Library Rock's Backpages

Jon Tiven

Jon Tiven


PRODUCER AND WRITER
B.B.KING Here & There (MCA, August 2001)
King of the Blues (box set MCA, October 1992)
Lucille & Friends (MCA UK, June 1995)
WILSON PICKETT It’s Harder Now (August 1999) Handy Award
Winner 1999
ELLIS HOOKS Undeniable (Zane U.K., September 2002)
SYL & JIMMY JOHNSON Two Johnsons Are Better Than
One (Evidence Music U.S./Evangeline Music U.K.,
June 2002)
DON COVAY (Cannonball, September 2000) featuring Paul
Rodgers, Lee Konitz, Huey Lewis, Kim Simmonds,
Frederick Knight, Ann Peebles, Syl Johnson, Otis
Clay, Wilson Pickett, Dan Penn, Paul Shaffer and
Simon Kirke Handy Nominee 2000
MICHAEL HILL’S BLUES MOB Larger Than Life (Dixie Frog, March 2001)
FREDDIE SCOTT Brand New Man (Evangeline, February 2001)
VARIOUS Holiday Heroes, a Christmas album with jon tiven's
Ego Trip, Mavis Staples, Dan Penn, Bobby Womack,
Chuck Jackson, Johnny Colla, Dennis
Edwards, Johnny Kemp, Spooner Oldham,
Graham Parker, Jerry Butler, Donnie Fritts,
The Chi-Lites, Felix Cavaliere, Alan Merrill
(Soul Purpose, November 1995)
VARIOUS Back To The Streets, tribute to Don Covay with
Bobby Womack, Robert Cray, Todd
Rundgren, Chuck Jackson, Ron Wood,
Gary U.S. Bonds, Peter Wolf, Nona
Hendryx, Billy Squier, Iggy Pop,
Jerry Butler, Arlene Smith, Ben E.
King, Vernon Reid, Corey Glover,
Jim Carroll Mick Taylor and Jimmy
Witherspoon
(Shanachie, September 1993)
VARIOUS Adios Amigo. Tribute to Arthur Alexander
with RogerMcGuinn, Elvis Costello, Robert Plant,
Graham Parker, Mark Knopfler, Chuck Jackson,
Frank Black, Marshall Crenshaw, Sir Mack Rice,
Michael Hill, John Prine, Corey Glover,
Nick Lowe, Gary U.S. Bonds, Zucchero,
Felix Cavaliere, Ronnie Spector, Pookie Hudson,
Dan Penn, Donnie Fritts
(Razor & Tie, September 1994)
JON TIVEN'S EGO TRIP Blue Guru,
(Fountainbleu, November 1996)
(Provogue, March 1998) (Europe)
JON TIVEN GROUP Yes I Ram
(New West, Feb 2000)
DONNIE FRITTS Everybody's Got A Song, featuring duets with
Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, John
Prine, Waylon Jennings, Lucinda Williams,
Dan Penn, Eddie Hinton & Delbert McClinton
(Oh Boy!, November 1997)
PAXTON Paxton
(Nemperor/Razor & Tie, November 1997)
MITCH WEISSMAN Tip of The Iceberg
(Stand Back, March 1998)
ALEX CHILTON Bach's_Bottom
(Razor & Tie, May 1993)(Line, September 1983)
One_Day_In_New_York
(Trio, May 1978)
Singer_Not_The_Song
(Ork, October 1976)
JIM CARROLL World Without Gravity (Rhino, August 1993)
ROGER C. REALE/REDUCERS WakeThe Neighbors (RaveOn, September 1987)
PRIX Historix (Air Mail/Jap. May 2002)
EP (Ork EP, January 1977)
"Love You Tonight (Saturday's Gone)"
(Miracle single, June 1978; reissued on
Rhino pop anthology Shake & Pop, March 1993)
BILLIE RAY MARTIN 18 Carat Garbage Demos (BRM, May 2002)
DON NIX Going Down (Evidence, October 2002)


