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
Back in the old days, music was recorded in an actual recording studio on analog tape machines. In the early days of the Beatles, engineers wore white lab coats and neckties. Experimentation was frowned upon and only certain approved personnel could touch the knobs. There was no school to learn the process of sound or … More Recording Engineers
In 1970, Dave Mason released his first solo album, the revered Alone Together, after the first version of Traffic crashed. Mason moved to America where a lot of roots music originated. He settled in Southern California, hanging out with Stephen Stills, Eric Clapton, Cass Elliott and others where a new sound was developing. This led … More Dave Mason: Alone Together, Again
Forgive me for not writing about this album before, or Eric Clapton for that matter. Where do you start with Clapton? I guess right here. Fifty years ago, this delight was delivered to record stores. Remember record stores? This was the third band for Clapton in just a couple of years. I am not sure … More Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)
Music didn’t begin in Laurel Canyon in 1965, but this film makes a strong case that pop music grew a new branch. I was looking forward to this film, and what I saw was unlike what I expected. Usually, I read up on films before I see them, but I wanted to experience Echo in … More Echo in the Canyon (review)
How time flies. If you were a kid then, you are a senior citizen today. A lot of life happened in-between. Congratulations on the journey, with or without magic mushrooms. By the way, Timothy Leary says hello. Musically, 1969 was a year of transition. It was the last great hurrah of a decade of huge … More It Was 50 Years Ago (1969)
Eric Clapton, is arguably the world’s greatest guitarist. He’s certainly in the conversation for most influential guitarist. Clapton as been written about for five decades, even writing his own autobiography, so what can I possibly write about E.C. that hasn’t been said many times before? My comments are not judgemental but understanding his life helps … More Eric Clapton: Survivor
A friend and I were talking about the legacy of British bands, and he mentioned the band Cream. Cream was never one of my top picks but their influence and specter is hard to ignore. The musical period 1966-1968 has to include a discussion of Cream. It would be like probing the planets of the … More Heavy Cream
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