BEST CLASSIC BANDS – CELEBRATING THE ARTISTS, MUSIC AND POP CULTURE OF THE CLASSIC ROCK ERA
The Making of Al Green and the Hi Records Sound
“The main thing is, Al could sing in tune. Once he got a hook on a song, it was hard to beat him.”–Producer Willie Mitchell
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Joni Mitchell ‘Asylum Albums (1972-1975)’ Box Set Due
This next installment in her Archives series covers her initial output for her new recording home following her departure from Reprise
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Jann Wenner Memoir, ‘Like a Rolling Stone,’ Shares Stories of Dylan, Mick, Bruce
There was a time when the rock and roll generation eagerly awaited a new issue to read interviews with and album reviews of their favorite recording artists
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The #1 Albums of 1974: Room at the Top
No less than 25 different titles were at #1 for at least one week in the U.S. The two artists with the most weeks at the top might surprise you
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Jefferson Airplane Recall Woodstock: A New Dawn
Grace Slick addressed the sea of humans, “You have seen the heavy groups. Now you will see morning maniac music. Believe me, yeah, it’s a new dawn.”
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Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts Add Stars; London Show Will Be Streamed Live
The concerts will feature his son Shane and members of AC/DC, Pretenders, Queen, and Black Sabbath. The drummer died while on tour at age 50
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‘Anthems We Love’ Book Digs Deep Into 29 Classic Songs
Cameron Crowe, who wrote the foreword: “There is no formula. Just sparkling portraits of artists who created indelible songs for all-time”
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Genesis’ Path to Success: Atlantic President Tells How
Before he became Atlantic Records’ President, Jerry Greenberg said: “I never heard one note of their music. But just from what I read in the English papers about them, I thought: ‘I’ve gotta have this group.’”
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Al Kooper on Recording “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” With the Stones
“Mick wore a gorilla coat and Keith a hat with a long feather. Everyone sat around and they passed out acoustic guitars.”–Kooper
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Leslie West Talks Mountain, Woodstock, and More
When the history of heavy rock is traced today, it invariably points to him as one of the origin points—it was no accident that he called his band Mountain.
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Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Hasten Down The Wind’: Right Songs, Right Singer
The 1976 release became Ronstadt’s third platinum album in a row, and earned her the second of her eventual 13 Grammy awards.
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11 Great Rock and Pop Summer Songs
Here are some favorites on our playlist that span several decades, to help you celebrate the season of barbecues, convertibles and beaches
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Richard Marx Sets New Album, ‘Songwriter,’ and Tour
He made history in the late ’80s as the only male artist whose first seven singles reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100
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Joni Mitchell’s ‘Woodstock’: Behind the Song
The composer of one of the greatest countercultural anthems never made it to the festival that served as the song’s subject.
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Dire Straits’ ‘Sultans of Swing’: An Unlikely Hit
They were playing a kind of old-school Dylanesque rock that radio stations assumed fans no longer cared for. Then the fans told them otherwise.
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The Spencer Davis Group’s ‘I’m a Man’: Admit It, You Don’t Know the Lyrics
The teenaged singer of this British band, Steve Winwood, had a voice like no other. But what exactly was he singing in this hit?
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‘Elvis on Tour’ Box Set Due, On Heels of Biopic Success
The set celebrates the 50th anniversary of the King’s monumental 1972 concert trek, with a wealth of previously unreleased live and studio material
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Big Brother’s ‘Cheap Thrills’: Behind R. Crumb’s LP Cover
It would be the only rock album for which the cartoonist would do the art. It continues to serve as a psychedelic timestamp of one crazy summer.
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Bill Pitman, Wrecking Crew Guitarist, Dies at 102
He also performed on such recordings as “Good Vibrations,” “Be My Baby” and “These Boots Are Made For Walkin'”
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Woodstock Performers: Where Are They Now?
Many are still creating brilliant music. Here is a brief guide to the status of most of the artists who performed at the legendary 1969 festival
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When the Climax Blues Band Got it Right
The British group began as a blues revivalist outfit and charted twice with songs that were a bit outside of their original musical style
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Eagles Announce New 2022 Dates
Each show will feature ‘Hotel California’ in its entirety accompanied by an orchestra and choir, along with an additional set of the band’s greatest hits
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The Kinks Set Deluxe Reissues of 2 Classic Albums
1971’s Muswell Hillbillies and 1972’s double album, Everybody’s In Show-Biz – Everybody’s a Star, are getting deluxe 50th anniversary editions
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A Superlative 1972 Grateful Dead Concert Album from London Resurfaces: Review
If you wanted to introduce someone to the group for the first time, this concert would be as good a place to start as any.
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Jeff Beck Live at the Hollywood Bowl: 2016 Review
The crowd was treated to a jaw-dropping display of deep blues, hot licks and dive-bombing Stratocaster forays into the ionosphere of rock with special guests Billy Gibbons and Steven Tyler. It’s available in a variety of formats
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Status Quo: ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’ and You
In their homeland, the U.K., they’ve had more than 60 hit singles and 30+ albums. In the U.S., they’re a one-hit wonder. Here’s the story of that one hit.
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When Dolly Parton Wrote a Song For Johnny Carson
In 1979, the beloved singer, actress and philanthropist was a year away from true superstardom when she appeared on The Tonight Show
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