Everynow and then, a band comes along that defies convention, refuses to bepigeon-holed, thumbs its nose at comfy predictability and blows raspberries atcommercial wisdom. That band is Gong.
'Just a city boy. Born and raised in South Detroit...' so begins the iconic 'Don't Stop Believin'' heard in countless karaoke bars and classic rock stations around the world. It is one of over 250 tracks discussed in Journey: On Track, which covers 50 years of recordings, from the extended jams of their early days to the heights of their popularity as an R&B-influenced powerhouse among America's arena rock gods, and beyond, to their controversial career in the 21st century without 'The Voice', Steve Perry. They were the brainchild of Walter 'Herbie' Herbert, the visionary who steered them through their most successful period. He built Journey from the remnants of Santana, keyboardist and singer Gregg Rolie, and guitar wunderkind Neal Schon. They surged into the limelight with singer Steve Perry. After adding keyboardist Jonathan Cain, they soared to superstardom. Their post-Perry history is filled with new music and the incredible story of Arnel Pineda. Critics dismissed them throughout their heyday as 'corporate rock', but they've somehow managed to thrive commercially and culturally on the heritage rock circuit, releasing new albums, and being inducted into the Rock Hall. They still fill arenas and stadiums with their legions of fans.
In ten short years, Roxy Music made two of the most experimental albums in popular music history and one of the most smoothly romantic.The members of Roxy Music have had long and distinguished careers outside the band, but nothing can surpass the eight albums they made together.
Three music-obsessed, suburban London teenagers set out to make their own kind of pop music: Kate Bush became an overnight star, while success came to David Sylvian (and Japan), and to Mark Hollis (and Talk Talk) after years of struggle. But when their unique talents brought them international acclaim, they turned their backs on stardom.
Arguably the greatest album by the best rock band ever, The Beatles - also known as The White Album - proved to be a watershed recording.The album's diversity and creation are analysed and its background and dynamics revealed. This extraordinary double album reflects a remarkable time and period. As the sixties came to an end, so too did the band.
Against the odds, 90125, released towards the end of 1983, was Yes' best-selling album. Yet it was never intended to be a recording by one of the 1970s rock dinosaurs, but a combination of commercial expediency and luck saw an album by a new band called Cinema - featuring Yes stalwarts Chris Squire, Alan White and Tony Kaye alongside talented multi-instrumentalist Trevor Rabin - become Yes following the last-minute recruitment of vocalist Jon Anderson. A US number one hit single, 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart, ' led to a triple platinum record and a massive world tour, giving this band a new lease of life in the 1980s. Featuring new interviews with several of the main protagonists, including Jon Anderson and Trevor Rabin, this book traces the story of the album from its rudimentary demos in 1981, right up to the end of the world tour in early 1985. 90125 is reviewed in full, and the book also includes a detailed look at the somewhat complex and contrived process that created it, followed by an examination of the album's legacy and remarkable afterlife. The 90125 story is possibly the most astonishing in this legendary group's nearly six-decade history. This is how it happened.
The J. Geils Band were the original Bad Boys from Boston, getting down to it and blowing your face out every night. With classic albums like Full House, Bloodshot, Love Stinks, and the massively successful Freeze-Frame, Geils have been nominated for the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame no fewer than five times since 2005. From their early days as R&B and blues purists, through defining tracks like 'Looking for a Love, ' the instrumental 'Whammer Jammer, ' and the US Top 40 'Give It to Me, ' to global fame with radio staples' Love Stinks, ' 'Centerfold, ' and 'Freeze-Frame, ' The J. Geils Band created a unique sound and turned every show into a house party. Though it took time for record sales to catch up to their live reputation, by the early 1980s there were few hotter act than J. Geils. The definitive companion to the music of this hard drivin' band, The J. Geils Band - on track is a comprehensive overview of every track on Geils' 11 studio albums, with a look at their official live releases and a rundown of the musicians' projects beyond the band. on track makes clear why Geils, often referred to as America's answer to The Rolling Stones, were the funkiest band in the land.
