Canterbury Scene
tagStarted 1968Peak 1971-1978Last big hit still activeFrom Canterbury, United Kingdom
Located in 1 route
A whimsical English strain of prog from the Canterbury circle: jazzy fluid soloing, fuzz organ, gentle psychedelic melody and droll, very English lyrics. It balances intricate harmony and extended improvisation against a sincere love of the catchy pop song. Warm, playful and harmonically sophisticated, it is prog at its most charming and unpretentious.
History
Grew from the late-1960s Wilde Flowers in Canterbury, which split into Soft Machine and Caravan. A tight, interrelated family of bands - Hatfield and the North, National Health, Gong, Egg - shared members and a jazzy, pastoral sensibility through the 1970s. Players like Robert Wyatt and Richard Sinclair defined its gentle, witty voice, and offshoots stayed active for decades.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canterbury_scene
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Bottom_(album)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield_and_the_North_(album)
- https://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=257