Big Blasts From The Past

THE WHO Released Their Seminal 5th LP ‘WHO’S NEXT’ 55 Years Ago Today

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Significant longplayers from yesteryear

14 August 2026

British rock juggernauts THE WHO released their widely praised, then and now,
5th album WHO’S NEXT today 55 years ago, on 14 August 1971.

It developed from the aborted Lifehouse project, a multi-media rock opera conceivedby
visionary guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend as a follow-up to the band’s 1969 album Tommy.

The project was cancelled owing to its complexity and to conflicts with Kit Lambert,
the band’s manager, but the group salvaged some of the songs, without the connecting story elements, to release as their next album.

It topped the UK Charts and peaked at #4 in the US.

Rolling Stone said: “Who’s Next, regardless of what you may have been led to believe
to the contrary, is neither the soundtrack to the realization of Pete Townshend‘s apparently aborted Hollywood dream, the greatest live album in the history of the universe, nor a, shudder, rock opera, but rather an old fashioned long-player containing intelligently-conceived, superbly performed, brilliantly-produced, and sometimes even exciting rock and roll.”

TUTV: For me, it’s the album with two of their 5-star
singles (see/hear below) and the stirring ballads
The Song Is Over and Behind Blue Eyes on.

– BABA O’RILEY –

– WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN –

ALBUM


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EELS – Mark Oliver Everett’s Orchestrated Band Released Their Masterly Debut Album ‘BEAUTIFUL FREAK’ 30 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from yesteryear

13 August 2026

Much-lauded Los Angeles-based band EELS fronted and orchestrated by
compelling singer-songwriter Mark Oliver Everett released their staggering
debut LP BEAUTIFUL FREAK today 30 years ago, on 13 August 1996.

It was the first album as Eels, but before, Everett
already produced 3 LPs under his own name

#5 in the UK / #114 in the US

Artwork: Everett had suggested having a little girl with big eyes on the cover.
The girl that came in to have her picture taken incidentally looked “like a miniature
Susan” to him, referring to his ex-girlfriend and the subject of the song ‘Susan’s House‘.

Q magazine wrote: “A complete musical vision, a genre-spanning
soundscape that reels you in with its myriad hooks.”

TUTV: This debut still stands out on Eels‘ catalog (15 LPs so far,
and #16 Cookie Happened, landing on October 16th).

Striking Singles.

– NOVOCAINE FOR THE SOUL –

– SUSAN’S HOUSE –

ALBUM


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THE PRETENDERS Released Their 2nd Album Today 45 Years Ago

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Significant longplayers from the past

7 August 2026

British guitar pop celebs THE PRETENDERS released their
2nd LP, simply titled Pretenders II on 7 August 1981, today
45 years ago.

#7 in the UK and #10 in the US.

AllMusic wrote in retrospect: “Essentially, this album is an unabashed sequel, offering
more of the same sound, attitude, and swagger, including titles that seem like rips on their predecessors. The material isn’t quite up to the high standards they set the first time around.”

KEY SINGLE

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BLACK SABBATH – Metal Monster Album ‘MASTER OF REALITY’ Released 55 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from yesteryear

6 August 2026

Metal heavyweights BLACK SABBATH (1968–2006, 2011–2017 / 13 LPs)
released their 5th album, MASTER OF REALITY, on 21 July 1971, today
55 years ago.

It peaked at #5 in the UK, #8 in the US, #4 in Australia and #8 in Canada.

AllMusic wrote in retrospect: “The shortest album of Black Sabbath’s glory years, and also their most sonically influential work. Tony Iommi began to experiment with tuning his guitar down three half-steps to C#, producing a sound that was darker, deeper, and sludgier than anything they’d yet committed to record.

If Paranoid has more widely known songs, the suffocating and oppressive Master Of
Reality was the Sabbath record that die-hard metalheads took most closely to heart.”

TUTV: The masters of drone.

SINGLE

ALBUM


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THE BEATLES Released Their Masterwork ‘REVOLVER’ Today 60 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from yesteryear

5 August 2026

THE BEATLES released their masterwork REVOLVER ,
their 6th LP, on 5 August 1966, today 60 years ago.

The sublime longplayer is regarded as one of the greatest and most innovative albums ever, with recognition centred on its range of musical styles, diverse sounds and lyrical content. It marked the group’s most overt use of studio technology to date.

Iconic artwork by Klaus Voorman.

Charts: #1 in the UK, USA, Australia,
and several European countries.

Pitchfork wrote in retrospect: “As they devoted more time to the studio, the Beatles’ individual voices and confidence continued to grow. In the end it’s the sound of a band
growing into supreme confidence.

