The supposed antagonism between punk and prog is an easy narrative that music journalists like to push, but it isn't that simple. Van Der Graaf Generator and some of Peter Hammill's solo stuff were quite proto-punkish. In fact his 1975 album Nadir's Big Chance was the first instance of british music being called punk rock.
Can, who were also quite progressive, although certainly not prog, were another big influence. Johnny Rotten actually was in the talks of becoming their new singer at some point.
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A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.
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