Album Reviews Articles 

The Clash – Exploring the Vanilla Tapes (London Calling Rehearsals 1979)

Persistent rumors of “lost” Clash recordings haunted die-hard fans for a solid 25 years. According to legend, The Clash documented London Calling rehearsals in a makeshift practice room at Vanilla Studios. This coveted material failed to surface, leading many to question whether the “Vanilla Tapes” actually existed. Joe Strummer first hinted at the existence of self-made tapes during a 1979 interview. Strummer proposed that bands could avoid expensive studio bills by recording on simple Teac machines. It was a noble idea, perhaps a way to extricate The Clash from corporate…

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Album Art Exploration Articles 

Sonic Youth – Goo and the Moors Murders

Sonic Youth made their major label debut with Goo. An indie past was preserved with the inclusion of cover art by SST artist, Raymond Pettibon. The simple black and white drawing looked more like a demo tape than a corporate release. Pettibon’s past work typically used graphic imagery. Goo was comparatively tame. Violence was still present, yet purely textual. Three sentences spun a compelling narrative for two nameless black and white figures. Pettibon’s text added a cerebral component to the mystery couple. Adventures of the road were purposely open-ended. Overactive minds…

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