The power of the two central players really fires things up. The whole album has such a groove going through it, you cannot stop yourself from playing the album from one end to another.

After Mott the Hoople’s first album was recorded, before the band had even played a live concert, this diamond of a rock collection was recorded in 1970 after some nearly 200 concerts including their first tour of America.

The Scorpions were started in 1965 by Rudolph Schenker and have always been at the forefront of German rock music. Klaus Meine has been the lead singer on every Scorpions album and has one of the most distinctive voices in rock music, handling the ballads equally well as the all-out rockers.

Released just over two years after Jimi Hendrix’s tragic death, in my opinion, there has never been a finer collection of his live work. The album just gleams with quality. Not only is the music out of this world, but the atmosphere given off by Jimi Hendrix’s chat to the audience is also spellbinding.

The basis of this review is: should a rock band that disbanded 40 years ago, along the way losing their chief multi-instrumentalist, song writer and leader, reform and record a new album? In Gryphon’s case the answer is definitely, No.

Calling Card was Rory Gallagher’s sixth studio album, his fourth with Lou Martin on keyboards, Rod de’Ath on drums, plus the ever-faithful Gerry McAvoy on bass guitar. This unit had been touring together constantly for six years and they were as tight as the Irish Rugby Union’s front row.

There had been twenty-nine years since Ian McDonald’s last solo release in 1970, a collaboration with drummer Michael Giles, and this solo album ‘Drivers Eyes’ (1999). The album is a collection of songs that make up a perfect modern rock album, driving music played with thought and inspiration.

What is progressive rock? Well, it’s when you grow up and stop worrying about what the band looks like and start listening to the music. My British Bulldog friends Grey Lady Down are a fine example with their neo-progressive sound.

2020 was a good year for new rock albums. Cats in Space’s third album, Day Trip to Narnia, is no exception. After Too May Gods (2015), Scarecrow (2017), and a positively bouncing live album, Cats Alive (2018), Day Trip To Narnia is a massive step in the right direction.