PROG PAN

In his review of “Supernatural Fairy Tales: The Progressive Rock Era,” Robert Hilburn claims that this music has had “little influence on the most vital strains of ‘80s and ‘90s rock” (Record Rack, Sept. 15). But it seems to me that this mostly British and European movement has left its mark on much of what we listen to today.

Isn’t it obvious that bands like Lush and the Cocteau Twins are strongly influenced by Genesis’ 1978 album “And Then There Were Three,” with its swirling, dense-layered textures? It also seems that the “ambient” and “New Age” artists’ placidly shifting soundscapes have their roots in songs like “Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats,” a Genesis/Brian Eno collaboration from 1974’s “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.”

Kate Bush was nurtured by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour. While Pink Floyd as a band and Roger Waters as a solo artist were important influences to bands like the Orb and Queensryche, Bush provided inspiration to Tori Amos.

Meanwhile, world beat was launched by Mike Oldfield with “Ommadawn” in 1975 when he blended ethnic musics from England, Ireland and Africa. Ten years later, Paul Simon developed the sound further in his “Graceland” album.

Would it be “pretentious” to suggest that modern heavy-metal bands like Metallica owe a debt to King Crimson or to wonder where Depeche Mode would be if Keith Emerson hadn’t worked with Robert Moog to bring the synthesizer out of the university lab and onto the concert stage?

PATRICK BARR

Downey

*

Hilburn should never have been allowed within miles of “The Progressive Rock Era,” much less assign himself to critique it.

Hilburn heralds the brilliance of angst-riddled sociopaths and the rantings of vicious criminal scum. In a quarter-century of reading him, these eyes have never glimpsed an even marginally positive prog-rock review.

To him, it’s primarily the lyrics that are most important. To prog-rockers, it’s the other way around. To paraphrase, “It’s the music, stupid.”

STEVE SMITH

Arcadia

*

The Rhino box is certainly not without its shortcomings, and some of the selections lend credence to Hilburn’s criticisms. But he should stay away from critiquing a form of music that he has no desire to appreciate or understand. There is too much out there that is good for him to spend so much time dwelling on whether it fits into his narrow confines of relevancy.

DAVID HOELTJE

Castaic

*

Hey, who can go wrong with saying progressive rock is pretentious, right? I’m sure the boxed set could stink, just give me a better reason than that kind of rock is too full of itself.

ALFRED URRUTIA

North Hollywood