Great B-sides: If Only You Were Lonely by The Replacements
The Replacements started as a bratty punk band, but as the 1980s wore on they lost their rough edges. They…
Blog
Keep readingGreat B-sides: If Only You Were Lonely by The Replacements
Music Quiz: 50 "Rock" Songs
Congratulations to Tony and Geoff, who both scored 32/32 in last week’s 1990s quiz, with Tony scoring the faster time.…
Neil Diamond's Five Worst Songs
Adult contemporary superstar and Hebrew Hunk Neil Diamond is a fascinating figure to me. His music is an uncomfortable blend…
Great B-sides: Girl on LSD by Tom Petty
The late Tom Petty was a brilliant singles artist – he wrote hit after hit of likeable, jangly rock. Contemporaries…
Music Quiz: 1990s Song Title Beginnings II
Congratulations to all of our quiz participants last week. But a special mention goes to Jim, Rich, Aaron, 2Loud, J.,…
Great B-sides: Pictures of Bernadette by Talk Talk
The untimely passing of Talk Talk mastermind Mark Hollis this week has sent many fans back to re-examine his masterpieces.…
Music Quiz: 20 Famous Guitar Players
Noone managed to score 22 out of 22 in last week’s pictograph puzzle, but lots of people scored 21. Congratulations…
New Music Review: Mitski – Be The Cowboy
Mitski Miyawaki was born in Japan to an American father and Japanese mother. She studied at Purchase College’s Conservatory of…
Great B-sides: Under the Ivy by Kate Bush
Kate Bush‘s 1982 album The Dreaming was excellent, but it wasn’t especially commercially successful. She’d previously enjoyed ground-breaking UK success;…
Music Quiz: Band Name Pictograms
Congratulations to Geoff, Tony, and Murphy’s Law, who all scored 24/24 in what I thought was a tricky Jump, Run,…
Five Best Charli XCX Songs
Charlotte Aitchison christened herself Charli XCX after her MSN Messenger handle. She broke through early as a songwriter, penning ‘I…
Great B-sides: Twilight Alehouse by Genesis
B-sides are a relatively rare commodity for progressive rock bands. They often refused to stoop to the level of those…
Music Quiz: Jump, Run, or Walk
Happy Valentines day (it’s already February 14 in New Zealand). Congratulations to hanspostcard from , who high scored with 27/30…
Great B-sides: The Masterplan by Oasis
Remember the 1990s, when physical albums sold by the truckload? Manchester band Oasis had their second album, (What’s the Story)…
Music Quiz: The Day The Music Died
Last week’s quiz had a couple of tough questions, especially Temple of the Dog. Congratulations to the 1990s kids (mostly),…
Ten Favourite Multi-Talented Musicians
Some musical careers revolve around doing one thing expertly – Billie Holiday sang, Burt Bacharach wrote songs. Other musical careers…
Great B-sides: How Can You Tell Me? by The Flirtations
In hindsight, The Flirtations’ best known song, ‘Nothing But A Heartache’, sounds like a girl group classic from the early…
Music Quiz: Music News That Rocks
Congratulations to Chris, Geoff, Murphy’s Law, and Tony, who all scored 22/22 in last week’s quiz, with Tony logging the…
New Music Review: The Beths – Future Me Hates Me
One goal for this blog this year is to engage with new music more regularly, and I’m planning to feature…
Great B-Sides: Wall of Death by R.E.M.
Last week’s great b-side was a 1980s college rock band with folk-rock inclinations covering a folkie from the previous generation…
Mary Poppins: which movie had better songs?
It’s school holidays, and there’s been less time than usual to listen to music as my two daughters have commandeered…
Music Quiz: The Struggle is Real
Congratulations to last week’s entrants – all reported scores were 100%, with the fastest times from Tony, Rich, Murphy’s Law,…
Five Best Songs from the Bob Dylan film I'm Not There
The Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There is a fascinating film, portraying different aspects of Dylan using six different actors,…
Great B-Sides: Hello in There by 10,000 Maniacs
Folk-rock band 10,000 Maniacs often recorded covers for their b-sides; a smart move, as they showcased how cool their record…
Music Quiz: Bands That Shouldn't Play Together
Congratulations to perennial champions Rich and Tony, who both scored 30/30 in last week’s Famous People in Lyrics Challenge. You…
10 Favourite Vocalists
I recently decided that this site needs a lists page, so over the next few months, I’m planning to publish…
Great B-Sides: 1963 by New Order
After Ian Curtis’ passing, Joy Division transitioned into New Order, with Bernard Sumner taking over the front-man role, and Gillian…
Music Quiz: Famous People in Song Lyrics
We have two weeks of results to catch up on. For Music Quiz: Click the Rock Stars A-Z, congratulations to Jim,…
Five Best Anika Moa Songs for Children
New Zealand singer-songwriter Anika Moa was a curious choice to bid for stardom in the US market. She’s now a…
Great B-Sides: Hey, Hey, What Can I Do by Led Zeppelin
I mean, Led Zeppelin didn’t write tunes that every one liked. They left that to the Bee Gees. Wayne Campbell…
Music Quiz: Annual Best Sellers in the UK
Often this site and Sporcle quizzes in general, concentrate on the “canon” – albums that are critically acclaimed and have…
Waiting for Your Love by Toto