PRODUCER
NICK LOWE Live! On The Battlefield (Upstart, July 1995)
VARIOUS Brace Yourself, tribute to Otis Blackwell with
Chrissie Hynde, Paul Rodgers, Kris Kristofferson,
Frank Black, Willie DeVille, Dave Edmunds,
Joe Ely, Sue Foley, Deborah Harry, Graham Parker,
Ronnie Spector, Chris Spedding, the Smithereens,
Jon Spencer, Tom Verlaine, Joe Louis Walker
(Shanachie, February 1994)
NAIRD Rock Album of the Year
VARIOUS People Get Ready, tribute to Curtis
Mayfield with Huey Lewis & the News,
David Sanborn, Vernon Reid, Delbert
McClinton, Kim Wilson, Angela Strehli,
Jerry Butler, Steve Cropper, Don Covay,
Bunny Wailer and Michael Hill
(Shanachie, March 1993)
NAIRD Rhythm & Blues Album of the Year 1993
GRAHAM PARKER Christmas Craker
(Dakota, November 1994)
VARIOUS Piss & Vinegar: A Tribute to Graham Parker, with
Frank Black, Pat Dinizio, Gary Lucas,
Rave/Agnelli, and jon tiven's EGO TRIP
(Buy Or Die, December 1996)
DELBERT McCLINTON Delbert McClinton
(Curb, September 1993)
FRANK BLACK Oddballs (March 2001)
Headache EP (4AD, May 1994)
Teenager of The Year
(Virgin France, June 1994)
ANGELA STREHLI Blonde & Blue
(Rounder, November 1993)
JOE LOUIS WALKER JLW
(Verve, June 1994)
RICHARD LLOYD "Get Off My Cloud"
(Icewater, August 1981)
ROGER C. REALE/REDUCERS Wake_The Neighbors
(RaveOn, September 1987)
MICK FARREN "Play With Fire"/"Lost Johnny" (Ork, October 1978)
VAN DUREN Staring_At_The_Ceiling (London, February 1979)
VARIOUS Bionic_Gold (Big Sound, February 1978)
WEREWOLVES "Hollywood Millionaire" and "Never Been To
Hades" on Werewolves (RCA, September 1978)


