Cheap Trick | At Budokan – Classic Commentary
In 1978, if you wanted a copy of Cheap Trick's At Budokan, you had to plop down $11.99 for the Japanese import. Epic, in their infinite wisdom, eventually released the...
The Who | Who’s Next – Classic Commentary
At the beginning of the 70s, the impact of Tommy weighed heavily on Pete Townshend's shoulders. How on earth would he and the Who top such a successful and...
Big Star | #1 Record & Radio City – Classic Commentary
Big Star was a wondrous anomaly in the heavy-duty early 70s. All the proggy, acid-fueled, blues-based dirge couldn’t diminish the group’s pop sensibilities, despite the infighting and distribution hassles....
Santana | Supernatural – CD Review
By the end of the 1990s, the music of Carlos Santana was apparently in need of a major overhaul. Actually, many of Santana’s peers were up against the same...
Black Sabbath | Sabbath Bloody Sabbath – Classic Commentary
When it comes to Black Sabbath albums, the go-to’s seem to be the first three — Black Sabbath, Paranoid, and Master Of Reality. There’s little argument that these early...
Jethro Tull | Aqualung – Classic Commentary
In a previous write-up on Jethro Tull's Aqualung, I boldly proclaimed that the album, released in 1971, had ingrained itself into the rock stratum forever. On its 40 anniversary,...
Queen | A Night At The Opera – Classic Commentary
In and around the mid 70s, there was a cluster of different styles and temperaments stirring around in the pop music kettle. With progressive, glam and hard rock all...
Paul McCartney & Wings | Band On The Run – Classic Commentary
Band On The Run remains a standout among recordings by Paul McCartney that followed the Beatles’ 1970 break-up. With the shadow of the beloved Fab Four hanging precariously overhead, it...
The Rolling Stones | Beggars Banquet – Classic Commentary
So many musical puzzles fell together in 1968. The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix lead the way with career-defining albums released in November. Somehow, though, the Rolling Stones got in...
Eagles | Hotel California – Classic Commentary
The peaceful, easy feeling the Eagles exuded in the early 70s had, by 1976, given way to a darker, more ominous sentiment. To begin, the band parted ways with...
