Prog – Issue 173 2026

Summary

Three Wakemans sit down for one interview in Prog issue 173, and the 04.09.26-dated edition backs Rick, Oliver and Adam at page 28 with Hackett and Rothery at 42, Gentle Giant at 50 and a free 13-track Pelagic Records sampler.

Prog magazine issue 173 (dated 04.09.26) puts The Wakemans on the cover at page 28, running the uncensored three-way interview with Rick, Oliver and Adam. The feature well adds Steve Hackett and Steve Rothery on their collaborative concept album at 42, Haken at 46, Gentle Giant's In A Glass House story at 50, North Sea Echoes at 54, Lonely Robot at 58, Long Earth at 62, Ozric Tentacles at 66, Tom Penaguin at 70 and Protest The Hero at 74.

Regulars run Prog Presents at 7, Bloody Well Write at 10, The Intro at 12, Q&A at 26, The Prog Interview at 78, The Musical Box at 84, Take A Bow at 102 and My Prog at 114, alongside Ed's Letter and P Letters. The 13-track Pelagic Records sampler download is the tangible extra, and Gentle Giant's Derek Shulman retelling In A Glass House is the piece collectors will keep.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story
p.28 · THE WAKEMANS
Rick, Oliver and Adam Wakeman sit for one joint interview at page 28, riffing on influence and success with Rick's line "Were they influenced by me? No, that's why they've been successful!" setting the tone. The three-way format produces jokes the usual one-on-one does not. Play Rick's solo keyboard work back to back with Adam's band material to hear the difference they argue about.

▸ Features
p.42 · STEVE HACKETT AND STEVE ROTHERY
Two prog guitar figures join forces at 42 on a collaborative concept album, with the piece covering how the record was built between them. It names the album and the working method. Listen to the album with the track order intact, since it is built as a concept.

p.46 · HAKEN
Haken get a feature at 46, covering the band's current work and the writing behind it. The piece names the material and the players. Start with the release discussed here if you have only heard their singles.

p.50 · GENTLE GIANT
Derek Shulman looks back to 1973 at page 50 and tells the inside story of In A Glass House, the album the cover flags. The piece carries the detail only a band member has. Play In A Glass House straight through while reading Shulman's account.

p.54 · NORTH SEA ECHOES
North Sea Echoes get their feature at 54, covering the project and the music it produced. The piece names the players and the release. Seek out the album named here rather than a later compilation.

p.58 · LONELY ROBOT
John Mitchell bids farewell to his outer space creation Lonely Robot at page 58, explaining why he is ending it. The piece covers the project's run and the last record. Buy the final Lonely Robot album if the project means anything to you, since Mitchell is closing it.

p.62 · LONG EARTH
Long Earth get a feature at 62, introducing the project and its music. The piece names the release and the people involved. Look up the album here before the next issue's review round-up.

p.66 · OZRIC TENTACLES
Ozric Tentacles appear at 66, with the piece covering the band's current activity. It names the material and the line-up. Catch them live if the tour dates align, because the studio records only half-show it.

p.70 · TOM PENAGUIN
Tom Penaguin gets a feature at 70, covering the artist and the work behind the name. The piece names the release and the approach. Sample one track before committing to the full record.

p.74 · PROTEST THE HERO
Protest The Hero close the features at 74, covering the band's current material. The piece names the release and the players. Start with the album named here if you know them only by reputation.

▸ Regulars
p.12 · THE INTRO
The Intro at 12 rounds up the month's prog news and releases in short form. It names the records and dates. Check it for release dates before planning purchases.

p.26 · Q&A
Q&A at 26 puts reader questions to the magazine and its contacts. It names the records and the people answering. Send in a question if you want a specific pressing identified.

p.78 · THE PROG INTERVIEW
The Prog Interview at 78 runs the issue's long-form conversation beyond the cover piece. It names the subject and their catalogue. Read it after the cover story, since the tone is more serious.

p.84 · THE MUSICAL BOX
The Musical Box at 84 covers reissues, boxes and archival releases, with labels and formats named. It flags which box is worth the money. Choose the reissue named here over a costly original pressing.

p.114 · MY PROG
My Prog at 114 closes with a contributor's personal account of what prog means to them, naming the records that shaped it. It is the most personal page in the issue. Take one record they name and listen to it this week.

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Editor's Take

Prog issue 173 is the best-read of this batch because the cover gamble pays: three Wakemans in one room at 28 produces better copy than a solo Rick interview, and the laughs are real rather than staged. Gentle Giant at 50, with Derek Shulman on In A Glass House, is the strongest feature and the reason to keep the issue. The weakness is volume over depth in the middle: Haken at 46, North Sea Echoes at 54, Long Earth at 62, Tom Penaguin at 70 and Protest The Hero at 74 arrive as a run of similar band profiles, and several say little beyond a new record. The 13-track Pelagic sampler is a genuine extra, not filler. The cover photograph of the three Wakemans is plain but the quote does the work. This one is for readers who follow the genre's family tree; newcomers should start with the Gentle Giant piece.

Strengths
• Three-way Wakeman interview produces real laughs
• Shulman's In A Glass House story is first-hand
• 13-track Pelagic sampler is a real extra

Weaknesses
• Middle run of band profiles feels repetitive
• Several features say little beyond a new record

Verdict: Recommended — Cover interview and Gentle Giant carry it; the middle features blur together.