The Lexikon Progressive Rock provides more than 500 articles that feature not only classics of prog rock such as Procol Harum, The Nice, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Genesis, and King Crimson, but also more recent groups like Dream Theater, Gazpacho, Glass Hammer, Porcupine Tree, Shining, Spock’s Beard, and Grand General. Representatives of progressive metal are also included, among them Opeth, Symphony X, and Epica. Although British and American prog mainstream is dominant, the lexicon also offers articles on obscure bands like Ozric Tentacles and The Legendary Pink Dots; progenitors of art rock like Roxy Music and 10cc; and the Canterbury scene with Delivery, Soft Machine, Henry Cow, and Caravan. Halbscheffel addresses currents of retroprog, neoprog, and new artrock. The 2013 edition replaces some earlier articles on foundational musical terms with new articles that are specifically relevant for progressive rock, such as the entry on polyrhythmics. New articles focus on current bands like Nosound, Knight Area, and Flying Colors. Halbscheffel aptly summarizes this all-encompassing approach in the article "Progressive Rock", where he focuses on the history of the genre less as a stylistic history than as a history of a functionally oriented inventory of rock techniques and processes.
The Sachlexikon Rockmusik contains 1323 articles on the terminology and topics of rock music and its performance—musical instruments ranging from electric guitar to the theremin; the equipment necessary for concerts and studios, including microphones, amplifiers, and mixing boards; small record companies and market-dominating media corporations; esoteric terms such as “Skunk Stripe”, “Geri Reig”, “Mucke”, “Fliegen”, and “Toasting”; genres ranging from AOR to Acid; and terms used in music theory as they pertain to rock. Discographies, bibliographies, and web references complete the articles. The boundaries of rock music are often crossed into pop and jazz. Cross-references provide an extended overview of a topic and help to better understand its context. A bibliography and an index of commercial names and references round off the encyclopedia.
The encyclopedia of Australian rock and pop embeds a brief history of pop and rock musical developments Down Under with a wealth of information on personalities, bands, and institutions. This second edition has been completely revised and updated, adding over 160 new articles to the previous 870 entries. With articles on AC/DC, The Avalanches, Olivia Newton-John, and Guy Sebastian, as well as You Am I and Zoot, it is the most comprehensive guide to artists who molded Australian popular music from 1956 to 2016. Each article contains biographical information, line-up details, record releases, career highlights, and album discographies, as well as an authoritative critique on each artist’s career. Major entries have references for further reading. This comprehensive approach makes transparent the impact of singers and bands such as Johnny O'Keefe, Marcie Jones, and The Delltones; Sherbet and Daddy Cool, and Human Nature; and personalities such as Darryl Cotton, Johnny Young, Tina Arena, and Kylie Minogue. There is extensive coverage of those who have had long-standing local careers, such as John Farnham, Jimmy Barnes, and Col Joye; those who have enjoyed significant international careers, such as Rick Springfield, Helen Reddy, and The Bee Gees; as well as recognition of lesser-known live bands, such as the eccentrically named The Band Who Shot Liberty Valance, and bands who may not have recorded but still made a contribution to Australian popular music history. The attention to detail reveals itself in facts such as former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating managing a 1960s rock band. This is an essential work of reference for anyone seeking information on Australian popular music and its impact abroad. A bibliography is included at the end of the encyclopedia.
