‘QUADROPHENIA’ (1973 THE WHO ALBUM, 1979 FILM SOUNDTRACK) An ambitious, storytelling rock epic inspires an influential film. But is a new soundtrack album really necessary? From the start Quadrophenia was conceived as a film, albeit for your ears only. By … Continue reading →
THE CHI-LITES, ‘(FOR GOD’S SAKE) GIVE MORE POWER TO THE PEOPLE’ (1971) Whether you’re strictly red or solid blue, you’ll want your voice heard in 2018’s midterm elections. Let the Chi-Lites cheer you on. By early 1971 the phrase “power … Continue reading →
‘THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW’ (ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK, 1975/1978) For Halloween, thirteen fun facts about the iconic, eclectic, decadent musical’s underappreciated soundtrack It’s the same old story: boy meets girl, boy gets stranded with girl, boy and girl are seduced by … Continue reading →
‘SON OF DRACULA’ (FILM AND HARRY NILSSON SOUNDTRACK, BOTH 1974) Nilsson and Ringo’s long-lost attempt at a vampire movie yielded a spooky, hit-filled soundtrack perfect for Halloween parties. Even before Harry Nilsson played a bloodsucker onscreen, he was already a … Continue reading →
THE DOORS, ‘MORRISON HOTEL’ (1970) Late in its brief career, LA’s mystical acid-blues band drops a memorable album free of hits but full of treats. Before Jim ascended to that great snakepit in the sky, the Doors put out six … Continue reading →
OKTOBERFEST: THE KNICKERBOCKERS (1975), BUSCH GARDENS CAST (1979), JAMES LAST (1974) An 8-track survey of the 200-year-old German beer fest somehow includes John Lennon, Uriah Heep, and Charlie the Unicorn. Burp! Ach du lieber – October’s only started and Oktoberfest … Continue reading →
KISS – ‘ALIVE!’ (1975); ‘ALIVE II’ (1977) As Kiss announces its final tour for next year, let’s look back at the two live albums that cemented the hard-rock legend’s fame. In early 1975 Kiss, a rock band posing as comic-book … Continue reading →
PAUL SIMON, ‘THE PAUL SIMON SONG BOOK’ (TAPE ISSUED 1970) Paul’s overlooked solo debut offers revealing previews of future Simon and Garfunkel classics — and two songs you can’t hear anywhere else. Here are a pair of folk-rock trivia questions … Continue reading →
DR. BUZZARD’S ORIGINAL SAVANNAH BAND (SELF-TITLED, 1976); DON ARMANDO’S 2ND AVENUE RHUMBA BAND (SELF-TITLED, 1979) Two clever, quirky New York dance music acts with overlapping members explore the genre’s untapped possibilities. Do you hate disco? If so, you’re probably thinking … Continue reading →
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, ‘THE WILD, THE INNOCENT AND THE E STREET SHUFFLE’ (1973) Bruce’s second album proves to be a rich anthology of mostly urban American stories and memorable characters. This second Springsteen album is the first to utilize the full … Continue reading →