essay Archive
10 Mar 2023
Take Five: Sir George Martin
George Martin will be best remembered for his landmark production work with the Beatles. But London-born Sir George – who was knighted in 1996 in recognition for his major contributions […]
04 Mar 2023
Take 5: Christine McVie
Two-time Grammy Award winner Christine McVie passed away in November after a brief illness. The singer, songwriter and musician enjoyed widespread critical acclaim and commercial success for her work with […]
16 Feb 2023
SF Music History: The Human Be-In
The Summer of Love has been a part of the popular lexicon for more than half a century. It is a shorthand for the era of good feeling that centered […]
14 Feb 2023
Take 5: Dick Wagner
Guitarist Dick Wagner would have celebrated his 80th birthday on December 14. He is best known as a longtime collaborator of Alice Cooper. Wagner excelled at producing, playing guitar, arranging […]
09 Feb 2023
Take 5: Duane Allman
Duane Allman is best known as co-leader of The Allman Brothers Band, the innovative collective that combined John Coltrane-style improvisation with searing melodies and superb songwriting. But Allman cut his […]
07 Feb 2023
What’s ‘Wattstax’? Here’s the Answer
I grew up in the 1970s, and in the early part of that decade that meant listening to AM radio. In those days before market segmentation, pop radio played music […]
02 Feb 2023
Take 5: Roy Wood
Though he’s comparatively unknown in the U.S., Roy Wood is an important figure in rock history. He founded and led The Move, a theatrical, melodic and hard-rocking band that scored […]
27 Jan 2023
Take 5: John Entwistle
As critic John Swenson astutely observed in the 1979 edition of The Rolling Stone Record Guide, bassist John Entwistle “had the misfortune to be a good songwriter in a group […]
22 Jan 2023
Take 5: Steely Dan
Steely Dan released their debut album Can’t Buy a Thrill 50 years ago. The idiosyncratic ensemble led by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen would achieve notoriety as a non-touring collective […]
21 Jan 2023
Take 5: Scott Weiland
One of the most acclaimed and versatile vocalists of the rock era, Scott Weiland transcended genre. A supremely effective hard rock vocalist, he moved effortlessly between high energy metal, melodic […]