How the Bee Gees Overcame It All to Produce the Magical ‘Odessa’
March 29, 2024The Bee Gees were in a precarious position 55 years ago when their only original double album was first released in the UK. They turned in a masterpiece.
Terry Blade on ‘Ethos: Son of a Sharecropper’: Something Else! Interview
March 10, 2024Terry Blade joins Preston Frazier to discuss his brutally honest, emotion-filled new album, ‘Ethos: Son of a Sharecropper.’
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Joe Bailey and ‘Splinters’: Exclusive Something Else! Interview
January 28, 2024 -
Ron Blake on ‘Mistaken Identity,’ ‘SNL’ and That Long Recording Gap
December 3, 2023
Wabi Sabi – ‘The Love Insane’ (2024)
March 24, 2024With ‘The Love Insane,’ Wabi Sabi learned new ways to piece together an LP, using various pieces recorded in various locations rather than having each other present.
Dave Harrington, Max Jaffe + Patrick Shiroishi – ‘Speak, Moment’ (2024)
March 1, 2024The sounds made by Dave Harrington, Max Jaffe and Patrick Shiroishi on ‘Speak, Moment’ are the sounds of discovery, surprise and uncommon communion.
Thollem – ‘Worlds In A Life, One’ (2024)
February 2, 2024Thollem made something entirely new using used parts created by various trios and mold them into a genuine piece of aural art made by a six performers using the intuition of one.
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Asteroid Ekosystem – ‘Live’ (2023)
December 30, 2023 -
Kate Gentile – ‘Find Letter X’ (2023)
October 12, 2023
How Billy Joel’s ‘Turn the Lights Back On’ Recalls Past Glories
March 22, 2024Billy Joel’s last album of pop-rock music was 1993’s mediocre ‘River of Dreams,’ but this single shows there is still talent burning.
Luckless UK’s Underrated ‘Danger Money’ Arrived Just as Prog Fell Apart
March 8, 2024Released 45 years ago this month, UK’s trio-led sophomore effort ‘Danger Money’ is past due for a reevaluation.
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Projekt Gemineye – ‘What’s On Your Mind?’ (2024)
March 3, 2024 -
Emerson Lake and Powell – ‘The Complete Collection’ (2024)
February 23, 2024
Why That Self-Titled 1994 Album Is the Best Motley Crue You Never Heard
March 18, 2024Released 30 years ago, ‘Motley Crue’ is actually their heaviest and most mature record – mature, of course, being a relative term.
How the Bee Gees Overcame It All to Produce the Magical ‘Odessa’
March 29, 2024The Bee Gees were in a precarious position 55 years ago when their only original double album was first released in the UK. They turned in a masterpiece.
How the Bee Gees Overcame It All to Produce the Magical ‘Odessa’
March 29, 2024The Bee Gees were in a precarious position 55 years ago when their only original double album was first released in the UK. They turned in a masterpiece.
Peter Himmelman, Marcel Bonfim, Ozomatli + Others: Five for the Road
February 5, 2024Peter Himmelman, Marcel Bonfim and Ozomatli are part of the latest edition of Five for the Road, an occasional look at music that’s been in my car lately.
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Pre-Fame Bob Dylan Struck a Rebel’s Pose, But Not Woody Guthrie’s
December 28, 2023 -
The Best Bob Dylan Songs From the 1980s
November 14, 2023
‘Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon,’ by Joel Selvin (2024): Books
March 12, 2024Jim Gordon’s accomplishments are often overlooked, even by knowledgeable listeners. In his well-researched and thoughtful biography ‘Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon,’ Joel Selvin changes that.
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‘Journey: Worlds Apart,’ by Nick DeRiso (2023): Books
February 9, 2024 -
‘Too Late to Stop Now: More Rock ‘n’ Roll War Stories,’ by Allan Jones (2023): Books
January 25, 2024
Peter Himmelman, Marcel Bonfim, Ozomatli + Others: Five for the Road
February 5, 2024Peter Himmelman, Marcel Bonfim and Ozomatli are part of the latest edition of Five for the Road, an occasional look at music that’s been in my car lately.
