GOLDEN EARRING Contextualize “Eight Miles High”

February 2, 2023

As far as transitional platters go, “Eight Miles High” which THE GOLDEN EARRING put out in 1969 was a primary example of one. The Dutch band’s third album, that was their first not to have an “S” at the end of the ensemble’s name and their last to feature the definitive article in the beginning, yet it was on this album that their signature adventurousness started to come together, what with the side-long titular cover of THE BYRDS’ perennial. So there’s no surprise in it becoming the next release in the group’s expanded reissues’ series.

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SOFT MACHINE Uncover Another Historic Document

January 31, 2023

While the current incarnation of SOFT MACHINE are preparing a fresh studio platter for issue in June, the ensemble’s archivists have been busy finding recordings from the British collective’s classic era. Lately, there have been quite a few of those, from different years, yet 1973 still remains rather poorly covered – limited to a report from May, preserved for posterity soon after bassist Roy Babbington had joined Mike Ratledge, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall and – until now, when a document from October 26th is ready to see the light of day on April 28th.

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Mike Pinera Corrals Stellar Crew For Next Voyage

January 29, 2023

Although he played in IRON BUTTERFLY and starred in RAMATAM, it was with BLUES IMAGE that Mike Pinera had shot to fame in the late ’60s – and it’s this name he’s been working under for quite a few years now. Not that it allowed the veteran to add a lot of new pieces to his brilliant catalogue, if 2017’s "Timeless" was anything to go by, but February will see the singing gunslinger enter the classic waters once again.

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Jah Wobble’s New Album Maps His Regular Routes

January 27, 2023

To each their own: this can be said about many things, including working methods, especially in artistic sphere. Yet while a lot of creative minds prefer to stick to a particular approach, some people never stop experimenting – and Jah Wobble belongs to those restless folks. So if one of his former PIL colleagues, Keith Levene died not so long ago, and another, John Lydon, has just issued, under that collective’s name, a fresh song, the legendary bassist and producer came up with a totally original recording.

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Top Topham Passed Away

January 25, 2023

It seemed so extremely appropriate that Top Topham, known outside of music world as Anthony or Sanderson Topham, THE YARDBIRDS’ original guitarist, was an avid birdwatcher: that same attention to detail had made him such a respected blues artist. Top, who passed away a few days ago at the age of 75, may not be mentioned in the same breath as his more prominent successors in the band, including the recently deceased Jeff Beck, yet it was Topham who, together with Jim McCarty and Paul Samwell-Smith, set the ball rolling.

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