Jeremy McDonagh

I am based in the UK and particularly enjoy listening to and writing about British rock music, 1960s jazz, and 1980s hip hop. I'm keen to explore albums which I think are representative of a time and/or a place in popular music but have nevertheless been underappreciated.
50 Years On: Roxy Music and Robert Palmer Transcended Fashion

50 Years On: Roxy Music and Robert Palmer Transcended Fashion

In 1974, Roxy Music and Robert Palmer transcended changes in musical fashions not only in terms of their influence but without sacrificing their artistry.

60 Years On: The Animals, the Hollies, and British Beat

60 Years On: The Animals, the Hollies, and British Beat

As these 1964 albums from the Animals and the Hollies show, the music of the beat boom was characterized by excitement, reverence, and sound.

Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Then Play On’ and Humble Pie’s ‘Town and Country’ 55 Years On

Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Then Play On’ and Humble Pie’s ‘Town and Country’ 55 Years On

Fleetwood Mac and Humble Pie were a part of the progressive 1960s ethos that carried successfully into the 1970s and beyond. These 1969 albums tell the story.

Sheila Jordan’s ‘Portrait of Sheila’ at 60

Sheila Jordan’s ‘Portrait of Sheila’ at 60

The DNA of jazz vocalist Sheila Jordan’s Portrait of Sheila can be heard in so much popular music of the intimate, dreamlike, and nocturnal kind across genres.

Raps From the Golden Age: Jungle Brothers’ Straight Out the Jungle at 35

Raps From the Golden Age: Jungle Brothers’ Straight Out the Jungle at 35

Jungle Brothers’ 35-year-old Straight Out the Jungle shows cerebral rapping, experimentation, and African rhythms. It was the first Native Tongues hip-hop LP.

Traffic’s Free-Flowing British Soul Masterpiece at 55

Traffic’s Free-Flowing British Soul Masterpiece at 55

No British album better synthesized the warmth, energy, and funkiness of New Orleans R&B, Southern soul, and rock better than Traffic’s 1968 self-titled LP.

Soundgarden’s ‘Ultramega OK’: Now With More Ultramega at 35

Soundgarden’s ‘Ultramega OK’: Now With More Ultramega at 35

The fundamental building blocks of Soundgarden and Nirvana’s sounds could be found in their debut LPs, which foreshadowed alternative rock’s commercial breakthrough.

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