Posts

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ZZ Top- Rio Grande Mud- Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, the late Dusty Hill

Their much-improved second album,"Rio Grande Mud" in 1972, with Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, and the late Dusty Hill who passed away in July 2021 following hip surgery.
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Styx- Equinox- James Young, Tommy Shaw

there was high drama and great music before with the third-time's-the-charm "Lady", then 1975's strong Equinox  album containing "Light Up", "Lorelei", and the timeless "Suite: Madame Blue". Band leaders even today James "JY" Young and Tommy Shaw look back on the Equinox  along with the original former co-founding member who wrote and sang all of those songs, Dennis DeYoung

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer- Tarkus

Listening now to the epic title song to "Tarkus", the second studio album in June1971 which followed quickly after their stunning 1970 debut, with Greg Lake's voice delicately yet nimbly bounding along to Keith Emerson's piano runs, it's clear that Emerson Lake and Palmer were much  less "Be Bop a Lula" in their melodic grandeur and much more "Andrew Lloyd Weber". Here In the Studio is the story in their own words of progressive rock's first supergroup.
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REO Speedwagon- Hi Infidelity- Kevin Cronin, Neal Doughty

REO Speedwagon believed in their long game, and their long-suffering record label gave them TEN trips to the plate until the band touched all the bases in November 1980 with Hi Infidelity . Lead singer Kevin Cronin and band keyboard player co-founder Neal Doughty tell the worst-to-first ten year overnight sensation story In the Studio.
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Queen- A Night at the Opera- Brian May, Roger Taylor

In November 1975 Queen sent out invitations for "A Night at the Opera" and the whole rock world RSVP'd. With Brian May and Roger Taylor here In the Studio.
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Led Zeppelin III- Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Terry Manning

Led Zeppelin III  appeared October 5, 1970 with surprisingly little notice. Containing "The Immigrant Song","Gallows Pole", and "Since I've Been Loving You", Led Zeppelin III  also planted exotic seeds of sounds in "Friends" with its Middle Eastern orchestration, which would skip several subsequent albums only to germinate with legendary impact on Physical Grafitti . My guests Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and Led Zeppelin "III"  recording engineer at Ardent Studio in Memphis, Terry Manning, tell the story In the Studio.
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Police- Zenyatta Mondatta- Sting, Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland

It seems that stardom for The Police had occurred in the UK after the release of their second album, "Reggatta de Blanc" , but mainstream popularity in the U.S. still eluded them until October 1980's "Zenyatta Mondatta". My guests In the Studio are Police-men Sting, Stewart Copeland, and Andy Summers.

INXS- X – Andrew Farriss, the late Michael Hutchence

It is bittersweet to share with you the World Premiere radio broadcast of INXS "X" which I was so fortunate to get to produce and host in September 1990 with guests lead singer/lyricist Michael Hutchence and keyboardist/ composer Andrew Farriss.

Joe Cocker- Mad Dogs and Englishmen- with Leon Russell

Here are the first-person accounts by Joe Cocker and Leon Russell of a remarkable multi-media event, the Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen  US tour, concert film, and soundtrack double album.
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John Mellencamp- Scarecrow

John Mellencamp's "Scarecrow" album released in August 1985 was loaded with hits, including "Small Town","Lonely Ol' Night", and "R.O.C.K. in the USA".  His list of Top 20 hit songs is extensive enough to require the double-disc "Words and Music"  compilation, but it was the album tracks starting with Scarecrow's "Minutes to Memories", worthy of inclusion in the great Paul Simon songbook, which revealed his songcraft to me.