WRITER
HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS "He Don't Know" - single on Hard At_Play
(EMI, April 1991) platinum
IAN MOSS "Mr. Rain" - single on Matchbook
(Mushroom, March 1989) double platinum
"No Amount of Crying" on Worlds_Away
(Mushroom, October 1991) gold
"Mr. Rain (live)" - single (October 1991)
THE JEFF HEALEY BAND "River of No Return" on See The Light
(Arista, October 1988) 2 million +
THE ROBERT CRAY BAND "24-7 Man"" on Take Your Shoes Off
(Ryko, April 1999) Grammy Award-Contemporary
Blues Album of the Year
BILLIE RAY MARTIN "Captain Drag," "18 Carat Garbage," and "Taking
Out The Garbage" on 18 Carat Garbage (Sonnestahl, March 2001)
"18 Carat Garbage" (4 different mixes) on Recycled
Garbage (Sonnestahl, October 2002)
KOKO TAYLOR/B.B. KING "Blues Hotel" on Royal Blue
(Alligator, July 2000) 2000 Handy & Grammy
nominee
DEBBIE DAVIES "When You Were Gone" on Tales from the Austin
Motel
(Shanachie, July 1999)
"Can’t Live Like This No More" and "Just Your Fool"
on Love The Game (Shanachie, March 2001)
VINCE CONVERSE "One Step Ahead" on One Step Ahead
(Mystic Music, May 1999)
LESLIE WEST "Allergic," "Can't Shake It," "Dragon Lady,"
"Raw Nerve" and "As Phat As It Gets" on
As Phat As It Gets, (Mystic Music, Sept. 1999)
TINSLEY ELLIS "Let's Think About It" and "Other Side of Town" on
Kingpin (Capricorn, March 2000)
TAB BENOIT/DEBBIE DAVIES/ "Deal With It" on Homesick For The Road
KENNY NEAL (Telarc, April 1999)
MICHELLE WILLSON "Tryin To Make A Little Love" from Tryin' To Make A Little Love (Rounder, January 1999)
SCOTT HOLT "All You give Me Is The Blues" from Dark of The
Night (Mystic Music, September 1999)
TROY TURNER "Protection," "It's Harder Now," "World Without
Fear," and "It's Later Than You Think"
from Blues On My Back (Telarc, Sept. 1999)
PAXTON "What's It Like To Be You?" from Ginger's Dish
(Nemperor, October 1999)
MICHAEL HILL'S BLUES MOB "Let's Talk About The Weather" on Have
Mercy! (Alligator, September 1996)
SON SEALS "Tricks of The Trade" on Nothing But The Truth
(Alligator, August 1994)
"Bad Luck Child" on Lettin Go
(Telarc, April 2000) 2000 Handy nominee
JAMES ARMSTRONG "Midnight Again" on Sleeping With A Stranger
(Hightone, October 1995)
BUDDY GUY "Midnight Train" and "Heavy Love" on Heavy Love
(Silvertone, June 1998)
"Midnight Train" on Buddy's Baddest
(Silvertone, September 1999)
SHEMEKIA COPELAND "Married To The Blues," "Has Anybody Seen My
Man" and "Big Lovin Woman" on Turn Up The Heat
(Alligator, May 1998)
"The Fool You’re Looking For," "Love Scene," and
"Your Man Is Lying" on Wicked
(Alligator, September 2000) Handy & Grammy
nominee
"Don’t Whisper That You Love Me," "Shoulda Come
Home," and "Sholanda’s" on Talking To Strangers (Alligator, September 2002)
NAKED BLUE "World Without Fear" on Treasure & The Pearl
(Viceroy, September 1994)
IRMA THOMAS "Trying To Catch A Cab In The Rain" on
True_Believer (Rounder, Oct. 1992)
JIM CARROLL "Dry Dream" - title track on Dry_Dream
(Atlantic, November 1982)
DALTON REED "Heavy Love" on Louisiana Soul Man,
(Rounder, April 1992)
LITTLE JIMMY KING "Unloveable" on Something Inside of Me,
(Bullseye, April 1994)
NATHAN & THE ZYDECO CHACHAS "Mama's Tired" on Follow Me Chicken,
(Rounder, July 1993)
SARAH NAGOURNEY "Get Over The Cure" on Realm of My Senses
(Polystar, July 1993)
SKULL "I Like My Music Loud" and
"Living On The Edge" on No_Bones_About_It
(Music For Nations, June 1991)(Pony Canyon, February 1992)
DAVE RAVE GROUP "Weight Of The World" on Valentino's_Pirates, (Melodiya, June 1991)
TOMMY HOEHN "Girl" on Losing_You_To_Sleep,
(London, May 1978)
RICK DERRINGER "Take It Like A Man" on Good_Dirty_Fun
(Polydor, September 1982)
BARRENCE WHITFIELD & "Running & Hiding", "Living Proof" on
THE SAVAGES Ow!Ow!Ow! (Rounder, September 1987)
"Living Proof" on Live_Emulsified (Rounder, July 19
THE YANKEES 9 songs on High 'n' Inside (Big Sound, January 1 1979)
14 songs on High ‘n’ Inside cd reissue (Air Mail Recordings/Jap., November 2001)
JANITA "It Doesn't Get Better" on Believer (Fazer, July 1997)
JOHNNY COLLA "Second Chance" on Lucky Devil (Way Out West,
Jan 2003)


FILMS

SPIES LIKE US "Rock The House Down" * (Warner Bros, 1986)
ONE MORE SATURDAY NIGHT "Don't Like To Me," "Fresh Fruit," "Rock
You," "Love Nazi" * (Columbia, 1987)
END OF THE LINE "Counterfeit," "Don't Say You Love Me"** (Orion,
1988)
MILES FROM HOME "Take It Like A Man" ** (Cinecom, 1989)
MY MOM'S A WEREWOLF "Strong Love" ** (Crown, 1989)
KID "I Like My Music Loud"* (Disney, 1990)
SEX, DRUGS & DEMOCRACY "World Without Fear" * (Independent,1994)
IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU "Ponytime" *** (Tristar, 1994)
DESERT SAINTS "Never Come Sunrise" (2002)
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE Music Producer, writer of "Soul Survivor,"
"Outskirts of Town," and "All About Sex"
(Miramax, May 2003)
10-13 entire score written & co-produced, no
10-13.1 release date set as of yet


