For a band that did not write much of their own material, these guys have a bunch of hits. It is impossible to think about the late 1960s and early 1970s without some reference to a Three Dog Night song. The band’s name originated from the Australian Aboriginal custom of sleeping with dogs to stay … More Three Dog Night
The name may not be recognizable, but the face and especially the voice are. Beckley was a founding member of the pop group, America. Beckley and Dewey Bunnell still tour and record as America fifty years later. Beckley is the tall, bespectacled blonde, with the high voice often highlighting the band’s ballads and more introspective … More Gerry Beckley (Member of America)
I was never a huge fan of Elvis, though I respect the legacy. His impact on rock and roll, and pop culture, is undeniable. Elvis was at the pinnacle of his musical and star power until the Beatles. The Beatles changed everything. For me, and this is just my opinion, Elvis stopped evolving, but the … More 1960s Elvis (Before the Jumpsuit)
The job of the drummer is to drive the train. The exceptional drummers do so taking you on a journey you’ve never traveled. The best grooves get your attention, but aren’t showy. Yes, drummers can be self-indulgent with exaggerated playing, tiresome soloing and drum kits that need their own zip code. It’s very difficult for … More Best Drum Grooves
This has always been a curious album in the Tull library. It marked a major band lineup change and a recognition of a changing musical landscape. The constants in the band was of course, founder Ian Anderson, and guitarist Martin Barre who joined with the second album. I found Tull albums in the second half … More Jethro Tull: A (1980)
This album was quite a change from the very accessible and commercial Something/Anything? Todd Rundgren was a garage band wizard at home alone in a studio, it was his creative cocoon. A Wizard A True Star is a wild and disjointed kaleidoscope of song ideas and fragments swirling around in Rundgren’s never-resting mind. In 56 … More Todd Rundgren: A Wizard A True Star (1973)
The next edition in the tour of 1970s albums by Todd Rundgren. Todd Rundgren was a busy musician in the 1970s. He was prolific in recording his own albums and touring, and was a producer for hire. Rundgren alternated between spacey, progressive rock and sweet-sounding, accessible pop-rock. Something/Anything? was his breakthrough album featuring AM radio … More Todd Rundgren: Hermit of Mink Hollow (1978)
So, less than a year after Rundgren released his most adventurous album, he returned with something less experimental, but equally surprising. Faithful, like Initiation, was actually two projects in one. Rundgren, a 1960s pop-geek, when he isn’t exploring new musical frontiers, jumped into the deep-end of the pop library. Side one contains six pop classics, … More Todd Rundgren: Faithful (1976)
Sometimes music grows on you. That was never how I operated. If it did not hit me pretty quickly, I moved on. Over the decades, I have passed on a number of decent, and sometimes very popular albums because something did not click. On occasion, these albums became hugely popular, always on the radio, which … More Give It Another Listen
If you are old enough to remember Paul Revere & the Raiders, you know Mark Lindsay, who was the lead vocalist, songwriter and producer of the band. Tall, dark features, a ponytail in back, he struck quite a figure in the mid 1960s. Lindsay turned 79 in March of this year. How is that possible. … More Mark Lindsay
You must be logged in to post a comment.