Wendy Carlos is one of the most influential electronic musicians of the 20th century, whose ground breaking LP, Switched-On Bach, was pivotal in elevating the Moog synthesizer to iconic status. At the same time, her highly evocative score for Stanley Kubrick's film, A Clockwork Orange, redefined the sound of electronic music for a generation of popular musicians in the US and Europe. Known in particular for her adventurous sonic re-imaginings of the music of classical composers from Bach to Beethoven, it is often forgotten that Carlos was also an accomplished composer in her own right, whose original work on albums such as Sonic Seasonings, Digital Moonscapes and Beauty In The Beast deserves equal recognition for its progressive compositional innovations and sound design techniques. With the aim of addressing this imbalance, this book offers a detailed track-by-track survey of all Carlos's unique album releases from Switched-On Bach to Tales of Heaven And Hell, placing each recording in context in relation to musical influences, technology and thematic concepts, as well as providing many analytical pointers to assist the listener in navigating her classically influenced musical aesthetic. To provide a fully rounded picture the last section of the book considers a number of Carlos's miscellaneous one-off projects and evaluates the remastered editions of her earlier LPs released on the East Side Digital label during the early 2000s.
Ultravox made an indelible mark on the popular music of the 1980s despite never reaching number one at any point: famously, 'Vienna' stalled at number two, while their only other top five single was the zeitgeist-capturing 'Dancing With Tears in My Eyes', reaching number three in May 1984. Between 1981's 'Vienna' and 1984's 'Love's Great Adventure', Ultravox scored 12 Top 30 hit singles (17 reached the Top 40), and seven top ten album releases. Fronted first by John Foxx, then Midge Ure, Ultravox went from being an acclaimed but hitless art rock outfit to a Blitz-era chart-storming quartet. They also proved to be a formidable live band, mixing in-vogue electronic synthesisers with drums and guitar and Billy Currie's trademark classical violin. The band became one of the most successful acts of the era, capped by their 1985 appearance at the Live Aid concert. They also made their mark with arty, distinctive, and influential music videos. Having split following 1986's controversial U-Vox album, the 1980s Ultravox line-up regrouped in 2009, celebrating the 30th anniversary of 'Vienna' with a series of UK, US, and European tours. That led to a new, belated album, 2012's Brilliant. Every album, every song - this is Ultravox.
On Saturday, 13 July 1985, a blazing, cloudless summer day, millions of people settled in front of the television. It was just before noon in London, 7 AM in Philadelphia, and around the world, it was time for Live Aid. For a generation of music fans, 13 July 1985 was a landmark day. It was The Greatest Show On Earth.
Some albums are simply undeniable watersheds in an artistâ¿s career. Artistic or commercial triumphs (or sometimes both), but most importantly seen by both the fanbase and, to a greater or lesser degree the wider world, as a defining statement in their catalogue. Such was undoubtedly the case when Supertramp released Crime Of The Century in 1974.
Phil Ochs was the â¿The Prince of Protestâ¿ in the sixties. The only real rival to Bob Dylan, he was the archetypal Greenwich Village topical songwriter. Whether protesting the Vietnam War or campaigning for civil rights, workersâ¿ rights and social justice, Phil was always there.
Considered by some as the seminal King Crimson album for the band's 'classic period', Red stands as book-ends with the debut In the Court of the Crimson King, an album which guitarist Robert Fripp declared 'defined the progressive rock oeuvre'. Rumours have it that Red was the final album heard by Kurt Cobain prior to his untimely death while inspiring his band Nirvana's In Utero, citing one example of the influence it has had over the past fifty years. Also demonstrating King Crimson's approach to re-invention, Red points the way forward for proto-punk, grunge and math rock while casting a backwards glance to the grand ballad style represented on earlier albums such as In the Court of the Crimson King, In the Wake of Poseidon and Islands. Furthermore, the 1972-1974 Crimson re-wrote the ground rules for progressive rock, daringly transiting from the classical music quotation approach of other bands by applying modernist compositional techniques to such pieces as the driving title track and the mysterious improvisation, 'Providence', while anticipating the direction the band may have taken in songs such as 'Fallen Angel' and 'One More Red Nightmare' had Fripp decided not to jump ship prior to Red's release. 'The Crimson ethos is formed by the composite different feels, not by anyone feeling the same'. (Robert Fripp - Private Journal, 1974)
recorded their self-titled first album over three weekends. It is now regarded as the quintessential punk record. Over the next five years, they recorded another fourteen sides of long-playing vinyl including the platinum-selling double-LP London Calling, which was voted the best album of the 1980s and the eighth best album of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. Through the triple-LP Sandinista! to their double-platinum Combat Rock plus a whole bunch of stand-alone singles and EPs, The Clash mixed both street and global politics with music spanning several genres including Rock, Reggae, Jazz, Rap, Calypso and Rockabilly. This new edition contains a wealth of recently-unearthed new material, providing a concise narrative of the rise and fall of The Clash, putting each song of their prolific musical output into context, including a selection of bootlegs and rarities. There is also advice about how to buy The Clash's music without falling into the record company trap of repeatedly buying the same material through different compilations, making this the most essential guide to the music of this iconic band yet written.
