album reviews
Reviews of albums old and new from iconic artists and up and coming musicians alike.
8th of August, 1964: 'Another Side of Bob Dylan' by Bob Dylan Was Released
After the success of the albums The Times They Are A-Changin' and The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan had really made a name for himself as the singer of the protest song or the bard of the 60s. He then went on to create this severely underrated masterpiece. Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964) was the guitar-strumming, nasal-singing, poetic-balance that met the previous albums with a slightly less serious sound and yet, has some songs on it that are considered a few of Bob Dylan’s greatest masterpieces. This is also where Bob Dylan experiments with sounds that he’ll revisit on Bringing it All Back Home (1965). I mean just listen to the song “Black Crow Blues” from Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964) and then listen to the songs “On the Road Again” and “Outlaw Blues” from Bringing it All Back Home (1965). I mean the latter songs may be electric, but they have the same basic bluesy concept. What I’m going to do in this article is explain to you five things about the album Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964) that I love in celebration of its birthday. I feel like sometimes this album is overlooked because of the success of Freewheelin’ and the iconic status of The Times They Are a-Changin’. But it is the first album that really begins the myth of the ever-changing Bob Dylan and here are the five things I’ve chosen to go through today.
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in Beat
'The Yes Album' - A Venture Into Perpetual Change
For many Yes fans, The Yes Album is where much of what Yes is most known for really started. Part of that has to do with the recruitment of guitarist Steve Howe, who helped define their sound throughout the 1970s. He joined Jon Anderson (vocals), Bill Bruford (drums), Tony Kaye (keyboards), and Chris Squire (bass). And the songs were getting lengthier than before. Gone are the cover songs, a few of which they put on their first two albums. While the title The Yes Album is definitely an odd one given that it is their third album, perhaps it is deserving of that title if only for the fact that these tracks are all compositions solely by the members of Yes. The band wanted to move forward, and this album, the first of several produced by Eddy Offord (who was an engineer on Time and a Word) helped them reach more ears when it was released on February 19, 1971.
By Steven Shinder6 years ago in Beat
'Time and a Word' - Good Yes Music Then and Now
Yes' first album may not have made the biggest splash, but it showcased some of the adventurous drive that would remain within the band for years to come. Original members Jon Anderson (vocals), Peter Banks (guitar), Bill Bruford (drums), Tony Kaye (keyboard), and Chris Squire (bass) could have very well remained content and done another similar albu. And in some ways, Time and a Word is similar, even right down to having eight tracks, two of which are covers. But it was decided that an orchestra conducted by Tony Cox should be included, thus giving Yes' second album a different flavor. Released July 24, 1970 (just a day short of the one-year anniversary of the first album's release), Time and a Word showcased an early instance of the continuous evolution of Yes music.
By Steven Shinder6 years ago in Beat
Kansas City, KS Underground Rap Act Breathes Life Back Into 2019's Entire Hip-Hop Genre
When most people think of Kansas City hip-hop, Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO) is the first municipality that comes to mind. It's the home of the NFL's Chiefs and the MLB's Royals in the world of professional sports.
By Victor Trammell6 years ago in Beat
'Yes: 50 Live' Is a Must-Have for EnthusiYests
The newest official release from Yes is a live album from Rhino Records titled Yes: 50 Live. Its general release is August 2, 2019, just a day short of the 51st anniversary of the first Yes gig. However, the live album has been available at live shows during The Royal Affair Tour that Yes, Asia, Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy, and John Lodge of The Moody Blues have just completed. As far as the cover art goes, Roger Dean has done it again, capturing the fantastical and epic feel that Yes music can evoke.
By Steven Shinder6 years ago in Beat
'Revenge of the Dreamers III' Review
Grammy nominated rapper and producer J. Cole founded his label Dreamville along with his manager Ibrahim Hamad in 2007 during the time Cole was working on his first mixtape, The Come Up. The label has signed Ari Lennox, Bas, Cozz, Omen, Lute, J.I.D., Earthgang and Cole himself. In 2014, the label released their first album, Revenge of the Dreamers, which was followed by Revenge of the Dreamers II in 2015. Four years later, the label releases Revenge of the Dreamers III on July 5, 2019. The album was recorded in January 2019, and the process of recording and finishing the album was called the Revenge of the Dreamers sessions and was made into a documentary that was released three days before the album. The sessions invited an array of artists and producers who came and contributed to the album. Some of these artist are Smino, Saba, T.I., Dreezy, and Buddy. There were over 100 songs created, but Cole and Ibrahim settled on 18.
By Dakota Thomas6 years ago in Beat
The Bittah Dreamer Reviews NF
I know right? So soon after the album's release and you’re already being flooded with reviews from people who think they know what the album should sound like better than the artist himself and no if you thought that’s what this is then you are so, so, so wrong. I’m going to talk about the feel of the album because that’s what I get from artists like Nate—the music often has a feel to it rather than being technically either this or that.
By Bittah Dreamer6 years ago in Beat
50 Years of 'Yes' - A Review of the Band's Debut!
Over the past five decades, Yes have cemented themselves as one of the biggest progressive rock bands. And though other albums may be first to come to mind when fans think of Yes, their discography began when they recorded an album released on July 25, 1969. Simply titled Yes, this debut album illustrates what the band's music was like at a time when they did more covers and sounded more psychedelic in some places. While it may be a far cry from some of their later works, Yes shows some seeds of what the band would become.
By Steven Shinder7 years ago in Beat
