Moby_Dick, Author at Lossless Music Archives

Donald Fagen – Discography (1982 – 2017)

Donald Fagen - Discography (1982 - 2017)

Donald Fagen was one of the two masterminds behind Steely Dan, the seminal jazz-pop band of the ’70s. Fagen’s solo work has been a continuation of the band’s work of the early ’80s — carefully constructed and arranged, intricately detailed pop songs that are more substantial than their stylish surface may indicate. His 1982 solo debut, The Nightfly, was the best album he had made in years; it covered the same ground as the last two Steely Dan albums, yet surpassed them in terms of ambition and achievement. Continue reading “Donald Fagen – Discography (1982 – 2017)”

Traffic – Discography (1967 – 2005)

Traffic - Discography (1967 - 2005)

Though it ultimately must be considered an interim vehicle for singer/songwriter/keyboardist/guitarist Steve Winwood, Traffic was a successful group that followed its own individual course through the rock music scene of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Beginning in the psychedelic year of 1967 and influenced by the Beatles, the band turned out eclectic pop singles in its native Great Britain, though by the end of its first year of existence it had developed a pop/rock hybrid tied to its unusual instrumentation: At a time when electric guitars ruled rock, Traffic emphasized Winwood’s organ and the reed instruments played by Chris Wood, especially flute. Continue reading “Traffic – Discography (1967 – 2005)”

Madonna – Discography (1983 – 2015)

Madonna - Discography (1983 - 2015)

After stars reach a certain point, it’s easy to forget what they became famous for and concentrate solely on their personas. Madonna is such a star. She rocketed to stardom so quickly in 1984 that it obscured most of her musical virtues. Appreciating her music became even more difficult as the decade wore on, as discussing her lifestyle became more common. However, one of Madonna’s greatest achievements is how she has manipulated the media and the public with her music, her videos, her publicity, and her sexuality. Continue reading “Madonna – Discography (1983 – 2015)”

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Discography (1973 – 2015)

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Discography (1973 - 2015)

Lynyrd Skynyrd was the definitive Southern rock band, fusing the overdriven power of blues-rock with a rebellious Southern image and a hard rock swagger. Skynyrd never relied on the jazzy improvisations of the Allman Brothers. Instead, they were a hard-living, hard-driving rock & roll band — they may have jammed endlessly on-stage, but their music remained firmly entrenched in blues, rock, and country. Continue reading “Lynyrd Skynyrd – Discography (1973 – 2015)”

Van Halen – Discography (1978 – 2015)

Van Halen - Discography (1978 - 2015)

With their 1978 eponymous debut, Van Halen simultaneously rewrote the rules of rock guitar and hard rock in general. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen redefined what the electric guitar could do, developing a blindingly fast technique with a variety of self-taught two-handed tapping, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and effects that mimicked the sounds of machines and animals. Continue reading “Van Halen – Discography (1978 – 2015)”

Iron Butterfly – Discography (1968 – 1993)

Iron Butterfly - Discography (1968 - 1993)

The heavy, psychedelic acid rock of Iron Butterfly may seem dated to some today, but the group was one of the first hard rock bands to receive extensive radio airplay, and their best-known song, the 17-minute epic “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” established that more extended compositions were viable entries in the radio marketplace, paving the way for progressive AOR. Continue reading “Iron Butterfly – Discography (1968 – 1993)”

Jefferson Airplane – Discography (1966-2010)

Jefferson Airplane - Discography (1966 - 2010)

Jefferson Airplane was the first of the San Francisco psychedelic rock groups of the 1960s to achieve national recognition. Although the Grateful Dead ultimately proved more long-lived and popular, Jefferson Airplane defined the San Francisco sound in the 1960s, with the acid rock guitar playing of Jorma Kaukonen and the soaring twin vocals of Grace Slick and Marty Balin, scoring hit singles and looking out from the covers of national magazines. Continue reading “Jefferson Airplane – Discography (1966-2010)”

DIO – Discography (1983-2016)

DIO - Discography (1983-2016)

For a brief spell during the mid-’80s, the heavy metal quintet Dio were one of the top U.S. concert attractions, boasting one of the most over the top stage acts of its time loaded with props and special effects (lasers, explosions, a giant dragon, etc.). The group’s leader was singer Ronnie James Dio, who had previously become acquainted with the metal masses as the frontman of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow from 1975-1978 and Black Sabbath from 1979-1982 Continue reading “DIO – Discography (1983-2016)”

