vinyl Archive
29 Oct 2019
Gonna Raise Hell: Cheap Trick’s ‘Dream Police’ at 40
Though they had released three excellent albums to date, in 1978 Cheap Trick was still laboring in relative obscurity. The Rockford, Illinois band’s releases – 1977’s self-titled debut, In Color […]
23 Oct 2019
For Example: A Look Back at ‘The Nice’ at 50
It’s unfortunate that when the Nice come up in conversation today, they’re too quickly summed up as “the band that Keith Emerson was in before ELP.” That’s a true enough […]
01 Oct 2019
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Fun: the Men and the Journey of RPWL
German keyboardist/vocalist Yogi Lang first encountered guitarist Karlheinz “Kalle” Wallner in 1988 when the latter was playing in a band called Incubus. Eventually renamed Violet District, the group released its […]
28 Sep 2019
Single Review: The Embryos — Singles Club Volume 2
I was already predisposed toward liking this 45 before I heard it; The Embryos’ Open the Kimono (reviewed a few months back) is an instantly likable collection of chiming, catchy […]
26 Sep 2019
Ian McDonald: From Prog to Arena Rock to Alt-country, All in Style
Most people will know the name Ian McDonald from his work with King Crimson and Foreigner. But his body of work extends well beyond pioneering progressive rock and ’70s arena […]
20 Sep 2019
Hundred-word Reviews for September 2019, Part 2
More capsule reviews! New music! Vinyl titles are noted with the designation (LP). Fastball – The Help Machine If you’re a certain age, you remember “The Way.” If you were […]
19 Sep 2019
Hundred-word Reviews for September 2019, Part 1
Once again, it’s time for a passel of quick reviews. Twenty in all – ten today, as many tomorrow. All deserve a listen. Titles on vinyl are noted as such […]
18 Aug 2019
Album Review: Jack Oblivian & the Dream Killers — Lost Weekend
Among the audiophile set, the term “lo-fi” is cause to run for the hills. Having grown up on a steady diet of 1960s garage rock, I have no such qualms. […]
11 Aug 2019
Album Review: Bark — Terminal Everything
As a rule, I look askance at guitar-and-drum duos; for my money, Dex and Crow did it well enough back in the Flat Duo Jets days that I don’t really […]
09 Aug 2019
The Drive to 1981 Begins: A Look Back at Robert Fripp’s Masterful ‘Exposure’ (Part 2)
Continued from Part One … Fans of King Crimson’s Red receive a wonderful treat with “Breathless.” Though the specific players on each track aren’t noted, the song – very much […]