Former Yes drummer Bill Bruford reflected on his return to the band for 1991’s Union album, telling Rolling Stone the experience was, simply, “no good.”
Bruford cofounded Yes and played with the band from 1968 to 1972, leaving after they released the landmark Close to the Edge (which is getting a deluxe reissue next month). He went on to play with King Crimson and Genesis that decade, and he formed the jazz group Earthworks in 1986. Bruford reunited with some of his Yes bandmates in the late ’80s for Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, which joined the then-current Yes lineup (Tony Kaye, Chris Squire, Trevor Rabin and Alan White) to write and record Union.
Sound like a lot of cooks in the kitchen? Bruford agrees. “Too many people. Too artificial,” he told Rolling Stone. “It’s a kind of Hollywood idea. It was a mad idea, I think, seven or eight odd people [playing at once]. It was a kind of fantasy that a record executive would dream up. So it wasn’t a great place to be. But on the other hand, if you’re overpaid for doing very little, as I was there, you can often take that money and inject it into some other project you’re working on like Earthworks, which is a band I ran for 20 years and feed the money into that. So that worked well.”
Bruford also took part in the ensuing Union tour, sharing drumming duties with White. When asked how they divided the parts, Bruford replied: “Pretty badly, I think. Mostly, I was on electronic drums and playing percussion to his heavy rock drums. Occasionally, I think I played maybe ‘Heart of the Sunrise’ alone, something like that. One critic I thought put it really well. They wrote that ‘Bill Bruford was Hollandaise sauce to Alan White’s meat and potatoes,’ which I thought was really nice. It was about right.”
Bruford left Yes for the second and final time in 1992, going on to briefly rejoin King Crimson and then reform Earthworks. He announced his retirement from drumming in 2009, though he returned to much humbler stages in 2022 with the Pete Roth Trio.
Despite returning to music, Bruford has no desire to play with Yes again. “I think I’m asked that twice a week, and have been for about 15 years,” he said. “And the answer remains, ‘No, thanks. I’m fine. I’m not going to do that.'”
He’s also not holding his breath for Yes guitarist Steve Howe and former singer Jon Anderson, who now performs with the Band Geeks, to reconcile. “No, I don’t hope for those things at all,” he said. “Funnily enough, Jon and I have something in common. I think we’ve both returned in a way. Jon had a lot of time away from Yes, and he’s returned with this fresh thing and a new album. He’s putting new miles under his belt, which I think is great. And I feel kind of the same way.”
Top 50 Progressive Rock Albums
From ‘The Lamb’ to ‘Octopus’ to ‘The Snow Goose’ — the best LPs that dream beyond 4/4.
The jam band kings have gotten 101,157 fan votes since they were announced as one of 14 nominees for the class of 2025. This is the first time the group has been nominated for the honor.
Fans can vote for up to seven artists once a day until April 21, at the Rock Hall of Fame’s official website. All fan votes are combined to make one ballot, which will be tallied along with those of 1,200 artists, historians, and music industry professionals to select the inductees.
This year’s inductees will be announced in late April, along with the artists and industry leaders entering the hall under the Musical Influence, Musical Excellence and Ahmet Etregun Non Perform Award honors.
This year’s ceremony will be held in Los Angeles, with venue, date and ticket information details expected to be revealed shortly.
145 Artists Not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Many have shared their thoughts on possible induction.
This year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show caused the most controversy we have seen during a Super Bowl performance since the Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson spectacle. While that controversy stemmed from an incident that happened during the performance, this year’s backlash was caused mostly by people over 50 who had no idea who Kendrick Lamar was. That wasn’t the only reason, though. The fact that Kendrick Lamar decided to showcase his dispute with Drake in front of the largest TV audience of the year was just another public display of juvenile behavior that, for the most part, people are tired of.
For the past 20 years, the Super Bowl Halftime Show has largely shifted toward hip-hop and rap music. Now, while my generation did not grow up on that type of music, I have no problem with it. I truly believe that every generation deserves its own music to grow up with, and for the most part, that’s what hip-hop and rap have been to people probably 40 and under. Nonetheless, I think it’s time for a change.
There was a great five-year stretch in the early 2000s where we saw bands like The Who, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen, and Paul McCartney perform fantastic halftime shows. Of course, people at the time criticized those performances, but you can’t please everybody. So, for next year, we’re proposing a list of bands that we would love to see bring rock and roll back to the forefront. These picks are based on rock bands that we feel have a large audience and would satisfy most of the Super Bowl’s viewers. I completely understand that younger people may not know who that Lynyrd Skynyrd or Led Zeppelin guy was, but what better way to introduce young people to some classic rock and roll?
We are serious about this list. These are bands that are still together or could possibly reunite for one more show—who knows? But these groups could actually do it, and we believe they would put on a fantastic halftime show. So, here’s a list of the bands or solo musical artists and why they should take the stage.
This list includes only musical artists who have never played the Super Bowl.
