“Why should I care?” The “rock opera” Tommy elevated the status of the band. Touring in support of the record-making a captured-for-all-posterity stop at Woodstock, the Who’s live machine was in full gear, and their reputation was rising. Their playing had become ferocious, the interplay nuanced and arguably more powerful than anyone else in rock….
Jeff Beck may be the only man over 60 who can get away with wearing a choker! Why? Because Jeff Beck can do whatever he wants to do. Jeff Beck has a signature mastery of his instrument. NO ONE can play like this guy! It’s all touch, taste, and his mysterious whammy bar thumb technique….
My Elvis experience growing up was of the bloated, sequined, goggle-sunglasses-wearing, jumpsuit, and karate-kicking Elvis. Hence I wondered what was so great about this guy and why he was so famous. What follows are my thoughts on The King! Ground Zero for the Rock and Roll Explosion Consider that Elvis, more than any other figure,…
If you are all like me, you viewed the release of Micheal Jackson’s This is it! With a great deal of suspicion and cynicism. The endless torrent of tabloid information surrounding his career, coupled with the bizarre reality of the actual circumstances of his untimely death, overshadowed any chance of objectivity walking into this film….
“Rock and Roll’s Finest Night!” So said Little Steven in his incredibly eloquent “power of rock and roll” prelude to his induction speech for the Hollies. The headscarf-wearing former Soprano Steve Van Zandt continued, “The Grammy’s? Nice people, nice show, but they go f*** themselves!” He was right. If you want an authentic tribute to…
Guitar fans are overly familiar with lists of great guitar solos and great guitarists. There are hundreds of these on the Web, with the usual suspects, “Stairway to Heaven,” “All Along the Watchtower,” “Comfortably Numb,” and my personal favorite, “Kid Charlemagne.” These lists are fun to debate and often motivate to review some great music….