Gregg Rolie, a founding member of Santana and then of Journey, shares unique insights into songs from across a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career.

Early fans could be forgiven for barely recognizing Chicago by the 1980s, as fussy power ballads eventually flushed out the band’s signature horn sound.

by Nick DeRiso The 1970s weren’t all shag carpeting and plaid pants. OK, they were. But not all of it sucked. Really. We’ve done the research. If it meant dusting off the turntable, digging out the flared pants, and fro-ing up their hair again? Well, those are the sacrifices thatRead More

From adrianbelew.net His credentials are as deep as his records are extraordinary: Adrian Belew, after all, has had stints with Frank Zappa, David Bowie, the Talking Heads, King Crimson and Nine Inch Nails. You May Also Like: Adrian Belew’s ‘Side One’ Was a Journey Through His Rich Musical History AdrianRead More

Yes has taken more twists and turns than the fantastical lettering created for its album covers by Roger Dean.

The late Don Grolnick made only one fusion record, but it was a real beaut. by S. Victor Aaron Ahhh, the 80s. Big hair, big synthesizer sounds and programmed beats. That didn’t just happen with pop and rock, some of these trends seeped into contemporary jazz, too. This was theRead More

Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has taken his share of knocks over the years. But we’d like to give the former Richard Starkey his due.

by Nick DeRiso Even a passing fan can purchase with some confidence the touchstone jazz recordings of the last century. But what next? How to explore deeper into the legacy? SomethingElse! is here to help, with an ongoing guide to what we like to call “if/then” jazz listening … IFRead More

by Nick Deriso There was no reason to believe that the Rolling Stones, 30 years into their dangerously debauched rock career, would make anything worth a damn out of the 1990s. In fact, the preceding decade — one in which, by far, the Stones’ best new thing was actually aRead More

by Nick Deriso Hall and Oates are, of course, the poster boys for what happens when hair gel meets R&B. Funny thing is, they were originally anything but polished. Hall had reportedly been in an early Philly band with Thom Bell, later a central figure in that city’s R&B legacy.Read More