# 10 – The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are back with a brand new album, marking the first record in over 40 years to feature Michael McDonald, Tom Johnston, and Pat Simmons on vinyl. What better way to celebrate The Doobie Brothers’ reunion than with a Super Bowl Halftime performance? Everybody loves The Doobie Brothers, and this would be a perfect opportunity for them to reach a younger audience while everyone else celebrates their reunion.
Everyone loves Heart—even younger generations recognize the song Barracuda. This is an absolutely perfect choice. The band has countless hits, and they still sound incredible. Imagine how Ann Wilson would light up the stadium with her phenomenal voice, while Nancy Wilson captivates the audience with her stunning guitar work and signature high kicks. Now picture this: Jimmy Page joins them on stage for a roaring rendition of Rock and Roll to close out the show. That would be the ultimate rock and roll performance!
Just imagine an all-star jam featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, and The Outlaws. Think about the songs these three bands could play together or individually during the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Then, for the grand finale, Free Bird performed with members of all three bands on stage together. Am I getting carried away? Probably. Could this actually be done? Oh yes—let’s make it happen!
Listen, we’re not going to get Led Zeppelin. There’s no way Led Zeppelin would ever reunite for a Super Bowl Halftime performance. And, of course, all true-blue Led Zeppelin fans realize that the band was done when John Bonham died. However, Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes is a definite possibility. If you ever caught any of the tours they did or have heard the live album they released, it was phenomenal. Additionally, there are plans to release another live album featuring Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes. This would make for an incredible Halftime Show.
If you caught any of the Sammy Hagar & The Best of Both Worlds tour shows, you know this would be a phenomenal performance. Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani, and Kenny Aronoff are absolutely on fire, tearing through classic Van Halen tracks and Hagar’s solo hits. Now, here’s the real kicker—if they could get Alex Van Halen to play drums and maybe David Lee Roth to share the lead vocal mic and turn this into a celebration of Eddie Van Halen’s life, you would have an entire stadium and millions around the world dancing and crying at the same time. That would be incredible! Eddie deserves to be honored in front of the biggest audience of the year.
Right now, the Eagles are a stadium band—one of the biggest in the world. Large venues are all they play. Of course, it’s not the same without Glenn Frey, but they’re still packing stadiums and putting on phenomenal shows. This is a solid pick.
Who doesn’t love Rod Stewart? If there is one rocker who can charm an entire audience of people of all ages while also rocking the roof off the joint, it’s this man.
Sting may have performed at a Super Bowl Halftime Show with Gwen Stefani, but The Police never did. This is probably the longest shot on the board, but when The Police reunited for a tour back in 2008, it was spectacular. Not many people would argue against this choice. This is another one of those bands that are universally recognized, with songs that span generations. This would be an absolutely phenomenal pick, but Sting probably wouldn’t do it. But then again what do I know? Are you listening Gordon?
It wouldn’t be the same without Christine McVie, but if you could get Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks back together on stage as part of Fleetwood Mac, I think many people would be on board. Just imagine them opening the Halftime Show with Tusk—anyone who has seen that video would understand exactly what I mean. And then they close with Go Your Own Way. Holy smokes, would that be earth-shattering!
Our top two choices are pretty much interchangeable. Since they have toured together many times, the ultimate pick would be for both of them to perform the Halftime Show. However, it’s been a long time since they shared a stage, so either one of them performing the show by themselves may be the more realistic possibility. That woudl be great also. There aren’t many musical artists who have spanned generation after generation in music history popualiryty like these two. The Beatles are probably the ultimate example, but the next two would likely be Billy Joel and Elton John. These two are stadium acts. These two are legends.
Ask anyone who saw King Crimson’s 27-date tour of the UK in November and December 1972 what they recall of the show there’s a good chance that the name of one person will be uppermost in their memories: Jamie Muir.
The death of the 82-year old musician and artist sparked numerous tributes and a wave of appreciation not just for his work as a member of the now-legendary Larks’ Tongues-era quintet but also for his pioneering contribution to the UK’s free jazz scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s where he worked as part of The Music Improvisation Company alongside luminaries such saxophonist Evan Parker and guitarist Derek Bailey.
Although Muir was only a member of King Crimson for a few months he was a hugely influential figure, not only during his tenure on stage and in the making of the Larks’ Tongues In Aspic album, but also left a legacy would resonate through successive line-ups thanks to his coining of the phrase ‘larks’ tongues in aspic’ when he was once asked to describe that quintet’s music.
King Crimson – Larks’ Tongues In Aspic Part I (OFFICIAL) – YouTube
Born in 1942 after initially taking to the stage as a trombonist after being expelled from art school in Edinburgh in 1966, he would ultimately become a drummer. Having founded a group called The Assassination Weapon in which he also controlled the band’s psychedelic light show, his aim shifted from Edinburgh to London where he quickly became embedded in the improvisation scene while funding himself with a day job as a salesman in Bentalls Department Store. Muir, who was also briefly a member of Pete Brown’s Battered Ornaments, saw King Crimson performing at Hyde Park in 1969 when the original group supported The Rolling Stones. Impressed by the force of Crimson’s set, decades later he told me in the first of many interviews, “Most bands come along and then develop but Crimson just came on and exploded with this very adult, intelligent, cutting-edge music. It was just this whole package that went wallop!”
