Posts From Mark Leviton
Stevie Wonder’s ‘Talking Book’: Passion, Pain & Love
Said the Motown great of the groundbreaking 1972 album, “I wanted to express various things that I felt…the passions, emotion and love.”
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Genesis’ ‘Seconds Out’: From Paris With Love
Released in 1977, the 2-LP set showcased the band’s great live performances and was a major worldwide hit.
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The Who’s ‘Odds & Sods’: Beat the Boots
Fed up with the volume of unauthorized Who LPs on the market, the band put together this mixed bag of leftover tracks.
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Bob Dylan’s ‘Desire’: Story Time
Songs from the best-selling album continued to be heavily featured in the Rolling Thunder Revue live performances.
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Supertramp: ‘Crime of the Century’—Success at Last
Even before they set foot in the studio to begin recording, the band “knew we had a hit,” said Roger Hodgson.
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Frey & Souther’s ‘Longbranch Pennywhistle’: Not Ready for Prime Time Players
The sparks of genius are here and there in the songwriting, and especially in the deft singing and instrumental arrangements.
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Elvis Costello’s ‘Taking Liberties’: Spare Parts
The compilation album proved early in his career that his so-called “leftovers” are better than many other artists’ main meals.
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Revisiting Paul Simon’s U.S. Solo Debut: World Music
He said at the time, “I am really happy to be by myself now and not have to share decisions. Now I do things almost entirely to my taste.”
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Joe Cocker ‘Mad Dogs & Englishmen’: More Than a Little Help
“We can imagine how exhausted Cocker, Russell and Co. must have been when they got off the road, but from the audience’s point of view, it was worth it.”
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Vanilla Fudge’s 1967 Debut: Maximum Psychedelia
It was rock music pushed to its limits, with a radical use of soft-loud-soft dynamics and the emotional drama of rhythm and blues and soul.
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