vinyl Archive
26 Jan 2026
Album Review: Funkadelic – Funkadelic
Hearing it today, it’s easy to think of Funkadelic as part of a deep funk tradition. But the thing is, in 1970 when George Clinton’s group released its debut, there […]
10 Dec 2025
Album Review: Ultravox – The Collection
Ultravox was an exemplar of the new wave movement of the 1980s. The band’s distinctive sound brought together the insistent motorik of krautrock (the band’s name initially included an exclamation […]
25 Nov 2025
Album Review: Frank Sinatra – At the Hollywood Bowl 1943-1948
In addition to his status as one of the most important musical figures of the 20th century – or any century, for that matter – Frank Sinatra was an impressively […]
20 Nov 2025
Album Review: Vegas With Randolph – Drops of Gold
I’ve written about Washington DC-based group Vegas With Randolph before; 2019’s Legs & Luggage is a great collection of songs in a Cheap Trick-meets-Fountains of Wayne mold, as are Rings […]
12 Nov 2025
Album Review: Roger Waters – This is Not a Drill – Live from Prague
To simplify matters greatly – and at the inevitable risk of ironing over some important exceptions – it’s fair to say that when it came to Pink Floyd, Roger Waters […]
31 Oct 2025
Album Review: Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford – Jump Blues Live 1972
The heyday of jump blues had long since come and gone by 1972; the style enjoyed its moment in the time between the big band era and the birth of […]
27 Oct 2025
Album Review: John Lee Hooker – Boom Boom
John Lee Hooker’s recording career began in 1948 with the release of his landmark (and r&b #1) single “Boogie Chillen.” Though intended as a demo recording, the side was wildly […]
29 Jul 2025
Album Review: The Final Solution – Just Like Gold: Live at The Matrix
Values and mores change over time. What was once fair game is now considered transgressive; detractors will call this reality “political correctness.” I see it as evolving compassion and empathy. […]
28 Jul 2025
Album Review: Sly and the Family Stone – The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967
The history of music is filled with brilliant yet deeply troubled artists. Syd Barrett. Brian Wilson. Roky Erickson. Skip Spence. Arthur Lee. Emitt Rhodes. Bill Evans. I’m sure readers can […]
11 Jul 2025
Brown Acid: A Trip Worth Taking (Part 2 of 2)
Continued from Part One… “We prefer privately pressed records with a lot of chutzpah,” says Barresi. The central Brown Acid aesthetic, Hall says, is “loud, fuzzed-out guitars. It feels like […]