Muir also played with Sunship, a jazz-rock outfit that included ex-Soft Machine sideman saxophonist Lyn Dobson, Allan Holdsworth, and future Gilgamesh/National Health keyboard player Alan Gowen, with whom Muir had also played in the Afro-rock combo Assegai in 1971. The other notable band Muir was part of was Boris. Championed by Melody Maker’s Richard Williams, Boris mixed rock, jazz, free-improv, and theatrical presentation led by Muir himself. Williams, who recommended Muir to Robert Fripp in the summer of 1972, recalls, “Jamie was such an interesting man. He was a funny combination of intensity and craziness. There was a looning side to him obviously. That Dadaist thing was interesting. He was obviously very serious but serious in a way that most musicians wouldn’t have understood, which is why Robert, even with his meticulous viewpoint, did respond to him.”
Just three years after witnessing King Crimson Muir found himself jamming with Robert Fripp to become the first recruitment to the new incarnation of King Crimson. Jamie recalled the occasion. “Fripp came round and we played for a couple of hours, upstairs in my little rehearsal room with mattresses plugged up against the windows. All I remember was playing some really fast and furious blowouts, which from a drummer’s perspective was the Tony Williams/Billy Cobham type of thing. It was fairly energetic stuff and I think we enjoyed ourselves. My feeling about getting the call was: ‘Terrific.’ King Crimson was the ideal for me because it was a rock band that had more than three brain cells. I was very much more an instrumental style of musician rather than being song-based and there weren’t many other bands that I would have been any good in. I was extremely pleased and I felt completely at home with Crimson.”
A little older than everyone else, he was quick to lead with suggestions for ideas or approaches to the material and musical vocabulary they were attempting to develop. Such was the sense of adventure and open-mindedness in those formative days nobody in the group baulked at or questioned the percussionist’s arsenal of pistachio shells, bags of dried leaves, domestic baking trays, tuned plastic bleach bottles, old suitcases, rolled-up newspapers, a large saw, duck calls, toys, and an aerophone – a brass mouthpiece affixed to a length of rubber hose which when whirled above the head produced a pitch with a doppler effect – in addition to a more conventional drum kit, cymbals and gongs.
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(Image credit: Getty Images)
Situated near the centre of the stage, Muir provided a visual focus for many in those audiences. Dressed in a split fur jacket that had once belonged to a girlfriend, he resembled something akin to a shaman dressed in animal skins as he moved rapidly around his array of percussion and toys. In the climatic sections of the music, he would work himself into a frenzy, moving with an anarchic abandon as though possessed, flailing his kit and nearby equipment flight cases with chains while appearing to be spitting blood from his mouth. Although these were theatrical capsules secreted in his mouth, the visual effect was startling. If the punters regarded him as something of an eccentric performer, then spare a thought for his fellow musicians on stage who had no inkling as to what Muir would do when he joined them on stage.
Many of the sounds and ideas Muir came up with were adopted and accommodated no matter how unorthodox they appeared to be. During the making of Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, Muir suggested the buzz of overlapping voices heard at the coda of LTIA Part I, the otherworldly and tape-manipulated sounds that grace the opening of Exiles and of course, recording the sound of hands sloshing around in buckets of mud during the introduction of Easy Money. While many of these sounds were fleeting and ephemeral in their nature and deployment, that did not prevent them from becoming etched into Crimson’s future musical vocabulary. The shocking screeching marking the transition between the climax of The Talking Drum and the grating intro of LTIA Pt II was produced by the band members blowing as hard as they could into the reeds of vintage bicycle horns. Many of those sounds left an indelible drummer Pat Mastelotto, whose habit of triggering electronic samples of Muir’s work had the effect of summoning that mercurial spirit into the 21st-century body of King Crimson.
Prompted by a profound spiritual awakening, Muir quit Crimson, music, and London, after the recording of Larks’ Tongues In Aspic in February 1973. However, before driving north he paused long enough to tell Yes’s Jon Anderson about Paramhansa Yogananda’s book, Autobiography Of A Yogi and thereby inadvertently inspired the conceptual framing for Yes’s Tales From Topographic Oceans. Thereafter Muir joined the Samye Ling Monastery near Eskdalemuir in southern Scotland to pursue a monastic Buddhist life, also attended by artist Fergus Hall who would provide the cover art for The Young Persons’ Guide To King Crimson and The Compact King Crimson. Upon returning to secular life in the early 1980s Muir once again became part of the improvised music scene and also took to painting large surrealist paintings. Not many of these have survived thanks to Jamie’s habit of burning those canvases he no longer liked. Happily, a less pyrotechnically inclined means of deleting unsatisfactory work presented itself after he began creating digital art in the early 2000s.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Although I only saw Jamie once in December 1972 with King Crimson, the memory of his incandescent presence never left me. I’m doubly lucky to have talked to him several times in subsequent years about that period of his life. Not only was he an inspiring, catalysing force of nature, he was also a lovely, modest soul. A long-time resident of Somerset, although he’d clearly moved on with his life, whenever I talked to him Jamie retained a great fondness for what was achieved during King Crimson. “The essence of it was that we were five musicians carrying with them their qualities and gifts and still trying to find a way of welding it all together into one distinct personality.”
