natural.

Roger CortonOverall, why do you think the book is getting so much attention?

JCHI think a lot of it is that this guy is a well-placed writer and the fact that he is a good reporter. He covered this like a for realz news story. There may or may not be that many fans left. They just make a lot of noise (laughs). But he gave the whole thing real gravitas by covering it like real ‘art’ and I’m sure the fans get that.

RCI know you mentioned the […]

Part I of a discussion of Dave Weigel’s new book The Show That Never Ends, a history of Progressive Rock, which is getting all sorts of discussion on social media. The chat ended breaking down into two broad topics. This week? Career Planning: Robert Fripp vs. Keith Emerson. Filet Mignon with Ketchup.

Roger CortonWhere you been, man? We gotta discuss this book.

JCHSick. And you know I haven’t actually read the thing.

RCBut surely you’ve heard about it?

JCHThat guy has like the best PR agent of all time. I expect to see a review in Juggs Monthly (laughs). Nobody gets that reference. Dude, where did you get that?

RCWikipedia. I didn’t get the reference.

JCHWow. I gotta stop doing jokes like that. I haven’t seen a for realz skin mag in twenty years. Anyhoo, nothing but interviews. Probably the biggest thing to happen to ‘Prog’ in a decade. And I have […]