Unicorn | Blue Pine Trees & Too Many Crooks – CD Review

There are so many bands that had Unicorn's trajectory. Formed by close friends in early 1960s England, Unicorn experienced the usual personnel changes, touring and a record deal with...

Dire Straits | Dire Straits – Lost Gem

In 1978, the Newcastle-born Dire Straits burst onto the music scene with their self-titled debut album Dire Straits, which was released on the Vertigo Records label then a division...

Cat Stevens | Back To Earth – Lost Gem

By the end of the 1970s, Cat Stevens (born Steven Georgiou) had run through teen idol success, songwriting fame, survived tuberculosis, mega-stardom with his more ‘adult’ tunes, a near...

The Police | Synchronicity – Lost Gem

Although they sprung from the seeds of the punk movement of the late 70s, The Police managed to rise above the usual snarl and spit mentality, and instead became...

T. Rex | Electric Warrior – Lost Gem

For anyone interested in the history of glam rock, the best place to start is with T. Rex's Electric Warrior. Led by the flamboyant Marc Bolan, T. Rex wasn't so...

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | Trout Mask Replica – Lost Gem

Whether by detour or design, the antics of Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart were enough to fan the flames of the misdirected idealism that eerily seeped out from the...

Crack The Sky | Crack The Sky – Lost Gem

One can count very few progressive American bands ever rising to the level of their popular U.K. counterparts. Kansas and Styx immediately come to mind, but there are a...

Nico | The End – CD Review

Children's chanting, spooky swirling organ and Nico's strong monotone on "It Has Not Taken Long" opens her fourth album, The End. Remastered and reissued as a double CD, this...

Triumvirat | Illusions On A Double Dimple – Lost Gem

I have to thank my old friend Greg for turning me on to the German progressive band, Triumvirat. And boy, have I always been glad he did. Progressive rock...

Billy Joel | Streetlife Serenade (Limited Edition SACD) – CD Review

One tends to forget the unprecedented run of Billy Joel's hits, his decades-long career and his much-heralded residency at Madison Square Garden. Yet there have been some moments in...