Sid’s feature articles and reviews have appeared in numerous publications including Prog, Classic Rock, Record Collector, Q, Mojo and Uncut. A full-time freelance writer with hundreds of sleevenotes and essays for both indie and major record labels to his credit, his book, In The Court Of King Crimson, an acclaimed biography of King Crimson, was substantially revised and expanded in 2019 to coincide with the band’s 50th Anniversary. Alongside appearances on radio and TV, he has lectured on jazz and progressive music in the UK and Europe.
A resident of Whitley Bay in north-east England, he spends far too much time posting photographs of LPs he’s listening to on Twitter and Facebook.
Kansas have canceled their next two concerts following news that vocalist Ronnie Platt is battling cancer.
The singer revealed earlier this week that he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer on Feb. 11. “Before everyone gets all excited, it has a 99% survival rate [and] it has not spread,” he wrote on social media. “It’s contained to my thyroid [and] I just have to have my thyroid removed. [I’ll] go through some rehab time and be right back in the saddle. I sincerely appreciate everyone’s positive thoughts and prayers. I have some absolutely amazing people going to bat for me. As it has been put to me, this is just a bump in the road and will be behind me very soon! So everyone, please CARRY ON!”
As a result of Platt’s current situation, Kansas made the decision to cancel two Louisiana concerts in New Orleans on Feb. 21 and Lake Charles on March 1. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. They also rescheduled two earlier dates in Oklahoma to November. “Our goal is to be back on the road as soon as possible,” assistant band manager J.R. Rees tells UCR. “Right now, we’re all focused on supporting Ronnie through this.”
Ronnie Platt’s History With Kansas
The vocalist has been with Kansas for more than a decade now and can be heard performing on the two most recent studio albums, 2016’s The Prelude Implicit and 2020’s The Absence of Presence. He joined the band in July 2014 after longtime singer Steve Walsh announced his departure earlier that month.
As Platt told UCR later during a 2016 interview, he got the job with Kansas in a whirlwind four day period that included him flying from his home area of Chicago to Atlanta for three hours. But the circumstances of the trip were unique, because he wasn’t being asked to audition. “We know you can sing your ass off,” they told him. “We just want to know if you’re a good guy who fits in with the band.”. By the time he woke up the next morning, he had an email from drummer Phil Ehart, letting him know that he had the gig.
“[It was] complete numbness,” he laughed, remembering the first show he played with Kansas. “You know, when I think about it, it’s still surreal. Just being a huge prog rocker from the late ‘70s, I mean, I grew up just listening to everything Kansas put out, So as a huge prog rocker and just having a similar tonality to Steve’s voice, you know, I always felt a close affection to singing Kansas stuff.”
Kansas wrapped up its 50th anniversary tour at the end of last year with a show in Pittsburgh, which featured a number of special highlights, including a guest appearance by original bassist Dave Hope. Their upcoming plans for the year include a series of co-headlining dates this summer with 38 Special.
1975 wasn’t so much pivotal in the history of popular music as it was a direct representation of where things had come from and were heading at the decade’s midpoint.
Records by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan (two of them!), Patti Smith and Led Zeppelin have been lauded time and time again. And rightfully so – these records continue to matter decades after their initial impact.
But beneath the levels of the Pink Floyd and Queen albums that often show up at the top of the “best of” rankings for 1975 lurks smaller records with impacts slightly less gigantic, as UCR details in the below list of 25 Under the Radar Albums From 1975.
While it may seem odd to tag some of these albums as “under the radar” – particularly ones made by a former member of the biggest and most influential group of the 20th century and No. 1 Billboard hits – decades removed from their release, these LPs have rarely entered serious discussions when it comes to the year’s or artists’ best work.
The below albums cover several genres: pop, country, jazz and soft rock, in addition to the ubiquitous FM rock of the era. They also span big names and one-hit wonders to a few regrettably forgotten acts who never caught their big break. The one thing they have in common is that they deserve to be better known and talked about with Born to Run, Blood on the Tracksand Horses. Now’s the time to catch up on what you may have missed.
25 Under the Radar Albums From 1975
You already know the Dylan, Springsteen and Zeppelin classics that came out that year. Now it’s time to go deeper.
For more than 50 years, bassist Tom Hamilton anchored Aerosmith as both its founding member and one and only bassist. Hamilton co-wrote classics, like “Sick as a Dog” from 1976’s Rocks and “Janie’s Got a Gun” from 1989’s Pump, even if he does refer to the latter as a “Steven track.”
