I'm pleased to announce the release of 'In The Mood for Prog' coming Autumn 2021.

The book contains a curated list of albums grouped in categories based on different listening styles/moods so that the reader can pick and choose an album based on how they are feeling. The book is designed for newcomers to prog and veterans alike and hopefully will give everybody something new and interesting to listen to.

Such chapters include 'Albums to listen to when you want to scare your neighbours' through to 'Albums to listen to through headphones'.

Each album is given a brief background with highlights and descriptions of the music. Alongside each album are further recommendations so that listeners may have different options.

Furthermore, my aim with the book is to provide examples of albums that are not the classic warhorse and popular choices that always come up in other books about prog. It is my hopeful aim that there will be something new for everybody.

If this sounds like an interesting book you want to read then do leave a comment. The aim for the book is light reading, discovery of new music and a companion.

Thanks,

Ryan

 You could probably do an entire book on just that chapter!

But anyway, it sounds like an interesting idea. Good luck with your book and I look forward to seeing its release.

Thanks a lot! I have a few good candidates for that chapter - not decided yet.

I will keep you posted with updates!

As you may have noticed in this sub-forum, I'm also the author of a prog book "The Musical Instruments of Progressive Rock; An Illustrated Guide". May I ask you, do you have already any publishing house interested in the project? Or will it be a self-published book?

For me this was the hardest part, trying to find a publishing house, finally I had to opt for self-publishing, but this means I have no means to promote the book through conventional sales channels, bookstores, record stores, musical instruments stores and such. All I can do is trying to raise awareness of the book's existence via Instagram and Facebook and hope that interested people buy it on Amazon, which leaves you less than peanuts as author's sales commision...

All the best for your project! 

You could start a whole In the Mood For platform--  jazz, punk, folk ...

This will be a self published digital title initially. I too have avoided going through amazon etc due to the poor return so I am just going to put it out through my socials and hope that word spreads.

If it is successful then I may very well look at a paperback option.

Cheers

Ryan

Absolutely! That would be really cool!

I am now accepting preorders for my new book. Do check out the link which will give you more info about thew book. Preorder to get the book ahead of the release date!

https://ryanyardmusic.com/product/712544

The book will now be released in May 2022.

This book sounds very interesting to me. I've tried the link, but it didn't work. 

Are you also the author of the book about Mike Oldfield's albums?
 

Absolutely! The chapters are listed in a slightly different way now but still rather humorous in nature. Perhaps those bands will make the book?

To be honest, I don't listen to MUSIC to think of what kind it is. 

And, I, certainly do not listen to "prog" or any other kind of music, depending on my moods, specially when there are times when a surprise is the best medicine for the moment.

It's just bizarre, weird, and strange, that we look at all this as some kind of commercial adventure and have little, if any appreciation for ALL MUSIC in the process. Like saying jazz doesn't have that. The musicians in Bali couldn't possibly have anything in their music for you, EVER. A lot of African music is the same. And then making the same issue of things like major is happy and minor is sad which is not true, within a book, is kind of scary for me, and a call for some kind of gawd of generalization ... something that in this day and age is impossible with so many folks in the planet ... and so much music ... and who gives a duck about listening to anything else but the top ten listed by yet another person!

Sorry ... nothing personal ... but we either improve/elevate the music beyond "song" or what we know as prog or progressive will be dead soon, and deservedly so because of the mentality surrounding it.

What is your choice?

That’s fine. The books not for you. It’s a very specific type of book. Read along whilst listening to a range of music that could be considered progressive. Also contains a section for recording thoughts and opinions journal style.

Broad Sheep?

Hi,

"Prog/Progressive" is an illusion that we have created. FOR ME, ANY MUSIC is not an ILLUSION, but a REALITY ... that is, it is about that person or persons, and what they bring in to add to the dinner table, so to speak.

While I can appreciate the good will in your endeavor, it reminds me of two books that have been around a long time ... PETER MICHAEL HAMEL had a book (From Music To The Self) that is a really difficult read for most of us, since he goes through a lot of African and Eastern music, as if it was his playground ... something that we have a hard time doing since we are not musically free from the more mechanical Westernized styles. The other was a book by a writer named NEVIL DRURY who was better known for some writings on Magic and some other bits like Castaneda ... and his book on music was actually a nice attempt, although I think that his listening habits were not as well defined as they could be, or perhaps by that time I knew a lot more music than he did when he wrote the book. Thus the book sounds weak, and missing much better material for meditation, and material to augment the Tarot Cards which he makes an attempt at.

The only thing "missing" about music, is the artistic attempt to help "define" the work ... something that is very visible in theater, and literature, and almost completely ignored in music (specially pop and progressive) and then most of the art in the art world, that still tries to glorify the rose and the onion not to mention the soup can. Both of these "refuse" to delve into deeper matters and make serious attempts at developing and understanding what they do ... beyond some "secret" they have. THERE ARE NO SECRETS (Peter Brook-Theater and Daevid Allen-Gong) ... and instead we find folks that sometimes just need to let you know ... I don't know, when it starts it just all goes like that ... and I'm OK with that, believe or not, but that is not the case since a lot of the lyrics in most prog/progressive is basically poor and not well defined and designed beyond making sure that guitar gets that extra note, and the drummer drops that snare drum louder in your ear!

While you might not read all this, now you know the meaning of "prog/progressive" in my mind ... it is the "elevation" of the music to the level of an ART ... not just another song to (supposedly) enjoy while smoking a cigar and having a beer ... oh what the heck, that's good too, but TFTO wouldn't fit very well here for me!

http://www.broadsheep.com/" rel="nofollow - https://www.broadsheep.com/