Moby_Dick, Author at Lossless Music Archives

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”

The Supremes – Albums Collection

The Supremes - Albums Collection

The most successful American performers of the 1960s, the Supremes for a time rivaled even the Beatles in terms of red-hot commercial appeal, reeling off five number one singles in a row at one point. Critical revisionism has tended to undervalue the Supremes’ accomplishments, categorizing their work as more lightweight than the best soul stars (or even the best Motown stars), and viewing them as a tool for Berry Gordy’s crossover aspirations. Continue reading “The Supremes – Albums Collection”

The Verve – Discography (1992 – 2008)

The Verve - Discography (1992 - 2008)

Long acclaimed as one of the most innovative and spellbinding bands on the contemporary British pop scene, the Verve finally broke through to a mass international audience in 1997 with the instant classic “Bittersweet Symphony.” By no stretch a study in overnight success, the group’s rise was instead the culmination of a long, arduous journey that began at the dawn of the decade and went on to encompass a major breakup, multiple lawsuits, and an extensive diet of narcotics. Continue reading “The Verve – Discography (1992 – 2008)”

J.J. Cale – Discography (1971 – 2009)

J.J. Cale - Discography (1971 - 2009)

With his laid-back rootsy style, J.J. Cale was best known for writing “After Midnight” and “Cocaine,” songs that Eric Clapton later made into hits. But Cale’s influence wasn’t only through songwriting — his distinctly loping sense of rhythm and shuffling boogie became the blueprint for the adult-oriented roots rock of Clapton and Mark Knopfler, among others. Cale’s refusal to vary the sound of his music over the course of his career caused some critics to label him as a one-trick pony, but he managed to build a dedicated cult following with his sporadically released recordings. Continue reading “J.J. Cale – Discography (1971 – 2009)”

Shocking Blue – Discography

Shocking Blue - Discography

Formed in 1967 by former Motions guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen, the Dutch quartet Shocking Blue originally had a lineup of VanLeeuwen on guitar, lead vocalist Fred DeWilde, bass player Klaasje Van der Wal, and drummer Cornelius Van der Beek, and the initial configuration of the band had a minor homeland hit with “Lucy Brown Is Back in Town” a year later in 1968. Things really got moving, though, when DeWilde was replaced by sultry singer Mariska Veres, whose sexy presence and solid singing brought the band a second Netherlands hit, “Send Me a Postcard,” and then a huge international smash with “Venus” Continue reading “Shocking Blue – Discography”