ABBEY ROAD
My favorite album by The Beatles was released 50 years ago this week. Continue reading “”
Category: Vinyl / Tunes Blog
LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO
This has to be one of the lamest song titles in all of pop culture. Completely anti-Gene Smith philosophy. The reality is, unless you are being forced with bodily harm, nobody makes you do anything. Continue reading “”
TRUTH
It’s kind of hard to find today, but back in 1968 truth was (more) readily available.
That’s the year Jeff Beck laid waste to what had come before with his blues-rock album Truth. His band was an evolution of the Yardbirds and a foreshadowing of Faces. With Ron Wood on bass, vocals by Rod Stewart, and Beck’s electrifying guitar, this is the seminal electric blues, modified R&B, and psychedelically influenced rock and heavy-metal album. Continue reading “”
PINK MOON
OK, it’s the end of July, and I’ve somehow missed every one of this album’s significant anniversaries.
Still, this is probably the best article I’ve ever written about any subject, so here goes. Continue reading “”
NO GURU, NO METHOD, NO TEACHER
My favorite Van Morrison album was released 33 years ago. Recorded in part at The Record Plant in Sausalito, CA, it’s a magnificent record with David Hayes laying out on bass on “Foreign Window”. The lyrics can come off as obscure to most, but they’re transcendent to me. Check it out. Continue reading “”
HANDLE ME WITH CARE
On this day in 1941 – Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman) was born. Dylan went on to release over 40 albums and was a major influence on The Beatles and so many others.
His impact on popular music is incalculable. His hits included the 1965 single ‘Like A Rolling Stone’, probably the ultimate single ever released. He won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature and twelve Grammy Awards. Here he is with George Harrison and the Traveling Wilburys playing one of my favorite songs. Continue reading “”
PLASTIC ONO BAND
By March 20 1969, when John Lennon and Yoko Ono married, he had already started leaving The Beatles. It would be a traumatic separation. Continue reading “”
VINYL, LEICA, AND THE EARLY 911 – MY STORY
You’ve probably read enough analogies of sports cars, fine cameras, and luxury audio equipment in high-end lifestyle magazines to get the idea that journalists are passionate about these things in a big way. I’m not immune, and vinyl records, Leica rangefinders, and Porsche 911s have been a fascination of mine since 1964.
Continue reading “”
VINYL, LEICAS, AND THE EARLY 911
Coming soon…
I’ve been a record collector since I bought my first LP in 1964. Still have it. Leica film cameras and lenses followed in 1979. An early Porsche 911 was something I’ve wanted since I was 16. Had to wait until 1996 for that one. Now I have multiples of everything… Continue reading “”
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY
For me, jazz pianist Bill Evans is the coolest.
Released a little over 60 years ago, the tune “Peace Piece” on his album Everybody Digs Bill Evans has everything: it’s romantic, transcendental and groundbreaking.
ROCK PHOTOGRAPHER GUY WEBSTER
Hollywood photographer Guy Webster passed away today at 79. He created several iconic ’60s album covers, including The Doors, The Byrds, Simon and Garfunkel, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, and The Mamas and the Papas. Continue reading “”
THE KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society is one of my favorite albums. 50 years ago it failed to chart upon its release. Imagine it competing against the likes of The White Album. Now considered a classic for its depiction of English country life. Continue reading “”
WHY MUST I ALWAYS EXPLAIN
THE BEATLES “WHITE ALBUM”
50 years ago this week The Beatles, better known as “The White Album”, hit record store worldwide.
After Rubber Soul and the artistic heights of Revolver and Sgt. Pepper, The Beatles followed up in 1968 by forming Apple Records and releasing a double LP that would go on to become their biggest seller.
Sporting a clean white cover and featuring only their embossed name and a serial number printed in gray ink, The Beatles was a strong departure from what had come before. Continue reading “”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEIL AND JONI
Yeah, it’s been awhile since I posted some tunes.
They’re all personal and hopefully a bit soulful. I spent a few coins at the jukebox over the years on these two. Continue reading “”