Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
It took a life-altering event to prod Benji Madden and his identical twin brother Joel down the Rock road – a Beastie Boys’ concert. The “hey, we can do that” mentality ruled as the Waldorf, MD, natives, who’d relocated to Annapolis, developed their chops. Benji picked up the guitar and wrote songs while Joel worked…
Remember “Woodstock,” the film chronicling a few hundred thousand people wallowing in the mud to hear the cream of late ’60s Rock. The fest had a lot of talent on stage but by day three there was a ton of filler. Before Jimi Hendrix hit the stage toward the end, the only Rock act for…
When the term “Heavy Metal” (taken from the William Burroughs novel “Soft Machine”) was coined in the late-60s it was used to describe loud, earth-shaking guitar-oriented Rock. Black Sabbath may not have entirely embraced the term and all its loutish connotations, but their ominous songs that dwelled on the sinister, occult and macabre defined the…
Cream consisted of established British musicians: Guitarist Eric Clapton (Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers), bassist Jack Bruce (Graham Bond Organization, John Mayall) and drummer Ginger Baker (Graham Bond Organization). There was the debut album “Fresh Cream” followed by “Disraeli Gears” with the psychedelic cover (pictured), The double set “Wheels On Fire” with half recorded in the…
Loading their songs with rapid-fire chord changes (“Roundabout“), key changes (playing in one key is just too restrictive) and time changes (they weren’t content with 4/4), Yes set out to be groundbreakers. Jon Anderson’s airy vocals battled with guitarist Steve Howe and keyboardist Rick Wakeman for attention. No band could pull off what Yes attempted…
Who the hell was Mars Bonfire? He was Dennis Edmonton, a guitarist and composer of “Born To Be Wild,” which was recorded by Steppenwolf. “Born To Be Wild” was a seminal song. Originally written as a ballad it is often considered the first “Heavy Metal song.” Released in 1968, “Born To Be Wild” encapsulated the…
Def Leppard played their first gig in ’78 and were recording the following year. While doing passably well in their native U.K., they didn’t have much impact elsewhere and found themselves stuck in the “opening act” slot. Enter Robert John “Mutt” Lange who had built a reputation as a highly successful producer. His main function…
Formed in Akron, OH, the one-time bowling capital of America, Blues-Rock duo The Black Keys (Dan Auerbach – guitar/vocals and Pat Carney – drums) were part of the early ‘00’s lo-fi movement (stripping away all the technical enhancements to get to a more organic sound). Oddly, they didn’t acquire their name from a piano (the…
Eric Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times… as a member of the Yardbirds, Cream, and as a solo performer. Clapton’s guitar work was also a focal point in John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers (where he acquired the nickname “Slowhand” and fans were writing “Clapton Is God” everywhere),…
Like many groups, San Francisco’s Third Eye Blind got going in fits and starts. The original incarnation fractured leaving only guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Stephen Jenkins and bassist/vocalist Arion Salazar. They hooked up with guitarists Kevin Cadogan and Tony Fredianelli. In ’94 Fredianelli left but the group was able to find drummer Brad Hargreaves. Barely surviving the local…