Supertramp – Discography (1970 – 2014)

Supertramp - Discography (1970 - 2014)

Supertramp followed an unusual path to commercial success in the 1970s, fusing the stylistic ambition and instrumental dexterity of progressive rock with the wit and tuneful melodies of British pop, and the results made them one of the most popular British acts of the ’70s and ‘80s, topping the charts and filling arenas around the world at a time when their style of music was supposed to have fallen out of fashion. Continue reading “Supertramp – Discography (1970 – 2014)”

Ten Years After – Discography (1967 – 2014)

Ten Years After - Discography (1967 - 2014)

Ten Years After was a British blues-rock quartet consisting of Alvin Lee (born December 19, 1944, died March 6, 2013), guitar and vocals; Chick Churchill (born January 2, 1949), keyboards; Leo Lyons (born November 30, 1944) bass; and Ric Lee (born October 20, 1945), drums. The group was formed in 1967 and signed to Decca in England. Their first album was not a success, but their second, the live Undead (1968) containing “I’m Going Home,” a six-minute blues workout by the fleet-fingered Alvin, hit the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Stonedhenge (1969) hit the U.K. Top Ten in early 1969. Ten Years After’s U.S. breakthrough came as a result of their appearance at Woodstock, at which they played a nine-minute version of “I’m Going Home.” Their next album, Ssssh, reached the U.S. Top 20, and Cricklewood Green, containing the hit single “Love Like a Man,” reached number four. Continue reading “Ten Years After – Discography (1967 – 2014)”

The Kinks – Discography (1964 – 2013)

The Kinks - Discography (1964 - 2013)

Although they weren’t as boldly innovative as the Beatles or as popular as the Rolling Stones or the Who, the Kinks were one of the most influential bands of the British Invasion. Like most bands of their era, the Kinks began as an R&B/blues outfit. Within four years, the band had become the most staunchly English of all their contemporaries, drawing heavily from British music hall and traditional pop, as well as incorporating elements of country, folk, and blues. Continue reading “The Kinks – Discography (1964 – 2013)”

Ozzy Osbourne – Discography (1980-2014)

Ozzy Osbourne - Discography (1980 - 2014)

Though many bands have succeeded in earning the hatred of parents and media worldwide throughout the past few decades, arguably only such acts as Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, and Marilyn Manson have tied the controversial record of Ozzy Osbourne. The former Black Sabbath frontman has been highly criticized over his career, mostly due to rumors denouncing him as a psychopath and Satanist. Despite his reputation, no one could deny that Osbourne has had an immeasurable effect on heavy metal. While he doesn’t possess a great voice, he makes up for it with his good ear and dramatic flair. As a showman, his instincts are nearly as impeccable Continue reading “Ozzy Osbourne – Discography (1980-2014)”

Grand Funk Railroad – Discography (1969 – 2002)

Grand Funk Railroad - Discography (1969 - 2002)

One of the 1970s’ most successful hard rock bands in spite of critical pans and somewhat reluctant radio airplay (at first), Grand Funk Railroad built a devoted fan base with constant touring, a loud, simple take on the blues-rock power trio sound, and strong working-class appeal. The band was formed by Flint, MI, guitarist/songwriter Mark Farner and drummer Don Brewer, both former members of a local band called Terry Knight & the Pack. They recruited former ? & the Mysterians bassist Mel Schacher in 1968, and Knight retired from performing to become their manager, naming the group after Michigan’s well-known Grand Trunk Railroad. Continue reading “Grand Funk Railroad – Discography (1969 – 2002)”

Deep Forest – Discography (1992 – 2017)

Deep Forest - Discography (1992 - 2017)

Innovatively fusing traditional ethnic musics with state-of-the-art rhythms, the work of Deep Forest was best typified by their 1993 smash “Sweet Lullaby,” which brought together the contemporary sounds of ambient techno with a haunting traditional lullaby from the Solomon Islands. The project was primarily the work of the French keyboardists and programmers Eric Mouquet and Michael Sanchez Continue reading “Deep Forest – Discography (1992 – 2017)”

Ramones – Discography

Ramones - DiscographyRamones - Discography

The Ramones were the first punk rock band. Other bands, such as the Stooges and the New York Dolls, came before them and set the stage and aesthetic for punk, and bands that immediately followed, such as the Sex Pistols, made the latent violence of the music more explicit, but the Ramones crystallized the musical ideals of the genre. Continue reading “Ramones – Discography”