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Bret Adams
Kiss
Off the Soundboard: Poughkeepsie, NY
This 1984 concert is the only known soundboard recording with guitarist Mark St. John, whose tenure is one of the briefest chapters in Kisstory. St. John played on Animalize then developed a sudden case of arthritis and had to depart the group. On these live tracks, his style blends bursts of ’80s shredding, whammy bar…
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Bret Adams
Headline: In Memoriam: Ian Bairnson
Guitarist Ian Bairnson, a member of the Alan Parsons Project who played on the band’s 10 studio albums from 1976 through ’87, then on several Parsons solo albums, died April 7. He was 69 and battled dementia. A Scotland native, Bairnson was working as session musician when he met Parsons, who was producing Pilot’s 1974…
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Bret Adams
The Who
The Who with Orchestra, Live at Wembley
The raw power The Who displayed from their humble beginnings, nearly six decades ago, showed they didn’t need enhancements. But this 2019 show at London’s Wembley Stadium – their first there in four decades – included vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist/vocalist Pete Townshend and their core band backed by a 50-plus-piece orchestra. The horns and strings…
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Bret Adams
Pop ’N Hiss: Alice Cooper’s Billion Dollar Babies
On The Money
Alice Cooper was on a steady upward trajectory when Billion Dollar Babies topped the Billboard chart for one week in 1973. Propelled by the title track along with “Hello Hooray,” “Elected,” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” it was their first #1. Over five previous albums, vocalist Vincent Furnier (a.k.a. Alice Cooper), rhythm guitarist Michael…
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Bret Adams
John Oates
Rhythm-Minded
From 1975 through ’85, John Oates and Daryl Hall created a trove of era-defining R&B-influenced pop/rock hits on the way to being inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Oates is releasing 12 new songs – one per month for a year – via digital outlets, with guest guitarists including Tom Bukovac,…
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Bret Adams
Moving Pictures: How Rush Created Progressive Hard Rock’s Greatest Record
Will Romano
Rush’s Moving Pictures is often regarded as the band’s masterpiece, and this book unpacks the creative efforts of frontman/bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart. Examining the 1981 album’s “filmic properties,” the author observes, “By turning each sonic ditty into a mini-movie, Rush bolstered an important pillar of the psychedelic and later…
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Bret Adams
Sex Pistols: I Wanna Be Me
Dave Simpson
1977’s Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols LP was an atomic bomb dropped on rock music and culture. To commemorate the explosion, Simpson’s short, photo-packed, book examines this seismic blast. Even today, it’s incredible how a band could create one revolutionary album – yet flame-out so quickly. Clearly, the Sex Pistols weren’t destined…
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Bret Adams
Gary Moore
A Different Beat
Today, the mashup of fiery, blues-based guitar and techno beats is fairly commonplace, but 24 years ago it was a radical move for Gary Moore. Now reissued on vinyl, 1999’s A Different Beat combined the sonic richness of British blues with contemporary electronica – not unlike the comeback album by his idol, the late Jeff…
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Bret Adams
Humble Pie
The A&M CD Box Set (1970-1975)
Arena-rock pioneers Humble Pie launched some of the grittiest heavy rock of the ’70s, courtesy of vocalist/guitarist Steve Marriott, bassist Greg Ridley, and successive lead men Peter Frampton and David “Clem” Clempson. This eight-CD box set includes the Pie’s seven main A&M albums and a bonus disc of 14 B-sides/rarities, five debuting here. 1970’s Humble…
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Bret Adams
Alberto Lombardi
Through the Years
The Italian guitarist’s third acoustic-fingerstyle album brings a pleasurable mix of covers with two originals. Primarily a solo set, it overdubs keyboards, drum patterns, and he even sings on the title track. An expressive player, Lombardi’s fingerpicking, muting, and sliding give the music a distinctly human feel that seamlessly incorporates harmonics. Lombardi opens the proceedings…
