B-Side

35 years ago, 42-year-old Richard Thompson released “Rumor and Sigh”. Produced by Mitchell Froom, this was the London folk-rock guitarist, songwriter’s 13th album (not including the first five Fairport Convention LPs, 1968-’70). Rumor and Sigh charted to #32 UK while earning excellent reviews and was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album Grammy. It features what is the closest he got to a U.S. hit single: “I Feel So Good” (#15 Billboard Modern Rock Tracks), though its mo

Released 50 years ago today: “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” by Roy Ayers (our copy here). The 35-year-old L.A. vibraphonist, keyboardist, vocalist and composer had already built a substantial discography with Herbie Mann and as band leader (Ubiquity) exploring post-bop jazz and funk. This soul-jazz / R&B album’s title track became his signature song, later covered and sampled by countless other artists; now a breezy anthem broadcast into baseball parks. Ten years ago, Pitchfo

Released 45 years ago today: “Computer World” by Kraftwerk. This 8th album by the German ‘krautrock’ / synth-pop group arrived three years after “The Man-Machine” and included several singles like “Pocket Calculator” and the UK #1 hit “Computer Love.” This 1981 album’s concept predicts the full integration of computers into society during an era when home computing and digital communication was in its infancy. It reached #72 Billboard (#15 UK; #7 Germany) while earning review

Released 55 years ago: “Thembi” by Pharoah Sanders. After extensive work with John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Don Cherry and others, this was the 30-year-old saxophonist's 6th (or 7th) LP as band leader. On this ‘spiritual jazz’ project, Sanders overdubbed tenor & soprano saxes; he also played flute, koto and various percussion, accompanied by Lonnie Liston Smith (keys); Michael White (violin); Cecil McBee (bass); Roy Haynes or Clifford Jarvis plus others on drums & percussion

LIQUID MIKE DROP!!! The best from of Marquette MI is gracing our shelves once again with limited quantities! Come and get it while supplies last. We love these guys!! And you should too!! Grab a copy of Hell Is An Airport for your mother on this Mother’s Day weekend.

45 years ago, Black Uhuru Official released “Red.” Arriving less than a year after “Sinsemilla,” this became one of the Jamaican reggae group’s most acclaimed albums. Led by primary songwriter Michael Rose (23), he was accompanied by vocalists Puma Jones and Duckie Simpson; Red was produced by its rhythm section Sly & Robbie. NME ranked it 3rd Best Album of 1981; recently Rolling Stone placed it 466th Greatest Album of All Time. Fun fact: In 1984 Black Uhuru opened for King S

50 years ago, Jeff Beck released “Wired.” Produced by George Martin, this was the 31-year-old English guitarist’s second album to explore all-instrumental jazz-rock, arriving 14 months after his surprise hit fusion LP “Blow by Blow.” Wired reached #16 Billboard while earning good reviews. Primary personnel: Max Middleton clavinet + electric piano; Jan Hammer synths; Walter Bascomb bass; Narada Michael Walden drums (who also composed four of eight tunes). Perhaps best-known is

40 years ago today, Big Black released “Atomizer.” This debut LP by the Chicago post-hardcore / noise-rock band earned much acclaim over time, landing on several “Best Albums of the 1980s” lists, plus Q magazine included it on their list of 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time. The song “Kerosene” also made some “best of” lists. In human terms, Big Black was a trio (two guitars + bass) but always credited their drum machine (Roland) as a fourth member. Frontman Steve Albini was 23.

Released in Britain 60 years ago today: the debut LP by Small Faces. The London ‘Mod’ hard-driving R&B group already had two UK hit singles “Sha-La-La-La-Lee” + “Whatcha Gonna Do About It,” both included on this album, which charted to #3 there. Fun facts: The band name plays on their sub-average stature, all between 5’5” & 5’6”; they were just 17 to 20 years old. In England they became big stars with a dozen Top 40 hits within their four years as a band, but remained nearly

45 years ago today, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers released “Hard Promises” (our copy here). Their 4th album arrived about 19 months after the breakthrough hit LP “Damn the Torpedoes,” a longer gap than was intended, due to a pricing dispute between Tom and MCA Records, which insisted the new album be sold at their new so-called “superstar” list price of $9.98. Tom refused, threatening both withholding the master tapes —or— changing its title to “Eight Ninety-Eight,” represent

