Tribute to Waddy Wachtel

If you know the name Waddy Wachtel, then you’re familiar with one of the best & most prolific session guitarists and producers of the rock era.  Even if you’re not familiar with him, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard his work. Wachtel has been in the music industry since the early …

Television – Marquee Moon

Television’s Marquee Moon was released in 1977.  At the time, we were celebrating the arrival of punk and its adding new energy and style to the musical landscape that had been dominated by disco (at least on the airwaves). A friend of mine introduced me to Television.  There were a …

Feel Good Pop – 1960’s to early ’70’s

I don’t know that there’s a golden age of pop music, but this era is special for me.  Perhaps it’s because I was growing up in this time, and music accompanied many important moments.  Perhaps it’s because this was occurring in parallel with & influenced by the psychedelic, progressive and …

Big Brother & The Holding Company – Cheap Thrills

I was not quite old enough to fully appreciate the San Francisco music scene in the late ’60’s.  However, after listening to much of what has been produced in that time, I feel that this is the one album that captures much of the mood & feel of that era.  …

The English Beat – I Just Can’t Stop It

The English Beat’s first album came out in 1980.  The English Beat (“English” was added to the band’s name in North America to avoid confusion with an existing American band named “The Beat”) was part of the second wave of ska music in England, along with contemporaries The Specials,  Madness, …

When is a guitar not a guitar?

When it’s second fiddle.  ha ha          ha. I’ve mentioned that I was vehemently pro guitar in my early musical listening, so much so that I would avoid purchasing music that was evidently not lead guitar centric.  I did listen to some of the music, but I …

Deep Purple – Shades of Deep Purple (& a bonus!)

This is the first incarnation of Deep Purple, colloquially known as Mark I (they had several incarnations of the band.  I’m a fan of the first two).  About half of the album is cover material as the band didn’t feel like they had enough original material (Link https://www.vintageguitar.com/2822/ritchie-blackmore/). Ritchie Blackmore …