Bobby Whitlock reflects on Derek and the Dominos’ ‘Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,’ and other career highlights.

by Tom Johnson King Crimson has been a chameleon throughout its four decades of existence, not just shifting to reflect the times but also acting as a sort of quality-assurance agent You May Also Like: No related posts.

More than any other track from their debut album, “Only a Fool Would Say That” points the way to what Steely Dan would evolve into.

A band suspended forever between the formalism of Dennis DeYoung’s Broadway pretensions and the harder-edged banalities of James Young and Tommy Shaw, Styx sounded different every time it came on the radio. Yet, critics insisted, somehow the same: Mediocre. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Maybe it’s because I was forced to listen to “Is This Love?” way too many times in the late 1980s, but for some reason, I just don’t hold Whitesnake in the same regard as many of my friends of a similar age. You May Also Like: The Dead Daisies –Read More

by Tom Johnson First impressions . . . you know what they say about that. They’re always right. Unless they’re not. You May Also Like: Tony Malaby’s Sabino – ‘The Cave of Winds’ (2022)

A long-awaited advance single hails the return of that odd conundrum called Death Cab for Cutie, whose spit-take name can’t begin to hint at the deep musical complexities tucked away inside. You May Also Like: Death Cab for Cutie, “Summer Skin” from ‘Plans’ (2005): One Track Mind

Steely Dan’s “Midnite Cruiser” remains the song Jim Hodder is most remembered by. And it’s a fine way to be remembered.

“The Soul Cages,” a Sting album about boyhood grief, remains this strangely powerful if demanding narrative, one with textured song structures and densely emotional themes. Its triumph comes right away, though, on the opener “Island of Souls” — a compellingly dark, perfectly conceived tale of a riveter’s son whose dreamRead More

Jon Anderson, co-founder and former long-time vocalist of the legendary progressive rock band Yes, shares unique insights into some of his more memorable tracks.