compilation Archive
16 Apr 2015
Album Review: Stevie Ray Vaughan — The Fire Meets the Fury
To a lot of people in the 1980s, Stevie Ray Vaughan was the guitar hero they had been looking for. Seemingly bursting on the scene without warning, the Texas guitarist […]
02 Apr 2015
Beatles vs. Rolling Stones: Another Round
Back when I was a kid, the Beatles-or-Stones question was a real thing: among my childhood peers, one had to pick a side. That one could like both groups was, […]
20 Mar 2015
Album Review: Todd Rundgren — At the BBC 1972-1982
Several years back, Todd Rundgren took a proactive approach to the myriad live recordings that exist documenting his long and varied career. A true renaissance man who engenders fierce loyalty […]
18 Mar 2015
Album Review: Various Artists — Beyond Belief
Not long ago, a Facebook friend of mine initiated what turned into a lively discussion. Paraphrasing, the open question that he posed was this: What is the artistic/aesthetic value – […]
10 Mar 2015
Album Review: Harvey Mandel — Snake Box
Meaning absolutely no disrespect to the artists to whom I refer, the music scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s was filled with what one might call second-string guitarists. […]
30 Jan 2015
Hundred-word Reviews: January 2015, Part 5
There’s a never-ending stream of reissued music, too. So it’s time once again for some hundred-worders to work off some of my backlog. As always, these all deserve full reviews, […]
16 Jan 2015
Album Review: Son of Kraut: The Next Generation of Krautrock
Though it might seem otherwise to the casual observer, the term krautrock is neither pejorative nor disparaging. In its classic sense, the label refers to improvisationally-based rock with spare musical […]
15 Jan 2015
Album Review: Black & Blue – The Laff Records Collection
A new 4CD collection of vintage comedy records, Black & Blue: The Laff Records Collection exemplifies the abbreviation NSFW (“Not Safe for Work”). The low-budget stand-up comedy records (usually but […]
09 Jan 2015
Album Review: Jellyfish — Bellybutton and Spilt Milk
Nineteen-ninety was a curious year in rock music. The top hitmaking artists of the year included Madonna, Mariah Carey, Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson. If you liked […]
08 Jan 2015
“Go Now” and Then: The Ray Thomas Interview, Part 2
Continued from Part One… Back in 1965, the original lineup of The Moody Blues did seem poised for bigger things: that year they played the prestigious and televised NME Poll […]