Category ACROSS THE DECADES
1970 COUNTDOWN | NUMBER 9
9. TRAFFIC — John Barleycorn Must Die As Steve Winwood, a rock veteran at 20 years old, started work on his first solo album, he found himself accumulating members of Traffic to help out. First came drummer Jim Capaldi, then flute and woodwind player Chris Wood. The result was an album embodying both post-WWII angst and […]
1970 COUNTDOWN | NUMBER 10
10 — BLACK SABBATH — Paranoid Rolling out of the speakers like sullen thunder, the second Black Sabbath album—also their second in 1970—provides both prototype and benchmark for heavy rock. Part of the wonder and richness of this LP is the contrast. After the opening fusillade of “War Pigs” and “Paranoid” we have the […]
ROCKIN’ ALL OVER THE WORLD—AUSTRALIA
SUNNY BUT OVERCAST It is a puzzle why some bands get so little attention outside their country of origin. And sometimes precious little inside it. The debut by Sydney’s Sunnyboys is an excellent example of an album that is worthy of greater regard. It would most likely thrill fans of Matthew Sweet’s more driving work […]
1970 COUNTDOWN | #20 —#11
20 VAROUS—Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack & More It is sprawling, patchy, frustrating, and incomplete yet the soundtrack to the film of the event of the decade (the 60s, that is) is essential. Held in August 1969 on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm just outside of the small town of Woodstock, the actual name of […]
1970 COUNTDOWN | #30 — #21
Vinyl Connection’s countdown of 1970 favourites resumes after a home-organising hiatus. Welcome back folks! #30 — #21 30 JOE COCKER — Mad Dogs and Englishmen * The throaty growl of Sheffield born Joe Cocker gave a fresh twist to his rock ’n’ soul stylings, as evidenced by his iconic set at Woodstock. Cocker’s skill was […]
EUROPE ENDLESS
It’s just another elderly musician gone. Happens so regularly that writing rock obituaries would be a full-time job. So why does the death of Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider fill me with sadness? Actually, not sadness… loss. A electronic hole in the musicverse leaving one man standing. Hütter and Schneider, Schneider and Hütter. Now just Ralf. […]
1970 COUNTDOWN — INTERIM REPORT
My first computer-based list of albums was created on an Apple Classic. Filemaker Pro was the program, as I recall. Back then I insisted on spelling it programme. Queen’s English. The entire collection was housed in a three shelf unit made from a cut down wardrobe. When I took to the robe with a circular […]
YOU’VE GOT AN (OLD) FRIEND
Occasionally I have posted an article originally commissioned by Discrepancy Records here at Vinyl Connection. This is one of those posts, the catalyst being comments on the appearance of Carole King in the recent Album Cover Quiz. * No matter what the decade, a good song is a good song. And they don’t come much […]
1970 COUNTDOWN | #40 — #31
With this, the fourth instalment in the endless 1970 countdown (that began here), we cover entries #40—#31. * 40 SYD BARRETT — The Madcap Laughs He has been named ‘the greatest cult hero in rock history’ and is one of the 60s most studied casualties. After Pink Floyd’s fabulous debut, Barrett became more and more […]
GOODBYE WILD THING
I don’t want to appear uncharitable, but how come it misses Donald, glances off Boris, and takes out Tim Brooke-Taylor? In what universe is that fair? Cambridge graduates Bill Oddie (born 7 July 1941), Graeme Garden (born 18 February 1943) and Tim Brooke-Taylor (born 17 July 1940) first performed to a large audience (larger than […]
1970 COUNTDOWN | #50 — #41
Continuing a personal trawl through Vinyl Connection’s favourite albums of 1970 Previous instalments… 70 FROM ’70 — PART 6 70 FROM ’70 — PART 7 * 50 GRATEFUL DEAD — Workingman’s Dead Tuneful country-folk songs with pleasing, slightly ragged harmonies. Some of these took their places in the Dead setlist for years. “Dire wolf”, “New […]
TROUBLED TIMES
Back in the early days of Vinyl Connection, I wrote about one of the styles of music that has given me enormous pleasure over the years: Power Pop. Jangly guitars, catchy choruses, some salt in the chocolate. The piece still reads OK, and the playlist is a good test of whether you are likely to become […]
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