Posts From Mark Leviton
Yes’ ‘The Yes Album’ @50: Brilliance Under Pressure
Their record label was looking for commercial progress in order to justify keeping them under contract. This 1971 classic put the band on the prog map.
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Graham Parker’s ‘Squeezing Out Sparks’: Simple As a Heartbeat
The 1979 album doesn’t have a weak song or performance, and continues to be cited as the British singer-songwriter’s greatest achievement.
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The Kinks’ ‘Sleepwalker’: The Comeback
The album kept selling to teenagers who barely remembered the Kinks of the previous decade, or thought they were a new band.
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The Doobie Brothers’ ‘The Captain and Me’: Polishing a Diamond
By the time they started recording their third album, the San Jose band had transformed itself into an eclectic and progressive group.
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Elton John’s ‘Honky Château’: New Heights
“I find it hard to comprehend just how prolific Bernie and I were during the early days,” Elton has said. “The songs just poured out of us.”
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Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’: Struggle & Liberation
The album, a landmark release for Motown, remains a monument to Marvin Gaye’s big heart and soul, and a prophecy for our time.
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Rod Stewart’s ‘Every Picture Tells a Story’: Ha!
The man who one said, “I’m a rock star because I couldn’t be a soccer star,” broke through with his solo third album, which included the smash “Maggie May.”
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Roger Daltrey’s Solo Debut: Doing A Favor
He wasn’t even planning on recording a solo album. But one thing led to another and soon The Who’s lead singer found himself with 10 songs of his own.
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Bob Seger’s ‘Live Bullet’: Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll
Although he was a star locally, the Detroit rocker had been struggling for years to break out nationally–until he formed the Silver Bullet Band.
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The Bee Gees’ ‘Main Course’: The Turning Point
Just when it seemed as if their career might be over, the brothers Gibb drastically altered their style. They would soon find out what success really was!
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