10 Best Albums of 2023
It’s my fifth year of ranking albums annually on this site. It feels like the weakest year to date. The top of the list is weaker than usual. The top-rated album is more a subtle pleasure than a blockbuster. On…
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.
Nuggets: Talk Talk by The Music Machine
Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from the years 1965-1968 and was a major influence on…
New Music Reviews: Sofia Kourtesis and Boygenius
I still have a few 2023 releases to get through, but I’m hoping to get my 10 Best Albums of 2023 up later this week. I’ve covered the final major contender here, so I can publish my list. There’s also…
Music Quiz: Famous Drummers
Congratulations to Geoff Stephen, who took Canada to a glorious win in last week’s Bands that should play together II quiz. Your challenge this week is to name some famous drummers. I scored 23 I did it late at…
Star Crossed Lovers by Craig Scott
Every New Zealand #1 single… 3 Star Crossed Lovers Topped the NZ chart: from 12 June 1970 for 4 weeks (non-consecutive). I’d never heard of Craig Scott before. But apparently he was a heartthrob for New Zealand woman of a…
Peter Gabriel: Albums Ranked from Worst to Best
It’s unusual for a solo artist’s work to overshadow their work with their previous band. But there’s a strong argument that Gabriel’s solo catalogue eclipses the progressive rock albums that he made with Genesis in the 1970s. Leaving Genesis after…
Music Quiz: Bands that should play together II
Congratulations to Jim, who won for the second consecutive week, narrowly in front of a few other contestants. This week, it’s the sequel. It’s a little easier as there are only thirty answers to deal with. I scored 30/30…
Joanne by Michael Nesmith and The First National Band
Every New Zealand #1 single… 9 Joanne Topped the NZ chart: from 25 December 1970 for 1 week. One of the more surprising number one hits in New Zealand was ‘Joanne’. It’s a 1970 single from former Monkee Michael Nesmith.…
Nuggets: Last Time Around by The Del-Vetts
Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled the 2 album set, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from the years 1965-1968 and was…
Music Quiz: Bands that should play together
I’m on holiday, so I’m drafting this up slightly early. Congratulations to Jim, Music Enthusiast, who scored full marks with the fastest time in last week’s quiz. This week your challenge is to insert a popular phrase into a pair…
