Songs Of Light and Darkness Written By Leonard Cohen. Label: Ace Records. Format CD. Release Date: ‘25th’ November 2022. Just over six years ago, on October the ’21st’ 2016, Canadian singer-songwriter, novelist and poet Leonard Cohen releasedYou Want It Darker to widespread critical acclaim. Sadly, it turned out to be that last album released during his lifetime. Just seventeen days later, on the ‘7th’ of November 2016, Leonard Cohen passed away aged eighty-two.  That day, music lost a true great whose recording career had spanned nearly fifty years.  During that time, Leonard Cohen ..read more

Happy In Hollywood-The Productions Of Gary Usher. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘29th’ July 2022. Although Gary Usher was born in Los Angeles, California, on December ‘14th’ 1938, he spent his childhood and teenage years living in New England. That was where his lifelong love affair with music began. Growing up, music was an important part of Gary Usher’s life. He spent time listening to the radio at the family home in New England. Then at the dawn of the rock ’n’ roll era he began collecting records. Elvis was a favourite of the future producer. By 1957, Gary Usher had returne ..read more

Ladies Sing The Boss. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. On the ‘5th’ January 1973, Bruce Springsteen released his debut album Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. Forty years later the album was ranked at No. 379 in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. By then, the man known simply as The Boss was well on his way to becoming one of the biggest selling artists in the history of music. Fast forward to 2022, and it’s estimated that The Boss has sold over 150 million records worldwide. There’s also a small matter of twenty Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes an Academy Award and a Special Tony ..read more

You Showed Me-The Songs Of Gene Clark. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Like so many of his generation, Gene Clark developed an interest in folk music after hearing the Kingston Trio. It was no surprise that after graduating from Bonner Springs High School, in Bonner Springs, Kansas, in 1962, that the seventeen year old formed his own folk group, The Rum Runners. Little did he know that this was the start of a musical career that would span nearly thirty years. A year later, in 1963, Gene Clark was asked to join The Surf Riders, who were an established regional folk band based in Kansas City. T ..read more

Sammi Smith-It Looks Like Stormy Weather 1969-1975. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD.  Without doubt, country singer singer-songwriter Sammi Smith had a voice, the talent and potential to crossover and become a huge, mainstream star. Her records were cinematic, soul-baring confessionals where her inimitable husky voice veered between melancholy and full of hurt and heartache to sensuous. It sounded as if Sammi Smith had lived the lyrics she delivered which were poignant and powerful. It was no wonder she was dubbed the: “South’s own Dusty Springfield.”  Sadly, Sammi Smith didn’t enjoy ..read more

Lonnie Mack-Sa-Ba Hola! Two Sides Of Lonnie Mack. Label: Ace Records. Format: LP. On the ‘8th’ of June 1963 Lonnie Mack’s instrumental version of Chuck Berry’s Memphis entered the US Billboard 100 and eventually reached number five and four on the US R&B chart during the thirteen weeks it spent on the charts. This was the twenty-two year old guitarist’s first hit single. By then, he was already an experienced musician and had been making a living as a musician since he was thirteen. That was when Lonnie Macintosh quit school after getting involved in an argument with a teacher. However, th ..read more

Classic Album: Neil Young-After The Gold Rush. During the winter of 1970, Neil Young and his backing band Crazy Horse embarked upon a short winter tour that included a concert at Filmore East, New York, where the twenty-four year old Canadian folk rocker shared a bill with Steve Miller and Miles Davis. At the end of what was a successful tour Neil Young and Crazy Horse headed to LA and Sunset Sound Studios to begin work on his third album After The Gold Rush. By the time the sessions began, the health of rhythm guitarist Danny Whitten was already deteriorating. He had bravely battled rheumatoi ..read more

Cult Classic: Pirana-Pirana. Although Australian progressive rockers Pirana were together for just over three years, they played live over 600 times and released two albums on Harvest Records. This included their 1972 debut album Pirana. It’s a cult classic and a reminder of a group that should’ve reached greater heights.  Sadly, commercial success eluded Pirana, and theirs is another case of what might have been?  The Pirana story begins in Sydney, fifty years ago in mid-1970, when former members of Gus and The Nomads’ rhythm section decided to head form a new band. By then, the gro ..read more

Neil Young-After The Gold Rush (50th Anniversary Edition). Label: Warner. Format: CD. During the winter of 1970, Neil Young and his backing band Crazy Horse embarked upon a short winter tour that included a concert at Filmore East, New York, where the twenty-four year old Canadian folk rocker shared a bill with Steve Miller and Miles Davis. At the end of what was a successful tour Neil Young and Crazy Horse headed to LA and Sunset Sound Studios to begin work on his third album After The Gold Rush. By the time the sessions began, the health of rhythm guitarist Danny Whitten was already deterior ..read more

Classic Album: The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East. Nowadays, there aren’t many bands who make a commercial breakthrough with a live album. That, however, is what happened to The Allman Brothers Band in 1971 when they released their third album At Fillmore East. It was a gamechanger reaching number thirteen in the US Billboard 200 and when it sold over one million copies the album was certified platinum. This transformed The Allman Brothers Band’s career. Just two years previously, brothers Duane and Gregg Allman had founded The Allman Brothers Band in Jacksonville, Florida. Th ..read more