TELEVISION
BROKEN BADGES "River of No Return" * (CBS, Nov. 1990)
ONE LIFE TO LIVE "He Don't Know" * (ABC, June 1991)

Jon Tiven online

94 articles

List of articles in the library

By date | By artist | Most recently added

Eric Clapton: Derek & Dominoes at the Capitol

Live Review by Jon Tiven, New Haven Rock Press, 1970

Hammer was the first group to meet the Clapton-hungry crowd at the Capitol. They're a second generation San Francisco band of a vocalist who sings ...

Edgar Winter, Johnny Winter: Johnny Winter And with Edgar Winter's White Trash at the Capitol Theater , Port Chester, NY

Live Review by Jon Tiven, New Haven Rock Press, 1970

THE ATMOSPHERE was a bit tense and strained at the Capitol this particular night as Columbia Recording Studios was recording all of what was going ...

Allman Brothers Band: The Allman Brothers Band: Rapping with Duane Allman and Berry Oakley

Interview by Jon Tiven, New Haven Rock Press, Winter 1970

DUANE ALLMAN and Berry Oakley are respectively, the guitarist and bassist for the Allman Brothers Band. Between shows at University of New Haven, I got ...

Syd Barrett

Profile by Jon Tiven, JAMZ, 1971

SYD BARRETT STARTED playing guitar in primary school in primary school in Cambridge. Later, he went on to Camberwell Schooll of Art in London, where ...

Allman Brothers Band: Duane Allman

Interview by Jon Tiven, ZigZag, 19 April 1971

ZZ: When did the Allman Brothers decide to be a band rather than just session men? ...

Jethro Tull: Aqualung

Review by Jon Tiven, Fusion, 23 July 1971

TOUCHÉ, Jesus Christ Superstar (the non-statement rock opera of the year), here's a religious message with a bit more balls and a lot more talent ...

Long John Baldry: It Ain't Easy

Review by Jon Tiven, Phonograph Record, August 1971

IT REALLY DOESN'T matter whether you like Long John Baldry or not, if you like Elton John and Rod Stewart that's good enough. The chances ...

Stephen Stills: Stephen Stills 2

Review by Jon Tiven, Phonograph Record, September 1971

DO YOU REALIZE that in the past eight months there have been two solo albums by Steve Stills, in addition to 4 Way Street (which ...

Humble Pie, The Small Faces, Steve Marriott: Steve Marriott: Humble As Pie

Report and Interview by Jon Tiven, Phonograph Record, September 1971

AFTER A COMPLETELY satisfying set by Humble Pie at the Capitol Theatre, I went backstage for an interview with Steve Marriott, their trebly-talented lead singer, ...

The Moody Blues: Every Good Boy Deserves Favour

Review by Jon Tiven, Phonograph Record, September 1971

CLAD IN LUSH blue and scarlet robes, a monk descends from the sky. Raising his brow, and pointing his forearm at the heavens, he ...

Paul Butterfield Blues Band: The Butterfield Blues Band: Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smiling (Elektra)

Review by Jon Tiven, Creem, November 1971

THE TWO PACED the floor of Cutler's Record Shop, trying to decide whether or not to buy the new Butterfield album. They bought a lot ...

Grateful Dead: The Grateful Dead: Grateful Dead (Warner Bros.)

Review by Jon Tiven, Phonograph Record, November 1971

I APPROACHED THIS album with mixed feelings; one side of me saying "Well, you love the Dead don't you?" and the other half repeating "They ...

The Band: Cahoots (Capitol)

Review by Jon Tiven, Phonograph Record, December 1971

WELL, IT'S DIFFERENT. ...

Humble Pie

Profile by Jon Tiven, Spoonful, 1972

I MEAN, just because Humble Pie are the most exciting live band I've ever witnessed in the past seven years, that's no reason for me ...

