Posts by Alby

It's been nearly a decade since Amy Winehouse died and she still hasn't been replaced. In 2006, when she was on top of the world after the release of her…

It's actually about the band on tour not being able to find the Holiday Inn -- that's the sign they were looking for in the middle of the night --…

If you're old enough, you probably know this as the first record by British invaders Herman's Hermits, one that reached No. 1 in the UK (and No. 13 in the…

Bob Dylan wrote this during the Basement Tapes sessions in 1967 and has recorded it three times (none are available on YouTube, which Dylan's people police pretty closely). None of…

Though they're now acknowledged as founding fathers of power pop, Raspberries weren't fully appreciated in their time. Their Mod-based sound was considered lightweight, their teen-angst lyrics banal, their matching-suits look…

For reasons that don't matter anymore, disco mostly sucked. But it was closely related to funk, which meant some truly funky music got dance-floor exposure, too. L.T.D. (it stood for…

This song has nothing to do with the holiday, but I don't care, I just like the tune. For me it's the standout song on "Wishing Like a Maountain and…

Bruce Springsteen's "Letter to You" album, released a month ago, got reviews I would characterize more as respectful than enthusiastic. Many of the songs replicate the arena-rock template Springsteen laid…

When the Beatles led the first wave of the British Invasion, the band that challenged them in popularity wasn't the Rolling Stones, who were still playing blues covers -- it…

Eric Clapton and George Harrison's lives and careers were intertwined to a remarkable degree -- they played on each other's albums, they gave each other guitars, they even stayed friends…

When it comes to guys cracking up, I like the classics. This song, probably best and most-popular in Grand Funk's repertoire, has been open to wide interpretation -- one view…

Laurie Anderson was a performance artist and musician with a following among New York's boho art scene for years before she became suddenly famous in 1981, when star British DJ…

I have no topical reference today, just a song I keep on my playlist that nobody else has ever heard. I'm a sucker for power pop, and this little ditty…