Margo Price has gone full-blown soft rock on her latest album, All American Made, which is clearly indebted to the clean production techniques and subtle musical experimentation of so many early ’70s country-rock albums. It’s not just the smoothness of…
From the Record Crate: Prince – “1999” (1982)
1999 has gained poignancy since The Purple One’s death last year. It’s not just the effect of hearing a voice from beyond the grave that sounds so alive, though that’s definitely part of it. It’s also the words he’s singing,…
Album Review: P!nk – “Beautiful Trauma”
P!nk’s last album, The Truth About Love, was a revelation to this rock n’ roll fan. On it, P!nk rocked harder and sang more meaningfully than any rock band I’d heard in years. I’d always known that she was good,…
From the Record Crate: Madonna – “Erotica” (1992)
Anyone who claims that Madonna’s appeal has only ever been erotic is kidding themselves – she’s so much more interesting than that. Yet from the very start, erotica was certainly a primary element of her appeal. Her voice had a…
From the Record Crate: Bruce Springsteen – “Tunnel of Love” (1987)
‘After Born in the USA I’d had enough of the big time for a while and looked forward to something less,’ remarks Bruce Springsteen in his autobiography, Born to Run. That ‘something less’ turned out to be Tunnel of Love,…
From the Record Crate: Billy Joel – “The Stranger” (1977)
Billy Joel’s most frequent moniker is ‘Piano Man’, but ‘The Stranger’ might be more appropriate. Just who is Billy Joel? Despite over 40 years in the business, 13 studio albums, and countless millions of records sold, he remains inscrutable, even…
Album Review: Tricky – “ununiform”
I grew up near Bristol, where Tricky comes from. It follows that I should feel a special connection to the trip-hop pioneer’s music, emanating as it does from an urban environment with which I’m very familiar. But though I love…