To that end, the only thing that rivals Hamilton’s monstrous presence on bass is his humility. And it’s that and more that he carries into his first post-Aerosmith project, Close Enemies. “This was something I wanted to do while waiting to see what was going to happen with Aerosmith,” Hamilton says.
Adding: “When Aerosmith had to tragically cancel our tour and retire from future touring, it was awesome to have something so promising to be involved with.”
Speaking of Aerosmith, which halted its Peace Out Tour in September of 2023 after vocalist Steven Tyler fractured his larynx during a performance on Long Island and then shuttered its doors for good in August of 2024 when Tyler’s recovery didn’t go as planned, Hamilton is tight-lipped.
Hamilton also declined to comment on Steven Tyler’s recent live appearance alongside Nuno Bettencourt (and others)—which seemed to potentially crack the Aerosmith-relate door open again—while raising funds to aid those impacted by the tragic fires that decimated communities across California.
But the veteran bassist beams when reflecting on his recent work with Close Enemies. “Obviously, I’m proud of the song that I brought in and grateful for the ideas that everyone contributed to help finish it and give the song its atmosphere.”
“Overall,” he says. “I’m happy with my playing on this record. It’s been great to have the time to try out whatever ideas came into my head and have the support of the other guys.”
Tell us how Close Enemies formed.
Trace Foster, Peter Stroud, and Tony Brock came up to Boston about three years ago and offered to help me develop some song ideas. We worked for a few days and then it was time for me to get back into Aerosmith mode and get ready for what would eventually be our Peace Out Tour.
While I was doing that, they went back to Atlanta and started writing songs. When the Aerosmith tour had to be canceled, Trace called and asked if I would be interested in joining them. I heard the songs they had written, and I was blown away.
I headed down to Peter’s house in Atlanta. The first day I was there, we worked up a track that eventually became a song called “Wink and a Feather.” I should also mention that Gary Stier was there as well and had been involved in writing the songs they had developed.
The next day, I played them a demo of a song I was working on that I was calling “More Than I Could Ever Need.” I only had to play it for everybody once, and by the end of that afternoon, we had a track. It felt amazing to be with a group of people who were so responsive to my ideas. I loved it and was hooked.
What’s your songwriting process like for this now that you’re in the forefront rather than off to the side?
I’ve never considered myself to be at the forefront. I was joining something that was already most of the way established. I’m happy if my name and history help things along, but this isn’t “my band.” When I’m with Close Enemies, I don’t feel like I’m at the “forefront” any more than with Aerosmith; I feel like I’m “off to the side.” I’m happy to be an integral part of both bands. I look forward to bringing more song ideas to Close Enemies when the time comes.
You co-wrote Aerosmith’s “Sick as a Dog” and “Janie’s Got a Gun.” Tell us about that and how those experiences lend themselves to your approach with Close Enemies.
Those two songs came along during times when I was simply spending time having fun playing my guitar. In his book, Alex Van Halen talks about song ideas already being out there in the ether, and it’s just a matter of finding them.
I wrote the guitar parts to “Sick as a Dog” when we were working on the Rocks album, and thanks to the support of our producer, Jack Douglas, it made it onto the record. Years later, I came into the studio with a song idea when we were writing for the Pump album. Steven Tyler took a chord progression from it and used it for the intro to “Janie’s Got a Gun.” From there, he wrote the song. I consider that one a Steven song.
How do Close Enemies differ from what you’re known for, if at all? Does this feel like a fresh start?
Close Enemies is a more relaxed situation. There’s still the element of striving to be a great band with great songs but the overall atmosphere is a little more chill. As far as the material goes, it feels totally natural. I’ve never felt like I had to adjust to a new style. I think when the fans become more familiar with our songs, they’ll feel the same way.
What are the advantages of coming from a huge band to a smaller act? Is it almost like your early days?
I’ve never felt like I was coming from something huge to something small. I’m happy to let the outside world decide about hugeness and smallness. I’m more oriented towards the quality of the songs and the musicianship of these guys. It feels like we all went to the same school.
What gear are you using and why? What’s the secret to your bass tone?
Gear-wise, I’m using my beloved G&L ASAT and a Duesenberg Starplayer. I added my bass tracks at home using Logic and a Universal Audio Apollo Twin. I’m using the UAD SVT plug-in and a little compression right in Logic. Simple and effective.
I love to use the UAD Precision Maximizer as well and sometimes the Waves R Bass. The cool thing is that when it’s time to mix, we can use any combination of the above or whatever else comes along. Live I’m using an SVT with a single Gallien Krueger 4×10 cabinet.
For the icing on the cake, I’m using an Original Effects Bass Rig pedal that sounds amazing! It’s easily the best pedal I’ve ever used. I get the crunch and drive I want with no loss in the bottom end.
What songs stand out most here and why? What are you most proud of with this project?
