Blues De Luxe: What Would Nicky Hopkins Do? (Part 6)

Posted by Lance Davis - September 16, 2018 - Beatles, Billie Davis, Easybeats, Elton John, Giles, Giles & Fripp, Jackie Lomax, Jeff Beck, Kinks, Nicky Hopkins, Paul Jones, Ray Davies, Roger Cook, Rolling Stones, The Who, WWNHD

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The day after Nicky died (September 6, 1994), Ian McLagan and his wife Kim were shopping in Austin and stopped to have a drink in Nicky’s honor. They chose a weirdly appropriate bar, with church pews as benches and coffins for tables, and ordered a round of beers. They were amazed when, without them lifting […]

But It Was Blues: What Would Nicky Hopkins Do? (Part 3)

Posted by Lance Davis - May 13, 2018 - Jimmy Page, Julian Dawson, Kinks, Nicky Hopkins, The Who, WWNHD

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In February-March 1965, Jimmy Page was producing a session for a singer named Andy Anderson. Jeff Beck was on guitar, Carlo Little was on drums, and engineering the session was a young upstart named Glyn Johns. On keyboards? Well, that was the problem. The piano player didn’t show up for the gig. So, Carlo […]

Rescued From Obscurity: The Mice

Posted by Lance Davis - October 8, 2014 - Beatles, Bill Fox, Soul Asylum, Superchunk, The Mice, The Who

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This one goes out to Raul Vela IV, drummer for Gleeson, inventor of the enchilaco*, and mustachioed hero of the Grand Champeen song, “Raul Vela” [Amazon]. Raul requested that I write about The Mice, obscure Cleveland rockers who were the missing link between early Beatles, early Who, and The Jam on one side and […]

Daddy Rollin’ Stone

Posted by Lance Davis - July 30, 2013 - Blasters, Dave Alvin, Johnny Thunders, Otis Blackwell, Phil Alvin, Phil Lynott, Sex Pistols, Small Faces, Steve Marriott, The Who, Thin Lizzy

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Last time out I analyzed Phil Alvin’s underrated 1986 LP, Un “Sung Stories.” Of that album’s 10 songs, only 2 were written after 1940, but only 1 of those sounded like it: “Daddy Rollin’ Stone.” Where the rest of Un “Sung” was old blues, jazz, country, and pop, “Daddy” was unique in hinting at […]

Big Sur I’ve Got Plans For You

Posted by Lance Davis - January 13, 2013 - Beach Boys, Ben Gibbard, California, Camper Van Beethoven, Jay Farrar, The Who

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A few days ago, during top-secret Beach Boys research, I learned that Camper Van Beethoven is releasing a new album next week. Entitled La Costa Perdida (The Lost Coast), it’s their first album since 2004’s underappreciated stoner epic, New Roman Times. When Billboard asked CVB founder, David Lowery, about his inspirations for the new […]