From the time I first extracted the more than three hundred 1973 albums in the VC collection I knew that 73 FROM ’73 would be a challenging project. And that was before I’d even researched the holes in the stash. No New York Dolls! Betty Davis overlooked! Where’s Aerosmith? Oh, the shame. Then I mulled […]
Although there is little to be gained from scrutinising end-of-year stats, it’s hard not to be a bit curious about what was viewed. It’s also tempting, on New Year’s Eve in particular, to reflect on the year in blogging. So let’s have a very brief look at the bar chart, make a couple of all-too-obvious […]
More CD boxed sets that somehow found their way into Vinyl Connection headquarters during 2022. * This beautifully curated set has facsimile album covers, including the gatefolds. Several albums have bonus tracks, mostly live, and the booklet is high quality too. All in all, a set I was delighted to have as I’ve never owned […]
Let’s get the bleeding obvious out of the way from the start. I love vinyl and have acquired more than a couple of discs this past year. But it sure is an expensive obsession. One of the features of my 2022 purchasing has been the discovery of how many excellent CD boxed sets are out […]
THE ART OF THE LP — 1972 Here are three albums that didn’t make it onto the 72 FROM ’72 list. If, however, the ranking had been about cover art and design they would have polled very well indeed. * This LP by Family is a delightful conception, beautifully realised. The retro bakelite TV offers […]
#1 DAVID BOWIE THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST & THE SPIDERS FROM MARS When The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars was released on 16 June 1972 Bowie’s small but loyal London fan base were immediately enthusiastic. The colourful theatricality, the fizzing energy, the entire glam “look” of […]
2 YES — CLOSE TO THE EDGE Some facts: Close to the Edge was released on 13th September 1972 as Atlantic Records SD7244. It was the band’s fifth album and was a critical and popular success, reaching the Top 5 of album charts in both the UK and USA. There are three pieces on the album: the […]
4 NEU! — NEU! ‘Hallogallo’ fades in with a repeated guitar dot over a strange percussive clack. It insinuates itself into the room and your consciousness, an hypnotic groove, repetitive yet captivating. Welcome to the strange and wonderful world of Neu! The beginning of the Neu! story is part of the early Kraftwerk story. Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger […]
7 WISHBONE ASH — ARGUS On this, their 3rd album, British guitar band Wishbone Ash managed to fuse contemporary rock sensibilities with both British mythology and progressive arrangements. The twin guitars of Andy Powell and Ted Turner, interweaving and harmonising, add a glistening melodic flow to songs that hint at medieval sketches without ever crossing […]
10 DEEP PURPLE — MACHINE HEAD 1970’s Deep Purple In Rock and 1971’s Fireball set the bar high for British heavy rock. Yet Deep Purple managed to top those two fine records with their seventh long-player, Machine Head. Prosaically named after the metal gear arrangement that adjusts the tension on guitar strings, the music is […]
72 FROM ’72 is reaching a climax. The top of the mountain, the pick of the bunch, the pinnacle of all things musical in 1972. The Top 10. As we launch into the final few posts, here is a list of all the albums covered in the countdown so far, with links to the original […]
15 BIG STAR — #1 RECORD Antecedents: Beatles, Byrds. Contemporaries: Badfinger, Raspberries. Descendants: R.E.M., Marshall Crenshaw, Teenage Fanclub. Definition: Jangly chord-rich guitar rock with tight harmonies, off-beat lyrics, sing-along choruses and a middle eight to die for. Highlights: “The Ballad Of El Goodo”; “Feel”. Further Reading on Power Pop: Here Is A Sunrise [Released April […]
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