I’m really excited and proud of my track on the song we have out now, which is called “Sound of a Train.” In the original demo, there was a bass track by a great bass player named Robert Kearns. It was a challenge to cover the priorities of what the song wanted yet in my own way.
Feature Photo:Rama, CC BY-SA 2.0 FR , via Wikimedia Commons
Amy Winehouse was not just a singer but a voice that redefined modern soul music, blending raw emotion with classic jazz and R&B influences. Born on September 14, 1983, in Southgate, London, she grew up in a family deeply connected to music, with a father who adored Frank Sinatra and a mother who supported her creative pursuits. Winehouse’s unique talent emerged early, as she attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, where her voice began to set her apart as a future icon.
Her professional career began in earnest with the release of her debut album, Frank, in 2003. A critically acclaimed record with a heavy jazz influence, it featured original compositions co-written by Winehouse and demonstrated her lyrical depth and vocal range. Tracks like “Stronger Than Me” showcased her distinct ability to merge modern themes with a vintage musical sensibility, earning her nominations for the Mercury Prize and Brit Awards.
Winehouse’s second album, Back to Black (2006), propelled her to global superstardom. Featuring collaborations with producer Mark Ronson, the album drew on Motown-inspired melodies and 1960s girl-group harmonies. Its standout tracks, including “Rehab,” “You Know I’m No Good,” and the haunting title track “Back to Black,” resonated with audiences worldwide. The album’s critical and commercial success earned Winehouse five Grammy Awards in 2008, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Rehab,” making her the first British woman to win five Grammys in a single night.
Winehouse’s live performances were as unforgettable as her records, with her soulful contralto voice captivating audiences. Her band included accomplished musicians who complemented her raw talent, making each show an intimate, powerful experience. However, her struggles with substance abuse and publicized personal challenges often overshadowed her artistic accomplishments, adding a tragic dimension to her story.
Amy Winehouse’s influence extended far beyond her music. Her signature beehive hairstyle and retro fashion choices became cultural hallmarks, inspiring trends in fashion and music. More importantly, her success helped pave the way for a new wave of female artists, such as Adele, who cited Winehouse as a key influence on their careers.
Tragically, Winehouse’s life was cut short when she passed away from alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011, at the age of 27. Despite her untimely death, her legacy lives on through her groundbreaking albums and the Amy Winehouse Foundation, established by her family to support young people struggling with addiction and mental health challenges.
Amy Winehouse remains a symbol of unfiltered artistry, vulnerability, and resilience. Her ability to channel personal pain into universal truths, combined with her unparalleled voice, ensures that her music will continue to resonate with generations to come.
(A-K)
“A Song for You” – Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011) “Addicted” – Back to Black (2006) “Amy Amy Amy”/”Outro”/”Brother”/”Mr. Magic (Through the Smoke)” – Frank (2003) “Back to Black” – Back to Black (2006) “Best Friends, Right?” – Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011) “Best Friends, Right?” (Leicester Summer Sundae 2004) – Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012) “Between the Cheats” – Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011) “Body and Soul” (with Tony Bennett) – Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011) “Close to the Front” – Back to Black (2006) “Cupid” – Back to Black (2006) “Fu*k Me Pumps” – Frank (2003) “Fu*k Me Pumps” (T in the Park 2004) – Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012) “Half Time” – Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011) “He Can Only Hold Her” – Back to Black (2006) “Help Yourself” – Frank (2003) “Hey Little Rich Girl” (with Zalon and Ade) – Back to Black (2006) “I Heard Love Is Blind” – Frank (2003) “In My Bed” – Frank (2003) “In My Bed” (T in the Park 2004) – Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012) “I Should Care” (The Stables 2004) – Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012) “Just Friends” – Back to Black (2006) “Just Friends” (Big Band Special 2009) – Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012) “Know You Now” – Frank (2003) “Know You Now” (Leicester Summer Sundae 2004) –Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012)
(L-Z)
“Love Is a Losing Game” – Back to Black (2006) “Love Is a Losing Game” (Jools Holland 2009) – Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012) “Like Smoke” (featuring Nas) – Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011) “Lullaby of Birdland” (The Stables 2004) – Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012) “Me & Mr Jones” – Back to Black (2006) “Monkey Man” – Back to Black (2006) “Moody’s Mood for Love”/”Teo Licks” – Frank (2003) “October Song” – Frank (2003) “October Song” (T in the Park 2004) “Our Day Will Come” – Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011) “Rehab” – Back to Black (2006) “Rehab” (Pete Mitchell 2006) “Some Unholy War” – Back to Black (2006) “Stronger Than Me [Jazz Intro]” – Frank (2003) “Take the Box” – Frank (2003) “Tears Dry on Their Own” – Back to Black (2006) “Tears Dry on Their Own” (Jo Whiley Live Lounge 2007) – Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012) “The Girl from Ipanema” – Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011) “(There Is) No Greater Love” – Frank (2003) “To Know Him Is to Love Him” – Back to Black (2006) “To Know Him Is to Love Him” (Pete Mitchell 2006) – Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012) “Valerie” – Version (album by Mark Ronson) (2006) “Valerie” (Jo Whiley Live Lounge 2007) – Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012) “Wake Up Alone” – Back to Black (2006) “What Is It About Men” – Frank (2003) “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” – Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011) “You Know I’m No Good” – Back to Black (2006) “You Know I’m No Good” (Jo Whiley Live Lounge 2007) – Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012) “You Sent Me Flying”/”Cherry” – Frank (2003) “You’re Wondering Now” – Back to Black (2006)
Check out our fantastic and entertaining Amy Winehouse articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
Janey Roberts lives in Chelsea, London. She has worked for various British musical publications writing album and concert reviews. Originally from Balboa Park, San Diego, Janey brings an international cross cultural perspective to rock journalism.
