By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Released in May of 1966, the Beach Boys 'Pet Sounds' is the greatest album ever made. Oh, do you want more details than that? Okay, sure. Everything that would become "the 1960s" came to a boiling point in 1966. From the advent of a character named Bob Dylan […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Some things fall apart and, in the process, allow new things to grow. Such was the case with pop sensations Fine Young Cannibals. After a run of success and some fantastic records, bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox had left the Beat, also known as the English […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor For the better part of twenty years, INXS had been busy building their reputation, starting in their native Australia, and gradually conquering the rest of the world with their driving, energetic mix of pop, rock, and dance music. Cracking the radio waves, and MTV, with the 1982 hit […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Many moons ago, there was a combo known as the Tourists. They were a stellar power pop/new wave-styled band led by pop maestro/ace songwriter Peet Coombs. They released two very fine albums at the tail end of the 1970s, and they were gone. No massive success, just a […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Released in 1971, ‘L.A. Woman,’ the Doors’ sixth and final album (for all intents and purposes) still stands among their most significant works. This was not the sound of a band on its final ride but rather a rejuvenated force to be reckoned with in the coming decade. […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor There is a reason why ABBA sold millions of records and why people are still talking about, listening to, and obsessing over them some fifty-plus years since their debut LP and the forty-plus years since they called it a day. The reason is, they were f'n great! They […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Have you ever been to a thrift store? Goodwill, Salvation Army, and so on? Chances are, you have been, and chances are, you have seen this record there. At any given time, over any selected year over the past several decades, Herb Alpert's classic 'Whipped Cream and Other […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Issued in early 1992, 'Stick Around For Joy' put a shining bow on top of the pop package known as the Sugarcubes. Their third LP would be their final album after a brief five-year run. The album showcased the effervescent pop from this Icelandic combo with shining, punchy […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Sometimes, when you would drop the needle on an album, from those first notes, you knew you were in for something special. It didn’t take much to establish a mood and intent. One such album was ‘Horses,’ the debut long player from Patti Smith. The somber, almost gospel-like […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Released in the spring of 1982, 'The Golden Age of Wireless' introduced Thomas Dolby to a waiting world. The man, and his music, seemed a perfect fit for the coming era, but it would take a while for him to find a firm footing. Rewinding the tape a […]
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