PEEPHOLE IN MY BRAIN (THE BRITISH PROGRESSIVE POP SOUNDS OF 1971)

This is one of a series of four (that I know about so far) from Cherry Red offering "the British progressive pop sounds of" a given year (we've had 1970-1973 so far - and I gather these are the sequels to compilations of the "psychedelic sounds of the three previous years). My remarks here relate to all four.

It's somewhat of a buyer beware statement.

Having been alerted to Cherry Red's new compilation "Round And Round: Progressive Sounds of 1974", I went searching for earlier entries in that series - and got distracted and I would say a bit misled when all the "British progressive pop" compilations appeared in my search. So I must inform the prog-centric listener that 'progressive pop sounds" in this context does not necessarily mean progressive rock as most of us here would define it, and certainly doesn't mean you're going to hear any 10 minute epics. These are compilations of basically 3-minute pop songs. A very stylistically diverse collection of pop songs, it must be said, and some excellent pop songs - but pop songs nonetheless. I guess they've used the 'progressive' descriptor to distinguish these songs from the more middle of the road fare that came to dominate top 40 singles charts in the early 1970s. Indeed, there are several bona fide Prog bands represented - on the 1971 compilation you will find Curved Air, Atomic Rooster, Barclay James Harvest and ELP among others - but they are represented by their shorter, more accessible songs, not necessarily the songs most loved by the hardcore prog audience. (How many ELP fans would pick "Are You Ready Eddy" as their favourite?)

There's very little music here that I actively dislike - I would take any of it over the top 40 music of today - and there are songs that I absolutely love. On its own merits, three stars would be more appropriate. But since this is Prog Archives, two stars seems more appropriate.

For those who were looking for the authentic prog rock compilations - the more interesting series started as "Underground sounds of" whatever year (beginning with 1968), switched to "underground and progressive sounds" for 1972, and "progressive sounds" thereafter. The mix is still not 100% prog rock, but is much more tilted in that direction - and this time, they're not afraid to include tracks with running times that stretch beyond ten minutes. Plenty of favourites, and plenty of bands that were new to me and worthy of further exploration.