Rock On! Wednesday, 1 October 2025 – The Nice, ELP, Yes, Procol Harum & Family

Psychedelic, heavy, prog and more innovating sounds spanning the late 60s and the early 70s – Dan’s pick of the week: The Nice (Five Bridges), Emerson, Lake & Palmer (Tarkus), Yes (Time and a Word), Procol Harum (A Salty Dog) & Family (Bandstand).

The Nice was een Britse prog-rock band uit eind jaren zestig, bekend voor zijn combinatie van rock, jazz en klassieke muziek. De groep begon in 1967 als begeleiding van de soulzangeres P.P. Arnold. Het debuutalbum The thoughts of Emerlist Davjack verscheen in maart 1968. Tijdens de opnames van het tweede album Ars Longa, Vita Brevis verliet O’List de groep, waarna ze als trio verder gingen.

Sid Smith BBC review: “Rock and classical music fusions have often ended up being damned by both sides of the cultural divide. Those artists venturing into such areas can find themselves labeled ‘pretentious’ by rock purists or simply patronised by a condescending elite.

Not that such criticism stopped those trying to experiment and push the boundaries in the hothouse days of 60s popular music. The Nice had previous form with classical cross-overs. An incendiary version of Bernstein’s America had led the charge on their 1967 debut, and in 1968 they rocked up Bach’s Brandenburg concerto. (…)

Commissioned by the Newcastle Arts Festival in 1969, with Geordie ex-pat, bassist and vocalist, Lee Jackson providing a bitter-sweet libretto about his hometown, Emerson’s intention was to try and build bridges between the different forms.

Emerson bolted together a collection of stirring themes in the Romantic tradition, threw in a dash of jazz (with some of the best players of the day including Joe Harriott) and cranked up the volume all the way to eleven.

Whilst it’s true the results are variable, there’s probably a greater degree of integration achieved here than on the comparable effort by Deep Purple (Concerto for Group and Orchestra) from the same year.”

Commissioned by the Newcastle Arts Festival in 1969, with Geordie ex-pat, bassist and vocalist, Lee Jackson providing a bitter-sweet libretto about his hometown, Emerson’s intention was to try and build bridges between the different forms.”

Wednesday, 17 September 2025 12:00 noon CET Brussels – 11 a.m. GMT London. Repeated: 16:00 & 20:00 hrs CET Brussels, 3 p.m. & 7 p.m. GMT London
Ends: 12 midnight CET Brussels, 11 p.m. GMT London.