How Billy Joel’s ‘Turn the Lights Back On’ Recalls Past Glories
March 22, 2024Billy Joel’s last album of pop-rock music was 1993’s mediocre ‘River of Dreams,’ but this single shows there is still talent burning.
How Eric Clapton’s ‘Me and Mr. Johnson’ Made the Case for British Blues
March 20, 2024I thought I didn’t need another take on “Come On In My Kitchen.” Twenty years ago, Eric Clapton proved me wrong with ‘Me and Mr. Johnson.’
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How B.B. King Left Us With One Last Reminder of His Greatness
August 25, 2023 -
Blue Largo – ‘Got to Believe’ (2022)
November 23, 2022
How Rudolph Stole the Show on ‘The Temptations Christmas Card’
December 25, 2023This album will always be defined by its lead-off moment, as the Temptations take a kid’s song and transform it into a funked-out Yuletide hoot.
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Gregory Porter, Samara Joy, John Paul McGee + Others: 2023’s Seasonal Sounds
November 30, 2023 -
Why ‘Abandoned Luncheonette’ Is Still the Best Hall and Oates Album
November 3, 2023
Norman Lear Would Change Modern TV, But First He Came to Iowa
December 11, 2023I have been struck by how long the accolades have continued after the passing of Norman Lear. It made me realize that I have a story, too.
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Micky Dolenz Might Have Finally Figured Out What the Monkees’ ‘Head’ Was About
November 8, 2023 -
Pink Floyd Engineer Alan Parsons Had the Perfect ‘Wizard of Oz’ Quip
September 21, 2023
The Daily Doug: The Albums That Shaped My Career
July 15, 2022Composer, educator and vocal-group conductor Douglas Helvering, best known for his YouTube channel, The Daily Doug, discusses LPs that changed everything.
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Jimmy Haslip, jazz bassist: The Albums That Shaped My Career
April 18, 2022 -
Jeff Lorber: The Albums That Shaped My Career
March 30, 2022
Terry Kirkman’s Legend Was Bigger Than the Association’s ‘Cherish’
September 27, 2023The Association’s chart-topping “Cherish” was the epitome of the romantic pop ballad, but Terry Kirkman wrote far more – and far more interesting – songs.
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How Jimmy Buffett Became a Steadfast Superstar
September 6, 2023 -
How Robbie Robertson Changed Bob Dylan Forever
August 15, 2023
Steve Howe Made a Colorful, Quite Surprising Debut With Tomorrow
February 20, 2023Released 55 years ago this month, the self-titled debut by Yes stalwart Steve Howe’s old band Tomorrow is one of the best of its psychedelic kind.
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‘Memories of a White Magician’ and ‘Lady Macbeth’ by Jon Symon’s Warlock
January 10, 2023 -
How an ‘Antique French Garage Band’ Nailed the Whole Soul Music Vibe
November 27, 2022
Five Moments of Eternal Brilliance From Steely Dan’s ‘Pretzel Logic’
February 20, 2024Released 50 years ago today, Steely Dan’s ‘Pretzel Logic’ remains a pinnacle achievement for the premier jazz-pop rock band. Here’s a handful of reasons why.
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Ringo Starr’s Top Five Interpretations of Songs by the Other Beatles
November 28, 2023 -
Five ‘With the Beatles’ Deep Cuts That Illustrate Their Lasting Debt to R&B
November 20, 2023
Playin’ the Changes With Tom Petty, Aerosmith + Cheap Trick: Shadows in Stereo
October 25, 2021Often over-looked albums by Tom Petty, Aerosmith and Cheap Trick are turning 40 next year. But why wait for a rock ‘n’ roll re-evaluation?
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MC5 – ‘High Time’ (1971): Shadows in Stereo
September 13, 2021 -
AC/DC, Tom Petty, Neil Young + Others: Shadows in Stereo (Lockdown Edition)
February 24, 2021