Steve Hackett's admiration for A Salty Dog

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers – Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (1966)

The Beatles – Revolver (1966)

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

Procol Harum – A Salty Dog (1969)

“When I talk to people about progressive music, Procol Harum somehow always get overlooked. People obviously know A Whiter Shade of Pale, because that gets played on the radio almost every day. But that's it. However, the band deserve so much more attention and respect for what they did.

“Listen to the title track. The use of the orchestra is so important, and the lyrics tell a fascinating story of putting yourself into someone else's shoes. And Wreck of the Hesperus also has a superb orchestration. I also love the album cover; it's a clever alteration of a cigarette packet, and catches the attention straight away.

“Part blues, part orchestral, this album is a strange hybrid. But it was a blueprint for what we did in the early days of Genesis.”
 

Hugo Rignold Conducting The London Philharmonic Orchestra – Ravel's Bolero (1959)

Andrés Segovia – Andrés Segovia Plays Bach (1969)

Miles Davis – Live–Evil (1971)

Buffy Saint–Marie – It's My Way (1964)

King Crimson – In The Court of the Crimson King (1969)

Jimi Hendrix – Axis: Bold as Love (1967)

More superstar esteem for Procol Harum

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