Weekly
Spins: Wings • Wings 3xLP Limited Edition
Wings Wings 3xLP Limited Edition (Capitol/MPL/UMe) At the time of writing this, Paul McCartney has just packed up and left Chicago following the two-night stand at United Center that concluded his Got Back tour of North America. There were certainly people at the final show who were pining for more than just the Beatles […]
Spins: The Autumn Defense • Here and Nowhere
The Autumn Defense Here and Nowhere (Yep Roc) Given the well-known regular gigs of Pat Sansone and John Stirratt as bandmates in Wilco, it’s understandable that their own band has always existed in the shadow of the more famous group. The Autumn Defense’s sonic identity is entirely distinct, though, and the pair have produced […]
Spins: Marty Willson-Piper • Archeological Dig, Vol. 1 • In Reflection LP reissue
Marty Willson-Piper Archeological Dig, Vol. 1 In Reflection LP reissue (Schoolkids) With Archeological Dig, Vol. 1, Marty Willson-Piper (MWP) reclaims his dispersed legacy of songs by reinventing bygone solo and Church tracks. The production aesthetic spotlights lush acoustic guitars and Olivia Elektra’s stirring violin accompaniment. MWP’s 12-string arpeggios twirl around Elektra’s bowed melody as the […]
Spins: Tom Petty • Wildflowers One-Step LP
Tom Petty Wildflowers One-Step LP (Because Sound Matters/Warner Bros.) This review focuses on the quality of a new prestige-format vinyl pressing of Wildflowers. For this writer’s retrospective assessment of the songs on the album, search illinoisentertainer.com for the feature-length November 1, 2020, review of Wildflowers & All the Rest. Wildflowers is a special album in […]
Spins: Brian Wilson: Live at the Roxy Theatre
Brian Wilson Live at the Roxy Theatre (Oglio) The world lost Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson in June, and this 3xLP box is a vivid reminder of what made him so beloved. Recorded on April 7 and 8, 2000, at the 500-capacity Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, the show finds Wilson revitalized […]
Spins: John Williams • Jaws: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
John Williams Jaws: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Geffen/UMe) You’re going to need a bigger record shelf. Composer and conductor John Williams’ famous two-note theme surfaces from these shallow grooves, reminding countless listeners of a certain age why they were scared to go to the beach as kids. The combination of Williams’ score […]
Spins: Carl Perkins • Dance Album of Carl Perkins LP reissue
Carl Perkins Dance Album of Carl Perkins LP reissue (Intervention) All one has to do is utter the words “one for the money,” and practically any fan of pop music history can fill in the rest. This collection of genre-defining rockabilly and formative rock ‘n’ roll classics was first released in 1958 and is […]
Spins: Foghat • Fool for the City Expanded 50th anniversary – 2xLP
Foghat Fool for the City expanded 50th anniversary 2xLP (Bearsville/Rhino) With an evolving lineup around founding drummer Roger Earl, English rock band Foghat has endured for more than 50 years. The group still stretches its creative muscles, and the band’s audience helped Foghat earn a #1 album on the Blues chart with Sonic Mojo in 2023. The […]
CinemaScopes: Peter Gabriel • Taking the Pulse
Peter Gabriel Taking the Pulse Blu-ray (Mercury Studios) This film documents a portion of one night from Peter Gabriel’s ambitious 2010 tour in support of his New Blood album. Although Gabriel isn’t touring new material here, he performs many of his most popular songs in new orchestral surroundings. Rather than the typical “rock band with […]
Spins • Yusuf/Cat Stevens On the Road to Findout: Greatest Hits
Yusuf/Cat Stevens On the Road to Findout: Greatest Hits (Island/Cat-O-Log) This 24-song 2xLP set introduces newcomers to the songcraft of Yusuf/Cat Stevens through an arc of recorded work spanning 56 years. The collection serves as musical accompaniment to the recent memoir Cat: On the Road to Findout, which serves as a firsthand account of the […]
Feature: FYC at 40 – Roland Gift’s Holiday Look Back…
For most revelers, the Holiday Season automatically triggers warm, comforting feelings, filled with sensory delights like the fragrance of pine trees, the taste of cocoa, eggnog, or mulled wine, or the orange glow of a winter hearthside fire. But Roland Gift is not so easily moved by surface aesthetics. At 64, the former Fine Young […]
Rock of Pages: Gift Guide 2025 • Tom Petty: The Life & Music • Bruce Springsteen & Born to Run: 50 Years
Tom Petty: The Life & Music by Gillian Gaar Bruce Springsteen & Born to Run: 50 Years by Sean Egan (Quarto) Finding the perfect gift to impress and delight the obsessive music fans in your life can be tricky. Chances are that these folks already have every album or single released by their favorite artists. […]
Feature: Limahl • So This is Christmas
For many, one of the main comforts of Christmas is tradition, reliable rites, rituals, and touchstones that kick in annually and give form and function to said season. There’s a tangible hearthside warmth to it all — you just instinctually know that it’s upon us once again, as you buy your tree, spice up the […]
Live Review & Photo Gallery: Paul McCartney at United Center • Chicago
Paul McCartney United Center Chicago, IL November 25, 2025 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Ed Spinelli. Can it really have been eight years since the last time Sir Paul McCartney performed in Chicago? The still-fab former Beatle was a relatively regular presence during the 2010s in the town he first visited with his old […]
Stage Buzz: Smoking Popes, Billy Corgan, Better Lovers, Atreyu, Mickey Dolenz
This is the last week to experience the Smashing Pumpkins’ iconic album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness in a new way. Billy Corgan closes out his “A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness” anniversary shows with the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus (James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin are also contributing . Hear the […]
Recent Comments