Kiss’s 1976 LP Rock And Roll Over is one of the most celebrated albums by die-hard Kiss fans, held in high relief as the sweet spot at which everything seems to be in synch: great production values, strong songs, iconic Kissography, and the entire band performing and recording together with minimal intrusion from outside songwriters…
In a lot of ways, you have to admire the sheer chutzpah that Kiss exhibited by dubbing their 1981 concept album Music From “The Elder” with that moniker. Almost immediately that title elevates the material to something of a new plateau; I mean, it’s not just another dopey album or anything like that. It’s the…
Legendary Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley — the original and ONLY Spaceman, as far as this fan is concerned — had been an integral component of the band’s success since its inception. As Kiss’s lead guitarist, his licks, riffs, and solos gave their music much of its memorable character and tenor. Frehley wasn’t a perfectionist, nor…
Honky Château could almost be described as the quintessential album of Elton John’s “early” period. It retained the classic line-up of Sir Elton on vocals and keyboards, Davey Johnston on guitars, Dee Murray on bass, and Nigel Olsson on drums/percussion. That core group would contribute music and backing vocals to almost every track, along with a few…
We turn our attention today to Kiss’s 1979 release Dynasty, or as it’s known by fans: “The Disco Album”, or perhaps even “When Things Go Horribly, Horribly Wrong”. Depending on your particular sensibilities, you wouldn’t be wrong with either assessment, but you would be able to walk away feeling that Dynasty is still a pretty…
With Press To Play, Paul goes contemporary 80s with producer Hugh Padgham. The results are surprising, but possibly the least McCartneyesque album of his career.
Elton John’s Madman Across The Water was released in early November of 1971, arriving in stores barely a year after his acclaimed 1970 masterpiece Tumbleweed Connection. Sir Elton was always nothing short of an absolute workhorse; he would continue his “album a year” pattern for a good long while afterward. This of course begged the…
Elton John’s late 1970 release Tumbleweed Connection represents his second album of the year, dropping a scant six months after his breakthrough self-titled album made him a household name in the US. While the earlier album felt more like an early 70s “singer-songwriter” effort, generating three top-40 singles (including the smash “Your Song”), Tumbleweed Connection…
Hey, hey, we are The Monkees, you know we love to please A manufactured image with no philosophies… Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson wrote and produced the absurdist yet strangely (and often beautifully) endearing 1968 film Head. Directed by Rafelson, the movie takes The Monkees off the television screen and into their first cinematic adventure…
I really started getting into The Beatles in late 1981; eleven-and-a-half years after the band broke up, and just under a year after John Lennon’s murder. Having been born in 1971, the ten year gap between the breakup and Lennon’s death is a bit fuzzy in my mind. I was certainly aware of The Beatles,…