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...

Al Stewart | Year Of The Cat – Classic Commentary

Released in 1976, Year Of The Cat is the album that put Al Stewart on the map, showcasing his lyrical prowess and musical finesse. The album encapsulates Stewart's distinctive...

Supertramp | Breakfast In America – Classic Commentary

One of my fondest memories from my high school years, is from Spring 1979, sitting shotgun in my buddy Bill's Chevy Nova, managing yet another weekday afternoon drive home...

The Doors | The Doors – Classic Commentary

As debut albums go, The Doors packed a punch that still reverberates to this very day. Jim Morrison was young and hungry, ready to take a big bite out of the...

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....

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...

Robin Trower | Bridge of Sighs – Classic Commentary

Bridge Of Sighs, the 1974 masterpiece by British guitarist Robin Trower, stands as a timeless statement to the power and allure of blues-infused rock. Trower, who previously played guitar...

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...