Why Patti Smith’s Resiliency Leads Me Back to ‘Easter,’ Time and Again
I was completely unaware of Patti Smith’s story when she released ‘Easter’ 45 years ago this month.
On Second Thought
How King Crimson Defined an Unsettled Post-9/11 Landscape on ‘Power to Believe’
Released 20 years ago this week, King Crimson’s turbulent ‘Power to Believe’ felt like an innocent’s view of war as it started right before his eyes.
Radiohead Saw the Future With ‘OK Computer,’ Then Became It
Perfectly self-contained, ‘OK Computer’ nevertheless reads as a watershed between what Radiohead was – and what they would become.
Returning to One of Yes’ Most Overlooked Eras: ‘Magnification’
John M. Gouldin breaks down five less-heralded albums Yes released between 1996-2001, concluding with Jon Anderson’s swan song ‘Magnification.’
Why Neutral Milk Hotel’s ‘In an Aeroplane Over the Sea’ Still Very Much Matters
Released 25 years ago today, Neutral Milk Hotel’s ‘In an Aeroplane Over the Sea’ is still magical, inexplicable and a fresh alternative to everything else out there.
How Van Halen’s Jaw-Dropping First Album Ruined My Sex Life (Again)
Van Halen’s self-titled debut arrived 45 years ago this week with a cover photo that was kind of primal and unhinged. I just knew I had to have it.
Returning to One of Yes’ Most Overlooked Eras: ‘The Ladder’
John M. Gouldin breaks down five less-heralded albums Yes released between 1996-2001, continuing with 1999’s ‘The Ladder.’
How Velvet Underground Created the DIY Movement With ‘White Light / White Heat’
The Velvet Underground released ‘White Light / White Heat’ 55 years ago this week. Lou Reed later rightly described it as “the Statue of Liberty of punk.”
Returning to One of Yes’ Most Overlooked Eras: ‘Open Your Eyes’
John M. Gouldin breaks down five less-heralded albums Yes released between 1996-2001, continuing with 1997’s ‘Open Your Eyes.’
Blue Cheer Set a New Rock Standard With ‘Vincebus Eruptum’
Louder than Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Blue Cheer arrived 55 years ago this month as something radical – even by the era’s standards of anything goes.
