Category a) Sixties and earlier [0 – 1969]
ALBUM COVERS | THE BLUES
Anthology Of The Blues was a twelve LP series that first appeared in 1969. Some of the albums feature a single artist (often a notable one) whilst others compile regional sides from lesser known performers. All feature portraits on the covers, giving the series a visual cohesion along side the genre focus. Vinyl Connection only […]
VALE MAYALL
John Mayall was known as the ‘Father of the British Blues’. In this case the epithet was no exaggeration. Alongside Alexis Corner, Graham Bond and a few others, Mayall pioneered R&B in Blighty. An extraordinary number of important musicians passed through his bands, most captured on vinyl in a massive discography. Here is a selection […]
ALBUM COVER SPECIAL: IN THE CAN
Sadly, Can The Can doesn’t get a guernsey. Still, there are a number of other LPs that deploy the humble tin can on their covers. Here is a selection. * The debut from Britain’s blues outfit came out in 1968 and reached #12 on the UK albums chart. The band were formed by Stan Webb […]
JOHN McLAUGHLIN PART 1 — BEGINNINGS
Sitting down with a music book and a pile of albums to accompany the content is analogue heaven. And when the musician has a career as rich and varied as British guitarist John McLaughlin, you can be confident the soundtrack will be both demanding and deeply rewarding. As for the book, that needs to be […]
BEATLES: NOW AND THEN
A blogging comrade recently mentioned a Beatles podcast where the presenters led off their series with a negative review of Help! In my response, I observed that I tended not to write negative reviews, especially of beloved albums. Overnight, several things have caused me to reflect on that pronouncement. I detected the cloying scent of […]
DEPARTURES | SECOND QUARTER 2023
A late posting, in every respect 🖤 Barry Humphries 17 February 1934—22 April 2023 🖤 Broderick Smith 17 February 1948—30 April 2023 🖤 Andy Rourke (The Smiths) 17 January 1964—19 May 2023 🖤 Tina Turner 26 November 1939—24 May 2023 🖤 Gordon Lightfoot 17 November 1938—1 May 2023 George Winston 26 December 1949—4 June 2023 […]
ROUND LIKE A RECORD
During the 1970s “Sampler” LPs were a staple of record company marketing. Compiling a variety of tracks from various artists on their roster, these albums usually sold for much less than the prevailing price point of a new record. In fact, a number of companies called them, with disarming candour, “Loss Leaders”. There are a number […]
HEY JOE
Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand? Hey Joe, I said, where you going with that gun in your hand? I’m going down to shoot my old lady You know, I caught her messing around with a hair metal band Back in the 1970s I found Colosseum a tad bombastic. But […]
UNDER HIPGNOSIS — THE MARK BLAKE INTERVIEW
Every record collector of a certain age knows the album covers of legendary British design studio Hipgnosis. Now, thanks to a new book by Mark Blake, we can dive into the colourful history of the crew who gave us so many memorable record sleeves. The author kindly agreed to talk to Vinyl Connection. Vinyl Connection: […]
CREEDENCE PUT A SPELL ON WOODSTOCK
1969 was a heck of a year for Creedence Clearwater Revival. In January they released their second album, Bayou Country. A mere seven months later came another LP, Green River. Astonishingly, CCR released yet another album that storied year: in early November, Willy And The Poor Boys were introduced to the listening public. But wait, […]
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