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Claude Lemaire thinks Led Zeppelin is so seminal to hard rock, he chooses them twice for Episode 3. King Crimson also makes the cut.
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On January 3, 1969, The Lulu Show was about as far from Jimi Hendrix’s usual stomping grounds as you could get. The show was a high-profile, family-friendly TV program—clean-cut, conservative, and far removed from the chaotic energy that defined Hendrix’s live shows. The producers of The Lulu Show likely envisioned a performance that would fit…
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In this episode, writer and self-taught musicologist Claude Lemaire chooses Iron Butterfly, Jeff Beck, and even the Beatles as pioneering heavy rock influencers.
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It was November 4, 1963, and London’s Prince of Wales Theatre was buzzing. The Royal Variety Performance, that stately British showcase, was in full swing. London’s cultural pulse was racing, charged by a new phenomenon: Beatlemania. But inside, the atmosphere felt more upper-crust than counterculture—a space typically reserved for polite applause and tasteful applause for…
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Welcome to Claude Lemaire’s new series, in which he explores the history of hard rock, heavy rock, and heavy metal—including metal’s many subgenres.
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Seldom does an LP’s visual presentation rival the artistry of its music. Having seen the orchestra this past weekend at the Maison Symphonique in Montréal, where the album was recorded, I can attest that the quality of the recording matches the live presentation. In fact, the only thing that’s missing from the album is the…
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Featuring Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C and optical inputs supporting 24-bit/96kHz, remote control, analogue RCA line-in, and dedicated Sub-out.
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On January 12, 1969, a seismic shift occurred in the rock music landscape with the U.S. release of Led Zeppelin’s eponymous debut album, followed by its UK release on March 31. This groundbreaking record, recorded in a mere 36 hours at Olympic Studios in London, signified the birth of a new era in hard rock…
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“Henry Vestine of Canned Heat got me closer to my understanding of blues guitar, and that opened the door for me.”
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By 1968, the sweet Summer of Love was long gone, but the strong scent of acid still permeated the airwaves within the burgeoning, quickly-evolving rock scene.
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Having completed a tour in England that featured George Harrison and Eric Clapton as guest guitarists, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends returned to America to help Clapton finish his solo debut and embark on a four-month tour to support the album.
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The band, according to member Bobby Whitlock’s autobiography, had already gotten kicked off the Elektra label when it was touring, due to Delaney’s drunken antics with label owner Jac Holzman. Delaney & Bonnie manager Alan Pariser, who was close friends with Harrison, arranged for the group to be the opening act for Blind Faith, aka…
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Here we go, starting with four CD-related products: three SPDIF digital cables and an accessory for CD playback. If the former might rankle the sensibilities of some outside the audiophile sphere, the latter will surely send those same people into a hissy fit.
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“ I just saw Bob Dylan’s show and it was the worst $@#% I’ve ever heard in my life.” — Jay Jay French “I just saw Bob Dylan’s show and it was the worst $@#% I’ve ever heard in my life. I’m saying this from a loving perspective.” Thus began my interview with Jay Jay…