Category Archives: Rock

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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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RIM AND KASA-TOO TOUGH.

RIM AND KASA-TOO TOUGH. Music was in Rim Kwaku Obeng’s blood. Both his father and uncle were master drummers. So it was no surprise when he followed in their footsteps. He started life as Samuel K. Mfojo, in Begoro, Ghana. However, when his career in music began, he adopted the name Rim Kwaku Obeng. He …

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INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL ROTHER-50 YEARS MAKING MUSIC.

INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL ROTHER-50 YEARS MAKING MUSIC. During the early seventies, the German music scene was thriving. It was one of the most vibrant in Europe. Some of the most influential and innovative music was being released by German bands. This included the holy trinity of Can, Kraftwerk and Neu!. Along with Amon Düül II, …

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THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE-FREEDOM: ATLANTA POP FESTIVAL-VINYL EDITION.

THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE-FREEDOM: ATLANTA POP FESTIVAL-VINYL EDITION. 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 …

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SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE-LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST-OCTOBER 4TH AND 5TH 1968-VINYL EDITION.

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE-LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST-OCTOBER 4TH AND 5TH 1968-VINYL EDITION. As promoters go, Bill Graham was one of the best. He seemed to have the uncanny knack of spotting bands on their way up. Often he managed to book bands just before they made it big. This meant when a band …

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MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955-1975-THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOLUME 4-VINYL EDITION

MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955-1975-THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOLUME 4-VINYL EDITION. It was in 1954, that Elaine Lorillard and her husband Louis founded the Newport Jazz Festival. Elaine’s love affair with jazz began in 1943.  She was twenty-nine, single and was living in New York when she first heard jazz music. This was very different to …

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EJI OYEWOLE-CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.

EJI OYEWOLE-CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME. In the sixties and seventies, the Nigerian music scene was thriving. New bands were constantly being formed. Similarly, new artists were making an impression on Nigerian music. This included Eji Oyewole. However, the flautist, saxophonist and future bandleader was different from his contemporaries and peers. Eji Oyewole was born in …

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DAVID GILMOUR-RATTLE THAT LOCK.

DAVID GILMOUR-RATTLE THAT LOCK. 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 had …

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AKSAK MABOUL-ONZE DANSES POUR COMBATTRE LA MIGRAINE.

AKSAK MABOUL-ONZE DANSES POUR COMBATTRE LA MIGRAINE. Deep down, everyone has a dream. For most young musicians, it’s to record and release an album. That was Marc Hollander and Vincent Kenis’ dream in the spring of 1977. They  had recently formed a new band, Aksak Maboul, and were determined to record and release an album. …

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LITTLE BOB STORY-OFF THE RAILS AND LIVE’78.

LITTLE BOB STORY-OFF THE RAILS AND LIVE’78. By 1977, punk was at the peak of its popularity in Britain. For the last year, bands were being formed from John O Groats to Land’s End. Suddenly, it seemed, everyone was a musician. That was all very well. However, there was a problem.  Many of these bands …

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CHVRCHES-EVERY OPEN EYE.

CHVRCHES-EVERY OPEN EYE. 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 a wee bit. We’re trying to sleep?” This actually happened to Chvrches during the recording of their new album Every Open Eye which was recently …

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