Category GENRE SPECIFIC
KLAUS ENCOUNTERS | THE FINAL FRONTIER
Continuing (and completing) Vinyl Connection’s homage to German synthesiser great Klaus Schulze. The Cosmic Couriers — Sci-Fi Party [1974] In the first half of 1973, producer Rolf Ulrich Kaiser organised a series of jams with a number of the major musicians in the emerging psychedelic/electronic space rock scene. There were recorded (without the musicians’ explicit […]
KLAUS ENCOUNTERS | DEPARTURE AND RETURN
A Dozen Klaus Schulze Albums Worthy Of Consideration When Klaus Schulze died on 26 April 2022 the world lost one of its foundation rock-electronic composers and a cornerstone of the early German indie music scene that became known as ‘Krautrock’. As someone who discovered his drifting, droning, pulsating synthesiser music back in the 1970s, I […]
FLY ME TO THE MOON
The debut album by Air is soaring towards its twenty-fifth anniversary. A big part of the reason people are still enjoying Moon Safari is its tasteful mash-up of genres. Melding lounge, electronica, chill-out, pop, even trip-hop, this charming album is friendly, accessible, and a sustained delight. The LP opens with the lounge jazz instrumental “La […]
JOIN THE YES UNION
The orchestral strains of Stravinsky’s Firebird ease into a smooth wash of synthesiser chords as the musicians take their places. A caped Rick Wakeman strokes the keyboard producing those electronic strings. Bill Bruford sits at a Simmons electronic drum kit, dressed for judo. Steve Howe is wearing a silky, brightly hued shirt while Jon Anderson, […]
ART ON YOUR SLEEVE #5 − GENESIS
In 1769, the Royal Academy of Art in London held its first Summer Exhibition of contemporary art. Between 26 April and 27 May, 14,008 visitors took in 136 works by 54 artists, including Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds. The Exhibition has been held every year since, even during World War II. Leaping forwards to […]
ALBUM COVERS | 10 MORE ARTIST PORTRAITS
More album cover art with an emphasis on art. Here are ten record covers with portraits of the artist. Some are from the Vinyl Connection collection, a couple were sourced from the internet. Several were suggested in the comments section of the initial post and are gratefully included. Let’s continue the pattern of starting with […]
8 ALBUM COVERS WITH GROUP PORTRAITS
From the time TheBeatles opted to use Klaus Voorman’s charming portraits of the fab four on their seminal 1966 album, bands have commissioned visual artists to represent themselves on their musical offerings. Here is a selection. * With graphics by Linda Guymon and Art Direction by Richard Roth, this 1975 compilation of Rolling Stones ‘Rarities’ […]
SPACE IS DEEP
When I first wrote about Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide half a decade ago, this is how I began: This recent release ticks all the wrong boxes: CD not vinyl, yet another compilation, probably too much of a good thing, odd-shaped package impossible to file… yet Space Rock: An Interstellar Traveler’s Guide is my CD of […]
1972 COUNTDOWN… SOME BLUES AND ROOTS
JOHN LEE HOOKER — NEVER GET OUT OF THESE BLUES ALIVE Exploring an idea he returned to with great success on The Healer (1989), John Lee Hooker invites several guests to join him on this album, including Van Morrison and Elvin Bishop. This See For Miles CD re-issue is a strange beast, including a track […]
1972 COUNTDOWN… #45 — #41
45 TULLY — SEA OF JOY Australia and beaches seem to go together. Probably something to do with being an island continent. With endless coast and hot summers come beach culture, including the beguiling but not-so-easy-to-master sport of surfing (read about the writer’s efforts here). In the early 1970s a number of iconic surfing films […]
1972 COUNTDOWN… #50 — #46
50 PENTANGLE — SOLOMAN’S SEAL The last album in Pentangle’s original run, Solomon’s Seal is not well regarded by critics who, in my opinion, are being too hard by half. Yes, this LP does seem a little light on the bubbling invention and restrained exuberance of earlier works, but it is solid and thoroughly enjoyable. […]
BREAK DOWN THE WALL
When Mr Discrepancy Records mentioned a piece on The Wall, I confess my heart sank just a little. Although Pink Floyd are a lifetime favourite artist and my collection comprises well over fifty albums, Roger Waters’ 1979 psycho-drama is one I rarely reach for. This will stretch me, I thought. But the boss had not […]
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