Big Blasts From The Past

FOO FIGHTERS Released Their 7th Album ‘WASTING LIGHT’ Today 15 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

12 April 2026

Dave Grohl and his FOO FIGHTERS released their 7th album,
named WASTING LIGHT on 12 April 2011, today 15 years ago.

The album was recorded in Grohl‘s house in Encino, California. It was made
on only analog equipment and was produced by Garbage drummer and
Nirvana’s Nevermind producer Butch Vig.

The band spent three weeks making sure they could play the songs well before
recording, as no mistakes can be fixed after recording on analog equipment.

Pitchfork said: “Foo Fighters’ long-standing foundation has been built on fist-pumpers.
While Wasting Light features a host of worthy set-openers, few prove to be as sticky or memorable as any number of their previous singles.”

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MASSIVE ATTACK – Masterpiece Debut ‘BLUE LINES’ Came Out 35 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from yesteryear

8 April 2026

British trip-hop heroes MASSIVE ATTACK released their masterpiece
debut LP BLUE LINES, on 8 April 1991, today 35 years ago today.

It peaked at #13 in the UK.

NME said: “The sleekest, deadliest, most urbane, most confounding LP 1991 has
yet seen. Massive Attack put current changes on the dancefloor in perspective and
map out blueprints for what must surely come next. Soul, funk, reggae, house,
hip-hop and space-rock will be blurred forever.”

Turn Up The Volume: A ground-and-sound breaking
record. Trip-soul-hop-pop at its captivting best.

Singles.

– UNFINISHED SYMPATHY –

– SAFE FORM HARM –

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THE BIRTHDAY PARTY – Australian Psychos Fronted By NICK CAVE Released Their Debut LP Today 40 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from yesteryear

6 April 2026

Band: THE BIRTHDAY PARTY
Who: Insane group of mental cases, fronted
by wild man Nick Cave, nailing 2 longplayers
between 1977 and 1983.

Album: PRAYERS ON FIRE
Their debut released on 6 April 1981,
today 40 years ago.

AllMusic in retrospect: “While there might not be any of the explicit Biblical
imagery on Prayers on Fire that Cave would later ejaculate, the title of the
album is apt, and its aptness is revealed almost immediately.

Cave sounds like he’s being assaulted by the music, emitting horrific gasps
and primitive grunts. Oppressive and unrelenting, Prayers on Fire is highly
recommended for those aspiring to advanced states of dementia.”

TUTV: Scary band, scary Cave, scare record.

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Short Bio – Discography

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB – Leather Jacket Rockers From San Francisco Released Their Bonzer Debut LP Today 25 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from yesteryear

3 April 2026

San Francisco‘ leather jacket rockers BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB scored their
bonzer debut LP B.R.M.C. today 25 years ago, on 3 April 2001. Their first of 8 (so far).

AllMusic/Bryan Thomas wrote: “This self-produced major-label debut boldly plunders
a reverb-and-white noise course previously trampled underfoot by long-gone British bands
of the late ’80s and early ’90s.

It all sounds very British, on many levels, despite the fact that only one band member is an Englishman living in exile in the States. On some songs, however, the driving, over-amped guitars and pounding drums have a swaggering primeval feel that rivals solid Detroit rock outfits, both old and new (including the Stooges and the Go, to name two).”


(photo by Turn Up The Volume – Brussels, 2010)

Turn Up The Volume: I fell in love with BRMC the moment I heard the sublime
debut single Whatever Happened To My Rock ‘N’ Roll (Punk Song) and when
the blistering debut longplayer came out, it felt like guitar fireworks and leather
ackets were totally back again. A solid gold masterpiece, and one of the best live
bands of this century.

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NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS – 11th Album ‘NO MORE SHALL WE PART’ Released 25 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from yesteryear

2 April 2026

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS released their 11th LP, called
No More Shall We Part on 2 April 2001, today 25 years ago.

Nick Cave had to overcome heavy heroin and alcohol addictions in
1999–2000 before starting to work on this album. It featured guest
appearances by Kate & Anna McGarrigle and was met with mostly
positive reviews.

Pitchfork wrote: ‘If ‘No More Shall We Part’ seems less distinguished next
to Cave’s mid-90s streak and his reinvigorated Anti- output, it represents
an important turning point in the Bad Seeds discography. It marks that
pivotal moment where Cave regains the sensation in his red right hand.”

