Tag Archives: vinyl records
70 FROM ’70 — THE TOP TEN — #6
6. VELVET UNDERGROUND — Loaded The idea of a polished, commercial VU record seems an oxymoron. But Loaded is both. It may not have been a chart success at the time, but over the years Loaded has gained status and regard in critical circles; Rolling Stone’s list of the best 500 albums of all time […]
70 FROM ’70 — THE TOP TEN — #8
8. SOFT MACHINE — Third Did my brain in, this one, the first few times I listened. Blasted a hole in my expectations of rock music. Of course, that is largely because Third is not a rock record. It is a progressive jazz-rock experimental break-the-mould throw-down-the-gauntlet challenge to pop-rock ears. Kind of like a prog […]
70 FROM ’70 — THE TOP TEN — #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 […]
70 FROM ’70 — THE TOP TEN — #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 […]
MASK II
Following the last post (MASK), the flow of suggestions on the theme of masks (or more generally, face coverings) on album covers was rapid and fruitful. (This is what I love about blogging). Thanks to JDB (How could I have overlooked Pink Floyd?), Victim of the Fury (Sorry about the Trower; Rainbow is brilliantly apposite), […]
MASK
Yesterday afternoon the Premier of Victoria announced that from this Wednesday at midnight, anyone leaving home for one of the four prescribed reasons (food, medicine, work/education, solo exercise) must wear a mask. All over social media, instructions sprang up on how to make your own protective face covering while shop assistants hid under their counters […]
70 FROM ’70 — PART 3
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 […]
70 FROM ’70 — 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 […]
70 FROM ’70 — PART 4
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 […]