The Kinks: Kinks: Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut

Live Review by Jon Tiven, Phonograph Record, January 1972

POISON RING Records recording artists FANCY opened the show with their joy-evoking rock 'n' roll which is always something that I'm immediately susceptible to. ...

The Faces: A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse (Reprise)

Review by Jon Tiven, Phonograph Record, 1 January 1972

The original Small Faces were quite a band in their day, and although before this album I had my doubts, I have now answered the ...

Fleetwood Mac, Long John Baldry, Savoy Brown: Savoy Brown/Fleetwood Mac/Long John Baldry: University of New Haven, Connecticut

Live Review by Jon Tiven, Phonograph Record, May 1972

ASHMUN & REYNOLDS, two singers (one of whom also plays bass) with the Baldry band, opened the show with a couple of numbers of their ...

Mountain: The Road Goes On Forever

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 22 June 1972

MOUNTAIN, A BAND now departed for the great Fillmore in the Sky, was a standby whipping boy for practically any rock critic, regardless of taste. ...

David Bowie: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (RCA)

Review by Jon Tiven, Phonograph Record, July 1972

DAVID BOWIE, England’s Answer-To-Alice-Cooper-But-He’s-For-Real, has finally made an album with positive commercial potential and consistent strength. Ziggy Stardust is the Aftermath of the Seventies, where ...

Free: Free At Last

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 6 July 1972

RESURRECTED FROM what seemed a permanent split, Free is making a second bid at capturing the American public's heart. ...

Argent: All Together Now

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 20 July 1972

THE ZOMBIES/ARGENT relationship is very close, much like that of the Small Faces/Humble Pie or the Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin. In each case a group splits due ...

Audience: Lunch (Elektra EKS-75026)

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 20 July 1972

BESIDES ADORNING their records with the oddest and nicest covers this side of World War II, Audience is the proud father of Lunch. Howard Werth ...

Peter Frampton: Wind of Change

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 17 August 1972

MR. FRAMPTON IS, as the pages of rock history tell us, a young lad who has gone through many a musical change, which could be ...

Argent, Blue Oyster Cult, Flash, Jeff Beck: Jeff Beck/Blue Oyster Cult/Flash/Argent: Gaelic Park, New York NY

Live Review by Jon Tiven, Phonograph Record, October 1972

BLUE OYSTER CULT had a real bad time at the big park and oh boy did they know it...one of the guys backstage connected wit ...

Various Artists: Fillmore – The Last Days

Review by Jon Tiven, Fusion, October 1972

NO PART OF this review is meant as a slur against the names of Bill Graham, Fillmore Records, or Columbia Records. I realize that the ...

Slade: Slade Alive!

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 12 October 1972

DESPITE WHAT you may have heard of "skinhead rock" or "Seventies teddies", Slade is exactly the opposite of a gimmick band. You’ll not find synthesizers, ...

Stories: Stories

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 12 October 1972

STORIES IS a New York-based quartet which plays music with a strong kinship to British rock, yet lacks the ‘rank imitator’ brand of many a ...

Patto: Roll 'em Smoke 'em, Put Another Line Out

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 23 November 1972

ALTHOUGH Patto has exhibited a penchant for eccentricity in their previous efforts, not even from a bunch of loonies such as they could one expect ...

Big Star: No. 1 Record (Ardent 2803)

Review by Jon Tiven, Fusion, December 1972

THIS IS certainly one of the most novel and incredible albums released this year, possessing chameleon quality only hinted at by Raspberries. Believe me, brothers ...

Family: Bandstand

Review by Jon Tiven, Fusion, January 1973

FAMILY IS an all-around brilliant British quintet who have just bestowed their seventh disc upon a generally unappreciative American public. The United States doesn't deserve ...

Stories: Travelling Underground (Kama Sutra)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 31 January 1973

STORIES HAVE GOTTEN into the habit of changing drastically right after they put out an album, which would be disastrous if their mutations weren't always ...

Patto: Ollie Halsall

Interview by Jon Tiven, New Haven Rock Press, 4 April 1973

PATTO MAY not be the richest and most famous band ever to step out of their rock 'n' roll shoes, but in my book they ...

