Posts From Best Classic Bands Contributors
The DC5’s Mike Smith: Most Underrated Singer in Classic Rock?
The songwriter and keyboardist for the British Invasion group the Dave Clark Five also boasted a versatile singing voice and led the band to many hits
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Jan 13, 1973: The Eric Clapton ‘Rainbow Concert’
Pete Townshend figured the best thing for his heroin-addicted lovesick pal was to play some music. So he organized a concert with some of the biggest names in British rock
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Jon Hiseman, Colosseum Drummer, Dies at 73
After a stint with John Mayall, he co-founded the prog-jazz-rock band and stayed with it through two incarnations. Hiseman succumbed to brain cancer.
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Recent Album Reviews
Albums by Wilco, Neil Young, Brian Wilson, Courtney Barnett, The Kinks, Nellie McKay, Pink Floyd, Van Morrison, Vanilla Fudge, Wiko Johnson & Roger Daltrey & The Blues Magoos. Rewind review of “Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out” by The Rolling Stones.
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Recent Live Show Reviews
Reviews of concerts by Madonna, The Faces, The J. Geils Band/Ian Hunter & The Rant Band, U2, Steely Dan/Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Billy Joel, The Who/Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and Stevie Wonder.
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Recent Film/DVD Reviews
Hendrix’s Electric Church concert film. Ricki and The Flash. And rock documentaries about Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, L.A. studio musicians The Wrecking Crew, Doug Sahm, English pub rock guitar hero Wilko Johnson & Who managers Kit Lambert & Chris Stamp.
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Recent Book Reviews
Books well worth a read include the Allen Kelin biography, How Music Got Free (the fascinating story of how digital piracy decimated the record industry), a superb new Grateful Dead biography & memoirs by Viv Albertine (The Slits), producer Glyn Johns, Mick Fleetwood & Billy Idol
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The Dead’s Long Strange Trip Says Fare Thee Well
Yes, it’s been a long strange trip to the last Grateful Dead shows. Writers who have also been fans reflect on what the Fare Thee Well concerts mean. Is it cash grab by the surviving members? Will the shows do the Dead justice? One thing’s for sure: the band has made timeless music that is inescapable.
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Dylan Continues to Reign Supreme
The pop standards album Shadows in the Night, the release of The Basement Tapes Complete & the T-Bone Burnett-helmed New Basement Tapes add new wrinkles to the Dylan legacy.
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