essay Archive
12 Sep 2022
Jerry Garcia at 80
It’s remarkable to realize that at the time of his death on August 9, 1995, Jerry Garcia was only a few days past his 53rd birthday. The body of work […]
07 Sep 2022
Five Landmark Krautrock Albums from 1972
While it didn’t make more than a ripple in the commercial waters of 1970s American popular music, the subgenre known as krautrock would exert a significant influence on the music […]
05 Sep 2022
John Lennon: Five Sessions Outside the Beatles
More of my “Take Five”… John Lennon is rarely thought of as a session musician; nearly all of his work was within the context of The Beatles, with wife Yoko […]
28 Aug 2022
Five Blues Classics from Fleetwood Mac
Another in my ongoing “Take Five” series… Drummer Mick Fleetwood turned 75 on June 24. Throughout Fleetwood Mac’s long and varied history, only he and bassist/co-founder bassist John McVie have […]
27 Aug 2022
Five Great Ron Wood Recordings Without the Rolling Stones
More of my “Take 5” antics… Ron Wood celebrated his 75th birthday on June 1. While’s he’s best known as Keith Richards’ co-guitarist in the Rolling Stones (where he replaced […]
26 Aug 2022
Five Underrated Classics from Badfinger
Another “Take Five”… June marked the 75th birthdays of two members of Badfinger. Bassist/guitarist/songwriter Tom Evans would have celebrated his birthday on June 5 (he took his life in 1983); […]
25 Aug 2022
Five Live Albums Released in Spring ’72
Another quick take from my “Take 5” series… The era of the live album truly got underway with the blockbuster success of Frampton Comes Alive in 1976; in its wake, […]
23 Aug 2022
Five Unforced Errors and Musical Missteps
More from my “Take 5” series… Even rock’s biggest names occasionally release a dud. These five albums threatened to derail careers. And in some cases they did. Emerson Lake & […]
22 Aug 2022
Five Pink Floyd Songs on the Road to ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’
Back in June, I launched a new feature series on the online version of Goldmine Magazine. Calling it “Take 5,” I took the opportunity to dig into some trivia, share […]
08 Aug 2022
SF Music History: CCR at the Fillmore West, July 1971
On the Fourth of July in 1971, the Fillmore West closed for good. The celebrated San Francisco music venue ended its nearly three-year run under the management of Bay Area […]