Features
Best Lionel Hampton Songs: 20 Jazz Essentials
A huge figure in American music, here's an introduction to the flamboyant bandleader and stage entertainer.
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Jaco Pastorius, An Introduction To The Jazz Legend
Jaco Pastorius often told people that he was the greatest bass player in the world. During his brief, mercurial career, that claim didn't seem that crazy.
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‘A Very Special Season’: Celebrating The Holidays, Diana Ross Style
Revealing just how she feels about the holidays, ‘A Very Special Season’ is a heartfelt Christmas album from Motown legend Diana Ross.
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Delivering ‘The Sermon!’ With The High Priest Of The Hammond, Jimmy Smith
Recorded across two sessions, ‘The Sermon!’ finds the Hammond organ master Jimmy Smith at his finest for Blue Note.
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‘Lick My Decals Off, Baby’: Another Tasty Offering From Captain Beefheart
Released in December 1970, Captain Beefheart’s ‘Lick My Decals Off, Baby’ album found him bringing the ‘Trout Mask Replica’ era to its conclusion.
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‘Workin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet’: A Job Lot Of Post-Bop Brilliance
Profoundly exploratory, ‘Workin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet’ proved that Miles Davis assembled one of the most progressive groups in jazz.
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‘A Motown Christmas’ Album: The Most Soulful Seasonal Offering
A generous offering for the holidays, ‘A Motown Christmas’ includes seasonal classics from Stevie, Smokey, The Supremes, and Jackson 5.
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‘Earth AD’: How Misfits Fashioned A Lasting Hardcore Punk Classic
Pioneering a thrashier style of metal-infused punk, Misfits’ ‘Earth AD’ turned the group into 'the archetypal horror-punk band of the early 80s.'
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‘Shamal’: How Gong Took A New Trip Into Eastern Mysticism
Gong’s ‘Shamal’ was a transitional LP, bridging between the stewardships of visionary Australian Daevid Allen and the prodigiously talented Pierre Moerlen.
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‘Before And After Science’: Brian Eno’s Dimension-Straddling Classic
Prefacing the ambient music which Brian Eno would pursue later on, ‘Before And After Science’ pulled off the feat of uniting pro- and anti-punks in 1977.
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The Filth And The Fury! How Sex Pistols Sparked A Media Outrage
With their ‘The Filth & The Fury’ headline, the ‘Daily Mirror’ lit the touchpaper for a hate campaign against Sex Pistols in 1977.
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How Agnetha Fältskog’s Secret Solo Career Birthed ABBA’s Sound
With echoes of ABBA standards such as ‘Fernando,’ Agnetha Fältskog’s solo debut album pointed towards that group’s iconic sound.
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Best Halsey Songs: 20 Unapologetically Outspoken Alt-Pop Anthems
Over the course of their career, Halsey has pushed the limits of how audiences perceive pop music.
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‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’: So This Is Christmas, With John And Yoko
'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' became a cast-iron Yuletide favourite, but its original UK peak was No.4.
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‘Songs Of Experience’: U2 Blend Wisdom With Innovation
The release of U2’s 14th studio album on December 1, 2017 was greeted with an iTunes No.1 in a mere 45 countries.