1982’s Toto IV was the best known record by collective of LA studio musicians known as Toto. The record spawned…
Music Quiz: Click the Rock Stars A-Z
Happy Christmas to all quiz participants and a special congratulations to Tony, who pulverised the field in last week’s Bob…
Great B-Sides: This Christmas by Shoes
I was originally planning to feature Elton John’s Christmas themed B-side, ‘Ho! Ho! Ho! (Who’d Be A Turkey At Christmas)’,…
Music Quiz: Bob Dylan in the 1960s
Congratulations to Jim, Rich, and Aaron, who all scored 100% last week, with Rich having the fastest recorded time. This…
Bob Dylan's Best Albums of the 1960s: Ranked
Bob Dylan needs no introduction – he’s one of the key figures in rock music. He helped to define the…
Great B-Sides: Dead Souls by Joy Division
Despite their short career, Joy Division were one of the best known bands from the post-punk era. The Manchester quartet…
Music Quiz: Musicians by First Names Picture Quiz
Last week’s Bowie quiz threw up a couple of different winners than usual – congratulations to Tangerine Trees () and…
Great B-Sides: Rain by The Beatles
For this b-side series, I’m only counting material that wasn’t released on studio albums. For instance, ‘Black Water’ by The…
Music Quiz: David Bowie Through The Years
Congratulations to Tony (), who narrowly defeated Murphy’s Law in last week’s Aphoristic Album Reviews Part 2 music quiz. After…
Great B-Sides: Urge For Going by Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell paid her dues playing folk clubs in the mid 1960s, and she wrote songs for other folk artists…
Music Quiz: Aphoristic Album Reviews (part 2)
We had a lot of high scores in last week’s quiz, but only three players scored 40 Congratulations to J,…
Brian Eno: Five Best Songs
Brian Eno was born to a long line of postmen, but went to art school and embarked on a musical career,…
Great B-Sides: Tell Me About Your Drugs by Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians
English singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock has created cult records all the way back to his days in The Soft Boys in…
Music Quiz: Classic Album Covers
Last week’s Aphoristic Albums Review quiz (Part 1) was a little tough. But one participant Kame, saw, and conquered. Congratulations…
The Lime Green Glory of CosmicBen
During the first decade of the 2000s, this website was a minor, unremarkable part of the “web reviewing community”, where…
Great B-Sides: She Don't Care About Time by The Byrds
The early Byrds albums are best known for their cover versions – their take on Dylan’s ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ launched…
Music Quiz: Aphoristic Album Reviews (part 1)
Congratulations to Tony, who scored 56 out of 69 in last week’s 1001 albums book quiz, and shout-outs to Murphy’s…
Great B-Sides: Justice Tonight / Kick it Over by The Clash
Growing up in a white middle class neighbourhood, The Clash were an important gateway band for me. Buying Clash albums…
Music Quiz: 1001 Albums, Multiple Entities
We had a whole lotta 100% last week – congratulations to Jim, jprobichaud, Murphy’s Law, Tony, Rich, J., Paul, and…
Great B-Sides: Oh Shit! by Buzzcocks
Most rock bands are remembered for their albums, but British pop-punk quartet Buzzcocks are most loved for their compilation Singles…
Music Quiz: 1960s Song Titles – Beginnings
We had four 19/19s last week in the Jim quiz – congratulations to Jim, Bruce, Murphy’s Law , and Tony!…
Revisiting Steve and Dennis and Abe's Record Reviews
During the first decade of the 2000s, this website was a minor, unremarkable part of the “web reviewing community”, where…
Great B-Sides: You're My Favourite Waste of Time by Marshall Crenshaw
Detroit power-pop maestro Marshall Crenshaw isn’t a household name. But his tuneful, often exuberant, 1982 debut album sometimes sneaks onto…
Music Quiz: Jim and James
Congratulations to Tony (), the only contestant to score 20/20 in last week’s quiz. This week’s quiz requires you to…
Haiku Reviews
Here’s a brief summation of recent reviews on this review blog, in haiku form. As my wife pointed out, you…
Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam: Great B-Sides
During sessions for their debut album Ten, bassist Jeff Ament, guitarist Mike McCready, and vocalist Eddie Vedder improvised a song…
Music Quiz: Musical Groups Named For Members?
Congratulations to “guest” who scored 40/40 in a late entry, and Murphy’s Law, who scored 39/40, in last week’s tough…
The Butterfly Collector by The Jam: Great B-Sides
The Jam are arguably the most British band ever, with all the telltale traits. They: Although they were from the…
Music Quiz: Three Word Songs
We had three sets of full marks in last week’s quiz – Murphy’s Law, Rich, and Aaron. If I’m interpreting…
Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews Reviewed
When I first gained access to the internet, the first information I sought out was record reviews. Before that, I’d…
Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac: Great B-Sides
Fleetwood Mac‘s 1977 album Rumours was a sales behemoth, jam packed with hits written by the group’s three songwriters, Stevie…
Music Quiz: Who Am I?
