Yes Is The Answer (And Other Prog Rock Tales)
Edited by Marc Weingarten and Tyson Cornell
(Rare Bird Books)

Yes Is The Answer (And Other Prog Rock Tales) is a compilation of essays about progressive rock from writers like Seth Greenland, Beth Lisick, Wesley Stace, Nick Coleman and many other writers of renown.  Tales about Yes, Genesis, The Incredible String Band, Pink Floyd…you name the prog rock band they are represented here! Editors Marc Weingarten and Tyson Cornell have lovingly anthologized a hard cover tome of near 300 pages that anyone who loves prog music or has even been interested in prog music, will just love.

I’m a huge 70’s prog rock head so this book tickled me on so many levels, from Seth Greenland’s review of seeing The Nice way back when, Tom Junod’s harrowing suburban nightmare of “Out, Angels Out” and Rodrigo Fresan’s “A Clockwork Wall” translated from its original Spanish. There’s a goodly amount of analysis here of what makes this music what it is, but mainly these are loving tales of youth from these men and women who were more then slightly influenced by this music they (and I with them) so adore. The thing is, when you are a prog rock head you get lots of crap from other more ‘legit’ music fans (or at least those people who think that what they listen to is more legit because there are no keyboards in the music or spinning pyramids of knights on ice jousting during a live performance. But for us all, the fans and these writers, Yes and bands like them are certainly the answer!