‘Walking The Dog’: How Rufus Thomas Hit His Stride
Rufus Thomas was no pup when Walking The Dog was released. Born in 1917, he’d earned a decent living around Memphis as an MC, dancer,...
Rock’n’Roll Guitar Hero: Cliff Gallup, Idolized By Clapton, Beck, Page And More
He was literally instrumental in the early days of rock’n’roll and influenced a generation of future guitar figureheads. They ranged from Jimmy Page and Hank...
‘Cryptic Writings’: Deciphering Megadeth’s Shift To Radio-Ready Metal
When Cryptic Writings was released, on June 17, 1997, Megadeth were riding the crest of a commercial wave. In 1992, Countdown To Extinction had seen...
‘One Of The Boys’: Katy Perry’s Satirical, Inclusive Debut Album
Novelty or not? That was the question people asked of Katy Perry during her breakthrough. “I Kissed A Girl” is the sort of song that,...
‘Turn On Your Love Light’: Jerry Lee Lewis Covers Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland
Jerry Lee Lewis’ arrival on Mercury Records continued his exploration of the country sound that had always been part of his musical make-up. He had...
‘Empyrean Isles’: How Herbie Hancock Charted New Territory In Jazz
On Wednesday, June 17, 1964, pianist Herbie Hancock went into Van Gelder Studio, in New Jersey, to record what became Empyrean Isles, his fourth album...