Ira Kantor’s Vinyl Confessions: The Sweetest Victory (“No Pain!”)
“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” – Rocky Balboa
I don’t want to be a statistic. That’s...
Ira Kantor’s Vinyl Confessions: A Place For My Stuff Albums
Photos courtesy of Chris Parker
Often throughout music history, we herald bands that showcase an enigmatic or dynamic frontman (or frontwoman) or put flash and pomp before substance. While this,...
Ira Kantor’s Vinyl Confessions: When Pride First Mattered
Photos courtesy of Charles Valentino and Chris Spierer
It took four individuals to propel the first — and, to date, most impactful — gay anthem into public consciousness.
Direct in its...
Ira Kantor’s Vinyl Confessions: The Kings Are (Still!) Here
Photo Courtesy of Deborah Samuel
The Kings
The Kings Are Here
They had the attitudes of punks and the chops to be a Canadian Beatles.
The story of how I discovered The Kings...
Ira Kantor’s Vinyl Confessions: Still Alive ~ Baby, Just Take Another Look (At Clover)
Photos courtesy of Alex Call
In 1977, right before punk becomes the zeitgeist musical movement in the UK and the states, a Bay Area-based six-piece band took one last mighty...
Ira Kantor’s Vinyl Confessions: Magic Is Afoot; Magic Never Died
Photos courtesy of Eric Alper
“Illuminations by Buffy Sainte-Marie is one of my favorite albums. When she sings at her best, it’s the soul laid bare.” – Steve Hackett (2020)
“I...
Ira Kantor’s Vinyl Confessions: Driven To Sniff ‘n’ the Tears
Photos Courtesy of Paul Roberts
Their lone U.S. hit begins simply enough until nine seconds in — a few acoustic guitar strums and then POW, the musical gas is punched...
Ira Kantor’s Vinyl Confessions: One-Take Wonders – The Knack’s Supposed Sophomore Jinx
Photos courtesy of Prescott Niles
Their journey has been depicted as both a Cinderella story and one of music’s most epic fails.
Yet there can be no denying that for (at...
Ira Kantor’s Vinyl Confessions: “And The Gods Made Love” ~ Eloy’s Wave Of Brilliance
Photos courtesy of Frank Bornemann
I will admit, there have been many times during this pandemic when my brain has been consumed by more negative thoughts than positive ones. Fear,...
Ira Kantor’s Vinyl Confessions: Tennessee Studs (Foggy Mountain Breakthrough)
Within the sphere of popular music in Nixonian-era 1972, there’s an interesting hybrid of commercial acts. Teen idols, hard rockers, proggers, female belters, country crooners, soulsters — nothing is...
