The Light Appears

Bob Dylan – Hard Rain (1976)

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Michael

Just two years after the live album, Before The Flood, Bob Dylan released Hard Rain in 1976. Recorded at two of The Rolling Thunder Review shows in May of that year, the Fort Collins and Fort Worth concerts, the album came out to mixed reviews at the time. Listening 50 years later, this is not greatest hits live album, but instead focuses on an assorted batch of songs to make for a good 50 minutes of music.

A rousing country version of “Maggie’s Farm” starts off the album that dips into various albums in the Dylan catalogue. The band eases into “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again” that is a solid toe tapper, “Shelter From The Storm” has some great guitar playing and really gets things moving. Dylan’s single “I Threw It All Away” appears towards the end before a ten-minute version of Blood On The Tracks’ song “Idiot Wind” closes out the short live album. Those wanting more from this tour can seek out the two disc Bootleg Series Vol. Five or the whopping 14 discs of The Rolling Thunder Revue released in 2019.

7/10

Paper Chase

Albert Camus – The Fall

Posted on June 29, 2026 by Michael

The Fall by French philosopher Albert Camus was originally published in 1956, a year before he won the Nobel Prize for literature. The novel takes place in Amsterdam where Parisian lawyer Jean-Baptiste Clamence has moved. He befriends a fellow patron at the Mexico City bar and opens up about his life with its many ups and downs. Most notably, speaking about the parts of his life where he has not acted charitably. Or even when he does, is it to help fellow men and women or to only gain attention of others..?

It’s a fascinating story that takes place over several meetings, Clamence is charming with seemingly many lives lived. The whole story feels like it takes place in a Brassai photograph – in black and white, at night, and in the cold and damp. Clamence’s fall from grace, his Garden of Eden, sees him turn inwards and analyze his life and its many events, his many decisions. At less than 150 pages, it’s a quick story but thoroughly thought provoking, a true work of art.

10/10

Album Reviews

David Bowie – Never Let Me Down (1987)

Posted on June 28, 2026 by Michael

After the lukewarm response to his Tonight album, David Bowie kept busy in the mid 80s with film roles and music, Live Aid performance, the memorable “Dancing In The Streets” single with Mick Jagger, etc. When it finally came time to record an album, Bowie chose to work with producer David Richards who he had worked with on “Heroes” and bringing in Bob Clearmountain as engineer for the Never Let Me Down album.

The 80s sounding album starts with “Day-In-Day-Out” clocking in at well over five minutes – punctuated by horn stabs, a good bass groove and call and response vocals, it is a good start. “Time Will Crawl” is a generic yet decent danceable track, sounds like something that would have been played early in the night at the club. Singing in a higher register, the title track brings in a welcome R+B influence.Leaning into rock and roll, “Zeroes” brings in crowd noise with some guitar flexing, “Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)” explores love in the rough streets of drug addiction, includes a Mickey Rourke rap.

Comparing Bowie’s mid 80s sound with other bands of that era like INXS and The Cure, those other bands were producing hits by using the path that Bowie created of mixing rock and sound experimentation within a pop format. It’s a wonder that Bowie himself was not following his own lead instead of the middle of the road dance rock on Never Let Me Down. Having said that, the album does sound more cohesive than Tonight and with a few songs that are actually better than they should be.

6/10

Album Reviews

Boards Of Canada – Inferno (2026)

Posted on June 19, 2026 by Michael

The buzz around record stores a few weeks ago was on the new Boards of Canada album that was about to come out, Inferno. The Scottish duo’s first album in 13 years is a cause for excitement, their glowing reputation in the electronica world has never dimmed since their classic debut from 1998, Music Has The Right To Children. “Introit” welcomes the listener before the religious overtones start to appear throughout including on “Age Of Capricorn”, a mysterious track that takes vocals from a church sermon, messages from the ether. Talk of God and religion continues on “Father And Son”.

“Naraka” goes on a trip through the depth of beats making for a menacing sound. A low rumble through the sinewaves pushes through “Acts of Magic”, a rumble that recalls 90s Leftfield. Tracks like “Into The Magic Land” has a bit of a new age feel, sounds coming from the forest. The new age sound is disturbed on “Blood In The Labyrinth” with an unholy vocal sample. The demonic vocals of “All Reason Departs” are terrifying in dark corners, the organ on “You Retreat In Time And Space” lift you back up into the light.

It’s astonishing that an album like this could make the top ten across the world, but Inferno did. Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin have created a soundscape that can be serene but with demented vocals and sounds that cut down into the dark depths of the earth.

7.5/10