This record, mixing bluegrass with jazz, is a revelation. It features Norman Blake, Dave Holland, Vassar Clements and a cast of other virtuosos. The track “Sauerkraut ‘N Solar Energy” is a high energy landmark of superb musicianship -the tempo whips the musicians into a frenzy –and playing flat-out, not a note is misplaced. It’s an absolutely stunning display of artistry. Given the renewed interest in “Americana” and roots music, I’m surprised this record hasn’t been rediscovered, though it was an audiophile favorite back in the day.   The album was... Read More

  Long associated with Chris Blackwell’s Island Records, John Martyn’s most enduring album, Solid Air, is now considered a classic representation of British folk-jazz fusion by a troubadour raised in Scotland who did not consider himself a folk artist. A troubled and mercurial character, Martyn worked with some of the best musicians and behind the scenes talent in the business—including Levon Helm and Stevie Winwood– but never seemed to achieve his due. By the time of this album, Martyn had parted ways with Joe Boyd, the preeminent producer of the English folk movement at the... Read More

  There’s a lot of controversy, if not fallacy about this, an album (somewhat ironically) entitled “Truth”: often credited as the first heavy metal album; the record that Jimmy Page allegedly used as a template for Led Zeppelin 1, released a short time later; a “who is the better guitarist/innovator” meme that continues to polarize today, almost five decades later. It seems that you cannot approach Jeff Beck’s Truth without veering into Led Zeppelin 1 territory.   For the record, I don’t regard either album as “heavy metal.” It’s blues, cranked up, distorted,... Read More

  Any catalog of the Warner-related labels during their golden years would necessarily include the early Fleetwood Mac albums on Reprise- self-titled and Rumours, which sold in staggering quantities. Those albums, released on Reprise in 1975 and 1977, brought a level of international recognition to the band that endures today. But of far greater interest to me is the early Fleetwood Mac, a different band, with a darker, bluesy sound that featured the brilliant Peter Green. Those records did not make much of a dent in the U.S. market, even though one of the songs- “Black Magic... Read More

  “There ain’t no difference between a flying saucer and a time machine…. People get so hung up on specifics they miss out on seeing the whole thing.” Miller, from Repo Man   Where to start? This is a decidedly “lo-fi” album of a soundtrack to a quirky “cult” film that featured aliens, punk rockers and the great Harry Dean Stanton as a deadpan “repo man.” Want more? Otto, played by Emilio Estevez, learns that his stoned-out parents have donated all their money to a televangelist, and hits the streets, only to be enlisted by “Bud” (Stanton), to “repo” a car.... Read More