Collaborations may seem incongruous in the highly individual world of avant-garde, yet they are quite frequent and bring forth delicious fruits. That’s how it is on the “Cosmic Dusts” album concocted by a pair of well-known musicians, Elliott Sharp and Tim Motzer who had heard of each other a long time ago, only to meet in person for the first time in August 2025, when the latter ventured north to the former’s Studio zOaR. The results of their improvised sessions are out now.
It’s been more than seven years since Nigel Benjamin passed away at the age of 64, leaving behind him an indelible trace in the history of not one but two influential ensembles. First there were MOTT, who, sans THE HOOPLE, could have stopped, yet didn’t, because the singer proved to be more than an adequate front man for the legendary band; and then, there were MÖTLEY CRÜE, whose precursor, LONDON, wouldn’t have evolved into the American heroes if not for the Englishman giving them gravitas. He deserved to be remembered and celebrated – only he wasn’t, and the pandemic prevented those who could arrange a proper tribute to the late warbler from doing so.
Having gone global with “Radar Love” in 1973, GOLDEN EARRING felt enough creative liberty to experiment on their subsequent albums, 1975’s "Switch" and “To The Hilt” from the following year. But recapturing the worldwide success proved difficult, so on their second 1976 platter the Dutch ensemble resorted to their patented blues-based style. Not that it improved the band’s standing in foreign territories, yet “Contraband” brought forth such fan faves as “Mad Love’s Comin'” and “Bombay” and remains a solid entry in the group’s discography. This is why the record’s upcoming reissue is welcome.
Given his influence and popularity, it’s rather surprising that there are only three official live albums on Bill Withers‘s discography, all of those taped in 1971 and 1972. Thankfully, this will be remedied on November 27th, when the legendary soulster’s 1974 set will be out as part of Record Store Day – the set familiar to many. A soundtrack to Bill’s famous appearance on BBC television that has been doing the rounds for years and is readily available to watch, the seven-song offering captures Withers in his prime.
Almost four decades after his untimely passing, Robert Calvert is still more remembered as a lead singer of HAWKWIND than the master storyteller he was. However, aficionados cherish the South African’s first two albums, the conceptual "Captain Lockheed And The Starfighters" and "Lucky Leif And The Longships" from, respectively, 1974 and 1975, while paying much less attention to his next endeavor, “Hype” from 1981, possibly because its subject matter seemed rather prosaic.
