Jon Bryan, Author at Backseat Mafia

Not Forgotten: The Moody Blues – In Search of the Lost Chord

The Moody Blues were in an interesting place when their third album, In Search of the Lost Chord, was released in August 1968. With their roots in the mid-60s Brum-Beat…

View Post

View Post

Not Forgotten: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Next

After years of trying to find the right musical vehicle to transport him on to the charts, by 1973 Alex Harvey had apparently found the backing band he had been…

View Post

View Post

Not Forgotten: Electric Light Orchestra – On The Third Day

Prior to On the Third Day, The Electric Light Orchestra looked to be in jeopardy. With co-leader Roy Wood having departed part-way through sessions for the band’s second album, and…

View Post

View Post

Reissue: Semisonic – Feeling Strangely Fine

Whatever happened to Semisonic? One minute some were considering them to be the next big thing in American rock music, and the next, well they just disappeared. So what happened?…

View Post

View Post

Not Forgotten: R.E.M. – Up

There was something about R.E.M.’s Up that rang alarm bells with me from the moment I heard that it was going to be released. Like many of their fans in…

View Post

View Post

Classic Album: The Who – Quadrophenia

After his failure to realise his full ambition ambition with Lifehouse, Pete Townshend must have been doubly determined to get his next concept album made and for it to be…

View Post

View Post

Not Forgotten: Jethro Tull – This Was

For those that are familiar with the more complex and progressive output of Jethro Tull from the 70s, a first listen of their 1968 debut album, This Was, can come…

View Post

View Post

Not Forgotten: Traveling Wilburys – Traveling Wilburys, Vol.1

In concept The Traveling Wilburys were superb. Bob Dylan was in the process of recovering from a decade long slump, George Harrison was back in the public eye after far…

View Post

View Post

Not Forgotten: The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow

From its brightly coloured, die-cut artwork, there’s something about Chutes Too Narrow that has always struck me as cartoon-like. I don’t mean that in a bad way, after all cartoons…

View Post

View Post

Box Set Review: Mott the Hoople – Mental Train (The Island Years 1969-71)

Before “All The Young Dudes”, before Top of the Pops appearances, before David Bowie, Mott The Hoople were a brilliant live act that arguably struggled to transfer the tremendous energy…

View Post