45 years ago, Robyn Hitchcock released “Black Snake Dîamond Röle.” Following two studio LPs fronting his band The Soft Boys, this was the 28-year-old London surrealist ‘neo-psych’ songwriter’s first solo album, though all his mates from The Soft Boys contributed. Reviews are now very good to excellent, though it did not sell many copies and was only available in the U.S. as an import for five years. Fan-favorite tracks include “I Watch the Cars” “Brenda’s Iron Sledge” “Acid B

Released 55 years ago today: "Leon Russell and the Shelter People.” This second solo LP by the 29-year-old Oklahoma rock & roll songwriter and keyboardist earned good reviews while reaching #17 Billboard. Apart from one George Harrison and two Bob Dylan songs, Leon wrote or co-wrote the rest; he also plays keyboards and guitars throughout. Musicians include Don Preston, Jesse Ed Davis, Eric Clapton, Carl Radle, Chuck Blackwell, Jim Keltner & more. The CD edition adds three Dy

Released 40 years ago: “EVOL” by Sonic Youth. Produced by Martin Bisi, this third LP by the NYC noise-rock / art-punk band was their first after signing to SST Records. It is considered a turning point for the band, which saw them (at times) using more melodic song structures; they also had locked in their new (permanent) drummer Steve Shelley (23). The other members were 28 to 33. EVOL earned significant critical acclaim as well as praise from artists like Pavement, Neil You

55 years ago today, 32-year-old Bill Withers released “Just As I Am.” Produced by and featuring Booker T Jones, this debut LP by the folk-soul songwriter and guitarist entered the Billboard Pop Top 40, boosted by the #3 hit single “Ain’t No Sunshine,” as well as “Grandma’s Hands” (#42), while earning excellent reviews. The album features Stephen Stills on lead guitar, Booker T. on keys, guitar & arrangements, Duck Dunn or Chris Ethridge bass, Jim Keltner or Al Jackson Jr. on

50 years ago today, Bob Marley and the Wailers released “Rastaman Vibration.” This self-produced 8th album arrived 18 months after “Natty Dread” and 5 months after “Live!”. This LP became the Jamaican band’s commercial breakthrough in the States, reaching #8 Billboard, boosted by several singles like “Roots Rock Reggae” “Positive Vibration” + “Rat Race.” Reviews are excellent. Bob was 31. Fun facts: Cover design by Neville Garrick. Early editions featured an image of Bob on a

Released 50 years ago: “Howlin’ Wind” by Graham Parker and the Rumour. Produced by Nick Lowe, this debut LP by the 25-year-old London ‘pub-rock’ / R&B songwriter earned high critical acclaim, if not big sales. It was voted 4th Best Album of 1976 in the Village Voice critics poll. Fan-favorite tracks include “Soul Shoes” “White Honey” “Back to Schooldays” + the title track. Fun fact: Parker is still active with around 25 albums issued so far. More in Comments. April 29 Birthda

Farewell David Allan Coe, outlaw county songwriter, known for songs like "Longhaired Redneck" "You Never Even Called Me by My Name" and his song "Take This Job and Shove It" made famous by Johnny Paycheck. Gone at 86.

55 years ago, 23-year-old folk-rock songwriter James Taylor released “Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon.” Arriving 15 months after his breakthrough LP “Sweet Baby James,” this third album reached #2 Billboard while earning good reviews. This was blocked from #1 by his friend Carole King’s recent smash album “Tapestry,” both albums featured #1 hit versions of her song “You’ve Got a Friend,” Taylor’s rendition features backing vocals by Joni Mitchell. Carole plays piano on se

Farewell Beverley Martyn, English folk singer, best known as partner to songwriter John Martyn (1948-2009) pictured here in happier times: They made two acclaimed albums together in 1970 ("Stormbringer!" + "The Road to Ruin") and stayed married through one rough decade. Before that, she issued several solo singles in the 1960s; she reemerged in the late 1990s to tour with Loudon Wainwright III and recorded a couple albums in the 2000s. Gone at 79.

Released 45 years ago today: “As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls” by jazz guitarist Pat Metheny (26) & keyboardist Lyle Mays (27). Nine months after Metheny’s challenging “80/81” post-bop project, this relatively accessible trio LP (with Brazilian percussionist Naná Vasconcelos, 36) finds Mays leaning into synthesizer work, prominent on the atmospheric, hypnotic 21-minute title track. Metheny deploys electric & acoustic guitars, plus, atypically for him, bass guitar. Th