It was a cold January night in 1978 when the Sex Pistols walked onto the stage at San Franciscoโs Winterland Ballroom, readyโor perhaps unwillingโto make history. This wasnโt just a concert; it was the swan song of punkโs most volatile band. The Pistolsโ American tour had been a disaster wrapped in chaos: canceled shows, infighting,…
Claude Lemaire thinks Led Zeppelin is so seminal to hard rock, he chooses them twice for Episode 3. King Crimson also makes the cut.
In this episode, writer and self-taught musicologist Claude Lemaire chooses Iron Butterfly, Jeff Beck, and even the Beatles as pioneering heavy rock influencers.
On July 13, 1973, the tectonic plates of rock music shifted dramatically. On that day, an unassuming yet audacious British band named Queen unleashed their self-titled debut album, โQueen.โ This seismic release marked the genesis of a band destined to transcend the boundaries of rock, etching their indomitable legacy into the annals of music history.…
Since inducting legends like Chuck Berry and Elvis, the Rock Hall has slid into generation loss. This yearโs mixed-bag lineupโCher, Foreigner, Dave Matthews Bandโraises the question: is it still merit, or just fame?
Claude Lemaire kicks off his seven-part series Diving into Disco by defending discoโs cultural legitimacy and sonic richness, while tracing its roots in gay liberation and challenging its enduring underappreciation among audiophiles.