Top Tens
TEN ALBUMS
1. PHYSICAL GRAFFITI – LED ZEPPELIN (1975) Led Zep in their pomp. Barnstorming performances from every band member and not one duff track. Arguably there has never been a better drum sound anywhere. 2. ARGUS – WISHBONE ASH (1972) Definitive twin guitar extravaganza from arch exponents of prog rock. Andy Powell’s Flying V defined …
TEN BEST GUITARISTS
1. EDDIE VAN HALEN Inventor of the modern heavy rock technique. Enough said. 2. RANDY RHOADS Cut down in his prime. Sounded like three people. 3. JIMMY PAGE Writer, player producer. Led Zep were phenomenal. 4. STEVE VAI At his best when working to the discipline of a Dave Lee Roth song. …
TEN WORST BANDS
TOP TEN WORST BANDS (THAT EVERYONE ELSE LIKES) Some bands are rubbish and everyone agrees. Fair enough. Here are some that everyone else seems to like that I can’t stand. 1. COLDPLAY Whining middle-of-the-road drivel with celebrity wives thrown in for good measure. 2. SNOW PATROL Bafflingly popular light rock/pop. I mistakenly bought a …
TOP TEN TRACKS
1. SPACE STATION NUMBER FIVE MONTROSE (MONTROSE 1973) Blistering rocker from arguably the first heavy rock album ever. This riff has probably never been outdone since. 2. LOVE LIES BLEEDING ELTON JOHN (GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD 1973) Beautiful offering from a great album. Melody and drama. 3. ANARCHY IN THE UK SEX PISTOLS (NEVER MIND THE …
Ten Best Gigs
1. THE SEX PISTOLS, December 16, 1977, Brunel University Blistering, snarling first tour. A roadie played Sid’s bass lines from behind a curtain. 2. THIN LIZZY, March 26, 1976, Brunel University The classic line-up playing in a room the size of your living room. Awesome. 3. GLENN TILBROOK, June 8, 2003, Dingwalls He took us …
Ten Best Blues Gigs
1. BB KING, June 29, 2000, London Apollo “This song is about picking cotton. Some of you have probably never seen cotton. Most of you have probably never even worn it…” 2. TAJ MAHAL, June 6, 1999, Chicago Blues Festival Old rascal on fine form. 3. HOMESICK JAMES, June 3, 1999, Chicago Blues Festival One …
Ten Best Guitar Performances
1. STEVE VAI, DAVID LEE ROTH, March 1, 1991, Wembley Arena Staggering histrionics, including playing two necks at once on a heart-shaped guitar with arrows shot into it – one right-handed, the other left. 2. EDDIE VAN HALEN, VAN HALEN, April 28, 1993, Wembley Arena The master of the whammy bar in full flight. 3. …
Ten Worst Gigs
1. CHER, October 19, 1990, Wembley Arena “Welcome to the Cher extravaganza,” she announced. It wasn’t. She spent most of the time changing costumes, and it only lasted an hour and fifteen minutes. 2. VAN MORRISON, May 28, 2000, Bishopstock, Exeter Spent the entire time complaining to the road crew about his microphone. Massively selfish, …
Ten Wish I’d Seen
1. LED ZEP Probably the greatest. Physical Graffiti is the greatest album of all time. 2. OASIS Became bogged down in their own hype, but in their heyday a real crowd-puller. Wish I’d got round to it. 3. THE CLASH I was still in school and they never seemed to be anywhere I could get …
Kevin Duncan
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