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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
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Album review : RAVEN Screamin’ Down The House (4 CD set)
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Album review : DEAR MR.FANTASY Featuring the Music of Jim Capaldi and Traffic (2cd+DVD remaster)
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Album review: ERJA LYYTINEN – Smell The Roses
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Album review : RUSS BALLARD – Songs From The Warehouse / The Hits Rewired (2CDs)
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Album review: PYLON POETS – Demise of the Divine
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Album review: ALLY VENABLE – Money & Power
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Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: JOHN REILLY AND LEWIS NITIKMAN – Crazy Coqs, London, 16 April 2025
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Gig review: THEA GILMORE – Nantwich Civic Hall, 17 April 2025
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Gig review: MATT PEARCE AND THE MUTINY /JACK J HUTCHINSON- The Grace, London, 12 April 2025
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Gig review: SWEET – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 5 April 2025
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Gig review: ROMEO’S DAUGHTER- The Garage, London, 28 March 2025
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Gig review: SOUTH OF SALEM – Thekla, Bristol, 27 March 2025
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Book Reviews
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Category Archives: BOOK REVIEWS
Book review: On track – Decades – ERIC CLAPTON, PORCUPINE TREE, LED ZEPPELIN, GENESIS, YES
Sonicbond Publishing The On Track series continues unabated and this – and the companion series ‘Decades’ – to a large extent reflects the enthusiasm of the publisher Stephen Lambe and his band of individual authors. Whilst we are frequently critical … Continue reading
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Tagged book, Cardiacs, Decades, Eric Clapton, Genesis, Jefferson Airplane, Led Zeppelin, MORRISSEY, On Track, Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, review, Sonicbond, Tangerine Dream, The Bee Gees, The Damned, THE DOORS, the Smiths, Tori Amos, Yes
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Book review: ERUPTION – CONVERSATIONS WITH EDDIE VAN HALEN by Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill
Hachette Publishing [Publication date 28.10.21] When Eddie Van Halen lost his prolonged struggles with cancer last autumn the rock world mourned – the number of Facebook friends who put his ‘Frankenstein’ guitar patterned design as their cover photo in memoriam … Continue reading
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Tagged book, Brad Tolinski, Chris Gill, Eddie Van Halen, review, Van Halen
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Book review: Please Please Tell Me Now – The Duran Duran Story by Stephen Davis
Hachette Books [Publication date 15.07.21] Renowned American music biographer Stephen Davis is probably best known for the excellent “Hammer of The Gods” Led Zeppelin biography, but he has also written outstanding books on the likes of Aerosmith, Guns n Roses … Continue reading
Book review: BEAST – JOHN BONHAM & THE RISE OF LED ZEPPELIN by CM Kuskins
Hachette [Publication date 30.09.21] John Bonham had drumming in his blood it seems, having first learned to play the drums at the age of five. Despite never taking formal lessons, he began drumming for local bands immediately after leaving … Continue reading
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Tagged album, blues rock, book, classic rock, CM Kuskins, Dave Grohl, drummer, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Led Zeppelin, review, Robert Plant, rock
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Book review: WHO IS BLUES Vol.2 – The Interviews. Blues Encounters 2000 – 2020 by Vincent Abbate
Self Published [Publication date 01.09.21] ‘Who Is The Blues Vol.2: The Interviews. Blues Encounters 2000-2020′ is an interesting cross section of 20 years of interviews of contemporary blues artists by the German based, New York blues scribe Vincent Abbate. Abbate … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS, Books
Tagged author, BB King, blues, Bobby Rush, book, Buddy Guy, Dave Gonzales, interviews, John Mooney, Josh Smith, Paul Delay, Quinn Sullivan, review, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Samantha Fish, Sue Foley, Terry Evans, The Holmes Brothers, Tommy Castro, Vincent Abbate, Walter Trout, Watermelon Slim, Who is Blues Vol.2
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Book review: BOBBY RUSH with Herb Powell – I Ain’t Studdin Ya: My American Blues Story
Hachette Books [Publication date 15.07.21] Grammy award winner Emmett Ellis Jnr aka Bobby Rush’s ‘I Ain’t Studdin’ Ya: My American Blues Story’ is easily one of the best musical biographies of the year. It’s the life and time of a … Continue reading
