40 Years Ago: Fleetwood Mac Release ‘Penguin’
As 1972 rolled around, Fleetwood Mac were trying to re-invent themselves and move the band forward. 1973's 'Penguin' album would do exactly that -- but not before traveling a long, strange road.
As 1972 rolled around, Fleetwood Mac were trying to re-invent themselves and move the band forward. 1973's 'Penguin' album would do exactly that -- but not before traveling a long, strange road.
AC/DC guitarist Angus Young may be one of the unlikeliest guitar heroes in rock music, simply for the fact that he's not trying to be a guitar hero at all. Far from the flashy pyrotechnics of many of hard rock and metal's most celebrated players, Young's artistry lies in his ability to use the simplest chords and scales to build musical tension and excitement.
Paul McCartney was on a roll when he entered Abbey Road Studios in early 1977 to begin work on Wings’ sixth album. But he found it difficult to continue that winning streak with 'London Town,' which fell a little bit short despite a few good songs.
Like many of their contemporaries, the Who adapted to the constantly evolving '60s music scene by expanding their scope and sound. They just did it better than almost everyone else. They started off combining Pete Townshend's guitar-powere
On March 28, 1973, Led Zeppelin released their fifth and arguably most wide-ranging album, 'Houses of the Holy.'
On March 27, 1986, the city of Shreveport, Louisiana bore witness to the very first public performance of Van Halen MKII – otherwise nicknamed “Van Hagar,” in reference to the band’s new front man, Sammy Hagar, who had controversially replaced former loudmouth, David Lee Roth, a few months prior.
On Monday, March 25, 1968, at 7:30PM, the final episode of 'The Monkees' aired over the NBC airwaves. When the television show about a rock and roll band premiered on Monday, Sept. 12, 1966, no one could have guessed the phenomenon it would become. Over the 18 months that followed, the fictitious band became a real band, and their records not only topped the charts, but even outsold the Beatles.
On March 23, 1973, John Lennon was issued an order by US immigration authorities to leave the United States. He was given 60 days to do so. The reason given for the deportation stemmed from his conviction in 1968 in England for possession of marijuana; however, as we now know, it had more to do with the Nixon administration's general fear of Lennon, his political views and his influence. Lennon's wife, Yoko Ono, was, however, granted permanent residence at the time.
The numbers attached to ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ are pretty impressive. More than 50 million copies sold worldwide. Fifteen straight years on Billboard’s album chart. Consistently ranked in the Top 10 of many best-albums-ever-made polls. But Pink Floyd’s achievements with their eighth LP go deeper than that. In a way, their 1973 epic changed the way people made and listened to albums. Forty years after its release, there’s still no better head trip -- legally at least -- available.
It was the panty-drop, girl-shriek heard round the world, when on March 22, 1963, the Beatles released their first album in the UK, on Parlophone Records.