Schlock-O-Phonic
GREG LAKE — S/T: Trading The Prog 1970’s For The AOR 1980’s
Sep 6th
The early 1980’s were a difficult time for progressive rock. Its musical purveyors were trying to find their footing in a commercial arena dominated by Top 40 music and dodging brickbats from the critics who detested the 1970’s-style bombast it represented. Though there was a core of fans still clamoring for the progressive style of More >
QUEEN — SHEER HEART ATTACK: The Killer Queen Slays For The First Time
Aug 23rd
Album number three for Queen represented the dividing line between being cult favorites and being international superstars. Their first two albums, Queen and Queen II, are impressive and have aged well but they display the band’s talents in an insular kind of way: putting Tolkienesque lyrics over an eccentric blend of harmony pop and heavy More >
QUEEN — QUEEN II: First Steps On The Road To Platinum Bombast
Aug 16th
While Queen was a strong debut album, it sounds positively genteel compared to what they would later do in terms of sonic grandeur. Queen II was the next logical step, an album that found the group really sinking their collective teeth into the possibilities of a recording studio circa 1974. The end result found the More >
QUEEN — S/T: An Emperor’s Humble (And Powerful) Beginnings
Jul 26th
When it comes to lavish record productions, Queen wrote the book. The stories of the expense and dedication this group poured into their records is legend: they used 4 studios and spent 45,000 pounds to record A Night At The Opera and five years later, they spent twice as much to capture The Game on More >
CHARLIE — FANTASY GIRLS: Hard Rock Beginnings For An AOR Cult Fave
Jul 19th
Charlie is an AOR act who found themselves in the strange position of building a large body of work without ever achieving the kind of large-scale success that usually makes that possible. Despite management hassles and a lot of record-label turnover, they issued a string of albums that made them a cult favorite within certain More >
HORSE MEAT DISCO III: Another Sleek Tour Through The Mirrorball Archives
Jul 13th
Disco would have a better reputation with pop music fans if they heard more of the good stuff. Those who dismiss it as mindless pap usually have a knowledge of the genre that begins with “YMCA” and ends with “Disco Duck.” All the really good stuff was played in the clubs, where d.j.‘s could exercise More >
PHILLY REGROOVED 2: Adventures In The Land Of Multi-Textured Melody
May 31st
It could be argued that Philly Soul is the richest flavor of soul music ever created. From the rhythm section to the vocals to the orchestral sweetening, it’s the subgenre that offers the listener the most decadent listening experience. The musicians of Philadelphia had the knack for ensemble playing and the musical vocabulary necessary to More >
WILLIE HUTCH — FULLY EXPOSED: Drowning In The Richness Of 1970’s Soul
May 16th
When most casual listeners think of Motown, they usually think of the big names that came from that label: Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, etc. However, the hardcore fans know that there were several lesser-known performers who didn’t achieve the same share of the limelight but still made important contributions to Motown’s More >
STARCASTLE — CITADEL: Caught Between The Kingdoms Of Prog And Pomp
May 9th
Album number three presented a problem for Starcastle. Their debut was enough of a success to earn them greater label support and a big-time producer in Roy Thomas Baker. Unfortunately, the resulting follow-up — Fountains Of Light — failed to raise their commercial profile despite being stronger musically and better produced. Support from the label More >
STARCASTLE — FOUNTAINS OF LIGHT: Escape From The Valley Of Yes
May 3rd
The release of the first Starcastle album was a double-edged sword for this talented group. It got them noticed and helped them in getting more and better gigs outside their heartland-America touring base. Unfortunately, this album was roundly criticized by prog fans and critics alike for borrowing too heavily from the sound and style of More >
Schlock Talk