Author Archives: Vinyl Connection
1970 COUNTDOWN | #70 — #61
70 HAWKWIND — Hawkwind Transitional sounds from the veteran space-rockers. Of course they weren’t veterans in 1970, more young psychedelic hippies feeling their way from free street-party gigs to the recording studio. Still, any album that opens with an endearing blues-based groove as infectious as “Hurry on Sundown” is all right in my book. After […]
COVID-19 — THE ALBUM
All proceeds from sales of this album go towards Public Health SIDE ONE Iron Maiden ……………… Virus Richard Thompson …… Keep Your Distance The Police ………………… Don’t Stand So Close To Me The Tubes…………………. Don’t Touch Me There Nirvana ……………………. Stay Away Warren Zevon …………. Splendid Isolation SIDE TWO Vienna Teng …………….. I Don’t Feel So Well Wishbone Ash …………. Doctor […]
STANDIN’ AT THE CROSSROAD
“In folk as well as in fine art, there are especially gifted individuals who make great advances that preoccupy the less talented for generations afterward. Robert Johnson of Tunica County, Mississippi, was one of these exceptional men.” So wrote legendary musicologist Alan Lomax in his engrossing American odyssey “The Land Where The Blues Began”. Engrossing […]
A PLAYLIST FOR TODAY
Here is what I’m listening to today, Sunday 8 March 2020. With the LPs I’m choosing one side, with the CDs picking some favourite cuts. Chronological order, by decade (or century) seemed the way to go. A few words about each choice round out the program. Spinning the ethereal sounds of Hildegard von Bingen is […]
NEVER A DŰŰL MOMENT
Being the second part of an article on two significant records released in Germany in 1970 The story of Amon Dűűl and its breakaway group Amon Dűűl II is as complex as the relationships in a political commune of passionate polyamorous drop-outs. Which was, of course, more-or-less what the Munich-based tribe was. In the brilliantly […]
ROCKIN’ ALL OVER THE WORLD—DEUTSCHLAND
The German independent music scene was growing strongly at the end of the 60s. Alternative bands formed, disbanded, coalesced and disintegrated in various parts of the divided country: Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Munich and many others. The year 1970 saw some significant releases, LPs that would point towards the explosion of creativity and invention inherent in […]
I WISH TO REGISTER A COMPLAINT
Wikipedia has this to say about the Pythons … Broadcast by the BBC between 1969 and 1974, Monty Python’s Flying Circus was conceived, written and performed by its members Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Loosely structured as a sketch show, but with an innovative stream-of-consciousness approach aided […]
AN IMPULSE!
This Saturday morning, bright and still after a dull, drab, and flipping awful week, I’ve come over all spontaneous. This, friends, is my ‘Hello Weekend!’ soundtrack and I’m enjoying it so much I decided to share. Everyone even remotely interested in the history of popular music and its antecedent, jazz, knows the name Duke Ellington. […]
HOLLYWOOD BLUESEVARD
The 60s bands of UK born John Mayall are legendary for being the workshop where some of the eras most revered guitarists honed their chops. Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac), Eric Clapton (Cream) and Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones) all served under the benign yet exacting blues baton of Mr Mayall. Yet by the end of the […]
IDLE A WHILE
It’s quite reasonable to consider The Allman Brothers Band one of the key American groups of the 70s. Their blues drenched southern rock defined a style that is eternally linked to long hair and even longer jams. So it is something of a surprise to recall that Gregg and Duane Allman actually formed their eponymous […]
ROCKIN’ ALL OVER THE WORLD – INTRO/USA
One of the delights of blogging is the sense of sharing interests and passions with people around the globe. This is especially true of music with its capacity to cross boundaries, cultures and even language. Now and then I’ll bring up the map of the world showing number of views (by country) depicted in varying […]
A NICE LIE DOWN
Here’s an album cover post presenting reclining figures of various kinds: some seductive, some scary. All explore utilising the LP ‘gatefold’ to extend the field of view*. The bigger your screen, the better this gallery will look! * * NOTES James Taylor‘s solo debut was released on Apple Records in […]
