Archive for June 5th, 2011

Vinyl

Steely Dan Sunday, "Razor Boy" (1973)

Walter Becker once called himself as a “B+” guitarist. He’s certainly underrated there but as a bassist, I’d rate him even higher. Nonetheless, Becker had a history of making way for another bassist to play on a Steely Dan tune if he thought if that person was the better manRead More

Vinyl

Solomon King – Medicine (2011)

Over the course of the striking, stripped-down Medicine, former Detroit autoworker Solomon King returns to that moment when the blues moved inexorably away from the uplift that defined gospel music, and ultimately toward rock ā€˜nā€™ roll and then hip hop. You May Also Like: How B.B. King Left Us WithRead More

Vinyl

Half Notes: Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha (2007)

by Tom Johnson It was going to be hard for Bird to top his previous album, Andrew Bird And The Mysterious Production Of Eggs, a gorgeous, moody stunner. Equally balanced between upbeat rock numbers and quieter strings-backed pieces, Eggs had something for everyone, with smart, subtly-humorous lyrics strewn throughout toRead More

Vinyl

One Track Mind: Richard Nelson Large Ensemble, "Strive" (2011)

In most big bands, the guitarist functions as nothing more than a member of an expanded rhythm section — and for a while it seems like Richard Nelson (even though it’s his band, and all) had fallen into the same role on his forthcoming album You May Also Like: SatokoRead More