Initially released in early 1965 by Them (featuring a young Van Morrison on vocals), “Gloria” went onto become a certified garage punk and bar band staple. You May Also Like: Material Issue – Telecommando Americano (1997): On Second Thought Roscoe Mitchell Sextet – ‘Sound’ (1966; 2018 reissue)

NICK DERISO: “Whatever happened,” Van Morrison, erstwhile pop singer, old-soul blues gypsy, entertainer-slash-provocateur, sings here, “to the way it’s supposed to happen? And whatever happened to me?” Much, in fact, has happened. Morrison, it’s worth noting, could have settled in as a fixture on pop music’s hit-machine dead end afterRead More

NICK DERISO: John Lee Hooker, a hypnotically transfixing figure in the blues, made a series of money- and headline-making splashes beginning in 1989 by collaborating with younger artists, beginning with his celebrated record “The Healer.” That one, for instance, included turns with Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, the Rolling Stones’ KeithRead More