Ryan Reed is a freelance music/culture writer/editor. He also contributes to Rolling Stone, Relix Magazine, Revolver, Pitchfork, and other publications.
Ryan Reed
Yes, Steve Hackett, Marillion Bring Progressive Rock to the High Seas With ‘Cruise to the Edge’
The 2014 edition of Cruise to the Edge nearly tripled the number of bands from last year, and that eclecticism made for quite an experience.
46 Years Ago: Traffic’s ‘Mr. Fantasy’ Released
Traffic are rightly remembered today as titans of jazz-rock and soul -- but on their 1967 debut album, 'Mr. Fantasy,' released 46 years ago this month, Steve Winwood and company were busy riding the psychedelic coattails of 'Sgt. Pepper.'
11 Years Ago: George Harrison’s Final Album, ‘Brainwashed,’ Released
Celebrating its 11th anniversary this week is George Harrison's understated and deeply beautiful 'Brainwashed,' the famed guitarist and former Beatle's eleventh -- and, tragically, final -- studio album.
16 Years Ago: Led Zeppelin’s ‘BBC Sessions’ Released
For many diehards, Led Zeppelin were even more mind-blowing onstage than they were in the studio. With 1997's 'BBC Sessions,' that argument was strengthened considerably, as it showcased the most powerful quartet in rock music at their most playful and hard-hitting.
36 Years Ago: Steely Dan Release ‘Aja’
'Aja,' Steely Dan's sixth studio album, which was the artistic pinnacle of the '70s jazz-rock movement, turns 36 years old this week.
Rush’s ‘Hold Your Fire’ Turns 26
'Hold Your Fire,' Rush's 12th studio album (and one of the legendary prog-rock trio's most overlooked efforts) was released Sept. 8, 1987 and is celebrating its 26th birthday this week.
50 Years Ago: Pink Floyd Carry on With ‘A Saucerful of Secrets’
The band's second album featured little input from its damaged original leader Syd Barrett.
35 Years Ago: Peter Gabriel’s Second Solo Album Released
Peter Gabriel's second solo album boasts one of rock's most iconic cover photos: the singer and songwriter, gazing directly into the camera, literally scratching apart his visage. It's an appropriate metaphor for the record itself: For the first time since leaving Genesis, it truly felt like Gabriel was obliterating his old image and reinventing himself as a songwriter and sonic craftsman.
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Yes Announce ‘Yestival’ Quadraphonic Prog Festival
If there's one band epic enough to deserve their own music festival, it's Yes, and they'll host one Aug. 3rd at Camden, New Jersey's Susquehanna Bank Center.
The Story of Steve Hackett’s Ever-Eclectic ‘Please Don’t Touch’
Through Steve Hackett first dabbled in solo work with 1975's 'Voyage of the Acolyte,' the subsequent 'Please Don't Touch' feels more like his proper debut.
The Story of David Gilmour’s Debut Solo Album
As any crate digger can attest, it's easy to judge a rock album by its cover.
40 Years Ago: Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ Album Released
"I suppose I was advanced for my age." So said composer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield to The Guardian, reflecting on 'Tubular Bells,' the 1973 masterwork he composed at the age of 19. Some musicians toil for decades as they work toward their definitive album; Oldfield -- then a struggling, baby-faced guitarist with a minor role in a production of 'Hair' -- did the exact inverse