High five

Manchester quartet hit heavy and soft with radiant prog sound.

WE WERE THE first band of our generation that started to grow up,” Billy Corgan says, reflecting on the making of the Smashing Pumpkins’ 1995 grand opus, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. “The b

IF IT’S OUT THERE, IT’S IN HERE

Strawbs co-founder Dave Cousins died in July following a long illness. The singer, songwriter and guitarist enjoyed an active musical career spanning more than six decades and has been name-checked by many musicians as a key influence and inspiration. We reflect on his rich legacy and reveal plans for a number of posthumous releases, including the long-awaited new Strawbs album.

Friends for two decades, blues giants Joe Bonamassa and Joanne Shaw Taylor invited Classic Rock to join them and press ‘Record’ as they put the world to rights – from AI and internet trolls to crap journalists, and the music execs who need a punch in the face.

Stockholm instrumentalists Gösta Berlings Saga are back and celebrating 25 years of heady musical adventures with their seventh album, Forever Now . Driven by a thrill-seeking wanderlust to explore new sounds and the desire to remain recognisable, the band tell Prog they’re always searching for something new, even if they’re not actually sure what that is.