When David Bowie died in 2016 some people say the world went to hell in a handcart. It seems that while Bowie was alive his songs and their strange commentaries on modern life had some kind of deep significance that made sense of it all for many people. His music evokes something futuristic and prophetic to his fans. In this book, there is light shed on Bowie's songwriting in the early, most-lauded part of his career, his much-vaunted sense of alienation and his desperate search to make music that was art. Art-rock is an odd sort of genre to be associated with, but it fits David Bowie to a tee. Everything he did was infused with a kind of indescribable oddness, like his two mismatched eyes, the result of a teenage spat with a school friend over a girl. He had a lifelong interest in ideas about life on other worlds, and yet one of his many songs associated with this theme, 'Life On Mars', is more concerned with the failings of this planet. When he sang 'Starman' on Top Of The Pops in 1972, his arm draped around the shoulders of his talented lead guitarist and arranger, Mick Ronson, he lit up a million teenage hearts. This is a complete examination of all the songs from Bowie's golden years, which extends from his days as a mod saxophonist through to his astonishing 1980 hit album, Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps). His songs run the gamut from extraordinary to esoteric but were always written from the heart.
In a year containing groundbreaking releases from the likes of Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, and Van Halen, 1984 also saw Prince return bigger and bolder than ever. Not content with solely focusing on the lead acting role in his semi-autobiographical movie, Prince worked overtime on a set of songs for the accompanying soundtrack album, and the results were there for all to see upon the unveiling of the masterpiece that was Purple Rain. Arriving at a time of significant world change, and with his eccentric and talented backing band - The Revolution - in tow, Prince's rise to superstardom was cemented with a set of delicious dancefloor hymns. These included the power ballad of all power ballads, a lead single void of customary songwriting traditions; and a track so controversial that it brought about the establishment of the PMRC, and the creation of the 'Parental Advisory' label. Purple Rain celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024, and this book digs deeper into the writing and recording process of the diamond-certified album. Also discussing the stories behind the songs, and the host of B-sides to have followed over the years, this book also pays tribute to Prince - the inimitable mastermind behind the entire Purple Rain project. Oh, no, let's go!
Released in 1977 during the height of disco fever and punk rock, Bat Out of Hell is an ambitious debut album that bucked the trend and confounded critics. With the help of several hit singles, it struck a chord with record buyers and became one of the best-selling albums of all time. Benefitting from a combination of catchy melodies, anthemic rock, dazzling musicianship, inventive choral work and audacious narratives, the songs have a universal appeal that has stood the test of time. The memorable hooks and high production values also signposted the power ballads and arena rock style of the 1980s. This book examines the individual songs that make up Bat Out of Hell, along with the album's conception, recording, reception, subsequent tour, and legacy. It also traces the backstory of its creators, Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf, and their work - together and apart - that followed in the album's wake. This includes two successors, released in 1993 and 2006 respectively, and Bat Out of Hell: The Musical which premiered in 2017.