Andy Bown: Sweet William

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 10 May 1973

ANDY BOWN is a very clever fellow capable of producing much musical bliss, but seems to have fallen victim to many of the ills that ...

Humble Pie: Eat It

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 10 May 1973

HUMBLE PIE have always been a changing band, mutating from a Great Hardrocker (As Safe As Yesterday Is) to soft rock (Town & Country), and ...

Deep Purple: Made In Japan

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 24 May 1973

DEEP PURPLE have had a rough time gaining and retaining the status of being Kings of the Heavy Metal Set, and with the release of ...

Terry Reid: River

Review by Jon Tiven, Fusion, June 1973

AFTER WHAT SEEMS like a decade of musical silence, Terry Reid has finally come across with a new album which isn't called Water (scheduled for ...

Yes: Yessongs (Atlantic)

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 7 June 1973

YES SUFFERS from having too many diverse talents for one group to handle. The differing musical styles of the five musicians cannot easily be integrated ...

Spooky Tooth: You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 21 June 1973

SPOOKY TOOTH HAS suffered from every misfortune that can cross the path of a rock & roll band — among them, changing record labels, arrested ...

Heads Hands and Feet: Old Soldiers Never Die

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 19 July 1973

SOME OF ENGLAND'S finest ex-sessionmen, Heads Hands & Feet, have been soaking up America's finest as their influences, backing up Jerry Lee Lewis, Jackson Browne, ...

New York Dolls: In Defense of the Dolls: New York Dolls

Comment by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 19 July 1973

OUTRAGEOUS? Ridiculous? Unnecessary? These are typical reactions to the New York Dolls, the hottest group to hit the Big Apple since The Blues Project. Their ...

McGuinness Flint: Lo & Behold

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 19 July 1973

JIMI HENDRIX, Jeff Beck, the Byrds, Blue Ash...it seems that everyone in the world has taken a Bob Dylan song to great heights at one ...

Peter Frampton: Frampton's Camel

Profile and Interview by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 19 July 1973

PETER FRAMPTON has had a difficult time getting his personal recognition – everytime a band he's in gets popular, he splits. But now he's put ...

Led Zeppelin: Houses of the Holy

Review by Jon Tiven, Fusion, August 1973

LED ZEP'S ANNUAL album is at last upon us, and although many a fan may be befuddled by its lack of rhythmic/lyric/melodic coherence-conformity, it is ...

Sharks: First Water

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 2 August 1973

FROM THE START, I knew this band was for me. My love of Free and their lack of delivery on Heartbreaker made me sure that ...

Albert Hammond: The Free Electric Band

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 16 August 1973

ALBERT HAMMOND makes pure pop music and although ‘It Never Rains in California’ was merely annoying, ‘The Free Electric Band’ was a giant step forward. ...

Stories: A Stories With A Happy Ending

Profile by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 16 August 1973

FROM THE beginning, Stories were a rather unique band unlike any other. The 'known' member of the group, Michael Brown, had been a leading exponent ...

Greenslade: Greenslade

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 27 September 1973

"WHAT IS A GREENSLADE?" asked records editor Arthur Levy when I first volunteered to review this new album, and this is a question with true ...

Keef Hartley: Lancashire Hustler

Review by Jon Tiven, Rolling Stone, 27 September 1973

KEEF HARTLEY'S a strange one, a functional drummer who, by way of his Mayall/Artwoods background, has managed to hang in there. ...

Queen, Sweet: Sweet: The Sweet (Bell); Queen: Queen (Elektra)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 11 October 1973

(FANFARE) HERE they are (blast of fuzzbox trumpets) the NEW (cannon-fire) ENGLISH (fireworks explode to form a Union Jack) HEAVIES! ...

Hawkwind

Profile and Interview by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 25 October 1973

THERE SEEMS to be a general reawakening to the 1967 Summer of Love recently. All of England is agog over Star Trek reruns while 600,000 ...

David Bowie: The Rise and Fall of David Bowie: All That Glitters is Not Gold

Comment by Jon Tiven, Good Times, 7 November 1973

"No matter how good David Bowie may really be, the stuff he's doing now is a lot of shit." – Chris Chesnutt, editor of the ...

