Playlist December

• Robben Ford—Purple House (2018)
• Steven Wilson—Weekender 221115 (2018)
• Joe Bonamassa—Redemption (2018)
• YES feat. Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman—Live at the Apollo (2018)
• Henrik Freischlader—Hands on the Puzzle (2018)
• Tinariwen—Elwan (2017)
• Amplifier—Trippin' with Dr. Faustus (2017)
• Gary Moore—Blues and Beyond (2017)
• Joni Mitchell—Transmission Possible (2016, live radio broadcast compilation, '60s-'90s)
• Thom Yorke—Tomorrow's Modern Boxes (2014)
• Sufjan Stevens—Seven Swans (2004)
• Slowdive—Just for a Day (1991, two-disc reissue), Souvlaki (1993, bonus tracks edition), Pygmalion (1995, two-disc reissue), Slowdive (2017, Japanese bonus track edition).
• Peter Gabriel—Peter Gabriel (1977), Peter Gabriel (1978)
• Bob Dylan—Blonde on Blonde (1966)

Various reviews I've written recently

Here's a rundown of some recent reviews I have written...

Evenings with Led Zeppelin: The Complete Concert Chronicle may just be the biggest, heaviest book I own. Dave Lewis and Mike Tremaglio's gargantuan tome, which offers a detailed history of every single Led Zeppelin show, takes pride of place in my small collection of books about the band.

I wrote an extensive review the book, framing it in the context of how Zep's live shows fit into its legacy, for Under the Radar magazine. As I noted in my piece, this exemplary piece of rock scholarship offers valuable insights into how perspectives on the group have changed over time:

'Evenings with Led Zeppelin also illumines how the public and press alike viewed the band during its 12-year lifetime. Though some notable rock writers such as Robert Hilburn and Charles Shaar Murray offered rave concert reviews, other write-ups ranged from less-than-appreciative to openly hostile. There's good reason that Cameron Crowe's movie Almost Famous mocked Rolling Stone magazine's snobbish coverage of Zeppelin. Reading through the reviews collected in Evenings with Led Zeppelin, it's apparent that an older generation of music writers simply wasn't prepared for the radical power of Led Zeppelin. They were frequently bewildered by its genre-spanning progressions. A frequent complaint leveled at the band is the old fogey complaint that they're "too loud."' 

You can read my full review here.

Under the Radar Magazine recently released its list of the Best Albums of 2018. I contributed new reviews of the debut albums by Loma (#16) and Soccer Mommy (#35) for the list, which you can access here.

Of late, I've also written a few short blurb reviews of a few new releases for Monitor Weekly magazine:

Joni Mitchell—Live at the Isle of Wight















Sheryl Crow—Live at Capitol Theater

Mark Knopfler—Down the Road Wherever














Ingrid Michaelson—Songs for the Season














David Byrne—The Best Live Show of All Time

Playlist October/November

• Steven Wilson—Home Invasion (2018)
• Thom Yorke—Suspirium OST (2018)
• Julia Holter—Aviary (2018)
• Mark Knopfler—Down the Road, Whereever (2018)
• St. Vincent—MassEducation (2018)
• Sheryl Crow—Live at Capitol Theatre (2018)
• Richard Barbieri—Variants 5 (2018)
• Blackfield—Open Mind - The Best Of (2018)
• Eilen Jewell—Sea of Tears (2009)
• Radiohead—Pablo Honey (1992)
• The Vaughan Brothers—Family Style (1990)
• Neil Young—Freedom (1989)
• Pete Townshend—Empty Glass (1980)
• Jeff Beck—Beckola (1969)
• Bob Dylan—The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)