Monthly Archives: February, 2015
DEKE LEONARD-ICEBERG.
DEKE LEONARD-ICEBERG. Four years after founding Man in 1968, Deke Leonard was on a sabbatical from the Welsh rockers. Deke left Man for the first time in May 1972. This allowed Deke to do something he’d always wanted, record his debut solo album. Over the next twenty months, Deke with a few of his musical friends, …
MAN-REANIMATED MEMORIES.
MAN-REANIMATED MEMORIES. There aren’t many bands whose recording career spans six decades. That’s the case with Man. Founded in 1968, Man released their debut album Revelation, a year later in 1969. Since then, the Welsh rockers have enjoyed a long, prolific and sometimes, controversial career. Since their 1969 debut, Man have released over twenty albums …
JERRY LEE LEWIS-WHO’S GONNA PLAY THIS OLD PIANO…THINK ABOUT IT DARLIN’ AND SOMETIMES A MEMORY AIN’T ENOUGH.
JERRY LEE LEWIS-WHO’S GONNA PLAY THIS OLD PIANO…THINK ABOUT IT DARLIN’ AND SOMETIMES A MEMORY AIN’T ENOUGH. As 1972 drew to a close, Jerry Lee Lewis was back where he belonged, at the top. It had taken four years since he began his latest comeback. However, Jerry Lee Lewis had been here before. In 1964, …
CHRIS REA-WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BENNY SANTINI?
CHRIS REA-WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BENNY SANTINI? Musically, Chris Rea was something of a late developer. Chris only bought his first guitar when he was twenty-two. This seemed to give Chris a sense of purpose. Before this he was drifting. Chris, who was born Middlesborough, England in March 1951, had drifted between jobs. He’d worked as …
TOM RUSH-TOM RUSH.
TOM RUSH-TOM RUSH. For many people, Tom Rush was a trailblazer. He was the first of the singer-songwriters. His career began in 1961, when Tom, who was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire began singing in clubs. Back then, Tom was still a student at Harvard University, where he studied English literature. A year later, in …
BIG STAR-KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY.
BIG STAR-KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY. Sadly, in music, talent doesn’t equate to commercial success. If it did, Big Star would’ve been the biggest bands in musical history. That wasn’t the case. Lady luck failed to smile on Big Star when they released a trio of albums between 1972 and 1978. Despite this, nowadays, …
ETTA JAMES-AT LAST!
ETTA JAMES-AT LAST! Etta James had one of the most recognizable, charismatic and soulful voices you’ll ever have privilege of hearing. From her 1960 debut album At Last, until her final album The Dreamer,which was released in November 2011, Miss Peaches’ music touched the hearts of millions of people. That was throughout a career that …
LED ZEPPELIN-PHYSICAL GRAFFITI-DELUXE EDITION BOX SET.
LED ZEPPELIN-PHYSICAL GRAFFITI-DELUXE EDITION BOX SET. February 24th 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of what was Led Zeppelin’s most ambitious and eclectic album, Physical Graffiti. This was Led Zeppelin’s sixth album since their 1969 eponymous debut. However, Physical Graffiti was a first for Led Zeppelin. Physical Graffiti the first double album that Led Zeppelin had …
CAMERA OBSCURA-BIGGEST BLUEST HI-FI.
CAMERA OBSCURA-BIGGEST BLUEST HI-FI. Ever since they formed in 1996, Camera Obscura have been doing things their way. It’s paid off though. Nineteen years later, and Camera Obscura have established a reputation as one of finest purveyors of hook heavy, perfect pop. During that period, Camera Obscura released five albums. Their debut album was 2001s …
THE SOUL STIRRERS-JOY IN MY SOUL-THE COMPLETE S.A.R. RECORDINGS.
THE SOUL STIRRERS-JOY IN MY SOUL-THE COMPLETE S.A.R. RECORDINGS. The loss of a lead singer can prove fatal to even the most successful groups. Not The Soul Stirrers though. Despite the loss of Sam Cooke in 1957, it was business as usual for The Soul Stirrers. Johnnie Taylor was drafted in to replace Sam Cooke, …
JOHN MARTYN-GRACE AND DANGER.
JOHN MARTYN-GRACE AND DANGER. In November 1977, John Martyn released what’s was undoubtably one the finest albums of his career, One World. It was an atmospheric, experimental and genre-defying album. Everything from folk, jazz, reggae and rock melted together over eight tracks. Released to overwhelming critical acclaim, One World was hailed a classic album. This …
BOB DYLAN-SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT.
BOB DYLAN-SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT. There aren’t many recording artists whose career spans fifty-three years. Bob Dylan’s has. There’s a reason for this. Constantly, Bob Dylan has sought to reinvent himself. Having began life as a folk singer, he’s released albums of country, gospel, blues, rock ’n’ roll and rockabilly to jazz and even the …
JIMMY HOLIDAY-SPREAD YOUR LOVE-THE COMPLETE MINIT SINGLES.
JIMMY HOLIDAY-SPREAD YOUR LOVE-THE COMPLETE MINIT SINGLES. Jimmy Holiday was an accidental singer-songwriter. Originally, he wanted to be a boxer, and fought in the annual Golden Gloves competition. Then Jimmy started to get beat. That wasn’t in his plans. Realising he was never going to be more than a contender, Jimmy Holiday hung up his …
THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE BLUES 1920-1962.
THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE BLUES 1920-1962. The blues influence on modern music can never be underestimated. Without the blues, there would be no jazz, R&B or rock music. Quite simply, the blues provided the foundations for the music of the twentieth century. That’s no exaggeration, and for the last fifty years, many musicians realise that. …
STONED-A PSYCH TRIBUTE TO THE ROLLING STONES.
STONED-A PSYCH TRIBUTE TO THE ROLLING STONES. Last year, Cleopatra Records released A Psych Tribute To The Doors, where a new generation of bands covered thirteen Doors’ classics. These tracks were given a makeover by everyone from Elephant Stone, The Black Angels, Sons of Hippies, Dead Skeletons, VietNam and Geri X. The idea was simplicity …
ZAKARY THAKS-IT’S THE END-THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION.
ZAKARY THAKS-IT’S THE END-THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION. During the sixties, garage bands sprung up all over Texas. Some recorded a handful of singles, before disappearing. Others never got that far. Most recorded just the one single, and played a handful of gigs, before calling it a day. They’re long forgotten, having played just a walk-on part …
GEORGE JACKSON AND DAN GREER AT GOLDWAX.
GEORGE JACKSON AND DAN GREER AT GOLDWAX. Often, the maxim “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” applies to the music industry. This was certainly the case back in 1966. Stax Records had just signed Sam and Dave. They were riding the crest of the wave of commercial success, having released Hold On I’m Comin’ …
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