Turn Up The Volume: Not really top – too many masterpieces
to compare to – on the other hand, the iconic Australian crooner
never made a bad album.

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PRINCE – The Late Royal Genius Released His 8th Album ‘PARADE’ Today 40 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from yesteryear

31 March 2026

The late royal genius PRINCE (1958 – 2016) released his 8th LP (and also the
4th and final one, where the Revolution is billed) PARADE today 40 years ago,
on 31 March 1986.

Parade eschews the guitar and rock elements of Prince‘s 1984 album Purple Rain in
favor of the neo-psychedelic style he explored on Around the World in a Day (1985), austerely produced funk, and soundtrack compositions.

It went to #3 on the US Pop Charts and #4 in the UK.
It sold more than 2 million copies internationally.

The New York Times: “The album succeeds in part because of the more aggressive
songs, in which Prince chooses to play up the black side of his multifaceted musical
sensibility.”

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More than 560 million
streams on Spotify.

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LED ZEPPELIN – 7th Album ‘PRESENCE’ Came Out 50 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

31 March 2026

Herculian blues rock giants LED ZEPPELIN (1968-1980) released their
7th LP, named PRESENCE, on 31 March 1976, today 50 years ago.

It went #1 in the UK and the US

Rolling Stone wrote: “In spite of a few dull blues rock songs, the album is
another monster in what by now is a continuing tradition of battles won by
this band of survivors.”

Turn Up The Volume: For many bands, this would have been a top album.
For Led Zep – given the brilliant work they released before – it was nothing
more than a good, but too familiar-sounding LP.

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LED ZEPPELIN: Facebook

THIN LIZZY – Irish Rock Legends Released Their 6th LP ‘JAILBREAK’ Today 50 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from the past

26 March 2026

Band: THIN LIZZY

Who: Legendary Irish rock group led by the late great Phil Lynott
who passed away following a heroin overdose in 1986, he was
only 36. After his death, the band continued to play live, but
didn’t produce new music.

Album: JAILBREAK
Their 6th. Released on 26 March 1976,
today 50 years ago.

AllMusic said in retrospect: “A truly exceptional album with a dimension
of richness that sustains, but there’s such kinetic energy to the band that
it still sounds immediate no matter how many times it’s played”.

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More than 528 million
streams on Spotify.

ALBUM


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Short Bio – All Albums

VAN HALEN Scored Their First No. 1 Album In The US With ‘5150’ Today 40 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Back in time

24 March 2026

Californian heavyweight rockers VAN HALEN (1972–1999, 2003–2020)
scored their first No. 1 album in the US with their 7th, named 5150.

It topped the charts on 24 March 1986, today 40 years ago.

It was the first of 4 LPs with red rocker Sammy Hagar on vocals,
replacing David Lee Roth, who left to pursue a solo career. He
would return in 2007.

Many called the new incarnation Van Hagar. The nickname was so ubiquitous that,
as Hagar later pointed out in a book, record label Warner Bros asked to consider
renaming the band as such. The Van Halen brothers refused.

The LP’s artwork features an Art Deco depiction of Atlas
kneeling while holding a mirror-polished metallic sphere
on his shoulders.

Rolling Stone‘s verdict: “Part of Eddie Van Halen’s cheeky genius lies in his ability to think in terms of both complex orchestration and rock banalities. Eddie can still split the atom with his axe, and he knows it. It’s a Van Halen world with or without David Lee Roth, and 5150 shoots off all the bombastic fireworks of a band at the peak of its powers.”

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ELVIS PRESLEY Released His Self-Named Debut LP This Day 70 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from yesteryear

23 March 2026

The mighty King released his rock-game-changing, self-named debut LP
on March 23, 1956, today 70 years ago. OMG, 70! This sounds so unreal.

The album spent ten weeks at Number One on the Billboard Top Pop Albums Chart,
the first rock and roll album ever to make it to the top of the charts, and the first
million-selling album of that genre. It also topped the UK Charts.

41 more LPs (compilations not included) would follow.


Back sleeve

The photograph of Elvis on the front cover was taken
at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida
in 1955.

The LP’s graphic styling and photo were also used on
an EP and a double-EP comprising songs from this LP,
also released in March 1956.

The design was echoed by several other artists such
as The Clash for their 1979 double masterpiece album
London Calling.

Pop-ular music would never be the same again.

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