Classic rock
Classic Compilation: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young – So Far
For years I shied away from the work of Crosby, Stills and Nash (both with and without Neil Young). There was something a little too soft and fluffy about them, and they seemed to embody the self-congratulatory happy-clappy West Coast vibe of millionaire rock stars totally out of touch with their audience. They were the …
Classic Compilation: The Rolling Stones – Forty Licks
There are some bands that the term ‘legendary’ just doesn’t suffice. The Rolling Stones are unarguably one of those bands that changed the course of rock and roll, and they are easily one of the most influential bands of all time. The thing is, just because they are one of the most important bands in …
Classic Album: Queen – The Works
The Works is frequently seen as a concerted effort by Brian May and Roger Taylor to return Queen to their rocking roots after far too long dabbling with a horrible mix of funky disco pop rock. As an album, The Works contains some of the band’s biggest global hits, finds them if not creatively recharged, …
Classic Compilation: David Bowie – The Platinum Collection
A pair of compilations and a bonus disc gathered together rather than a release in its own right, on the surface of it the lazily named The Platinum Collection is just another David Bowie compilation. Where this compilation scores over most others that cover Bowie’s career, is that each disc is themed by era, with …
Classic Compilation: Joe Cocker – The Anthology
Has there ever been an artist in the history of popular music as ill-served by compilations as Joe Cocker? The racks are stuffed full of Joe Cocker compilations, covering a couple of sizeable hits in the late 60s when he was one of the great voices of British blues, and then leaping forward almost twenty …
Not Forgotten: Paul McCartney & Wings – Band on the Run
A superior musician and with a deeper understanding of melody than his former writing partner, it seems that no one will ever forgive Paul McCartney for having the nerve to actually form another band after he had left The Beatles. Sure, there were a couple of solo albums in the interim, but in Wings McCartney …
Not Forgotten: The Kinks – The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
As unfeasible as it seems, there was once a time when the singles chart was of equal importance to the album chart. Actually, no, it was more important. In the first decade of rock’n’roll, the single was king. Admittedly in the 60s The Beatles were masters of the pop single, but the fight for the …
Classic Album: The Beatles – The Beatles (a.k.a The White Album)
Oh dear, the double album. A place for acts to stretch their legs and indulge their every creative whim, part diverse buffet of styles, part bloody mess. Dylan and Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were the first rock acts out of the gate with their four sides of vinyl each, but once The …
Classic Album: Queen – Jazz
Given the amount of effort that Queen had put in to create the more direct music and production of 1977’s News of the World, it’s follow up, Jazz, is quite an odd album, as it’s obvious that Queen were back tracking a little and trying to recreate the bombast of A Night at the Opera. …
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 movement, their second single, a cover of “Go Now” hit the top of the singles chart, prompting the release of a tie in album. Follow …