Scott Sparks
Turn up the volume and grab your denim jacket, because the 1980s didn’t just give us big hair, they delivered monster classic rock soundtracks that ruled radios and rewired pop culture. These weren’t just albums, they were events. First up, the heavyweight champ: Top Gun Soundtrack. Powered by Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” and the Berlin […]
If you haven’t heard of The Arkells yet, mate, you’ve been missing out on one of Canada’s loudest and proudest exports. I’ll admit, they grabbed me by the collar the first time I saw that “walk-on” stage video, band striding out and the crowd absolutely losing its mind. You could feel the floor shaking through […]
Call it the comeback nobody thought they’d dare, but here comes Rush kicking the door in again, and for a 50-year-old guy who still remembers cassette decks and late-night drives, this tour is shaping up to be a flat-out must see. Front and center, you’ve still got Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, the brains and heart of the operation. These aren’t […]
You’re thinking of The J. Geils Band and their monster 1981 album Freeze-Frame—and yeah, what came next is the kind of rise-and-crack story rock history is built on. Coming off Freeze-Frame, they went from road-hardened club killers to MTV royalty overnight, but that glossy, keyboard-driven direction, pushed heavily by Peter Wolf and Seth Justman, didn’t sit right with everyone who built the […]
Alright, you want the best AC/DC records from the Brian Johnson era, but you’re too fancy to include Back in Black. Fine. I’ll give it to you straight, no fluff and no nonsense, just like your doctor did before he told you to cut down on the red meat. 7. Blow Up Your Video (1988)This one? Eh. It’s like that one guy […]
Born from the ashes of Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship carried forward with heavy hitters like Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, and Marty Balin. Later, Mickey Thomas stepped in and helped steer the band into a more polished, radio-friendly direction. Hits followed. Success came easyfor a while. Kantner wasn’t thrilled with the commercial turn. Tensions grew between the original vision and the evolving sound. Members […]
They were loud, dangerous, and impossible to ignore. When Skid Row hit big, it was Sebastian Bach out front, wild, unpredictable, and unforgettable. Backing him were guitarist Dave “Snake” Sabo, bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarist Scotti Hill and drummer Rob Affuso. Their debut album made them stars. Slave to the Grind proved they had teeth. While fans saw unity and the band was splitting at […]
Picture it: the mid-1970s. Gas prices climbing, bell-bottoms flaring and rock music exploding in every direction. You’ve got prog rock wizards, gritty blues revivalists and glitter-drenched glam stars battling for your turntable. Towering over the chaos, bigger, bolder and more unforgettable, stands one album that didn’t just define the decade…it owned it. We’re talking about […]
Alright, pal, here’s the deal, guys my age grew up with Eagles records blasting out of every car with decent speakers. That brand is HUGE. So when Henley steps out on his own, what happens? People still hear the band. They don’t separate the man from the machine. Fair? Not really, but that’s how it goes. Look […]
Pink Floyd fans, listen up—this is the kind of release that makes you feel 25 again. Live From The Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 is coming back in style and not some cheap knockoff either. Sony Music is rolling out a gorgeous four-LP clear vinyl edition exclusively for Record Store Day on April […]
5. Fly Like an EagleYeah, yeah, I know, you thought this would be number one. Relax. It’s great, it’s smooth, it’s got that spacey groove that made every guy in the ‘70s think he was deep because he owned a lava lamp. “Fly Like an Eagle,” “Take the Money and Run”, fantastic. But let’s be […]
I’m gonna tell you about this Aerosmith rerelease and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. So, here we got Aerosmith, a bunch of guys who’ve been around longer than your uncle’s bad cholesterol, putting their classic material back out into the world. You might say, “Hey, what’s the big deal? We already heard this stuff!” Yeah, […]