Articles by: Nick DeRiso

Vinyl

Something Else! Interview: Geoff Downes on new albums with Asia + Yes, and learning from the past

Geoff Downes better be wearing comfortable shoes, because he’s going to be on the run in 2014. The busy keyboardist just finished a new album with Asia, and is in sessions for another with Yes You May Also Like: No related posts.

Vinyl

Mike Bloomfield – From His Head to His Heart to His Hands (2014)

Al Kooper’s task, in reminding us of the towering genius possessed by his late friend Mike Bloomfield, wasn’t in finding dusty unheard tracks for From His Head to His Heart to His Hands. When it comes to Bloomfield, who overdosed at just 37 in 1981, the likelihood is that almostRead More

Vinyl

Marco Machera, with Tony Levin, Markus Reuter + Pat Mastelotto – Dime Novels (2014)

In the two years since Marco Machera issued his solo debut One Time, Somewhere, he’s memorably appeared with Adrian Belew — and the connection pays off handsomely on this smartly conceived follow up. A trio of Belew bandmates (both in King Crimson and the offshoot Crimson ProjeKCt) appear on DimeRead More

Vinyl

Big Head Todd and the Monsters – Black Beehive (2014)

Big Head Todd and the Monsters burst onto to the live-music scene in the late 1980s with a heady sound best described as blues-based, loose and laid-back pop. More recently, however, they have been focused more on the rootsier sounds of Todd Park Mohr’s adopted hometown of Chicago. You MayRead More

Vinyl

Mike McCarthy – Gently Sleeps (2014)

Pianist Mike McCarthy doesn’t pull any punches with Gently Sleeps, subtitling it “a calming tribute to the Beatles.” Of course, the risk there is that these solo reworkings could become so relaxing as to send us into a drowsy oblivion. McCarthy, based out of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, largely avoids that pitfallRead More

Vinyl

Paul Rodgers – The Royal Sessions (2014)

In a way, The Royal Sessions project is an enraptured testament to soul that Paul Rodgers has always been destined to release. His whiskey-splashed rasp was simply made for this kind of thing You May Also Like: Why You Should Give Queen + Paul Rodgers’ ‘The Cosmos Rocks’ Another ListenRead More

Vinyl

One Track Mind: Neil Young, “Mother Earth” (2014)

It comes as no surprise, of course, that Neil Young’s newest song boasts an environmental theme, considering his focus on Alberta’s tar sands during his recent “Honour The Treaties” tour. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Toto's Steve Lukather and David Paich on 'I Won't Hold You Back,' '99,' others: Gimme Five

Toto’s Steve Lukather and David Paich on ‘I Won’t Hold You Back,’ ’99,’ others: Gimme Five

Toto’s simmering slow jams (with the notable exception of the ageless “Africa”) seem to have lodged most completely in the public’s consciousness.

Vinyl

Gary Windo with Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason – Steam Radio Tapes (2014)

Never-before-released tapes find the late saxist Gary Windo collaborating between 1976-78 with a group that includes Nick Mason, but don’t go in expecting the visceral prog-influenced prog that marked Pink Floyd’s output of that era. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Vinyl

One Track Mind: Tangled Eye, “Drinking Again” from Dream Wall (2014)

This song begins with a stumbling death rattle, all crepuscular menace, and then Dede Priest blurts out the title — and for a moment, it’s unclear, just who’s snot-slinging drunk. You May Also Like: Tim Berne and Nasheet Waits – ‘Tangled’ (2022) ElectroBluesSociety feat. Boo Boo Davis, “See a BetterRead More