Posts by Doug Collette

[rating=9.00] In their campaign to revivify the power trio concept originated by Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Gov’t Mule always emphasized improvisation. Five years into that initiative, the band in its initial configuration of guitarist/vocalist Warren Haynes, bassist Allen Woody and drummer Matt Abts, began to alternately fine-tune and expand their approach to jamming […]

Like their most recent sold-out appearance in the Ballroom at Higher Ground, Dr. Dog’s previous performances at this Vermont venue have become something of a rite of winter. Proceeding from acting as openers in a less-than packed smaller room in Vermont, these Philadelphia-based DIY rock and rollers have pushed their unorthodox methods of writing, recording […]

Gov’t Mule refuses to allow itself to become predictable. Even as the quartet continues an over decade-long tradition of New Year’s runs in New York and Philadelphia, the two nights at The Beacon Theatre in found Warren Haynes and co. looking and moving forward, using the past as touch-points for progress. Cover material and guest […]

[rating=9.00] Despite the fact all the numbers on Jimi Hendrix’ The Cry of Love  and Rainbow Bridge have been issued in different contexts many times in the past, it’s tribute to the lasting power within the music that, sans historical content or additional numbers, the (re)issue of  these titles on vinyl and CD (the latter […]

[rating=9.00] Because Legacy Music has done such splendid work in the archiving and reissuing of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan’s music, The Complete Epic Recordings Collection‘s main selling point is, at least superficially, the inclusion of Live At The El Mocambo previously available only in video form. Packaging this heretofore promotional-only item along with eleven […]

[rating=9.00] Face the Music makes an ever so convincing case for Nils Lofgren as the unsung hero of  contemporary American rock and roll. Documenting his forty-five year career in great detail through music, video, text and photos, this uniquely-designed ten-disc box set portrays the multi-instrumentalist and songwriter as a self-motivated artist on his own terms […]

[rating=9.00] Reconfigured into a more compact design from its original issue in 2009, the 2014 edition of Big Star’s all-encompassing box set Keep An Eye on the Sky retains all the content in the original package including pre-formation demos as well as a live CD from a quasi-reunion of the band. Almost as much as […]

[rating=9.00] Gov’t Mule has never performed material without as much emotional resonance as musical validity and that goes for the covers they choose as well as their originals. And because every song the group plays carries some meaning, this single album of a set devoted entirely to the music of Pink Floyd, Dark Side of […]

It might be correct, with all due respect, to call author/historian Dennis McNally the Zelig of contemporary culture, except that he doesn’t just appear in pivotal situations of paradigm shift to immerse himself in his surroundings to merely observe. Instead he recounts what he sees with a discerning eye from a perspective all his own. […]

[rating=10.00] When original Byrds Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman oversaw the 2006 box set There Is A Season, they made a concerted effort to highlight the contributions of their band-mate Gene Clark and, in so doing, may well have begun the groundswell of well-deserved recognition the late musician and songwriter is now receiving. This deluxe […]