Another hard to believe album that is 50 years old. Released in 1971, this was a McCartney solo album, before Wings, but made in partnership with wife Linda. That partnership was scoffed at by his publishing company, and some in the industry, who were not convinced that she was a real songwriter. Linda McCartney took … More Ram: Paul & Linda McCartney at 50 Years
What a great mix of musical styles. Pop, rock, heavy metal, R&B, blues. This was the singer-songwriter era too, the laidback Southern California sound. Carole King would have the largest selling album with Tapestry, the touchstone for the singer-songwriter generation. Other landmark albums were: Led Zeppelin IV, Fragile, Who’s Next, Sticky Fingers, Aqualung, What’s Going … More 1971: Music From 50 Years Ago
Yes, even The Beatles had songs that did not fully register at the time. Great songs overlooked, edged-out by more popular or promoted songs. A dozen (there are many more), but here are 12 that quickly come to mind. “No Reply” – From Beatles for Sale (1964), written most by Lennon while on holiday. Offered … More The Beatles: 12 Under-Appreciated Songs
Imagine the world without The Beatles. I cannot. We would be deprived of such incredible music, yes, but the loss would be so much more than that. From the moment The Beatles arrived in America, the Earth spun with a different groove. “She Loves You” had such energy and enthusiastic vocals, yeah, yeah, yeah. Not … More The Beatles
Released in 1978, Darryl Hall and John Oates were in a strange place in their careers. In the mid 1970s, they had a string of singles that garnered them airplay and chart action, then they got adventurous. The album, Beauty on the Backstreet (1977), followed “Rich Girl” and “Sara Smile” but had no singles. The … More Hall and Oates: Along the Red Ledge
If you thought he was spiritual on All Things Must Pass, you won’t even recognize George Harrison here. This was Harrison’s fifth album, but only second proper studio album, it was released in 1973. His All Things Must Pass album was released in 1970, but he spent a good part of the time between these … More Living in the Material World (1973)
George Harrison is my favorite Beatle. I own everything he’s done. The day one album was released, I walked across town to buy it. I’m also a tough critic. I remember being very excited about the release of this album. It was the follow up to Dark Horse, a critically panned album, but one I … More George Harrison: Extra Texture (1975)
In the past three parts, we looked at the origin of the album, the recording and artwork, and the original songs. Now, we get to see the anniversary set and enjoy the the remixed songs and the unreleased working versions. The wait is over! The Remixed Album First, the remixed version of the 1969 … More Abbey Road at 50: (part 4)
Abbey Road always sounded good, the engineering work was superbly done. However, I always thought the analogue tape had a lot of background hiss. The remaster for CD was better. Now, the disc undergoes more cleanup, plus some additional tracks from the vault. Let’s look at the songs. Side A Come Together Written and recorded … More Abbey Road at 50 (Part 3)
Beginning in July 1969, the Beatles returned to work at a familiar location, EMI studios, home to their best recordings. The Beatles had finished their work on Let It Be and went on holiday. The Lennons were involved in an automobile accident while traveling. Yoko would continue her presence in the studio with Lennon, as … More Abbey Road at 50 (part 2)
