‘Ray and Dave were very volatile,’ Pete Quaife, who died in 2010, once said. ‘They could start a fight over absolutely nothing.’ I hope eventually to be sufficiently capable of expressing people’s everyday moods, thoughts, and emotions in music.” Ray Davies to NME in 1964. Interview … Continue reading The Kinks (pt 2) – Where Have All the Good Times Gone?
(pictured l-r: Mick Avory, Pete Quaife, Dave Davies, Ray Davies) The so-called British Invasion consisted of a fair number of bands including The Animals, Hollies, Dave Clark Five, Herman’s Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Peter and Gordon, etc. But for many people, (oh bloody hell, … Continue reading The Kinks – (pt. 1) Muswell Hillbilly Boys
(Pictured: Elton John, circa 1970) So I went to see this concert a number of years ago at the Fillmore East. Elton John was the headliner and this was his third trip and second headlining tour in the US. He was the guy we primarily … Continue reading A Blast from the Past – Elton John, Seatrain, Wishbone Ash
Two years before Kiss roared out of Long Island with its self-titled debut, Blue Öyster Cult… issued its dark, eponymously-titled heavy rock monolith. [The album} rode the hot, hellbound rails of blistering hard rock as pioneered by Steppenwolf, fierce mutated biker blues, and a kind of dark … Continue reading Featured Album – Blue Öyster Cult
I’m aware that horn-driven rock isn’t for everyone. And further that Chicago have sometimes tarnished their own reputation by playing some treacly, watered-down shit. But in the early days they were a smokin’ hot band. I recently watched a documentary on TV about the great … Continue reading A Song I Love – Movin’ In – Chicago
“There is a view that jazz is evil because it comes from evil people, but actually the greatest priests on 52nd Street and on the streets of New York City were the musicians. They were doing the greatest healing work. They knew how to punch … Continue reading The Band (Part 4) – The Last Waltz
L-r (Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel) Robbie Robertson: “I had, with Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan, played guitar through your brain. I had played raging, screaming solos. When I started playing guitar it was with a vengeance. It was with … Continue reading The Band (Part 3) – The Woodstock Years
Levon and the Hawks, circa 1964. Sax player Jerry “Ish” Penfound on left. Yes, they wore suits in those days. Together with bass player Rick Danko, Levon Helm formed one of the finest rhythm sections to ever put a groove to a beat, and a … Continue reading The Band (Part 2) – Enter Bob Dylan, Strummer
In the late ’60’s, bands like Cream, Vanilla Fudge, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience were trailblazing the way towards long bluesy jams. Howlin’ Wolf’s version of Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful,” is less than three minutes long. On Wheels of Fire, Cream managed to stretch it out to almost … Continue reading The Band – (Part 1) – 1,000 Miles from Toronto to Turkey Scratch
Music Enthusiast - At the junction of rock, blues, R&B, jazz, pop,and soul 