The 2020 induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio will be held on Nov. 7, 2020. Along with many other folk, I’ve had issues with bands that have not made it in. I’m sure there are some legitimate screening rules, but I have to …
Quite the backstory to this album. There was significant political tension and riots leading up to the Jamaican general election. The then Prime Minister Michael Manley convinced Bob Marley to play at a “Smile Jamaica” concert on December 5, 1976, thinking that the concert would defuse some of the …
There certainly is no magical formula for the number of musicians required for a band. And, as we know, a trio can raise a ruckus with the best of them. I thought a playlist focused on trios would be fun, so here we go. It starts out pretty mellow, but …
Blondie’s third album, Parallel Lines, came out at one of the most interesting times of popular music: the waning days of disco, the heyday of punk, and the emerging New Wave style. Parallel Line was released in September, 1978, seven months after the release of their second album, Plastic …
Often, I am driven by mood when creating playlists. The songs I select need to create and support a mood or feeling. It’s often how a song makes me feel that then leads to my internally categorize it for future listening. The playlist will all be of one mood or …
One of the best drummers in the business (and considered jazz fusion’s greatest drummer), Billy Cobham released his first solo album, Spectrum, in October, 1973, just after leaving the Mahavishnu Orchestra. This album is a wonderful example of fast-paced jazz fusion, which fits well within the large common ground areas …
Here’s a playlist composed of songs sung by band members other than the usual lead singer. It’s quite interesting that several of these songs are among the best known of the band, without the lead singer being prominent. Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson sang lead on two of Canned Heat’s most …
Released in May, 1978 – between Pink Floyd’s Animals (Jan ’77) and The Wall (Nov ’79) – David Gilmour used this album as the personal expression he wasn’t necessarily getting in Pink Floyd. By this time, the group was beginning to fracture. I’m sure many people have their own definitions …
Another off-ramp journey in the large Rock realm, into early/mid ’60’s Freakbeat & Garage rock. Links to Wikipedia definitions of garage rock and Freakbeat. From the definitions, Garage Rock was more of a North American phenomenon, while Freakbeat was more of an English mod orientation. To me, they are two …
I was thinking of Duane Allman, and what a great guitarist he was. I was looking at assembling a tribute playlist of notable performances such as Layla. As I looked through the material, it became evident to me that although he shone in session work, he stood out best when …
