October 14, 1983. It was a long time ago. It was the one and only night I was lucky enough to see R.E.M. in concert. You May Also Like: Why R.E.M.’s ‘Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage’ Remains Definitive Why R.E.M.’s ‘Live at the Olympia’ Showed They WereRead More

Something keeps pulling guitarist David Torn and bassist Tony Levin together.

Freddie Mercury, talking about his band Queen, once compared them to the sweeping Hollywood auteur Cecil B. DeMille, and he wasn’t that far off. The group, which also included guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor, was a heady mixture of heavy metal, prog, power pop, discoRead More

When I first got a hold of this CD I gotta admit, I greeted it with a lot of skepticism. Another Beatles covers project? I mean, I think every single Beatles song short of “Revolution No. 9” has been covered at least once, if not a million times. You MayRead More

It’s amazing to me that we’re still talking about the band so many years later, even if it’s because R.E.M. has called it quits.

The latest incarnation for bassist Tony Levin, best known for his work with King Crimson and Peter Gabriel, is as part of a fearless new trio album with guitarist David Torn and Yes drummer Alan White. Part prog, part free-form improvisational music, part noise rock, Levin Torn White brings inRead More

In the winter of last year, Chick Corea and Stefano Bollani performed at the famed Umbria Jazz Festival in Bollani’s home country of Italy, with no other instrumentation beyond two pianos positioned facing each other You May Also Like: Chick Corea (1941-2021): An Appreciation Chick Corea – ‘The Montreux Years’Read More

As much as I wanted to argue with the smaller ambitions of Ramsey Lewis’ Taking Another Look,’ in the end, it was simply too ingratiating.

I like a good guitar solo as much as the next guy, but given a choice between a display of fretboard pyrotechnics vs. something with a little more soul, I’ll always gravitate to the latter. You May Also Like: Pat Metheny, “You Are” from ‘From This Place’ (2019): One TrackRead More

Only a band like the Mekons could make something like Ancient and Modern, this whipsawing triumph of country contemplation and righteous, guitar-banging indignation, work so completely. After all, that’s their story. You May Also Like: My Chemical Romance Transcended Modern Rock With ‘Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge’ The Baron FourRead More