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Tagged 'I Ain't Studdin ya: My American Blues Story, Alan Freed, BB King, Big Joe Turner, biography, Bobby Rush, book, Chess Records, Chitlin Cicuit, Chuck Berry, comedy, drums, fats Domino, guitar, harp, Herb Powell, Little Richard, Little Walter, Luther Allison, Muddy Waters, Ray Charles, review, Rufus Thomas, Sonny Boy Williamson
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Book review: ERJA LYYTINEN – The Blues Queen by Mape Ollila
Docendo Oy Publishing [Publication date 06.11.20] ‘Erja Lyytinen – The Blues Queen’ is a refreshingly honest biography about a hugely talented classically trained violinist turned rock blues guitarist, singer-songwriter, band leader and perfectionist in search of respect and acceptance. It’s … Continue reading
Book review: On Track…TOM PETTY (Every album, every song) by Richard James
SonicBond Publishing (Release Date 30.07.21) The posthumous Tom Petty box set was titled ‘An American Treasure’, a fitting description of a legend of rock who did things on his own terms and has perhaps only been fully appreciated since his … Continue reading
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Tagged book, On Track, Richard James, Tom Petty, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
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Book review: Loud ’n’ Proud – 50 Years Of Nazareth by Martin Popoff
Wymer Publishing [Publication date 06.08.21] Scottish rock legends have been recording for 50 years now, and a book on the band and their fantastic legacy has been long overdue. Their charting days be over (they were chart and Top Of … Continue reading
Book review: Decades – THE SWEET in the 1970s by Darren Johnson
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 20.07.21; 24.09.21 US only] Reviewing a book by a fellow GRTR! writer, ooh tricky one but luckily Darren Johnson has written a short, concise, informative and entertaining book on 70s glam rock icons the Sweet. Sweet … Continue reading
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Tagged 70's rock, Andy Scott, book, Brian Connolly, classic rock, Darren Johnson, Decades, glam rock, review, rock, Sonicbond Publishing, The Sweet in the 1970s
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Book review: Decades – FLEETWOOD MAC in the 1970s by Andrew Wild
SonicBond Publishing [Publication date 14.05.21] No band survived the seventies with a more spectacular transformation than Fleetwood Mac. They began it as a successful British blues band who were about to be left reeling by the departure of their founder … Continue reading
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Tagged Andrew Wild, book, Decades, Fleetwood Mac, review
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Book review: Decades – URIAH HEEP in the 1970s by Steve Pilkington
Sonicbond Publishing (Release Date 28.03.21) Following the series of ‘On Track’ releases, reviewing a band’s back catalogue in comprehensive detail, Sonicbond have been moving onto a new ‘decades’ concept in which a band’s history is examined in more detail over … Continue reading
Book review: On track…CAMEL (Every album, every song) by Hamish Kuzminski
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 14.06.21] Camel are a band that certainly deserve both a concise overview and a continuing recognition of their collective greatness, and significant contribution to the world of prog. None other than Steve Rothery supplies the foreword, … Continue reading
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Book review: Babysitting A Band On The Rocks by GD Praetorius
Sonic Bond Publishing [Publication date 14.05.21] G. D. Praetorius is a life-long rock music fan who was involved in the production of almost 200 rock shows from the mid-70’s through to the mid-80s. Mostly based in and around Long Island, … Continue reading
Book review: Decades – Curved Air in the 1970s by Laura Shenton
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 18.06.21] Author Laura Shenton makes no excuses for compiling a series of extracts from previously published work. This includes contemporaneous snippets from the likes of Disc & Music Echo to more recent cribs from Prog magazine. … Continue reading
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Tagged book, Curved Air in the 1970s, Darryl Way, Decades, Francis Monkman, Laura Shenton, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Sonja Kristina
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Book review: On track…Marc Bolan, Tyrannosaurus Rex and T.Rex (Every album, every song) by Peter Gallagher
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 11.06.21] By the time of his untimely death in 1977 Marc Bolan was still releasing singles, although the big hits of earlier this decade were behind him, he had his own successful TV show and more … Continue reading
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Tagged book, Every Album, Every Song, Marc Bolan, On Track, Peter Gallagher, review, Tyrannosaurus Rex and T.Rex
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Book review: Alice Cooper in the 1970’s by Chris Sutton