Queen: Putting the Crown on Queen

Interview by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 20 December 1973

ALL OF ENGLAND is abuzz with the news of a hot group with all the majesty of Led Zeppelin, a group that delivers superstar appeal ...

Traffic: On The Road (Island)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 20 December 1973

TIME TO open Tiven's rock dictionary and search for a few very basic definitions: ...

Frank Zappa: Ultra-modern String Bean

Profile and Interview by Jon Tiven, Sounds, 22 December 1973

ALTHOUGH depicted as vicarious forms of slimy nightmare, Frank Zappa is NOT creepy. When asked about days of old (when everyone was groping around, trying ...

Todd Rundgren: The Thinking Man's Todd Rundgren

Interview by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 3 January 1974

TODD RUNDGREN, whose name conjures visions of teenager-grown-up, multicolored hair, GeeGee awards from 16 magazine, production for younameit/you'vegotit, and self-made man extraordinaire, is a realistic ...

Blackfoot Sue

Report and Interview by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 17 January 1974

LONDON – Blackfoot Sue have nothing but kind words for their fellow Birmingham Buddies who've gone on to bigger and better things. ...

Electric Light Orchestra: On The Third Day (United Artists)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 14 February 1974

AM I EVER proud of Jeff Lynne, a Birmingham Boy who has lived down a past that he's not particularly proud of and put out ...

The Stooges: The Academy of Music, New York NY

Live Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 14 February 1974

N.Y. – Certainly not Kiss, a local band who remind of Black Sabbath, not Teenage Lust despite the scanty garb of the Lustettes, not even ...

Big Star: Radio City (Ardent)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 28 February 1974

ONLY JANUARY, and already the Album of the Year is upon us. Big Star's Radio City is most assuredly the finest American record since Bob ...

Big Star: Radio City Comes to NYC

Live Review by Jon Tiven, Fusion, March 1974

BIG STAR IS America's premier rock band, hands down – they'll no longer be forced into comparisons with Raspberries, Stories, Blue Ash, or any of ...

Terry Reid: Reincarnated Cowboy

Profile and Interview by Jon Tiven, Sounds, 2 March 1974

"You’ve got Peter Jay, Led Zeppelin, and blah-blah-blah and it doesn’t have anything to do with what I’m doing now. Like here I am doing ...

The Faces: Live — Coast To Coast (Mercury)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 11 March 1974

MIND YOU, it's not that I dislike Rod Stewart, for I think he sings very well despite the fact that it sounds like some hostess ...

Todd Rundgren: Todd (Bearsville)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 14 March 1974

WHEN TODD Rundgren stopped being in rock bands (circa his second solo-ish album, The Ballad of Todd Rundgren) his musical leanings toward that which was ...

Silverhead: 16 And Savaged (MCA)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 28 March 1974

FRESH FROM a cameo appearance in To Sir With Love comes Michael Des Barres, lead singer and some-people-think-he's-a-star of Silverhead, who looked a lot better ...

Badfinger: Ass (Apple); For Love Or Money (Warner Bros.)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 11 April 1974

BADFINGER SEEMED, at one time, to be the hope of the future for those who relished the past efforts of The Beatles. ...

Big Star: No Glam, Just Rock and Ram

Profile and Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus, May 1974

WITHOUT EVEN an ounce of glitter in their cosmetic kit, Big Star is a band that's making it without devices or gimmicks, unless you call ...

Foghat: Road-tested In America

Profile and Interview by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 9 May 1974

FOGHAT DELIVERS hard English rock 'n roll with an American accent, and as such they aren't fully appreciated in their native England, where the only ...

The Move: First Move

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 23 May 1974

NOBEL PRIZE Winner Konrad Lorenz, in his book Civilized Man's Eight Deadly Sins, alludes to modern man's downfall stemming from several factors: Genetic Decay, Overpopulation, ...

Andrew Loog Oldham: Mr. Sharpie

Interview by Jon Tiven, Sounds, 1 June 1974

MOST OF the top recording business entrepreneurs from the Sixties have their little niches all carved out for them. ...

