“For the fan a chance to revisit songs and albums and for newcomers a roadmap to hopefully enhance their listening habits. Of course in an age of renewed vinyl interest these books may be the perfect complement.”

We catch up on six months of Sonicbond publications in their ‘On Track…’ series. Publication date in brackets.

Sonicbond continue to publish compact artist surveys in their “On track…” series and they are generally a good, reliable introduction to the music.  Seasoned fans may challenge often subjective views but these tomes are mostly balanced and always written by genuine fans.

Steve Marriott’s death in a fire in April 1991 robbed us of a fine vocalist, musician and frontman. Robert Day-Webb details his work with Humble Pie one of those early 1970s “supergroups” that also came and went far too quickly. They might be best known for the revered “Rockin’ The Fillmore” which Day-Webb describes as “one of the greatest live albums ever.”

Original guitarist Peter Frampton left the band shortly before the live album’s release but the band (now with Clem Clempson) rebounded with the commercially successful ‘Smokin’. Sadly it went downhill from there, with a series of setbacks that permeate the story of rock ‘n’ roll: drugs, alcohol and bad management. **** (June)

There’s so much that’s been written about His Royal Bobness – can anyone add to it? Probably not but, in accordance with this series, Opher Goodwin’s book offers 1962-1970 in a bite-sized chunk. Incredibly, given his personal issues during this period, Bob Dylan released almost an album a year. All chronicled here. *** (July)

Lisa Torem mentions that Suzanne Vega has been compared lyrically to Dylan and in interviews she has confirmed him as a major influence. As a journalist Norem has interviewed Vega several times along with some of the movers and shakers such as early collaborator Steve Addabbo. So she probably has a better feel for the artist than most. But do you really need to include a photo of yourself in the illustrations? *** (July)

Sadly Yes had to cancel their UK tour dates this year but Stephen Lambe (head honcho at Sonicbond) has updated his 2018 book on the band. This brings the story up to date with the more recent albums ‘The Quest’ and ‘Mirror To The Sky’.

Lambe has also taken the opportunity to reappraise what was essentially an early title in the series, expanding the live recordings section and altering his original opinion in places. Hindsight is a fine thing and demonstrates the “permanence” of the printed page and the need for accuracy versus online material which can easily be amended. ***1/2

With the passing of David Crosby in 2023 we can take a fresh look at his early band The Byrds with Andy McArthur.

The band’s jangly, commercial psychedelic pop gave way to country/roots rock and influenced many US bands in the 1970s (and beyond) R.E.M. perhaps being the most obvious descendants. The track by track analysis covers their formation, rise and fall and their legacy. **** (August)

Ethan Roy’s Lou Reed 1972-86 focuses on the singer’s early solo work, following his time with The Velvet Underground. Reed’s personal story is also covered as a backdrop to a period highlighted by the album ‘Transformer’ (1972) where he received support from Bowie and members of his band. **** (August)

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (SAHB) have long been revered not least for their charismatic frontman whose career started out in Scottish dance halls and then flourished perhaps belatedly in 1972 when he was 37.

Peter Gallagher’s album by album dissection sets Harvey’s trajectory against a tough childhood in the Gorbals district of Glasgow and includes the band Tear Gas which eventually morphed into SAHB. Gallagher’s book should be read in conjunction with John Neil Munro’s 2002 biography. **** (September)

Hawkwind have celebrated 2023 with a Royal Albert Hall gig and a definitive 10-CD box set for Space Ritual’s 50th Anniversary. Sadly this version isn’t mentioned in Duncan Harris’ updated book which follows the band’s progress from 1969. Whilst the core of the band has remained with Dave Brock, discussed here, there’s probably a book to be written about the various band offshoots over the years. **** (October)

Daryl Richard Lawrence doesn’t attempt to encapsulate the whole of Linda Ronstadt‘s recorded output in one 140 page tome, as is usual with these books. He focuses on arguably her best years (up to 1989) and emphasises how she covered a lot of musical ground from country to mainstream pop rock. She was also a trendsetter in the 1970s when she took control of her career. She published her own memoirs in 2013.

Lawrence sums up the nature of these “On track…” books. For the fan a chance to revisit songs and albums and for newcomers a roadmap to hopefully enhance their listening habits. Of course in an age of renewed vinyl interest these books may be the perfect complement. ***1/2 (October)

The Jam were one of the most significant bands to come out of the punk/new wave era. Author Stan Jefferies was only 11 when the band were playing the pubs of London (in 1976) but it wasn’t until three years later he received a Rickenbacker bass for his birthday ( a la Bruce Foxton) that his Jam love affair really started.

Sadly Jefferies openly admits he hasn’t had access to any band members which is a shame as even Paul Weller is a bit more talkative about nostalgia these days. *** (October)

One of the great advantages of these books is introducing bands that you’ve heard of but know nothing about. They will either whet the appetite or confirm why they’ve escaped your attention. These bands usually sit outside your main era of musical interest. For me, this applies to U.S. rockers The Smashing Pumpkins. For some reason I wasn’t much into music in the decade of grunge.

Matt Karpe provides a decent account of the period of their greatest success (1991-2000) when they actually bucked the zeitgeist and produced anthemic alt-rock. Given that there is no official history of the band, Karpe has culled his material from the usual secondary, mainly online sources but his quotes are not attributed in the main text. As is often the case with these books, this makes it  less useful as a work of reference. *** (November)

It is a very brave task to analyse – track by track – the music of Soft Machine. If you think King Crimson can be somewhat up their own arse, you probably haven’t heard Soft Machine. Full marks then to Scott Meze.

He places the band as prominent in the so-called Canterbury Scene that spawned early collaborator Kevin Ayers and the more accessible Caravan. And he doesn’t mince his words: “No other artist in the history of rock has been as pig-headed.” Meze’s book is designed to make Soft Machine more “hospitable”. Four stars at least for that. **** (November)

No such challenge for Paul O. Jenkins who celebrates singer songwriter Ralph McTell and a career that spans over 50 years. Best known for his ‘Streets Of London’ Jenkins demonstrates that this song is just a small part of the picture. McTell was influenced by country-blues artists and many of his best works are actually protest songs.

Perhaps more importantly this new appreciation has McTell’s blessing and he provides the foreword. **** (November)

Review by David Randall

www.sonicbondpublishing.com

Reviews 2023

On track…Van Halen (February 2023)
On track…Eagles (March 2023)
On track…REO Speedwagon (April 2023)
On track…The Beat/Depeche Mode (December 2023)

Other titles

Fleetwood Mac in the 1980s (January 2023)
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band in the 1970s (January 2023)
Queen in the 1970s (March 2023)
Magic: The David Paton Story (April 2023)
Slade In The 1970s (May 2023)

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Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)

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