Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
JEFF BUCKLEY-GRACE-VINYL EDITION.
JEFF BUCKLEY-GRACE-VINYL EDITION. Twenty-one years ago, Jeff Buckley released the one and only album of his career, Grace. Jeff was the son of Tim Buckley, one of the most talented singer-songwriters of his generation. Tim could’ve and should’ve enjoyed widespread commercial success and critical acclaim. Sadly, that wasn’t to be. Having released nine albums between 1966 and …
SWEET LEAF-A STONER SALUTE TO BLACK SABBATH.
SWEET LEAF-A STONER SALUTE TO BLACK SABBATH. At this time of year, the compilation market becomes even more crowded than usual. It’s polluted by compilations of third rate disco, cheesy Chicago House, seventies throwaway pop and the dreaded Christmas songs. They’re the equivalent of an oil slick, that every year, pollute the compilation market. Be …
ANTHONY PHILLIPS-PRIVATE PARTS AND PIECES I-IV.
ANTHONY PHILLIPS-PRIVATE PARTS AND PIECES I-IV. Many people think that the home studio is a new thing. That’s not the case. Musicians were recording music at home way DAWs and laptops began to play an important part in the recording process. Anthony Phillips is proof of that. Anthony Phillips started experimenting with a basic reel-to-reel …
A SALUTE TO THE THIN WHITE DUKE.
A SALUTE TO THE THIN WHITE DUKE. Over the last year, Cleopatra Records have released a series of “Tribute To” compilations. These Tribute To compilations see a new generation of up-and-coming artists homage to rock, psychedelic and pop royalty. Everyone from Pink Floyd and The Doors, through The Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival, to …
JON SAVAGE’S 1966: THE YEAR THE DECADE EXPLODED.
JON SAVAGE’S 1966: THE YEAR THE DECADE EXPLODED. It was the best of times, it was the worst of time. That’s the best way to describe 1966, which musical historians and cultural commentators remember as the year that transformed music. 1966 was a game-changer. Nothing would ever be the same again. Jon Savage explains why …
GIRL ZONE-VINYL EDITION.
GIRL ZONE-VINYL EDITION. Vinyl it seems, has made a Lazarus like recovery over the last few years. The sales figures for 2014 are proof of this. In Britain, sales of vinyl albums are at their highest in eighteen years. It’s a similar story in America. Sales of albums on vinyl rose by fifty-two percent. Meanwhile, …
CHVRCHES-EVERY OPEN EYE-VINYL EDITION.
CHVRCHES-EVERY OPEN EYE-VINYL EDITION. It was 10.30pm, when there was a knock at the door. The old couple from up the stairs stood there almost embarrassedly. “Could you possibly turn it down a wee bit. We’re trying to sleep?” This actually happened to Chvrches during the recording of their new album Every Open Eye which …
LOST WITHOUT YOU-THE BEST OF KENT BALLADS 2.
LOST WITHOUT YOU-THE BEST OF KENT BALLADS 2. Just over five years ago, Deep Shadows-The Best Of Kent Ballads was released to critical acclaim by Kent Soul in August 2010. Deep Shadows-The Best Of Kent Ballads featured a truly eclectic selection of ballads. That’s almost an understatement. When soul fans pressed play on Deep Shadows-The …
GEORGIE FAME HEARD THEM HERE FIRST.
GEORGIE FAME HEARD THEM HERE FIRST. Not many compilation series has enjoyed the longevity and success of Ace Records’ Heard Them Here First series. There’s a reason for this. The series allows music lovers to hear the music that influenced some of the biggest names in music. This has previously included The New York Dolls, …
SPOOKY TOOTH-THE ISLAND YEARS.
SPOOKY TOOTH-THE ISLAND YEARS. All too often, some bands don’t get the credit they deserve. That was the case with Spooky Tooth, who for a time, pioneered the use of twin keyboards. They lead the way. Soon, other bands were following in their wake. By then, the Spooky Tooth story was over. Spooky Tooth were only …
VAN MORRISON-HIS BAND AND STREET CHOIR.
VAN MORRISON-HIS BAND AND STREET CHOIR. When Van Morrison began work on his fourth album His Band and Street Choir, he faced the biggest challenge of his career. His last two albums, 1969s Astral Weeks and 1970s Moondance, had been stonewall classics. Following these albums up wasn’t going to be easy. It was going to …
MOGWAI-CENTRAL BELTERS.
MOGWAI-CENTRAL BELTERS. 2015 finds post rock pioneers Mogwai celebrating their twentieth anniversary. A lot has happened in that twenty year period. Mogwai have released eight studio albums and three soundtracks. These albums have been critically acclaimed and commercially successful not just in Britain, but in America. That’s why nowadays, Mogwai are regarded as Scottish music’s …
DAVID GILMOUR-RATTLE THAT LOCK-VINYL EDITION.
DAVID GILMOUR-RATTLE THAT LOCK-VINYL EDITION. After a career than spanned forty-seven years, Pink Floyd released their final album, The Endless River. It was the end of an era. Pink Floyd had been a musical institution. For six decades, Pink Floyd had provided the soundtrack to the lives of several generations. However, realistically, The Endless River …
MUSIK FOR AUTOBAHNS VOLUME 2.
MUSIK FOR AUTOBAHNS VOLUME 2. The compilation market has to be one of the most competitive markets. Every week, hundreds of compilations are released. They vary considerably in quality, and range from the good, bad and indifferent. However, very occasionally, a compilation stops a critic in their tracks. That was the case with Gerd Jenson’s …
GLORIA-GEISTER.
GLORIA-GEISTER. Just two years have passed since Gloria released their eponymous debut album. Since 2013, Gloria’s star has been in the ascendancy. They’re regarded as one of the rising stars of the German music scene. However, things were very different when Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, Mark Tavassol, and Tim Schierenbeck first started making music. Back then, music …
HARMONIA COMPLETE WORKS.
HARMONIA COMPLETE WORKS. All too often, groundbreaking music is overlooked upon its release. It’s only much later, that the music’s importance and innovation is recognised. Musical history is littered with examples. This includes Harmonia, Germany’s first supergroup. Harmonia featured members members of Neu! and Cluster. They decided to form a new group, and went on …
GILES PETERSON PRESENTS-SUN RA AND HIS ORCHESTRA TO THOSE OF EARTH…AND OTHER WORLDS.
GILES PETERSON PRESENTS-SUN RA AND HIS ORCHESTRA TO THOSE OF EARTH…AND OTHER WORLDS. During a career that spanned six decades, Sun Ra released around 125 albums. These were no ordinary albums. They featured Sun Ra and His Orchestra combining Egyptian history and space-age cosmic philosophy with freeform jazz. It was unlike anything anyone had heard …
BOY-WE WERE HERE.
BOY-WE WERE HERE. Valeska Steiner and Sonja Glass first met in 2005, at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. They were both students on a pop music course. Singer Valeska Steiner had travelled from Zurich in Switzerland, to join the course. Bassist Sonja Glass was local. She had been born in Hamburg, and lived …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 