This week, Tim discussed Frank Zappa’s 1979 album Sheik Yerbouti. Issues discussed are the artistic status of the rock double album, the role of humour in music, what to make of the accusation of racism, whether Frank Zappa had read Freud, the musical eclecticism one finds on the album and the role of aleatory music in Zappa’s oeuvre. Also: how are the musique concrète pieces like a Japanese restaurant? Is the character of Bobby Brown a metaphor for today’s culture? Who’s funnier: Frank Zappa or the Bonzo Dog Band? Is the closing track a veiled threat to his own musicians? And most important of all: do unicorns exist or not?

This week Tim and Shaun ranked the first eight (or is it seven?!) Yes solo debut albums. Issues which emerge are: what the thinking was in putting these albums together; who has the best musicianship on their album; how the sound of these albums relates to the Yes sound; and how the onstage dynamic might affect the group dynamic as a whole. Also, what would King Crimson have sounded like with Phil Collins on drums? Is the phrase Alan White a metaphor? Which exactly are the two sides of Peter Banks? Who plays pervy sax on Fish Out Of Water? Why is Richard Nixon on the cover of Henry? And what on earth is ramschackling?

This week, Peter and Tim ranked the 15 Pink Floyd studio albums. Topics covered included: Hipgnosis cover art, the transition from psychedelia to prog, or art rock, whether we can separate our views of Pink Floyd from their cultural significance and the relative merits of the different members of the band. Also: who has the best joke about Momentary Lapse of Reason? Is anyone prepared to watch an entire Barbet Schroeder film? How does Piper At The Gates Of Dawn resemble a chocolate box? Why is Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast so long? And which is the bravest 9 minutes in Pink Floyd’s career? And finally, the crucial question: how many Pink Floyds are there?

This week Tim did a monologue on the first album by Godley and Creme, Consequences. The discussion includes: the extensive artistic talents of the duo, the nature of the split with 10cc, what Deceptive Bends would have been like if Godley and Creme had stayed, and the environmental theme. Also, was the album a hello or a goodbye? Should it really have been a triple? Can it be described as the weirdest album in the history of rock? What was the Gizmotron? How on earth did they get Peter Cook and Sarah Vaughan involved? And is the answer to life, the universe and everything: “17”?

This week, Shaun and Tim did a ranking of the first six solo albums by the key members of Genesis. Topics included: the difference between band writing and solo writing, the difference between instrumental writing and songwriting, the punk-prog dialectic, the prevalence of journeying themes in the albums, and sexual difference when it comes to choosing your favourite Genesis member. Also, where is the Mick Barnard album? How many wine glasses did Steve Hackett actually crush? What kind of trade union member is Phil Collins? And how many members of Genesis does it take to fit cannons and tympanis in a canal boat?

This week, Tim discussed the fifth album by Van der Graaf Generator, Godbluff. Topics covered are: where the album sits in the band’s trajectory, the band’s unusual line-up, whether they can be considered prog rock, the European influences on the band and the meaning of the album title. Also, what was their influence on Iron Maiden? Were the band influenced by romantic literature? Were they really obsessed with the wars of religion? Are the band “heavy metal without guitars”? And does the word “George Harrison-y” constitute an acceptable use of the English language?

Peter, Shaun and Tim compare and contrast the two classic prog rock double albums: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis and Tales From Topographic Oceans by Yes. The discussion includes: why the bands decided to do double albums at this point; the role of jamming on both albums; the religious character of the two themes; and who’s better: Roger Dean or Hipgnosis? Also, are Jon Anderson’s words wonderful or terrible? Was The Lamb based on The TV show The Prisoner? Why did Alan White play a tree? Who was Lilith? And is Shaun using a microphone or a telescope?

This week, Shaun and Tim did a review of the folk-rock classic, the fourth album by Fairport Convention, Liege And Lief. The discussion included: what the album title means; whether this was the band’s last great album, or their first great album; how close to romanticism folk music is; and whether the album is optimally sequenced. Also, how do you pronounce ‘Hutchings’? What is that object on the back cover? What’s the difference between Matty Groves and Titanic? Is Shaun qualified to join the cast of Time Team? And is Jacob Rees-Mogg a were-fox?