Music Reviews

I didn’t need to watch the Netflix documentary on DEVO to shake the dust off my DEVO albums. I never stopped playing them.However, that first record was pretty amazing, even in a day where punk was king, and new wave was a close second – DEVO was unique. It was a classic day in the record store that I worked, with the satin-jacketed guy from WB stopping in with the promo and concert tickets! Sometimes it pays off to work the night shift. Read More

This article, originally titled, “Almost everything you want to know about Mark Mothersbaugh,” is written by Jaan Uhelszki, and was originally published in issue #26 of TONE, back in 2009. Considering the popularity of the recent DEVO documentary on Netflix, we felt it might be fun to look this one over again. Read More

It’s been a week or so, and I’m back in the Joni Mitchell mode again. My one-step copy of Court and Spark has arrived, and while this was Mitchell’s most commercial record, it remains a favorite.

Court and Spark was Mitchell’s transition to a more jazzy period. Read More

This one goes way back to my early audiophile days, when anything that was “half-speed mastered” or “recorded on audiophile vinyl” caught my attention and my wallet.

A trip to my favorite hifi store of the day, Audio Emporium, just outside of Milwaukee, WI where they were playing Ms. Read More

Just the other day, the 10-album box set of Deep Purple’s classic: Made In Japan was released. This one features the main album remixed by Steven Wilson, and if you like what he’s done with classic Yes and King Crimson, there’s a great chance you’ll enjoy this rendition as well. Read More

While their popularity has never waned, (and the band continues to tour today) it might be argued that Los Lobos was at their peak of exposure in the early 1990s. Their soundtrack to the movie La Bamba, in 1987 sold two million copies, but Kiko was their biggest selling album, with close to half a million copies sold. Read More

This one is a mega classic, albeit a bit before my time. However, I think many of us can agree that Hendrix’ debut, released in May 1967 was not only one of the greatest, but most successful rock records of all time.The low distortion of the Acoustic Sounds pressing is thought by many collectors to be the finest rendition of this album, and the lack of tracking error in the Bergmann Thor linear tracking arm has Jimi’s guitar growling like never before. Read More

Long before “Yacht Rock” was a thing, there was Little Feat. Yep, if you dig a bit (or listen carefully) you’ll hear a few Doobie Brothers’ on this record. Come to think of it back in 1977, when this record was released, it was often spun in rooms full of smoke. Read More

Lou Reed’s last solo album, released in January of 2003, is somewhat of a Spinal-Tap ish homage to Edgar Allen Poe. His wife Laurie Anderson often talked about “Difficult Listening Hour,” but this one just might become an acquired taste. Read More