The Beatles had been transformed into a group not beholden to the expectations of
their label or bosses, but fully calling the shots, recording at their own pace, releasing
records at a less-demanding clip, abandoning the showmanship of live performance.”

Turn Up The Volume: Every chord, every melody, every vocal/harmony,
every beat, every riff, every lick, every hook is just spot-on. Best band ever
in my book.

SINGLE

ALBUM


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Summer Of 1967 – August 4th – PINK FLOYD Released Their Debut LP

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Every day of this summer we go back to the same summer day somewhere in history

4 August 2026

On 4 August 1967, today 59 years ago, in the Summer Of Love, art-rock pioneers
PINK FLOYD launched acclaimed debut LP THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DOWN.

An indefectible, influential psychedelic classic with most of the songs written by troubled genius Syd Barrett. A year later he was fired for his erratic and uncontrollable behavior due to too many drugs.

The album which was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road studios in London during the same time that The Beatles were recording their Sgt. Pepper masterpiece peaked at No.6 on the UK album chart, but failed to chart in the US.


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CROWDED HOUSE – Australian Guitar Pop Legends Released Their Self-Titled Debut LP Today 40 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from yesteryear

1 August 2026

New Zealand‘s guitar pop legends CROWDED HOUSE (1985–1996, 2006–2011,
2019–present) featuring the Finn brothers, released their self-titled debut LP
on 1 August 1986, today 40 years ago.

The name Crowded House was adopted after they flew to Los Angeles to
record the album and were provided with a very cramped apartment
to live in.

It topped the charts in Australia, and peaked
at #3 in New Zealand and #12 in the US.

Crowded House was certified platinum in four countries.

SINGLE

ALBUM


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THE STROKES – Sublime Striking Debut Album ‘IS THIS IT’ Released 25 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from yesteryear

30 July 2026

NYC’s guitar rock heroes THE STROKES released their sublime
debut album IS THIS IT on 30 July 2001, today 25 years ago.

#2 in the UK, #5 in Australia, #33 in the US.

The album received widespread acclaim upon release, with critics praising it for its charisma and rhythm, which often referenced the works of 1970s garage rock bands.
The release of the album was a watershed moment and crucial in the reinvention of
post-millennium guitar music.

As a result, Is This It is widely considered to be one of the most influential albums of
all time, and has appeared in many publications’ lists of the best albums of the 2000s
and of all time.

Pitchfork wrote: “The Strokes have struck an incredible balance between the two extremes of rock music: sentimentality and listlessness. Any sentimentality in these songs’ lyrics is countered by Casablancas’ self-reliant indifference, and his listless delivery is offset by the band’s fervid attack.”

Turn Up The Volume: Along with The White Stripes, the New York dandies, who became
the champions of jangly guitar rock, dominated the first years of the new Millenium. The Strokes looked cool, acted cool, and made a totally cool debut album. Back then, this was it.

Singles.

– HARD TO EXPLAIN –

– LAST NITE –

– SOMEDAY –

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MUSE – British Rock Heroes Released Their 2nd Album ‘ORIGIN SYMMETRY’ 25 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

17 July 2026

British rockers MUSE have more than 3 decades on their clock. Impressive.

The band fronted by singer/guitarist/songwriter MATT BELLAMY
released their 2nd LP ORIGIN SYMMETRY on 17 July 2001, today
25 years ago.

The album title derives from the 1994 book Hyperspace by the theoretical
physicist Michio Kaku, which suggests the title The Origin of Symmetry for a
future book about the discovery of supersymmetry.

#3 in the UK.


NME – 2001

Bellamy said: “Everyone’s been writing about the origin of life
so now they’ll start looking at the origin of symmetry; there’s a
certain amount of stability in the universe and to find out where
it originates from would be to find out if God exists.”

LEAD SINGLE

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THE HORRORS – British Dark-Synth-Pop-Wave Mavericks Released Their 3rd Album ‘SKYING’ Today 15 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Significant longplayers from yesteryear

11 July 2026

British dark-synth-pop-wave mavericks THE HORRORS made
their notable entrée in 2005 and became bona fide indie stars.

On 11 July 2011, today 15 years ago, they
released their 3rd LP, named SKYING

The record peaked at #5 in the UK.

BBC Music said: “There’s no fault to be found with Skying, truly, every song
here hits its mark. From the most incongruous of beginnings, The Horrors have
become national treasures in waiting, and now possess the ability to realise
any ambitions”.

TUTV: Their most complete work.
Dark-synth-pop-wave for day-night
and in-between dreamers.

SINGLE

ALBUM


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