vinyl-connection
Vinyl Connection
BECAUSE LIFE HAS SURFACE NOISE
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IT'S A KNOCKOUT!
When Jeff Beck died suddenly in January 2023 it sent shockwaves through the rock community. With a career spanning an extraordinary six decades, the legendary British guitarist had numerous groups of his own while always being available for collaborations. Over the years he worked many times with pal Rod Stewart, while also lending his six-string talents to recordings by Kate Bush, Tina Turner,…
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FLIGHT OF THE BIRDMAN
When thinking of pivotal Australian punk bands, two shine brightly enough to burn your eye. Having some affinity with the vibrant UK scene, The Saints are perhaps better known internationally. Yet in terms of sheer power and energy Radio Birdman are certainly their equal.
Formed in Sydney by Rob Younger and US born Deniz Tek, Radio Birdman were dedicated and completely uncompromising. Their…
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ON A MISSION FROM GOD
When they first wrote and performed comedy sketches on the US television show Saturday Night Live, it is unlikely that John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd had any inkling their alter egos—“Juliet” Jake Blues and his brother Elwood—would take on a life of their own.
With crumpled thrift-store suits, ever-present sunglasses and a briefcase of harmonicas handcuffed to Elwood’s wrist, The Blues Brothers…
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WATCH THAT MAN
David Bowie’s performance personas were many and varied. They were a source of endless fascination to his fans and a reflection of his restless creativity. From glam icon Aladdin Sane to the soul man of Young Americans, from the Thin White Duke to Scary Monsters’ Pierrot, the artist born David Robert Jones was as adventurous in his ever evolving aesthetic as he was in his music.
Yet there is no…
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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.
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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 but are mostly remembered for presenting the earliest recordings of Christine Perfect (later to marry John McVie and…
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1973 COUNTDOWN: #1
US AND THEM: WHY ‘DARK SIDE OF THE MOON’ IS STILL IMPORTANT
First published at Discrepancy Records; updated December 2023.
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GENESIS
David Gilmour, guitarist and latter day captain of the dreadnought known as Pink Floyd, remembers a gathering at Nick Mason’s home in November 1971. The meeting was memorable as it was when Roger Waters, chief navigator of the band’s creative output after Syd…
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1973 COUNTDOWN: #5 — 2
5 JOHN MARTYN — SOLID AIR
In the fist draft of the 73 From ’73 list, Solid Air was somewhere in the 30s. That was based on memory; I hadn’t spun it for a few years. Listening again, I was entranced. Such variety of mood and texture, held together by Martyn’s gravely voice and exceptional guitar playing. The battle between Martyn’s angels and demons never found a more creatively satisfying…
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1973 COUNTDOWN: #10 — 6
10 HERBIE HANCOCK — HEADHUNTERS
Just four tracks but many moods, brilliantly realised. The brass driven Uber-funk of “Chameleon”, “Watermelon Man” with its irresistible groove, the languid beauty of “Vein Melter”. A creative jazz-rock-funk vision fully realised. [Released October 1973]
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9 HAWKWIND — SPACE RITUAL
The second live album in the ’73 Top 20, Space Ritual is a monster of planet…
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1973 COUNTDOWN: #20 — 11
20 ALLMAN BROTHERS — BROTHERS AND SISTERS
These days I might rate the 2nd Allman Brothers album higher in an “all eras” list, but even allowing for “first love” bias, this excellent example of Southern rock would poll well. From high octane opener “Wasted Words” through to the acoustic “Pony Boy”, this is a quality blues-rock album with spirited playing and a tasty Southern tang. [Released…
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1973 COUNTDOWN: #30 — 21
30 ROXY MUSIC — STRANDED
Don’t tell anyone, but I think I accidentally reversed this and For Your Pleasure (#72) in a moment of spreadsheet/red wine confusion. Such things can happen when you’re scrambling to write 70+ reviews and take all those photos. Oops. In sum, this third album is terrific but I think its predecessor is better by a short half-head. [Released November 1973]
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29 GONG —…
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#1973 album countdown#album reviews#Bob Marley#Classic album reviews#Frank Zappa#Gong#Krautrock#Little Feat#Steely Dan
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1973 COUNTDOWN: #40 — 31
40 MIKE OLDFIELD — TUBULAR BELLS
A poll of my favourite Mike Oldfield albums would not have this debut on the podium, but it certainly made an impression as the very first release by Virgin Records. Made an impression when used in a film, too. As a multi-instrumentalist’s calling card Tubular Bells really does take some beating. Indeed, it was so effective Oldfield has been re-working the idea…
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#1973 album countdown#Emerson Lake and Palmer#Greenslade#Krautrock#Led Zeppelin#mike oldfield#Prog rock albums#Santana#The Who
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1973 COUNTDOWN: #50—41
50 RINGO STARR — RINGO
Forget “Now and Then”, this was the last Beatles record. It has songs by John, Paul, George, and of course Ringo. They are all alive, and all play and sing. As do guests including Harry Nilsson, Marc Bolan and members of The Band. Good songs, great atmosphere, and Ringo’s amiable vocals make this album a humble classic. Terrific booklet too, illustrated by Klaus Voorman.…
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#1973 album countdown#Best albums of 1973#Italian prog#Joe Walsh#John Martyn#Lou Reed#Paul McCartney and Wings#Pointer Sisters#Ringo Starr
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1973 COUNTDOWN: #60 — 51
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#Ariel#Carlos Santana#Chick Corea#John McLaughlin#Keith Jarrett#Krautrock#Rick Wakeman#Weather Report
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1973 COUNTDOWN: #70 — 61
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#1973 album countdown#73 From &039;73#Can (band)#Cosmic Couriers#Fripp Eno#Funkadelic#Gong#Iggy Pop#Mahavishnu Orchestra#Peter Banks
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1973 COUNTDOWN: #73 — 71
After initiating planning and sorting for 73 FROM ’73 in the middle of 2022, somehow the project got delayed; again and again. A number of the schedule blowouts arose from life intruding on music activities, annoying incursions I hoped had been redirected towards more gainfully employed bloggers as I mooched towards retirement; but in fact that was only part of the problem. The real difficult lay…
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HIS DAY
For many years I had a deeply ambivalent relationship with Tom Waits. Beat Generation revivalist or Carny huckster? Jazzbo pretender or theatrical joker? The moment of revelation—conversion, even—came from an unlikely source.
In 1988 A&M Records released a fascinating compilation entitled Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films. Amongst left-field gems from Sun Ra…
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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 thoroughly researched and well-written, doesn’t it? Vinyl Connection can report that Matt…
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