rock/metal rewind
Not Forgotten: Bad Company
As radio-friendly hard rock went in 1974, Bad Company were about as generic as it gets. It’s not that they were particularly bad, it’s just that they never really went for broke or took any risks. The initial line up of Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke, Mick Ralphs and Boz Burrell never really advanced artistically from …
Not Forgotten: Caravan – In the Land of Grey and Pink
Along with Soft Machine, Caravan are perhaps the definitive Canterbury Scene progressive rock act. Less jazzy than their more famous neighbours, Caravan weren’t as heavy handed as their more critically lauded peers, but what they did have was a much firmer grasp of pop dynamics and nowhere was this more obvious than their 1971 album, …
Not Forgotten: 10cc – The Original Soundtrack
By early 1975, 10cc had extricated themselves from an unfavourable recording contract under which their first two albums had been released. This resulted in The Original Soundtrack being a confluence of the experimental pop of their first two albums, with a boost of confidence and a sense of freedom. 10cc were always group that were …
Not Forgotten: Neil Young – After the Gold Rush
Always knowingly wilful, Neil Young has never been an easy musician to pin down. Having cut his teeth with Buffalo Springfield, his solo career started off with a solid enough debut of relatively standard singer-songwriter fare, a style he almost immeadiately ditched in favour of hooking up with half of garage band The Rockets, renaming …
Not Forgotten: Paul Westerberg – 14 Songs
The former The Replacements frontman Paul Westerberg had been the main creative force behind his former band for the last few years of their career, so in the early 90s, him transitioning to a solo career on the same record label was a natural move for him. Not that he leapt straight into recording his …
Not Forgotten: Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
After years of trying to match the commercial success of their breakthrough hit “Whiskey in the Jar”, it arguably happened at exactly the wrong time for Thin Lizzy. They had been given one last chance to record a breakthrough album and even when “The Boys are Back in Town” hit the charts in early April …
Not Forgotten: Comus – First Utterance
I first became aware of Comus back in early 1996, when First Utterance enjoyed its first foray onto CD. Described by a reliable publication as “Freaky Folk Prog”, the largely acoustic music, idiosyncratic vocals and traditional instruments sounded right up my particular strata. Sadly I was a penniless student at the time, so intrigued was …
A beginners’ guide to The Beatles
For me there is one genuine great body of creative work from the 20th Century which is beyond criticism. It towers above the collected work of artists like Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. The collected writings of JRR Tolkien finds itself overshadowed by comparison. The original trio of films in the Star Wars franchise looks …
Not Forgotten: 10cc – Sheet Music
These days 10cc are primarily known for the glorious overdub overload that is “I’m Not in Love”, however that monster hit single was just the tip of an often misunderstood creative iceberg made up of pop experimentalism, intelligent hit singles, art-rock, lovingly crafted production, and the search for the perfect pop song. Although it’s tempting …
Not Forgotten: The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes were a band who rose to popularity via the tried and trusted method of hard-gigging their deep-rooted traditional rock and roll sound. Both before and after the release of their classic retro rock of their debut, the recently reissued Shake Your Money Maker, they gigged relentlessly, building up a grass roots audience …