In this, the second of two volumes on Lou Reed, we will see the phoenix-like rebirth of his career occur in terms of both critical and public resurrection and redemption. Starting in 1989, Lou Reed would release a trio of stunning LPs that would finally give him the respect and success that he felt had so eluded him for most of his career. Having finally gained such a long-deserved, lofty position among the critics and fans, he would spend the duration of his life and career both bitterly shunning and cagily embracing his new-found elder status of 'artistic outlier/punk progenitor.' In this, the second half of his career, Lou Reed would revise, and subsequently rebuff, old musical alliances and allegiances, forge new ground both within and without music, and as is typical for Lou, struggle against and lash out at the very things he wished to achieve for himself, both personally and professionally. We will also observe the puzzling and at times erratic final decade of Lou's artistic life, which due to a lack of new personal material, produced a plethora of live albums, avant-garde experiments, and oddly paired collaborations, resulting in his final release a collaboration with a globally- successful band that still baffles and disgruntles listeners to this day. Despite having bid farewell to his wild days, the years of 1989 to 2011 were by no means fruitless for Lou Reed. His voice, his vision, and his guitar playing, truly, his own personal Magic and Loss, are very much the passionate and untamed forces that they were throughout his entire life, and his works of this time display that clearly, time after time.
Despite only being active for less than a decade and releasing just three studio albums during their short tenure, Nirvana's overwhelming musical and cultural impact on the world cannot be understated. Within such a narrow timespan, the famous trio made themselves synonymous with what came to be known as grunge; a potent mix of melodic punk and heavy metal that evolved in America in the mid-1980s. Combined with the band's anti-glam, battered image and Kurt Cobain's lyrical themes of social alienation and world apathy, Nirvana rallied the youth to their beck and call with anthemic, head-banging singalongs and introspective dirges, providing a haven for those feeling lost and abject. Thirty years after the shocking death of Kurt Cobain, Nirvana still dominate the musical conversation and their influence continues to be far-reaching. This book aims to justify such a strong legacy with a detailed analysis of every song from Nirvana's three studio albums, as well as non-album singles, B-sides and any other outliers. In addition, tracks from live and compilation albums will be considered in this appraisal of a band that managed to showcase so much in such little time. They only reveal more as the years go by - as this assessment will prove.
Steven Wilson has been described by The Telegraph as 'probably the most successful British musician most people have never heard of'. His last three solo albums have made the top five in the UK, and he played to over a quarter of a million people on his last tour.
Few artists have had as great an impact with their debut single as Procol Harum. Mesmerising and perplexing in equal measure, 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' remains the perfect distillation of the possibilities of psychedelia in that brief period when British pop seemed to promise a summer of love that would last forever.
The second in a brand new series taking deep dives into rock classics. One of the most pivotal albums in the evolution of rock music, no other recording has had more impact than the 1965 classic Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home.
Towards the tail end of the 1980s, Neil Hannon: a talented singer/songwriter from Northern Ireland, formed his first line-up of The Divine Comedy. In 1989, he signed a deal with independent label, Setanta Records, which led to The Divine Comedy becoming the label's most successful chart act of the 1990s.
AC/DC - a global rock institution and big brand name. The secret to their success has always been they are a rock 'n' roll band, pure and simple, undiluted by trends. They have a solid authenticity with no frills or pretentiousness.
Between 1977 and 2012, INXS went from touring the Australian pub scene to conquering the world with their unique hybrid of rock, pop and funk. Despite soaking up a vast number of influences along the way, INXS transcended all music scenes, retaining their individuality which helped them sell 95 million albums across the world.
Released in 1969, Let it Bleed was The Rolling Stones' eighth studio album (tenth in the USA). This account examines in detail the background, inspiration and recording of the songs, the reception of the work as a whole, and its legacy and influence on subsequent generations of bands and performers to this day.
The White Stripes were one of the breakout bands of the early 2000s 'rock revival'. They produced some of the most indelible songs of the 21st Century and reintroduced a sense of mystery and panache to the staid indie rock scene of the era. But that was only the beginning for singer-guitarist Jack White.
Dive into the musical universe of solo Ian Hunter songs like never before with Ian Hunter On Track. We unlock the secrets behind every lyric, riff, and melody in this one-of-a-kind musical journey. From the soul-stirring anthems that defined an era to the hidden gems that eluded the spotlight, this book leaves no chord unheard.
The brother and sister team of Karen and Richard Carpenter rank as one of the most successful acts in pop music history. This book explores the background to each of their studio albums and classic singles, as well as their solo recordings, live albums and compilations of rare tracks.
Prenumerera på vårt nyhetsbrev för att få fantastiska erbjudanden och inspiration för din nästa läsning.
Genom att registrera dig accepterar du vår personuppgiftspolicy.
