I first looked at my 50 favourite bands but soon discovered that this trend can also be seen in all the other bands that I like and of which I have albums at home. As explained in other columns, I am someone who buys easily but also sells very easily. I'm definitely not a collector with racks full of CDs that I don't play anymore and certainly after a number of moves I only have what I still like. This means that of the thousands of CDs I've bought in my life, I now only own about six hundred. But what a treasured possession! Not to mention LPs, I don't have them anymore, all of them given away. What a shame I hear you think. Perhaps, but a tidy house and tidy CD drawers at least create a tidy and free mind. Moreover, it is easier to move if you have less stuff. Decluttering is a popular activity in our home and my wife is also busy with this. Perhaps that has something to do with our age? Who doesn't know the disbelief when you discover how much stuff you actually have when you are going, or have, to move. (We moved three times in the last twelve years and always to a smaller house)

Is it true that every country has its own cultural heritage and that bands from all over the world incorporated a mixture of prog and folk music into their music? As a Dutchman, I have always had the feeling that "our" prog was different from the British one. Bands like Finch or Focus had their own style that you can easily recognize. You do recognize a song from Kayak immediately, don't you? But is that really "Dutch" or is it an attempt to give your own twist to the music of the great examples, or is that actually the same thing? And does this also apply to other countries because a country like Italy really has a very lively prog scene with often music with a recognizable signature. (Rock Progressive Italiano) Germany had its krautrock and in the United States bands like Kansas and Styx came up with their own sound. Can you safely say that prog bands from the U.S.A. always produce that somewhat smoothed-out and sometimes over-produced sound because it fits in with the American character of the pursuit of perfection? Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely a fan of early Kansas but I've discovered that only 2% of my current collection originates from America. On the other hand, Canada is quite well represented and some of my absolute favourites come from this beautiful country. If you ask an American and a Canadian if they are alike, they will deny it with great certainty. A Belgian feels very different from a Dutchman and despite the fact that Scotland is still British, they will also indicate that they are different from the English.

All in all, I don't know the answer to many of the questions in this column and I would have to do much more and more thorough research to be able to give a well-founded opinion. Moreover, others have already tried this and the conclusions are quite divers.