by Mark Saleski If they had a jazz big band playing on that old TV show “Lost In Space,” this would be the one. Take a sort of big band lineup, but then mix in some 1960’s spacey keyboards and some truly wacky vocals. Sun Ra and his Arkestra wereRead More
by Tom Johnson When Tool’s Lateralus came out a few years back, there was much talk about how intense it was going to be, how it was going to be all about building tension and sudden release. I ran out and scarfed up a copy You May Also Like: JohnRead More
One of the things I love about our 24/7 “news” cycle is the daily “Which new technology is going to kill you or otherwise screw your life up”-type story. Cell phones cause brain tumors. Facebook is leading people to have extramarital kokey pokey. You May Also Like: Reevaluating Bruce Springsteen’sRead More
A singer referenced in this Steely Dan song was best known for ‘Stripsody,’ where she used her voice to mimic comic-book sounds.
Early on, you never heard much piano from Duke Ellington, a grievous thing. It was only in the twilight of his career that this American jazz master regularly consented to taping some shows where his impish wit at the instrument could be heard front and center. You May Also Like:Read More
by Mark Saleski Superfluous. Meaningless. Pointless. Redundent. Obligatory. No, I haven’t been playing with my thesaurus. These are just some of the words that are often used to describe live recordings. You May Also Like: How Tesla’s ‘Real to Reel’ Set Redefined the Classic Rock Cover Album Rolling Stones’ SomeRead More
These two Paul McCartney albums show a willingness to strip down what had become a varnished sound. But they haven’t aged in the same way.
This remarkable lost classic was not released until 2000 — because the tapes were thought to have been destroyed … until they were found in a warehouse in 1999. Done just three weeks before Otis Spann’s death from liver cancer, Muddy Waters‘ most sympathetic pianist is featured primarily with hisRead More
There aren’t a whole lot of lyrics to this Steely Dan song, but I’ve never been quite able to decipher them. No one else seems to be too sure what they mean, either.
Walter Becker once called himself as a “B+” guitarist. He’s certainly underrated there but as a bassist, I’d rate him even higher. Nonetheless, Becker had a history of making way for another bassist to play on a Steely Dan tune if he thought if that person was the better manRead More