As they head towards their 25th anniversary, Finnish prog-doom merchants Swallow The Sun are bringing a touch of hope to their more melancholic output with the transformative new album, Shining. Bandleader Juha Raivio discusses their brighter sound, Marillion’s influence and why the record is going big with Queen-style choruses.
Swallow The Sun’s new album, Shining, is aptly named. It isn’t exactly bursting with joy – the Finnish quintet are far too steeped in melancholia for that – but it does provide glimmers of hope that shine like distant stars in the darkness. It’s also an album that guitarist, keyboard player, founder member and main songwriter Juha Raivio felt that he had to make at this point in the band’s career.
“I needed it to feel different to our last album for my own sake, because Moonflowers was so dark,” he explains. “It was so painful. Anyone who knows us knows the music has a lot of weight from my own personal life. It started to be quite dangerous for myself, to play the music and go on tour and stab myself in the heart. A voice inside myself said that maybe you could have a little bit of mercy with yourself if there’s ever going to be new music.”
For those who aren’t familiar with Swallow The Sun’s recent history, their last two albums – 2019’s When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light and 2021’s Moonflowers – dealt directly with the death of Raivio’s partner and artistic collaborator, Aleah Stanbridge, and the guitarist’s own difficult journey in its aftermath.
“When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light was made from love, pure love. I love that album. But I fucking hate Moonflowers. I hate that I had to write that album,” he says.“Aleah told me, ‘You have to face the darkness. Don’t have any fear – just go straight into the darkness because the light is on the other side.’ But I got so deep that I kind of passed the point where the light was; I was going even deeper into that direction. I was hoping with this new album that I would feel some kind of power rather than lying in that coffin.”
SWALLOW THE SUN – MelancHoly (OFFICIAL VIDEO) – YouTube
Shining does take a different tack. If the lyrics aren’t exactly suffused in light, they at least question and start to arrest that descent into darkness. Album opener Innocence Was Long Forgotten looks backwards with a darkly romantic lustre. What I Have Become takes a long, hard look into an unforgiving mirror, while MelancHoly warns of the dangers, as Raivio puts it, of “making melancholy your god.”
“People think I’m some kind of goth, weeping in a forest and drinking red wine,” he says. “That’s part of how I express myself through the music – but there has always been a hope in me, and both light and darkness. It’s very powerful in me. I sound like a fucking Jedi, but we all have that duality.”
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There are themes of rebirth, or at least a vigorous reassessment, that go beyond the lyrics too. Even the album artwork provides a marked contrast, with gleaming jewelled hands forming a transformative moth shape. It’s a far cry from Moonflowers, which saw the guitarist pour his pain – quite literally – into the minimalist aesthetic.
“I painted the Moonflowers cover with my own blood,” he nods. “I cut myself up just to paint the album. With the new one, you’re the first one who got it, but it’s the moth from our logo. It’s also two swans, and there’s a brightness with the diamonds and the whiteness of the image. It feels powerful: the kind of change I was hoping for.”
SWALLOW THE SUN – What I Have Become (OFFICIAL VISUALIZER VIDEO) – YouTube
Along with these thematic and aesthetic changes, the band decided to take a different musical approach to their ninth full-length studio album. Bassist Matti Honkonen has described Shining as the Finns’ own Black Album, and while his tongue was at least partially in his cheek, the comparison might still be alarming for fans of their more progressive leanings.
Metallica’s self-titled record was, after all, a far more streamlined take on their sound that became a huge mainstream hit, even as it alienated sections of their fanbase. Even more alarm bells might have sounded on the announcement of producer Dan Lancaster, whose production and mixing credits include Blink-182, Don Broco and Bring Me The Horizon.
I wanted Shining to have more power – and the mix feels like someone punching you in the face
“Matti was joking in part, but in a way it’s true, because the genre can be very… protective,” Raivio chuckles. “Like with the Black Album, lots of ‘true’ Metallica fans thought, ‘I want my Metallica to be exactly like this.’ We’re not into labels. People call us doom metal, and there is some of that in there; but we have melody and growling and slow tempos and long songs and short songs. People never know what to expect from us.
