A few days ago I came up with my top 10 deep cuts from Hall & Oates to mark their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Originally it was just going to be a top five and now here I am, realising I’m letting down my whole H&O appreciation unless I come…
Tag: Music
The Top 10 Hall & Oates Deep Cuts
Celebrating Hall & Oates’ long overdue induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame last week, I thought it was time for another list. Songs like She’s Gone, Sara Smile, Rich Girl, Kiss On My List, I Can’t Go For That, Maneater, Say It Isn’t So, Out Of Touch etc were all major hits for the…
How Hall & Oates Overcame The Smouldering Aftermath Of Disco
Hall & Oates at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction. I’m thrilled Daryl Hall and John Oates are finally in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. This article is about why this record-breaking duo had to fight long and hard for their credibility, a fight they have ultimately won in spectacular style….
Marvin Gaye: 30 Years Since His Death, His 75th Birthday & My 5 Favourite Songs
Last week was simultaneously 30 years since Marvin Gaye was shot dead as well as being what should’ve been his 75th birthday. For me, Marvin epitomises much of the human condition as well as being one of the giants of popular music history. Marvin Gaye was an artist torn so desperately in so many different…
Hanson Announce Australasian Tour – Their 3 Best Songs That Aren’t Called ‘MMMBop’
On April 1st it was announced that brotherly trio Hanson will be touring Australasia for the very first time this August. “Oh the hilarity!” said much of the media. Surely news of the 90s one-hit-wonder’s August concert at Auckland’s Powerstation must’ve been an April Fool’s Day joke? I’ve always had a prickly relationship with the…
Diana Ross Turns 70 – 3 Of Her Best Superstar-Written Songs
For Diana Ross who turned 70 today, here are three of her biggest hits. For a full tribute to her towering role in 20th Century popular music, click here to link to a piece in the British paper The Telegraph written to mark her 70th. But for now, I want to focus on just three…
The Top 5 Underrated Lionel Richie Ballads
In my attempts to get over being unable to attend last night’s Lionel Richie concert (and mini-Commodores reunion with bassist Ronald LaPread), I thought I’d bust out another one of my “underrated” lists. A few days ago I wrote of Lionel Richie’s considerable funk credentials with a piece about the 10 best Commodores funk songs,…
Missing Kiwi On MH370 A Passionate Lionel Richie And Bee Gees Fan
The latest developments in the mystery of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 have turned attention towards the pilot and have in turn raised hopes, albeit faint, that the people onboard may still be alive. It’s really only when you find out the personal stories about people involved in tragedies that your cold fascination with a news…
The Top 10 Lionel Richie / Commodores Funk Songs – Lionel’s 2014 New Zealand Tour
The Commodores in the mid 70s. It’s one week today until Lionel Richie plays the first of three dates on his 2014 New Zealand tour*, so I thought it was time to remind people not just of how good he is, but how funky. I’m not one of those precious music fans who subscribes to…
Coldplay Announce New Album & Release New Single – ‘Magic’
Here’s Magic, the brand new Coldplay song and first official single from their 6th album Ghost Stories – released May 19th. The atmospheric, bass-heavy, partially falsetto-sung ballad is a song I like a lot and wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a slow-burning hit. Remembering that 2011’s Paradise didn’t fully reveal its charms to people instantly,…
Bruce Springsteen Concert Review: Auckland, March 2014 – The Extraordinary Live Appeal Of The E Street Band
UPDATE MARCH 10: I don’t know if this is some kind of record, but a week after Bruce Springsteen played to 80,000 fans across two nights in Auckland, he has no less than seven albums in the New Zealand top 40. What’s more, he has three in the top 10 and five in the top…
Bruce Springsteen Covers The Bee Gees At His Epic Brisbane Concert
This is why I love Bruce Springsteen. Last night in Brisbane he played for more than three hours*, performed an entire classic album mid-set and opened with a cover of the Bee Gees. Bruuuuuuuuuuuuce! Can’t wait for Saturday night in Auckland. In the meantime, here’s his Stax-like cover of Stayin’ Alive – chosen for the…
