SAGAN OM RINGEN [AKA: MUSIC INSPIRED BY LORD OF THE RINGS]

I bought this as a teenager when it first appeared in the UK on the Charisma label. Compared with the other music I was listening to at the time (Yes, Genesis, King Crimson etc) it didn't impress me as much as I'd hoped. It was much more pastoral than these other groups and well, I guess I had the energy of a teenager!

The years have seen me change my views completely. In some ways it represented something as new as Tubular Bells was. Back then "progressive" music had a much broader definition that it seems now and included just about every band who were trying to create something other than a three minute single.

The production, based on limited technology, the melodic approach and the nordic sense of space make it one of the defining albums of the period. I listen to it and enjoy it more now than ever. Anyone coming new to "prog" in these modern times should give it a listen.