pop rewind
Classic Album: The Beatles – The Beatles (a.k.a The White Album)
Oh dear, the double album. A place for acts to stretch their legs and indulge their every creative whim, part diverse buffet of styles, part bloody mess. Dylan and Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were the first rock acts out of the gate with their four sides of vinyl each, but once The …
Not Forgotten: Kate Bush – Lionheart
Kate Bush had exploded on the British music scene early in 1978 and had made an immeadiate impact, sweeping all before her and instantly becoming the biggest artist in the UK. Or at least that’s what her record company wanted you to believe. In reality Miss Bush had been groomed for fame for at least …
Not Forgotten: Electric Light Orchestra – On The Third Day
Prior to On the Third Day, The Electric Light Orchestra looked to be in jeopardy. With co-leader Roy Wood having departed part-way through sessions for the band’s second album, and both of their albums to date being weighed down by some of the stodgiest of stodgy prog rock, things were not exactly looking promising. There …
Not Forgotten: Billy Joel – An Innocent Man
Billy Joel is a musician who has always been capable of greatness. The Stranger is a brilliant slice of singer songwriter greatness, and Cold Spring Harbor is a genuinely pretty album that remains ripe for rediscovery. He could even knock out a novelty hit like “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” with insolent ease. …
Not Forgotten: Pugwash – Play This Intimately (As if Among Friends)
Sometimes it’s just nice to discover an act that you weren’t expecting. I first encountered the name of Pugwash when I stumbled across footage of Pugwash main man Thomas Walsh fronting Matt Berry and his backing band to deliver a storming version of Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die”, but it took my longer than …
A Buyers Guide to Crowded House (1986-1996)
Few acts have ever managed the career trajectory that Crowded House managed to pull off during their initial decade-long run from 1986 to 1996. Their debut album did solid business in the USA with their debut album on the back of a pair of big hit singles, while they struggled to make much of an …
A Buyers Guide to Electric Light Orchestra
The Move were one of those psyche-pop acts of the late 60s that were able to release great singles, but albums success always seemed to elude them. Originally formed in the middle of the decade from what were perceived to be the top guys from the best three or four local Birmingham beat groups, The …
Not Forgotten: Randy Newman – Randy Newman
While Randy Newman had been a songwriter for others since 1960, and he had released his debut single at the tender young age of 18 in 1962, his self titled debut album would not see the light of day until the middle of 1968. A distinctly un-rock and roll record, Randy Newman was heavily orchestrated …
Not Forgotten: José Feliciano – Feliciano!
There have been numerous times in the history of popular song when quiet has proved to be the new the new loud, in fact it is something that happens so frequently, that every few years a new generation manages to discover the singular delights of José Feliciano, and this pleasant album of acoustic covers of …
Not Forgotten: Tori Amos – From the Choirgirl Hotel
In retrospect From The Choirgirl Hotel was an important album for Tori Amos. By 1998, despite a couple of medium sized hit singles earlier in the decade, she was in danger of being known in the mainstream for just the (admittedly enjoyable) dance remix of “Professional Widow”, at least by the wider record buying public. …