Rating: 
Summary: The Value Of The Book
Review: Here is the value I see on this book:1) Excellent introduction to progressive rock: A novice will be trapped by the reading, will get a quick undestanding of what defines progressive rock, and will be strongly motivated to start listening and researching. 2) Excellent reference: the book contains a very complete reference that serves as a start point to search for new music and information. 3) A fantastic and pleasant reading for the veterans. Some people say that the critic is simplistic, but J.L. merely compiled information here from different sources and put them together in a nice reading. The book does not focus on music critic. If you are looking for extensive critic, you should look for the specific artist you are interested on in more detailed sources like their official web site, biography books, magazines, review websites, etc. Some people say the reference is too basic. However I think it is very complete for the purpose of simply citing many bands which are often ignored even in the best sources, and placing them in certain sub-genre. Longer reviews would make the reading hard, the book too extense and they wouldn't add much value. The book does have a few historical errors and it's a pity that they haven't being corrected for the second edition.
Rating:
Summary: An extremely informative, useful guide to progressive rock.
Review: I can only echo the positive reviews I've read in this section. His history of prog is interesting and wide in scope without being pedantic. And the A-Z band guide has helped me spend more money on mailorder cds than I ever thought possible. I also enjoyed the chapter where he took on the daunting task of defining "progressive rock". Well done, Jerry! I'm looking forward to the 5th edition.
Rating: 
Summary: A consumer's view of The Progressive Rock Files
Review: I have really enjoyed reading "The Progressive Rock Files". I have read the recent books by Macan, Stump and Martin... all very informative and insightful... I liked Macan's the best because it is the most complete and best organized. I also have the Billboard Guide to Progressive Music and it is good, but I like "The Progressive Rock Files" better because of the great timeline History section, the Definitions section and also the timeline Map on p.299. And of course the A-Z listing is a great guide for band info. and discographies. I have referred to the band listings so many times that the pages are getting worn. It has turned out to be an invaluable reference in researching bands and artists. I recommend the book to intermediate and advanced prog rock fans who do not need a lot of opinions thrown at them. The author is very clear on his intentions to be factual and complete without succumbing to personal preferences. He is also striving to make a complete definition of prog rock, not in an effort to 'box in' the genre, but to settle the argument so that we can go on and just enjoy the music. With this as a guide, I know I will for many years to come.
Rating:
Summary: An Invaluable Prog Rock Reference Book!
Review: I have really enjoyed reading "The Progressive Rock Files". I have read the recent narrative books by Macan, Stump and Martin... all very informative and insightful... I liked Macan's the best because it is the most complete and best organized. This is more of a reference book... I also have the Billboard Guide to Progressive Music and it is good, but I like Lucky's book better because of the great timeline History section, the Definitions section and also the timeline Map. And of course the A-Z listing is a great guide for band info. and discographies. It has become an invaluable resource for me in researching bands and artists. It is best suited to the intermediate or advanced prog fan who does not need a lot of opinions thrown at them. The author is very clear on his intentions to be factual and complete without succumbing to personal preferences. He is also striving to make a complete definition of prog rock, not in an effort to 'box in' the genre, but to settle the argument so that we can go on and just enjoy the music. With this as a guide, I know I will for many years to come.
Rating: 
Summary: Not very useful, not very informative
Review: I have to agree with the negative reviewer who said words to the effect of, 'I hate to give a negative review to a book about prog but I have to.' Having read considerable progressive rock internet information and reviews for the last 6 months, and almost exhausted that source (except for the hard-to-read Gibraltar Encyclopedia) I picked up the book looking for a little more in-depth info on history and bands, but there was little of either. Before buying this book you should really be aware that the history is very brief, simplistic, and repetitive, and is really informative only to a complete novice in prog or even rock history. Some of the statements, such as that "Days of Future Passed" is the first progressive album, are quite silly. Because of the layout of the pages in this section, for some unfathomable reason only about two-thirds of each page contain text, the rest highlight names, thus reducing drastically the information content. The band reviews at the end are equally laughable since they consist of at most two or three sentences, most of which believe it or not are a sentence of the nature, "sounds like Genesis." In fact those three words are repeated probably four times per page in the last 50 pp of the book!! Without a downloadable mp3 site like audiogalaxy it would be absolutely hopeless to weed through the hundreds of entries about prog bands in the reviews section since the music is described so unimaginatively and without any kind of indication of the overall quality or status of a given band. God help the unfortunate individual who buys a CD based on Jerry Lucky's [...]reviews! Anyhow, there being so few books about prog, it's really disappointing to say this one is so awful, but it is. Don't buy!
