James Taylor is basically the poster boy for sensitive, acoustic songwriting in the 1970s, starring on a Time Magazine cover story about the singer-songwriter movement. He can be a divisive figure – there are plenty of detractors out there who…
English singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan has enjoyed a unique career trajectory, which started when she recorded a Jagger-Richards song in the mid-1960s. Here’s one of Bunyan’s early singles – it later turned up in a cover version by Feist and Death Cab…
Faith No More are one of the most beloved guitar bands of the 1990s, forging a distinctive niche with Mike Patton’s athletic voice and disturbing lyrics, and exploring styles from metal thrash to gentle lounge and bossa nova beats. The…
“There are only two kinds of songs; there’s the blues, and there’s zip-a-dee-doo-dah.” – Townes Van Zandt Townes Van Zandt (1944-1997) was a Texan folk, blues, and country musician, most notable for his profound songs. His debut album, 1968’s For…
I’ve been a fan of Canadian Neil Young since the age of 19, when I saw a brief excerpt of ‘Down By The River’ on a rock documentary. I rushed out and bought 1977’s excellent retrospective Decade. I’ve reviewed 25 of…
Simon and Garfunkel were my first favourite musical group, and the first I covered on Aphoristic Album Reviews. Paul Simon wrote the songs, while Art Garfunkel provided gorgeous harmony vocals. They released five albums, before breaking up in 1970; here’s…
