Joni Mitchell is releasing her past work in chunks. The Asylum Albums (1972-1975) is the latest of her music to appear. Her first group of studio albums were on Reprise Records, and comprised her first set of remastered albums. The Asylum Albums were released on David Geffen’s Asylum Records, and represents a very commercially successful … More Joni Mitchell: The Asylum Albums (1972-1975)
True confession: It has been years since I seriously listened to R.E.M., beyond just a song or two. In the 1980s, this was one of my favorite bands, before they took the big record company money and tried to appeal to the stadium audience. Their sound was fresh, jangly and succinct. R.E.M. was not a … More R.E.M. – Looking Back at Their Studio Albums
Another Neil Young release for 2022. The man is prolific. Young and Crazy Horse released Barn, last December, and this year the unreleased Toast, Noise and Flowers (a live album), and his 50th anniversary of Harvest. World Record is a head-scratcher. Too much for a single CD, it spills onto a second CD. Designed for … More Neil Young, World Record (a review)
Led Zeppelin is a top ten classic rock band. This is not a ranking blog, it’s a re-look at Led Zeppelin’s final studio album. Why? This is the age of the proctology exam of classic rock albums. There are many video and written blogs devoted to this process, and surprisingly the audience is more than … More In Through the Out Door: Revisiting Led Zeppelin’s Final Studio Release
Recorded on his 2019 European tour, Noise & Flowers is Neil Young’s latest live release. Technically, it’s Neil Young & Promise of the Real, his other backing band that includes two of Willie Nelson’s sons. No. Title Length This album is the second of three Young releases this year. Toast, which was recorded about 20 … More Neil Young: Noise & Flowers (2022)
If you like softer, sophisticated solo guitar songs, with occasional accompaniment, William Ackerman is your player. I first heard him 40 years ago and have followed him ever since. There was not really a musical category for this mellow, sophisticated sound. Eventually, it was called New Age, which grew to become not much of a … More Will Ackerman: Guitar Picker, Windham Hill, New Age and More
Forty years ago, I discovered a recording by Paul Anka, a song that actually got played with other contemporary songs. At first, I thought I might have misunderstood who was singing on it, but no, I was correct. Paul Anka? In the 1980s, Anka was about as far from hip as a teen heartthrob from … More Paul Anka in the 1980s
Marillion. I had heard of the band, but I know nothing about them. Strange, because this band has been around since the 1980s, and is often mentioned as one of the best contemporary progressive-rock bands. Why wasn’t I familiar with their sound? I can thank Larry Graves and Glen Kellaway for introducing me to Marillion. … More Marillion: F.E.A.R. (The Album)
Seventy-year old John Mellencamp is still ticking and kicking. He’s usually in the news about who he is dating rather than his music, but he still has a loyal legion of fans. Cougar was a nickname he hated, a marketing decision to bypass using his last name, which didn’t sound like a pop star. John … More John “Don’t Call Me Cougar” Mellencamp: Strictly a One-Eyed Jack (Review)
Ticket 2 Ride 