ThoughtGallery.org > Dave Weigel + Tom Scharpling: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock

Dave Weigel + Tom Scharpling: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock

David Weigel, national reporter at the Washington Post, is here to rescue the music of groups like Yes, Genesis, and Pink Floyd from the ridicule and derision heaped on it by decades of critics and pop culture, all the way back to Spinal Tap. Described by Rolling Stone as “the deliciously decadent genre that the punks failed to kill,” prog rock saw huge sales and even huger ideas–concept albums, wild and wooly cover art, advanced recording techniques, and, yes, stagecraft worthy of “Stonehenge.”

Weigel explains exactly what was “progressive” about prog rock and how its complexity and experimentalism arose from such precursors as the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds and the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper. He traces prog’s popularity from the massive success of Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade of Pale” and the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” in 1967. He reveals how prog’s best-selling, epochal albums were made, including The Dark Side of the Moon, Thick as a Brick, and Tubular Bells. And he explores the rise of new instruments into the prog mix, such as the synthesizer, flute, mellotron, and–famously–the double-neck guitar.

The Show That Never Ends is filled with the candid reminiscences of prog’s celebrated musicians. It also features memorable portraits of the vital contributions of producers, empresarios, and technicians such as Richard Branson, Brian Eno, Ahmet Ertegun, and Bob Moog.

Join Weigel, along with Best Show host, comedian, and fellow prog connoisseur Tom Scharpling, for a victorious tour of the resurgent genre that gave us classic records and a plenty of forgotten greatness.











When: Tue., Jun. 13, 2017 at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: The Strand
828 Broadway
212-473-1452
Price: $26.95 Admission & Signed Copy grants you admission for one, plus one signed copy of the book; $15 Admission & Gift Card grants you admission for one, plus one $15 Strand gift card to be used at any time on any product.
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David Weigel, national reporter at the Washington Post, is here to rescue the music of groups like Yes, Genesis, and Pink Floyd from the ridicule and derision heaped on it by decades of critics and pop culture, all the way back to Spinal Tap. Described by Rolling Stone as “the deliciously decadent genre that the punks failed to kill,” prog rock saw huge sales and even huger ideas–concept albums, wild and wooly cover art, advanced recording techniques, and, yes, stagecraft worthy of “Stonehenge.”

Weigel explains exactly what was “progressive” about prog rock and how its complexity and experimentalism arose from such precursors as the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds and the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper. He traces prog’s popularity from the massive success of Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade of Pale” and the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” in 1967. He reveals how prog’s best-selling, epochal albums were made, including The Dark Side of the Moon, Thick as a Brick, and Tubular Bells. And he explores the rise of new instruments into the prog mix, such as the synthesizer, flute, mellotron, and–famously–the double-neck guitar.

The Show That Never Ends is filled with the candid reminiscences of prog’s celebrated musicians. It also features memorable portraits of the vital contributions of producers, empresarios, and technicians such as Richard Branson, Brian Eno, Ahmet Ertegun, and Bob Moog.

Join Weigel, along with Best Show host, comedian, and fellow prog connoisseur Tom Scharpling, for a victorious tour of the resurgent genre that gave us classic records and a plenty of forgotten greatness.

Buy tickets/get more info now