Q&A with ‘From Elvis in Memphis’ Author
360°Sound caught up with Eric Wolfson, author of the new 33 1/3 book on Elvis Presley’s classic 1969 album From Elvis in Memphis (out Nov. 12 on Bloomsbury Academic). After a 14-year absence, Elvis returned to Memphis to record what many consider his greatest album. The recording sessions took place over about 14 days under […]
45 Years of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was shipwrecked in Lake Superior 45 years ago on 10 November 1975. Like many people, I became aware of the tragedy by way of Gordon Lightfoot’s song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” The song was released in 1976 and hit #1 on the pop charts in Lightfoot’s native Canada. It also […]
Greatest One-Hit Wonders: 1980
Was 1980 the last year of the ’70s or the first year of the ’80s? We continue our exploration of the greatest one-hit wonders in the history of the Billboard Hot 100. First we looked at the pre-Beatles pop and doo-wop of 1960, then the psych-rock and heavy blues-rock one-hitters from 1970. Fast forward to […]
Witches’ Brew and the Legacy of RCA Living Stereo
RCA Victor’s Living Stereo classical albums are among the most beloved recordings ever set to tape. Produced from 1958 to 1965, the Living Stereo titles, which cover various genres beyond classical, have been universally praised by audiophiles for their sonics. The name “Living Stereo” comes from the fact that stereo was just an emerging concept […]
Author on 24-Carat Black’s ‘Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth’
360°Sound spoke with writer/editor/journalist Zach Schonfeld about his forthcoming 33 1/3 book on the influential but underappreciated soul-funk concept album Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth by 24-Carat Black. A longtime favorite of crate diggers and soul aficionados, Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth is, as Schonfeld notes in the book, “an album that nobody has heard of but everybody has […]
Top 10 Chocolate Songs
Happy National Chocolate Day! The U.S. National Confectioners Association (NCA) created this glorious day in which we celebrate all things chocolate. Did you know every year Americans drop $22 billion (!!!) on chocolate? This level of popularity may be why there are multiple chocolate days: International Chocolate Day (July 7), World Chocolate Day (July 11), […]
Author explores history behind Nick Cave’s ‘Murder Ballads’
360°Sound spoke with journalist and essayist Santi Elijah Holley about his new 33 1/3 book on the 1996 album Murder Ballads by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Holley’s work has appeared in The Guardian, The Atlantic and VICE, among many other publications. The ninth studio effort from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Murder Ballads is one of […]
All I Can Say: Memories of Shannon Hoon & “No Rain”
by Ari Karnezis (Ari is a rocker and an aficionado of grunge & 90s music. You can catch her on podcasts like The Hook Rocks.) It was August 2019 and I was out on a jog. I wasn’t feeling the happiest in my life at the time: I was moving soon, transferring to a new college […]
This is the Spinal Tap virtual reunion
The boys from This is Spinal Tap got together virtually on Wednesday, 14 October to benefit the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. As a musician and a child of the ’80s, this is a seminal film for me. So before I tell you about the livestream, please indulge me as I share my Spinal Tap story. I […]
Q&A: singer/songwriter Hayley Sales
360°Sound caught up with singer/songwriter/actor Hayley Sales. When we spoke with Sales last week, she was wrapping up her 8-date virtual tour, which was streamed live from her parents’ blueberry farm in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where she’s been staying during the pandemic. Sales has finished her first record in a decade, Ricochet, which is […]