“I wanted a producer with a fresh perspective who’s never done this kind of music. Dan didn’t change the songs, but I wanted Shining to have more power – and the mix feels like someone punching you in the fucking face. He helped pull the melody out more than ever before and he also sings a lot, adding backing vocals and harmonies. You might want to hang me by my balls for saying this, but he brought a lot of Queen to the band with the big vocal choruses.”
SWALLOW THE SUN – Innocence Was Long Forgotten (OFFICIAL VIDEO) – YouTube
We’ll pass on that, thanks; but there’s a sense of immediacy and even bombast to Shining that certainly wasn’t present on its understandably downbeat predecessors. At the same time it’s recognisably a Swallow The Sun album, and long-term fans needn’t worry that they’ve morphed into a shiny pop-rock outfit. Despite the more optimistic tones, the gloomy melancholia remains. “It’s part of the Finnish people,” says Raivio with a laugh. He’s a man who lives alone in the woods with a beautiful Norwegian forest cat (who makes a scene-stealing appearance on our video call) for company.
I wish I didn’t have to write this music myself; so in that respect, I feel sorry for the people who like my band
The progressive elements are also ingrained, shining through the melodic layers of Under The Moon & Sun and the nine-minute title track which closes the album. “There’s so much Marillion in this band. We had Steve Rothery play with us [on 2009’s New Moon] and he’s my main influence as a guitarist,” Raivio says.
“Some prog fans might be like, ‘What is this asshole talking about?’ but it’s in there. We have a 34-minute song [2008’s Plague Of Butterflies]; and even I played in a progressive band through the 90s. We’d play these underground prog parties in Helsinki.”
It’s now nearly a quarter of a century since he helped put Swallow The Sun together. In that time they’ve become a respected and occasionally revered band, but their continued presence in the prog metal scene is never a given.
SWALLOW THE SUN – Charcoal Sky (OFFICIAL VISUALIZER VIDEO) – YouTube
“Every album is the last album for me in a way, because I can never be sure that the inspiration will come again,” Raivio explains. “I live here in my godforsaken forest and I wait. When the music comes, it comes in a flood and I write the whole album in a month. So far it’s always happened – but who knows if it always will?”
And if Shining should become their Black Album, in terms of a surge in popularity, would any of that change? “I still wouldn’t be able to plan music or write to a schedule. It’d certainly be amazing if more people found the band; but in some ways, even with the new album, I think you have to have lived it, to have loved and lost to really resonate with the music.
“I wish I didn’t have to write this music myself; so in that respect, I feel sorry for the people who like my band and I’m happy for the ones who don’t.”
Slayer’s Kerry King has named a metal guitarist who “plays circles” around him.
During an interview with the Talk Louder podcast, the 60-year-old offers the praise to Phil Demmel, formerly of Machine Head and now a member of King’s solo band.
King mentions Demmel when he’s asked about how he divvied up the solos on his 2024 debut solo album, From Hell I Rise, which also features vocalist Mark Osegueda (Death Angel), bassist Kyle Sanders (ex-Hellyeah) and drummer Paul Bostaph (Slayer).
“I probably would have given him more, because Phil Demmel’s a wizard,” King answers (via Ultimate Guitar). “He plays circles around me. He’s really, really fucking good, and he’s definitely more melodic than me. I’m far more archaic. But together, it works.”
He continues: “And in the beginning, when I was trying to decide who would play what, I thought about what fans would expect me to play, because I didn’t want to let fans think I wasn’t thinking about them, or passing the buck because I’m doing something else.”
Elsewhere on the podcast, King talks about the differences between his solo band and his work with Slayer.
“Say, for instance, you’ve got a horse with blinders on – that was me in Slayer,” he explains. “Not completely blind, just looking straight forward. In my band, I’d say [the blinders] open five to seven percent – not a lot, but it’s a different perspective. You know, Slayer was this juggernaut. And people had an established opinion – as well as I – about what the songs should be, how they should sound, things like that.
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“And then, when I did this band, I was just looking to do an 80s tribute punk song. That was Two Fists. I wanted the riffs to be as if they were written by a punk band. There’s a big riff in the middle that I just had to throw in there, because I couldn’t do it without one. But I wanted the vocals to be presented that way too.”
King unveiled his solo band in February 2024 with the announcement of From Hell I Rise and the release of their first single Idle Hands. The news came just days before Slayer, who’d previously retired in 2019, announced their surprise comeback.
Slayer are now active as an occasional live force, and are booked to play Louder Than Life in Kentucky in September, but King spends the majority of his time with his solo project. Since releasing From Hell I Rise, they’ve toured prolifically. They’re currently playing across the Americas and are set to also perform in Europe from July to August. See dates and details via King’s website.
Demmel is best-known for his stint in Machine Head from 2002 to 2018, but he’s also performed with Lamb Of God and Testament as a fill-in guitarist. He played several dates with Slayer during their 2018-to-2019 farewell tour as well, filling in for Gary Holt.