Congratulations to Jim and Tony who both scored 20/20 in last week’s guess the band member quiz. This week’s challenge…
Shark Attack by Split Enz
I think that, regardless of our musical differences, we can all agree that the current decade has been tough for…
Music Quiz: Which Band Member?
Congratulations to Tony and Murphy’s Law, who both scored 19/20 in last week’s quiz – I think everyone missed the…
These Are Days by 10,000 Maniacs
Spring is my favourite time of the year in New Zealand – the days get longer and sunnier. I don’t…
Music Quiz: Which Band Member II?
Congratulations to everyone who made full marks in last week’s 2000s quiz – Rich, Murphy’s Law, and Tony all scored…
I Never Thought I'd Live To Be A Hundred by The Moody Blues
It’s difficult to not pick favourite members in a band like The Moody Blues; during their “Core Seven” albums, between…
Ruined By A Letter Song Titles: Music Quiz
I was pretty amazed when we got three 30/30 in last week’s tough trivia contest – congratulations to Geoff, Tony,…
Jackson Browne's 1970s Albums: Ranked from Worst to Best
Jackson Browne is the quintessential 1970s singer-songwriter, a sensitive individual who analysed his difficult relationships into songs. He was extremely…
Monkey Gone To Heaven by Pixies
A few months ago we discussed a curious incident at Wellington Zoo, New Zealand, when an intruder broke into the…
Music Quiz: Almost Useless Music Trivia
Congratulations to Tony at , who solved last week’s quiz in a mind-blowing 46 seconds. This week’s quiz requires you to…
When Do Bands Peak? (Part 2)
A couple of weeks ago, we looked at when bands peak – I’ve always enjoyed band’s later albums where they…
Interviewing Randy Newman by Glenn Tilbrook
I’ve been tremendously under the weather this week, and one of the best parts of being sick is the hallucinatory…
Music Quiz: 4 Decades of Music Hits
Last week’s competition could perhaps be described as the Falklands War of Music Quizzes, with Bruce () just pipping Rich…
Up All Night by The Records
For some reason, hosting a birthday slumber party for my seven year old daughter on Friday reminded me of this…
Music Quiz: Self-Titled Albums
Congratulations to Jim and Tony, who both scored 25/25 in last week’s guitarist quiz. This week you need to match…
When Do Bands Peak?
It’s easy to find lists of great debut albums, but personally I often prefer a band’s later records, where they…
The Whirlwind: XII. Dancing With Eternal Glory / Whirlwind (reprise) by Transatlantic
1970s progressive rock is one of my favourite eras of music – bands like Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, and Gentle…
Music Quiz: Ranker's 25 Greatest Guitarists
Congratulations to Rich, Steve, and Aaron who scored full marks in last week’s Rolling Stones quiz. This week’s challenge requires…
All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Elizabeth Fraser
The prodigiously talented Jeff Buckley only made one studio album, 1994’s Grace, before his accidental drowning in the Mississippi River…
Music Quiz: 50 Years of The Rolling Stones
Congratulations to jprobichaud and Tony, who both top scored 14/15 in last week’s quiz. This week’s challenge is a rare single…
We Gathered in Spring – Midlake
In New Zealand, this week has witnessed the beginning of sprinter. The daffodils are flowering, and the washing is drying…
Music Quiz: Minimalist Portraits
Congratulations to Geoff () who scored 100% in last week’s intensive quiz. And a shout out to Rich, who was…
The F***YouCrew
Years ago, in the infancy of the mainstream internet, I used to be interested in the goings on over at…
‘39 by Queen
It’s a fair bet that Queen’s Brian May is the only person to have achieved a number one pop song…
Music Quiz: Epic Countdown
Congratulations to all the competitors who scored full marks in last week’s quiz. This week’s quiz requires you to complete…
Your Hometown (and hows its musical legacy compares to Gainesville, Florida)
I grew up in, and still live in, Lower Hutt, New Zealand, a satellite city of the capital Wellington. Like…
The Horses by Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones is a one hit wonder in the eyes of the public; she charted with the jazzy, breezy…
Music Quiz: Songs About Rain
Congratulations to all of the contestants who scored full marks in last week’s dropped album quiz. This week’s challenge requires…
This Is England by The Clash
By the mid 1980s, The Clash were in disarray – musical lynch-pin Mick Jones had been fired from the group,…
Music Quiz: More Dropped Albums
Congratulations to the plethora of contestants who scored full marks in last week’s Unfinished Albums quiz. This week’s quiz requires…
Eagles Albums: Ranked from Worst to Best
The Eagles emerged from California in the early 1970s, initially as Linda Ronstadt’s backing band for her album Silk Purse.…
Kashmir by Led Zeppelin
Written by guitarist Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, ‘Kashmir’ is one of Led Zeppelin’s most well known and best loved…
Music Quiz: Unfinished Albums
Congratulations to Boppin’s Blog and Tony, who both scored full marks in last week’s round of death. This week’s quiz…
U2: Five Best Albums
U2 started the 1980s as a post-punk band influenced by Joy Division and Television. As the decade progressed they beefed…
