Interviews

Freedom is 73 minutes of prime 21st century Journey, whether it’s the affecting balladry that made the band a household name or the more adventurous, progressive-leaning epics that hearken back to the band’s early/mid-’70s roots. Founding guitarist Neal Schon speaks exclusively to AnalogPlanet about the challenges of sequencing Freedom for double vinyl, how listening to jazz and blues records growing up influenced his playing and arranging skills, and what vintage deep cut he’d like to pull out of the vaults to play during Journey’s upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations. Don’t stop readin’ . . .

ZZ Top’s RAW – That Little Ol’ Band From Texas’ Original Soundtrack is a 180g 1LP release born and bred from an intimate performance that took place for the band’s June 2019 documentary. ZZ Top guitarist/vocalist Billy F Gibbons exclusively tells Analog Planet how RAW came to pass, why physical proximity can lead to better performances, and what records are never too far from his vintage Thorens turntable. Read on for the full ZZ story. . .

“I’ve been a harmony singer most of my life. I know what to do, and where to be.”

That’s Graham Nash, 80 years young, not only defining his artistic M.O. as a tenor vocalist, but also speaking to his inherent instincts for knowing what the right tones are for the music he’s making, and, frankly, where he stands on life and society in general.

It was the mid-80’s, and I was a college radio DJ at St. Mary’s College of California. These were the pre-Internet days, and in our lives music was the predominant force. CDs were slowly emerging, but vinyl was still king. We would spend long nights spinning records in the KSMC studio and discussing the artists on the air, while the rain beat quietly on the windows.