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Today in rock history, on this date in 1968. Legendary mod band Small Faces shifted gears and released its third album, Ogdens Nut Gone Flake. A concept album that dabbles in so many different musical styles ranging from psychedelia to pop, it is widely considered to be the crown jewel in the band's small yet highly relevant catalog. Released in a round, multi-paneled cutout sleeve, the cover is meant to resemble an old can of tobacco that was produced in Liverpool, England in the early 1900's. The album peaked at #1 on British charts and held the top spot for six weeks. Although not faring as well in the States, the album did produce the UK charting singles "Lazy Sunday" and "Afterglow of Your Love". Lead singer Steve Marriott would soon move on to form the band Humble Pie while the other members would join forces with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood to form Faces.
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Today in rock history, on this date in 1974. David Bowie released his eighth studio album, Diamond Dogs. Highly influenced by the George Orwell novel "1984", Bowie's mission was to create a piece of work that incorporated themes from that book. This spawned his own vision of a post-apocalyptic world and set them to his own unique blend of glam rock. What came out was one of Bowie's finest and most ambitious works and a couple of bona fide hit singles too. "Rebel Rebel," "1984" and the title track are among some of Bowie's best known tracks and they all hail from this fine album. This would be the last album Bowie would release before entering his "Thin White Duke" phase that saw him experimenting with soul music and moodier electronic pieces.
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Born on this date in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota — Robert Alan Zimmerman. The world would soon know him as Bob Dylan, and would instantly become aware of his many talents. Songwriter, singer, poet, artist, visionary and key figure in the worlds of music, art and culture in general, Dylan's work or his relevance cannot be understated. Widely considered the most important and influential performer and songwriter from the folk and rock eras, Bob Dylan has cast an indelible mark on pop culture for the past six decades. Happy 76th to the great Bob Dylan.
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Today in rock history, on this date in 1963. Legendary blues guitarist Elmore James died suddenly of a heart attack at age 45. James was known as the "king of the slide guitar" and his work influenced so many artists that came after him. Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Fleetwood Mac and so many other artists have at one time or another sung the praises of this important figure and spoken openly about his impact on rock and blues performers throughout the years. Best known for his blues standard "Dust My Broom," James and his music and his influence will live on forever.
This article appears in May 18-25, 2017.