Music Quiz: Which half of the 1990s?
Let’s take another break from sorting albums this week and guess which half of the decade songs belong to. Remember that 1995 is in the decade’s second half. I scored 37/40 – I need to bone up on my…
Aphoristical
Graham Fyfe has been writing this website since his late teens. Now in his forties, he's been obsessively listening to albums for years. He works as a web editor and plays the piano.
10 Best Creedence Clearwater Revival Songs
Despite releasing their first album in 1968, Creedence Clearwater Revival weren’t hippies. Frontman John Fogerty represents blue-collar America, addressing working-class issues like the Vietnam War, while there’s a heartland warmth to their swampy rock. The band sounded like they came…
New Music Reviews: Bon Iver, Marlon Williams, and Steven Wilson
Duets keep popping up on the music I write about this year, and today’s batch is no exception. Marlon Williams teams up with Lorde, while Justin Vernon duets with several female vocalists. Meanwhile, with only two tracks, Steven Wilson doesn’t…
Would I Lie To You? by Charles and Eddie
At 12, Eddie Chacon was playing in a band with future Metallica bassist Cliff Burton and future Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin. Summer monopoly Four acts monopolised the NZ #1 number-one spot between 6 September 1992 and 4 April…
Music Quiz: Hide Your ‘T’ Albums
We’re still sorting albums this week, and up to T. Can you tell the real Trout Mask from its replica. I’m ineligible because I made it. There was a three-way tie last week, with Rich Kamerman, PowerPopMax, and UK…
Taylor Swift's Best Album: 1989
It feels as though Taylor Swift has been around forever, but she released her seventh album, 2019’s Lover, while still in her twenties. Swift started young, releasing her 2006 debut at 16, and has used her marketing savvy to keep…
Nuggets II: Get Yourself Home by The Fairies
“In 1965, it took some guts for men to walk around with shoulder-length hair and high-heeled Chelsea boots. Doing that and calling your band The Fairies may have bordered on the suicidal.” Credits PERSONNEL/NICK WYMER: vocals * MICK WEAVER: lead guitar *…
10 Best Songs by The Police
When they formed The Police in London in 1977, Stewart Copeland, Sting, and Andy Summers were all veteran musicians. Copeland had drummed for progressive rock band Curved Air, Sting had played in the jazz fusion band Last Exit, while Summers’…
Music Quiz: Hide Your ‘S’ Albums
We’re back to sorting albums this week, and we’re up to S. Fortunately, many famous albums start with S. Can you tell your Sour from your Surrealistic Pillow? I’m ineligible, although embarrassingly, I muddled Superfly and Shaft when I…
Miranda Lambert Albums: Ranked from Worst to Best
Texas-born Miranda Lambert occupies her own zone between the current mainstream country and the more rootsy sounds of Americana. As she explains, being a major-label artist involves compromise. I love raw albums. I’d love to record an album in a…
