Archive for category: Classic Rock Interviews

The late Cars chief mechanic Ric Ocasek plus keyboardist Greg Hawkes tune up the story of 1979’s “Candy O” In the Studio on the album's 45th anniversary.

1989 album "In Step" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, just the mere facts are impressive. "In Step" was the Texas trio's fourth studio album, but their first after Vaughan's collapse and near death from substance abuse." In Step"  won a Grammy Award, one of six Vaughan amassed, while racking up the best sales of Vaughan's lauded career because of "The House is Rockin'","Crossfire", "Tightrope","Let Me Love You Baby", and the stunner "Riviera Paradise". Yet the significance of In Step   as a musical statement of intent cannot be told by mere sales or awards. It can only be assessed by the friends who knew Stevie Vaughan best (Eric Clapton), the musicians who inspired him first (Buddy Guy, the late Doyle Bramhall), the players who supported him before and after recovery(Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon), the musicians who in turn Vaughan inspired (Joe Bonamassa ), and the biographer who tried to capture his lightning in a bottle (author Joe Nick Patoski). They are all In Step here In the Studio.

The many stages of The Who's "Tommy" conception, gestation, and birth as the first successful rock opera are further revealed, it seems, every time "Tommy"  composer Pete Townshend cleans out a storage closet. Townshend joins Redbeard In the Studio to present this rock sonogram of The Who "Tommy"  while still in the creative womb, part 1.