Previously published here “Soundcheck” is the sixteenth solo album by legendary rock guitarist Leslie West. It follows 2011’s critically acclaimed “Unusual Suspects”, which featured contributions from such accomplished guitarists and close friends as Billy Gibbons, Slash, Zakk Wylde, Steve Lukather and Joe Bonamassa, and 2013’s Still Climbing, which included blistering duets with the late, great […]
MUSIC: Choice albums
Found 177 results
Unique early performance at Sigma Studios, Philadelphia 15th April 1972 Includes the entire WMMR-FM broadcast Digitally remastered for greatly enhanced sound quality Background liners “That was the one that made me the superstar I am” Billy Joel announced after playing the buoyant Everybody Loves You Now from his 1971 solo debut Cold Spring Harbor, a […]
A new 14-disc Yes box set that, as the name implies, contains the audio from seven complete concerts from 1972. These gigs are from the Close to the Edge tour and were performed in the weeks leading up to the shows heard on the 1973 live album Yessongs. The recently discovered reel-to-reel recordings have been fully restored and we are promised “incredible sonic […]
The set moves pretty much chronologically, beginning with the pop hits Nash scored in the 1960s with British Invasion heroes the Hollies before moving on to his work with Crosby, Stills & Nash (and sometimes Young), as well as the Crosby & Nash side project, and of course, Nash’s solo recordings. Nash brought an all-important […]
We are told: Live At The Gaslight, NYC, September 6th, 1961 is a historic performance in many regards; it is one of the first known live recordings of the great Robert Zimmerman and, more importantly, THE first known live recording to feature original songs (“Man On The Street”, “Talkin’ Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues”, and […]
Following his relentless creativity in the 1950s and 60s, Charles Mingus was slowing down by the early 70s, having combated financial hardship and health issues in recent years. In 1971 he served as Slee Professor of Music at the University at Buffalo, New York, as well as performing intermittently. This superb set was taped at […]
More moody, atmospheric evocations of sacred spaces and the natural world, with Norwegian trumpeter and sound-sculptor Henriksen once again assisted by producers Jan Bang and Erik Honoré on samples and programming, with Honoré also singing (very capably, and oddly for a Norwegian, in what appears to be an Irish accent) on the final track, “Shelter […]
We are told …. The Poll Winners series: classic albums reviewed in the legendary Downbeat magazine. Originally awarded 4 stars by Downbeat Mag. The sextet heard on ‘3 Blind Mice’ (United Artists),with Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton and Jymie Merritt, is widely regarded as one of the finest formations of Art […]
The symphonies explored by nine leading conductors: Norrington, Zinman, Jansons, Vänskä, Gardiner, Iván Fischer, Tilson Thomas, Paavo Järvi and Chailly https://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature/beethovens-symphonies-the-complete-guide?utm_content=The%20complete%20guide%20to%20Beethoven%27s%20Symphonies&utm_campaign=Gramophone%20Newsletter%20-%2014MAR17%20%28Subs%29&utm_source=Gramophone&utm_medium=adestra_email&utm_term=https%3A//www.gramophone.co.uk/feature/beethovens-symphonies-%25E2%2580%2593-the-complete-guide
Classic footages from early 1970s performance from British Proggers FAMILY Record Collector Magazine feature on the band for March. One of the most respected British progressive rock bands, Family came together in 1967 and created a fine body of work typified by such classic album as Music In A Dolls House and Family Entertainment. The […]
After nearly a decade of historic, career-defining LPs for top jazz independent labels Blue Note, Prestige and Riverside from 1952 to 1961, piano colossus Thelonious Monk (1917-1982) arrived in 1962 at Columbia, the first and only major record label affiliation of his career. There he released six masterful, distinctive albums (all produced by Teo Macero) […]
In yesterday’s post we mentioned a Sheffield Direct To Disc recording and several readers asked me just what that was. It was the most direct method of recording possible before the advent of digital and interestingly enough it was a throwback to the original recording technique. Perhaps a bit of history is in order. When […]
Caravan were pioneers of the Canterbury scene of the late Sixties. Frontman Pye Hastings, ever-present since their formation back in 1968, took them to Nottingham in 1990 and presented the best of two decades of progressive rock in front of a knowledgeable and appreciative audience.Lengthy instrumental workouts like ‘For Richard’ and ‘Nine Feet Underground’ contrast with the […]
What makes Tchaikovsky’s ballet score so groundbreakingly unique? Sarah Kirkup talks to the Royal Ballet’s music director Koen Kessels to find out Continues HERE
Smokin’ set from Club Redux, Dallas, Texas, Broadcast live by Q-102 FM. Riding high on the success of this Grammy Award winning 4th album ‘Strong Persuader’ Cray is joined by Stevie Ray Vaughan for a stunning Strat duel finale. 01 I Guess I Showed Her 02 Still Around 03 T-Bone Shuffle 04 Right Next Door […]
Probably top of the list is Led Zeppelin appearing at UMIST for the princely sum of 7s 6d, or in today’s money about 33p. I have to say, with some acute embarrassment, that I didn’t go simply because I didn’t like the spelling of the name. I thought it pretentious. Turns out that it wasn’t […]
We are told …. The entire original King Biscuit Flower Hour, WXRT, WLIR, WMMR, Washington DC and KBCO FM Broadcasts Covering performances from Nine Incredible shows; Ripley’s Music Hall 1983, The Spectrum 1984 & 1988, Chicago Blues Festival 1985, Fox Theatre 1986, Mann Music Center 1987, Red Rocks Amphitheatre 1989 and include five bonus tracks […]
If You’re Just Warming up to the Blues, Check Out These Recordings Continues HERE
Said one: “One of the world’s greatest bands! Great vocals, great guitar and great melody! I don’t understand how such a band can be so overlooked? I hope that they’re still together.” Said another ….. “Hauntingly beautiful. Love it!”
When you count out the original Blues men from the United States, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band is arguably the finest example of raw Blues essence. With white harmonica player Butterfield at the center, the racially integrated group started as one of the first authentic and genuine British Blues combos. They were the real […]
It has survived the 7 consecutive plays or it goes back test here. Must be good. It is good. Fine musicianship. An undemanding listen but far from wallpaper either. Read a comprehensive and in my view accurate if slightly harsh review HERE I wouldn’t suggest paying full price because … You can pick up a […]
TajMo marks a timely convergence of the talents of two unique American artists who’ve already built iconoclastic individual legacies that have extended and expanded blues traditions into adventurous new territory. The collaboration brings out the best in both artists, with the pair merging their distinctive voices, personalities and guitar styles to create vibrant, immediate music […]
1979 debut solo album from Roger Chapman re-mastered from original tapes featuring bonus tracks, rare demos, and memorabilia. Roger Chapman, a truly original singer, songwriter and performer who today is still regarded as an icon of British contemporary rock music, is probably best known as a member and main song writer of the […]
Lauded and acclaimed for over 30 years, both Swedish guitarist Yngwie J Malmsteen and Canadian guitarist/vocalist Pat Travers are true guitar heroes. These sets bring together the Polydor albums recorded by Yngwie J Malmsteen and Pat Travers during the periods 1984 – 1990 and mid-1970s to 80s respectively. All the tracks have been digitally remastered […]