Given his longevity in the business and that he’s been a solo act for so long, it’s easy to categorize Alice Cooper as just a glam/shock/schlock performer. Certainly their early use of theatrics and makeup in their performances were at the forefront of what would become “glam rock” and was …
Squeezing Out Sparks was released in March, 1977 and marked a change in Parker’s style. He dropped his horn section and moved more in line with New Wave. The guitars & fast pace are front and centre. His songwriting excellence and gritty tone remain, though, and I think crank it …
Released in November 1974, this was Supertramp’s third album and their commercial breakthrough. The production on this album is excellent. The sound through our stereos at high volume was amazing! It also came through loud & clear on our car stereos. How “School” built up was a great start to …
Released in April, 1971, three months before Jim Morrison’s death in July, 1971, this is obviously the last studio recording of the complete Doors. They had brought in a couple of members of Elvis Presley’s band, Jerry Scheff (bass) and Marc Benno (rhythm guitar) to help in the recording. Here’s …
I am an unabashed Simple Minds fan. Somehow Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Mick MacNeil and their various drummers snuck into my subconscious in the early ’80’s and have remained there. No permanent damage as far as I can tell (others may disagree). For those who think Simple Minds …
A departure here in that I’m looking at a couple of EP’s. EP’s (Extended Play) fit a niche for artists that were promoting new work, attracting interest in their catalogue, or wanting to get material out without having a full album ready. In my record buying heyday, they were a …
This 1980 release from Vancouver’s Pointed Sticks hits all the right places in the New Wave scene. It’s got the beat, pace & sound that made it one of my most played records at the time. When I play it now, it’s the whole album, not a song or two….and …
Time for some real latin-tinged funk. Released in 1972, War’s The World is a Ghetto is their third album after Eric Burdon departed. Many feel it is their best album, and I agree. If you know War from “Spill the Wine”, “Low Rider” and “The Cisco Kid”, I believe you’ll …
This is a nice little folk-rock, pop-psych tinged album from 1968 California. It’s a pleasant fun listen, and has an interesting back story, which is what drew me to include this as an Album of the Week. The opening song, Sanctuary reminds me of Strawberry Alarm Clock, which is not …
RIP Patty Donahue This is a definite gem from 1982, and competes with the best of the New Wave era. It’s full of riffing guitars, saxophones and organs, often with an infectious ska beat. And fully defining their sound are Patty Donahue’s sardonic, largely spoken voiced vocals that tend into …
