Somewhere I’ve Never Travelled is the second album by American symphonic/art-rock band Ambrosia, produced by Alan Parsons and released in 1976 on 20th Century Records. A gala of sound and spectacle, the album spins with the xylophone gusts that course through “The Brunt” and the spiraling ivory of “Danse With Me George.” Earlier on, “Cowboy […]
Slow Dancer is the sixth solo studio album by American vocalist/guitarist Boz Scaggs, released in 1974 on Columbia Records. The lavish sweep of “You Make It so Hard (To Say No)” and the watery glimmer of “Take It for Granted” exhibit a newfound elegance and chivalry from the crooner. Elsewhere, the cutting thrust of “Angel […]
Tilt – Immagini Per Un Orecchio is the 1974 debut album by Italian sextet Arti & Mestieri. From the synth-walled/violin-strewn metric shuffles of “Gravità 9,81” to the guitar/vibraphone filigree of the exceedingly brisk “Positivo/Negativo,” Furio Chirico bombards the proceedings with tome/snare spray of unparalleled speed. Across the epic proportions of “Articolazioni,” the frenzied approach alternates […]
Byzantium is the debut album by the namesake English quartet, released in 1972 on A&M. Across the album’s eight tracks — mostly written by manager Jamie Rubinstein — the young members prove competent on a range of sundry instruments. The scratching licks and fold-out vocal refrain of “What Is Happening” segues into the standstill strum and […]
Frob is the sole album by German instrumental four-piece Frob, released in 1976. Coursing throughout this release are the searing scales of guitarist Philippe Caillat and the machine-gun fills of drummer Peter Meuffels. “Flash” kicks off with a four-note bass gallop in D that is swiftly joined by snare-hyper drums, icy organ keys and the […]
Peter Gabriel — aka the “melting face” album — is the third consecutive self-titled solo album from Peter Gabriel. The album was issued in 1980 by Geffen after having been rejected by the artist’s longtime label Atlantic. Stylistically, the songs experiment with the buzzy, trebly sonorities of the day. Percussive ethno sounds course through “No […]
The Affectionate Punch is a 1980 album by Scottish duo The Associates. Joining the team of Billy Mackenzie and Alan Rankine for this debut offering is Cure frontman Robert Smith, who sings backup vocals on the chordally scrambled title-track. Sporting a clean, refined, and vocally suave sound reflective of the duo’s image, the album is […]
Siren is the fifth album by Euro-style English sextet Roxy Music. Released in 1975, the album — which completes the Jobson trilogy that also includes Stranded (1973) and Country Life (1974) — would be the band’s last before their initial split. Continuing the trilogy’s romanticism of decadence and dissonance, the album is highlighted by the […]
Country Life is the fourth album by Euro-styled English sextet Roxy Music. Released in 1974 at the height of the band’s popularity, the album refines the newfound classicism of its predecessor. With a mood that veers between opulent and ominous, the album is highlighted by the windy vortex of “Out of the Blue,” the searing […]
Stranded is the third album by Roxy Music. Released in November 1973, the album is the first in a trilogy to feature violinist/keyboardist Eddie Jobson, whose lavish classicism refined the band’s sound. The flamboyant exuberance that emblazons “Street Life” is swiftly betrayed by a darker vibe best embodied by the melancholic melodrama of “A Song […]
For Your Pleasure is the sophomore full-length from English sextet Roxy Music. Released in March 1973, the album is their last to feature synthist Brian Eno, who would launch his solo career that same year. Thematically, the album contrasts romanticism and decadence with material that ranges from flamboyant (“Do the Strand”) to fractious (“Editions of […]
Roxy Music is the debut album by the namesake English art-rock band, released in 1972 on Island Records. Despite its muddy production, the album pioneers sonic territory with the effects-laden, expressionistic contributions of the three main soloists. Evoking a mix of film noir and futurism, the music alternates fractured epics (“Remake/Re-model”, “Sea Breezes”) with simmering […]
Todd Rundgren’s Utopia is a 1974 album by Rundgren’s revolving-door studio ensemble, which had come together during sessions for his recent A Wizzard, a True Star and Todd LPs. Expanding on the musical directions of that latter release, the four tracks on this album weave contrapuntal interplay with intergalactic sonics. The 30-minute suite that occupies […]
Too Hot to Handle is the 1976 debut album from U.K.-based American soul-funk sextet Heatwave. The rubbery strobe-light snap of “Boogie Nights” has become a dance-floor classic, while the evergreen bliss of “Always and Forever” rings eternal as a candlelight slow jam. Other highlights include the maj7 harmonized sweetness of “All You Do is Dial,” […]
Seven and the Ragged Tiger is the third album by English pop sensation Duran Duran. Released in late-1983 at the apex of the band’s global dominance, the album spawned a worldwide stadium tour documented on the following year’s Arena album and concert video. Three of the album’s songs — the debonair “New Moon on Monday,” […]
Rio is the sophomore album by English quintet Duran Duran. Released in 1982 as the band were breaking on a global scale, the album augments their modernist sound with foreign flavors and an overall cosmopolitanism vibe — an aesthetic rendered by the album’s era-defining Nagel cover art. Maintaining the first LP’s balance of chic singalongs […]
Something Else by The Kinks is the fifth proper studio album by The Kinks, released in 1967 on Pye (UK) and Reprise (US). Recorded during the band’s four-year exile from stateside touring, the album reflects a more idiosyncratically English sensibility than prior efforts. The album covers a range of styles, including harpsichord-laden narratives (“Two Sisters”), […]
POV is a 1985 album by Utopia. The release would mark the eighth and final studio outing of the classic lineup of Rundgren, Sulton, Powell, and Wilcox. Musically, the album advances the hi-tech approach of Oblivion. Highlights include the neon-powered “Zen Machine” and “More Light,” the vibe-toned Fairlight mid-pacer “Mimi Gets Mad,” and the anthemic […]
Nearly Human is a 1989 album by Todd Rundgren. The album marked his first release of new material in four years, during which time he’d been engrossed in production work. In contrast to his mostly self-contained post-Runt solo recordings, he assembled a full studio ensemble for this album. Included in the lineup are keyboardist Brent […]
Healing is a 1981 album by Todd Rundgren, issued on Bearsville as a single LP with a bonus 7″. The material ranges from blue-eyed soul reminiscent of associates Hall & Oates (“Compassion”) to vocal/xylo jigsaw pieces in the vein of Gentle Giant (“Pulse”). Side two consists of a three-part electro-meditation suite. The Magritte-themed video for […]
