From its first dramatic rat-a-tat, this undulating rhythm signature that plays off a driving acoustic riff, “Northern Lights” moves with a persistent ardor. Alex Wand’s vocal runs in tandem, even as the drums recede into the background, until he has finally, definitively captured the center of the song. It’s onlyRead More

Vacation. I started out with a plan for this elaborate fantasy. It began with me and TheWife™ going into town on Friday night to see Thurston Moore. You May Also Like: Don Breithaupt on ‘Friday,’ and What’s Ahead for Monkey House: Something Else! Interview

by Fred Phillips Warrant? Seriously? Is this some kind of test? Have I somehow offended the editors in my brief time here? You May Also Like: Heart – ‘Alive in Seattle’ (2003; 2017 reissue) Aerosmith – ‘1971: The Road Starts Hear’ (2022) How Elvin Bishop Kept It Seriously Fun onRead More

The word “muscular” as applied to jazz guitar players brings to mind folks like Al DiMiola, Barney Kessell, Mick Goodrick, and even early George Benson. The great thing about these particular players (as opposed to artists who are rooted primarily in fusion) is that they can tease out ideas withRead More

by Mark Saleski Sometimes, curiosity will get the best of me. A strange attraction to something new — a particular (and often peculiar) food, drink, author, musician — will emerge and the craving will not be denied. Mostly, this works out You May Also Like: Ornette Coleman – ‘Genesis ofRead More

For all the mediocre music he shelled out under the Black Sabbath name following the departure of Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi seems to be making amends later in life. His reunion of the Dio-era Sabbath lineup under the name Heaven and Hell a few years ago produced the bestRead More

Confession time: I still have a place in my heart for Miles Davis‘ oft-reviled last album Doo-Bop. Sure, taken as a hip hop album, it didn’t set any new standards. But taken as a jazz album looking to the future, it held lasting importance as the precursor to hybrid albumsRead More

On this special edition of Something Else! Reviews’ One Track Mind, we hand the reins over to Toto co-founder and legendary sessions guitarist Steve Lukather. He provides insight into “I Won’t Hold You Back” and “I’ll Be Over You,” You May Also Like: Steve Lukather, “Someone” from ‘Bridges’ (2023): OneRead More

by Tom Johnson I am convinced that Wainwright is this generation’s finest melodist. I can’t think of a single young artist who so beautifully crafts vocals in such a way that it simply doesn’t matter what he’s singing about: You just want to hear the melody he’s singing. And thereRead More

Steve Lukather discusses the complicated history of Toto’s lead singers, and why he still keeps a copy of ‘Meet the Beatles’ in heavy rotation – even today.