Spotlight

The Beatles' 'Abbey Road' and Prog Rock: Reprises & Recapitulations

The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ and Prog Rock: Reprises & Recapitulations

Mike Tiano explores the wide-open spaces created for progressive rock inside the Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road.’

A Christmas Realization: Bob Dylan, Woodstock and the Allman Brothers

A Christmas Realization: Bob Dylan, Woodstock and the Allman Brothers

It’s Christmas again, and time for reflections and reminiscences – this time about Bob Dylan, Woodstock and the Allman Brothers.

Toto, ELP, Prince, Yes + Others: Preston Frazier's Best of 2019 Box Sets, Reissues and Live

Toto, ELP, Prince, Yes + Others: Preston Frazier’s Best of 2019 Box Sets, Reissues and Live

This Best of 2019 list includes both Yes and their former drummer Bill Bruford, and Toto and their former drummer Simon Phillips, among others.

Alice Cooper, John Coltrane, Dream Syndicate + Others: J.C. Mosquito's Best of 2019

Alice Cooper, John Coltrane, Dream Syndicate + Others: J.C. Mosquito’s Best of 2019

Here’s a Best of 2019 list featuring favorites from this year’s new releases – along with some albums that were just new to me.

Pigeonholing Grover Washington Jr. as Smooth Jazz Was Such a Big Mistake

Pigeonholing Grover Washington Jr. as Smooth Jazz Was Such a Big Mistake

Dig deeper into Grover Washington Jr. – who died 20 years ago today – and you’ll see why he retains the title of Mister Magic for us.

Walter Becker, "Don't Let Us Go Down" (1991): Steely Dan Sunday

Walter Becker, “Don’t Let Us Go Down” (1991): Steely Dan Sunday

Walter Becker, the same guy who often came up with some cold putdown lines, wrote a dozen stanzas here full of aching poetry.

Toto, Los Lobos, Raphael Saadiq + Others: Preston Frazier's Best Songs of 2019

Toto, Los Lobos, Raphael Saadiq + Others: Preston Frazier’s Best Songs of 2019

Preston Frazier’s Best Songs of 2019 list includes rock, jazz and R&B, with a shout out to the continuing resonance of an old favorite from Walter Becker.

Beatles Gift Guide: Kit O'Toole's Top 2019 Albums, Books, Movies, Box Sets and More

Beatles Gift Guide: Kit O’Toole’s Top 2019 Albums, Books, Movies, Box Sets and More

Vinyl loving fans of the Beatles, rejoice: 2019 was your year. But we found plenty of books, movies, box sets and other fun stuff, too.

'Ain't Gonna Be Your Dog' Was the Howlin' Wolf Deep Dive We Didn't Know We Needed

‘Ain’t Gonna Be Your Dog’ Was the Howlin’ Wolf Deep Dive We Didn’t Know We Needed

Released 25 years ago, ‘Ain’t Gonna Be Your Dog’ became a perfect companion piece to the huge Howlin’ Wolf Chess box – if you can find it.

Steve Hackett, Nov. 8, 2019: Shows I'll Never Forget

Steve Hackett, Nov. 8, 2019: Shows I’ll Never Forget

Steve Hackett, more than anyone else, has kept the Genesis flag flying in the 21st century.