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 28.03.21] There is no denying that the1970’s was the decade that the Alice Cooper band went from virtual nobodies to household names, but it was also a decade of massive upheaval for the band as front … Continue reading
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Tagged Alice Cooper in the 1970’s, Bob Ezrin, book, Chris Sutton, classic rock, pop, review, rock 'n' roll, shock rock, Sonic Bond Publishing
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Book review: On track…ASIA (Every album, every song) by Peter Braidis
Sonicbond Publishing [Release date 14.05.21] Asia were formed in 1981, one of the enduring melodic rock “supergroups” of that decade and one of the most successful. Many readers will only remember the “classic” original line-up (and debut album) but this … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Asia, book, Carl Palmer, Every Album, Every Song, Geoff Downes, John Payne, John Weeton, melodic rock, On Track, Peter Braidis, Progressive Rock, review, Steve Howe
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Book review: IGGY & THE STOOGES: On Stage 1967-1974 by Per Nilsen
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 14.05.21] Iggy Pop is almost a household name, here in the UK he has appeared in various television commercials over the last few years and none more than the last year or so. Whilst Iggy & … Continue reading
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Tagged alternative, book, garage rock, Iggy & The Stooges On Stage 1967-1974, Iggy Pop, Per Nilsen, review, rock
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Book review: On track…STEVE HACKETT (Every album, every song) – Geoffrey Feakes
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 30.05.21] The hallmark of a good rock read has to be when the reader genuinely learns something new about the subject matter. Geoffrey Feakes is evidently a real fan of Hackett’s work but once again there … Continue reading
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Tagged book, Every Song, Genesis, Geoffrey Feakes, guitar, guitarist, instrumental, On track...STEVE HACKETT - every album, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Solo
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Book review: Decades – Focus in the 1970s (Stephen Lambe)
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 30.04.21] At the outset I should declare an interest. As an inveterate Focus-watcher since the early 1970s, author of articles about the band for Record Collector magazine, liner notes, and the first book about Jan Akkerman … Continue reading
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Tagged book, Focus, Focus In The 1970s, Jan Akkerman, Mike Vernon, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Stephen Lambe, Thijs van Leer
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Book review: On track…LEVEL 42, AIMEE MANN (Every Album, Every Song)
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 01.04.21] Level 42 were very much a band of the eighties – the decade of their greatest success – and submerged their early brand of jazz rock fusion in a highly accessible blend of pop funk. … Continue reading
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Tagged 'Til Tuesday, acoustic, Aimee Mann, book, Every Album, Every Song, folk, indie, jazz funk, jazz fusion, Level 42, Mark King, Mike Lindop, On Track, pop funk, review
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Book review: ROY WOOD, KANSAS (On Track…)
Sonic Bond Publishing Roy Wood: The Move, ELO & Wizzard by James R Turner The ‘On Track…’ series gets to one of my musical heroes, Roy Wood. An interesting musician to cover, as although he still tours, Roy Wood has … Continue reading
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Tagged AOR, book, classic rock, ELO, glam rock, Jeff Lynne, Kansas, Kerry Livgren, melodic rock, On Track, pomp rock, prog rock, review, rock 'n' roll, Roy Wood, Steve Wlash, The Move, Wizzard
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Book review: On track…UFO (Every Album, Every Song) by Richard James
Sonicbond Publishing [Release date 26.02.21] It was a sad day when UFO announced their ‘Last Orders’ tour in 2018, even sadder when a couple of weeks after the UK leg long-standing keyboard/guitar player Paul Raymond died of a heart attack. … Continue reading
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Tagged book, Every Album, Every Song, Michael Schenker, On Track, Pete Way, Phil Mogg, review, Richard James, UFO, Vinnie Moore
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Book review: OFF THE CHARTS by KAT GOLDMAN
Sutherland House [Publication date 09.02.21] Canadian singer songwriter Kat Goldman has made four critically acclaimed albums and her songs have been covered by Grammy-nominated band, The Duhks, Dar Williams, among many others. I will be honest I had not … Continue reading
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Tagged book, folk, Kat Goldman, memoir, Off The Charts, pop, review, singer songwriter
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