Posts From Jeff Tamarkin
Lulu Rocks New York City—With Love: 2017 Concert Review
50 years ago a teenaged girl from Scotland had a #1 hit that is still loved today. At a NYC concert, she sounded better than ever.
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‘Ringo’: His 1973 Solo Breakthrough, With a Little Help From You Know Who
Although he’d had a couple of solo hits post-Beatles, the albums just weren’t happening. Then he reached into his phone book and made a few calls.
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When Lou Reed Met Metallica: Lou on ‘Lulu’
A 2011 interview with Reed on his controversial collaboration with Metallica, published in its entirety
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When the J. Geils Band Finally Broke Through
The only #1 hit for this dynamic Boston band was about a schoolboy crush later being crushed for real. We look back at an early MTV favorite.
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The Mighty Manfred Mann: From ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’ to ‘Blinded By the Light’
They underwent frequent personnel changes, including several lead singers–and they were named after the keyboardist–but they kept producing hits.
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Barry McGuire vs. Barry Sadler: When the News Hit #1
One chart-topper listed complaints about the inequities and horrors of the day, while the other was a patriotic paean to the Army’s elite special forces.
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1968—The Year in 50 Classic Rock Albums
Rock was still very intense in ’68 but it began giving way to quieter, more roots-oriented sounds. More than anything though, the music was diverse.
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‘MacArthur Park’: Jimmy Webb’s Recipe for a Hit
“Someone left the cake out in the rain/I don’t think that I can take it ’cause it took too long to bake it.” Love it or hate it, here’s the story
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Randy Bachman of the Guess Who & BTO: Interview
In our extensive conversation, the Canadian rock great tells the story of his biggest hits with two legendary classic rock bands
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‘Smiley Smile’: The Beach Boys Album That Wasn’t Supposed to Be
Their followup to ‘Pet Sounds’ was a quick replacement for an abandoned masterpiece-to-be. Some fans didn’t love it, but in time its reputation has grown.
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