Posts by Alby

Roky Erickson, one of rock's most famous burnout cases, died Friday in Texas. Erickson's 13th Floor Elevators, formed when he was still a teenager, pioneered psychedelic rock (and championed psychedelics)…

Two posthumous singles by the late Charles Bradley, the Screaming Eagle of Soul, have been released in the past month. They were recorded in late 2016, shortly after Bradley learned…

Ever since "Graceland" Paul Simon has been scorned over his penchant for what's now called cultural appropriation. But time was he wasn't universally condemned for traveling abroad to tap into…

This is not only one of the best R&B covers of a pop song you'll ever hear, the guitar by Duane Allman is credited with giving birth to the entire…

Used to be that R&B acts would cover mainstream pop hits routinely, often improving them in the process. You can't find a better example than what the Isley Brothers did…

People know this song from Bobby Womack's 1974 release, which reached No. 10 on the Hot 100 (No. 1 on the Hot Soul Singles chart), but that wasn't its first…

Didn't mean to run another War song so soon, but to quote the lyrics, summertime is here. Yes, I know Americans foolishly start their seasons with a celestial solstices and…

Every once in a while I learn that a hit song that I thought was original is actually a cover. That's the case here. The song was a hit in…

This band was a true one-hit wonder. Originally from Florida, Blues Image moved to Los Angeles in 1969 and released one album before 1970's "Open," which included their only hit,…