Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, one of the most technically gifted rock musician of his - or any - generation - passed away from brain cancer on 7 January, leaving behind an incredible legacy.
From 1960s teen idol to '70s crooner to latter-day experimental trailblazer, Scott Walker's artistic trajectory is one of the strangest and most admirable in music history.
The Columbia recordings of Aretha Franklin between 1960 and 1965 are not her best, but they show us an artist learning her craft and gathering the tools that would change American music.
The concept album that is Aretha's Gold follows the chronology of Aretha Franklin's hits, all released in 1967 and 1968, apex years of the decade not just in terms of numbers but also as an apogee of its cultural and political zeitgeist.
A brief survey of songs from a six-year period (1968-1974) of Aretha Franklin's 61-year recording career shows there were many more levels to this singer/pianist/activist/songwriter than justifiable claim to original Queen of Soul Divahood.
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