Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
AUDIENCE-FRIENDS, FRIENDS, FRIEND.
Audience- Friend’s, Friend’s, Friend. In October 1969, Audience were offered the opportunity to support Led Zeppelin at the Lyceum in London. For Audience, this was the opportunity of a lifetime as Led Zeppelin had just released their eponymous debut album on 12th of January 1969. It was well on its way to selling over ten …
EARTH AND FIRE-TO THE WORLD OF THE FUTURE.
EARTH AND FIRE-TO THE WORLD OF THE FUTURE. Alquin, Ekseption, Finch, Focus, Golden Earring and Trace all have something in common. Just like Earth and Fire, they were some of the most successful Dutch bands of the prog rock era. Their music is still popular today among connoisseurs of progressive rock. That’s why Earth and …
TEN YEARS AFTER-STONEDHENGE.
TEN YEARS AFTER-STONEDHENGE. In October 1967, Ten Years After released their eponymous debut album. The album failed to make an impression on either side of the Atlantic. It was a disappointing start to Ten Years After’s recording career. Especially considering how well things had been going for Ten Years After. Ever since they had changed …
GTR-GTR.
GTR-GTR. After his departure from Asia in 1985, guitarist Steve Howe was looking for a new project. Although Steve had nothing in the pipeline, he had an idea. It was a tantalising prospect. Brian Lane, Yes’ former manager, realised this as the pair sat down to talk. Steve Howe explained that his idea involved forming …
ROGER WATERS-AMUSED TO DEATH-VINYL EDITION.
ROGER WATERS-AMUSED TO DEATH-VINYL EDITION. Following the departure of Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd, bassist Roger Waters became the group’s creative force. This was the case from Pink Floyd’s third album, Ummagumma, which was released in 1969, right through to 1983s The Final Cut. After the release of The Final Cut, Roger Waters left Pink …
LOW DOWN-ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK.
LOW DOWN-ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK. Each week, there’s countless compilations released. It seems that just about every genre is covered. Whether it’s psychedelia, rock and reggae or disco, funk and soul, there’s nearly something for everyone. I say nearly, because recently, there’s been a dearth of jazz compilations. While there’s plethora of reissues of jazz …
THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE-FREEDOM: ATLANTA POP FESTIVAL.
THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE-FREEDOM: ATLANTA POP FESTIVAL. On the 4th of July 1970, Jimi Hendrix journeyed 100 miles south of Atlanta. His destination was the second Atlanta International Pop Festival. It was being billed as the second Woodstock, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience were about play a starring role. When The Jimi Hendrix Experience arrived …
JADE WARRIOR-FLOATING WORLD.
JADE WARRIOR-FLOATING WORLD. All too often, musical innovators don’t get the credit they deserve. That was the case with Jade Warrior. Their fourth studio album, Floating World was released in 1974, and pioneered both ambient and world music. Floating World was the most ambitious album of Jade Warrior’s career. However, Floating World which was recently …
AS THE TIRED TRAINS CROSS EUROPE-LUCID MOMENTS.
AS THE TIRED TRAINS CROSS EUROPE-LUCID MOMENTS. “Don’t believe the hype.” So sung Public Enemy in 1988. They could’ve been describing some of press releases that come the way of music critics. That’s not the case with the press release that accompanied the forthcoming album from As The Tired Trains Cross Europe. Their debut album …
MICHAEL CHAPMAN-THE MAN WHO HATED MORNINGS.
MICHAEL CHAPMAN-THE MAN WHO HATED MORNINGS. In 1977, Michael Chapman was about to release the eight album of his career, The Man Who Hated Mornings on Deram Records. That had been home to Michael since 1973, when he released his fifth album Millstone Grit. By then, Michael Chapman had released five albums in the four …
JIGMASTAS-GRASSROOTS THE PROLOGUE DELUXE EDITION.
JIGMASTAS-GRASSROOTS THE PROLOGUE DELUXE EDITION. By the time Jigmastas were formed in 1991, hip hop had come a long way from the genre was born in the Bronx in the late sixties. Its founding fathers were groups of African American and Latin American youths. This includes the Ghetto Brothers. They plugged the amplifiers for their …
LED ZEPPELIN-IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR-DELUXE VINYL EDITION.
LED ZEPPELIN-IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR-DELUXE VINYL EDITION. On 15th August 1979, Led Zeppelin released their eighth studio album In Through the Out Door. By then, they were one of the biggest selling bands in the world. Their first seven studio albums and their 1976 live album The Song Remains The Same, had sold eighty-three …
LOWE COUNTRY-THE SONGS OF NICK LOWE.
LOWE COUNTRY-THE SONGS OF NICK LOWE. Despite enjoying a career that’s lasted nearly fifty years, Nick Lowe’s music still hasn’t found the wider audience it deserves. His biggest hit came in 1978, when I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass reached number seven in Britain. A year later, in 1979, Cruel To Be Kind reached number …
RIM KWAKU OBENG-RIM ARRIVES.
RIM KWAKU OBENG-RIM ARRIVES. For collectors of Afro-funk and disco, many albums remain tantalisingly out of reach. This includes Ghanian drummer Rim Kwaku Obeng’s legionary lost debut album Rim Arrives. It was released in 1977, four years after a perilous time for Rim Kwaku Obeng. He found himself stranded in London, without money, documents or …
P-FUNK ALL-STARS LIVE AT THE BEVERLEY THEATRE IN HOLLYWOOD.
P-FUNK ALL-STARS LIVE AT THE BEVERLEY THEATRE IN HOLLYWOOD. The early eighties weren’t a good time for George Clinton, Parliament and Funkadelic were no more. He had been forced to dissolve both groups. His use of multiple names had caught up with him. Throughout the seventies, and into the eighties, George Clinton had released albums …
THE SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA-RESISTANCE.
THE SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA-RESISTANCE. It’s ten years since The Souljazz Orchestra released their debut album Uprooted in 2005. However, The Souljazz Orchestra were no strangers to the Canadian music scene. They came to prominence two years after a new millennia dawned. Since 2002, The Souljazz Orchestra have been showcasing their inimitable sound. Back then, The Souljazz …
GEIR SUNDSTOL-FURULUND.
GEIR SUNDSTOL-FURULUND. Prolific. That’s a word that is often used to describe musicians. Often that’s an exaggeration. Not in the case of Geir Sundstøl. Since his career began in 1988, Geir Sundstøl has featured on 260 different albums. This includes the albums he recorded as member of Rovers, and then Morris. Mostly, though, Geir Sundstøl has …
MORTEN QVENILD-PERSONAL PIANO.
MORTEN QVENILD-PERSONAL PIANO. Over the last twenty years, Morten Qvenild has been at the heart of the Norwegian music scene. The thirty-seven year old pianist and keyboardist is one of the most versatile and creative musicians of his generation. That’s why, when anyone in the Norwegian music scene was looking for a pianist or keyboardist, …
VAN MORRISON-MOONDANCE.
VAN MORRISON-MOONDANCE. When Van Morrison released his third album, Moondance, in February 1970, little did he know he’d just released not only a classic album, but an album he’d never surpass. This wasn’t unexpected. After all, two years earlier in February 1968, Van Morrison has released Astral Weeks, an album which was a game-changer. Astral …
MASTERPIECES OF MODERN SOUL VOLUME 4.
MASTERPIECES OF MODERN SOUL VOLUME 4. It was back in October 2003, when Kent Soul released the first instalment in the Masterpieces Of Modern Soul series. Since then, another three volumes have been released. The first came in January 2009, when Masterpieces Of Modern Soul Volume 2 was released. Just over two years passed, and …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 