Rating:
Summary: Progressive Rock Files Encyclopedia
Review: If you are interested in prog or sympho rock, like myself, and you know they won't have a lot of airplay on radio so it will be difficult to expand your taste beyond the well known groups as ELP, Yes, King Crimson and Genesis this book is a good start. Jerry has written a kind of encyclopedia you can roughly divide in two parts. One part tells you from year to year the development about prog.rock. Part two summs up all the prog.rock group the writer knows of in alfabetical order. You can read about groups you never heard about and pick out anything you think might be interesting for you and go to a (good) recordstore and listen to samples of what you want to hear. Actually listen to a record you're not sure you want to buy is common in the Netherlands and every store here has equipment for the customer for pre-listening. The additionel Pink Floyd CD that comes with the book is nice but wasn't my taste really. All in all a pleasant book to read.
Rating:
Summary: Well Researched and Very Informative
Review: Jerry Lucky obviously knows his stuff when it comes to progressive rock. His chronological history is very thorough, as is his encyclopedia-like listing of prog bands (which takes up half the book and features everything from the classic bands to some bands that even the most die-hard of prog rock fans may have never heard of). My only criticism of this book is the enormous amount of time and energy he puts into defending his favourite genre of music. Admittedly, it's easy to see where this is coming from. Progressive rock has been one of the most maligned and criticized musical genres of the last 20 years, and as Jerry Lucky so thoroughly and elegantly points out, its bad reputation is quite undeserved. It needed to be said, especially by someone as informed as Mr. Lucky is, but I question the forum. This is a book, lovingly put together by a prog rock fan, for prog rock fans. It seems to me that he's preaching to the converted. Still, I did find the various journal excerpts he includes quite interesting, and the rest of the book was completely enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Jaime Medina from Ponce,P.R.-An excellent book,but...
Review: Jerry Lucky's "The Progressive Rock Files" is an excellent book,because the author covers nearly all the necessary aspects of the genre:a comprehensive history,black & white and color photos of many important albums,a chronological explanation of the origins and subdivisions of progressive rock(see page 299,a very important A-Z listing of prog bands of the whole world and also the delicious 28 minutes tripping experience of the 68's very psychedelic Pink Floyd.What an exquisite menu for real prog rock fans!!! Nevertheless Lucky fails in:1-he forgot to mention and to put the cover of what I believe is the first rock progressive album(with all the elements)Procol Harum's 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale'2-he didn't mention one of the most formidable albums of all times,Gentle Giant's 'Octopus'. 3-Another album the author didn't gave the credit is King Crimson's 'In The Court Of The Crimson King',for me the recording that really established the genre. 4-something incredible-he didn't include the genious-FRANK ZAPPA!!! 5-he forgot to include England's band Captain Beyond.6-finally, he forgot to mention two United States phenomenal prog bands:SPIRIT and LOVE.
Rating:
Summary: Not very useful, not very informative
Review: Jerry Lucky's approach to this complex subject is to give his opinion without backing it with facts, examples, or offering counterpoints. Some of his assertions are downright wrong and embarrasing, i.e. that contrived, pretentious, and self-indulgent are good things to be. Doesn't Lucky own a dictionary? Or does he choose it ignore it? A reader won't get any good information from this book. Compared to other writers on the subject, this fan's outporing is sophomoric, inessential, and unenlightening. I'm sorry to give a bad review to one of the few books on Prog, but this one is at the bottom of the heap. Read Stump, Macan, or even Martin for an intelligent assesment of the genre and its meanings.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Reference, but sloppy editing.
Review: Lucky's Progressive Rock Files was a great read, and a must-have for any progressive rock collector. The book rekindled my love of the genre and referred me to some great sources of modern progressive rock music. My one major complaint is that I found numerous typographical (e.g. spelling, grammar) errors that made the book appear sloppy and amateurish, especially considering that it's in its 4th edition! Even a book put out by a small, relatively unknown publishing house should have quality editing. Made for an interesting reading experience, alternately smiling with delight and wincing with every typo.
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