Mott The Hoople: The Hoople (Columbia)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 6 June 1974

MOTT THE Hoople, as a concept band, never worked so well in terms of pure commerciality as they do on The Hoople. ...

Tucky Buzzard: Tucky Buzzard (Passport)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 20 June 1974

TUCKY BUZZARD is a band most assuredly on the upward climb, still grabbing out in several directions, bringing together a variety of approaches on their ...

Queen: Queen II (Elektra)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 18 July 1974

ABOVE ALL else, Queen excels. They excel at playing highly visceral rock 'n roll, they excel at bringing mythological elements into their music and appeal, ...

Status Quo: Hello (A&M)

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 18 July 1974

FOR THOSE of you out there who are still wondering who Status Quo are, they are a rather heavy British band who, in the late ...

Black Sabbath, Deep Purple: Black Sabbath and Deep Purple: Who Really Are The Kings Of Heavy Metal?

Comment by Jon Tiven, Circus Raves, November 1974

ONE HALF-DECADE ago, Black Sabbath couldn't get a favorable review if they begged for it – and beg they didn't. ...

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band: Upstarts: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

Profile by Jon Tiven, Circus Raves, December 1974

Alex Harvey is practically old enough to be your father: 38 years of rock’n’roll soul, to be exact. Of course he isn’t necessarily the oldest ...

Todd Rundgren, Utopia: Todd Rundgren: Utopia

Review by Jon Tiven, Zoo World, 19 December 1974

A LOT OF Todd Rundgren fans may not like this album, sad to say, for the Todd of Something/Anything is as visible as dust in ...

Deep Purple summon the Thunder Gods with Stormbringer

Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus Raves, January 1975

In the midst of Purple's whirlwinds of sound and fury, the band remained silent about their brooding motives. But in a rare interview Ritchie Blackmore ...

Kevin Ayers' Velvet June 1, 1974

Profile and Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus, February 1975

CHARACTERIZING Kevin Ayers as a brilliant musician is like saying Jimmy Page is a nice guitar player – both are fairly accurate conclusions if you ...

Deep Purple On The Road

Report and Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus Raves, March 1975

DAVID COVERDALE cocked his head forward and let loose with a thunderous growl to counter Ritchie's furious riff-picking. Glenn Hughes directed his bass notes at ...

Joe Walsh: The Walsh Gang

Interview by Jon Tiven, International Musician & Recording World, April 1975

THERE ARE quite a few Americans lurking about who took their basic roots from British Rock. Do you consider yourself among them? ...

Queen Swings Both Ways

Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus, April 1975

ACCOLADES SUCH AS "greatest single long-playing achievement since Sgt. Pepper" and "the most important record album ever made" fall over Queen's latest album as easily ...

David Bedford: A Non-Rock Rocker Takes A Star Trip

Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus Raves, May 1975

HERE IN 1975 it's become rather fashionable for those who make individualistic, eccentric music to be not only lauded by the critics, but adored by ...

Bob Dylan, Mick Ronson: Mick Ronson: Play Don't Worry (RCA) Rating: two 2½ ears, one mouth; Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks (Columbia) Rating: one ear

Review by Jon Tiven, Circus Raves, May 1975

HERE WE have two solo artists, one with his place assured in the music business as a legend with money in his pockets, the other ...

Thin Lizzy: Nightlife (Vertigo) Rating: one heart*

Review by Jon Tiven, Circus Raves, May 1975

THIS BAND is, like Free, one of the all-time great rock 'n roll aggregates of all time — due to the intense diversity of contributions ...

Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, King Crimson: Robert Fripp: Retiring Fripp

Interview by Jon Tiven, International Musician & Recording World, June 1975

Fripp's King Crimson brought a new meaning to the word "tight". For a short time the band represented a pinnacle of British rock achievement. Since ...

Jeff Beck: Another exclusive in which Beck reveals his true colours

Interview by Jon Tiven, International Musician & Recording World, July 1975

JEFF BECK'S reputation as the world's greatest guitarist, the planet's most erratic musician, and the Universe's most elusive character precedes him. With a career full ...

Elton John: A Million Dollar Friendship: An Interview with Gus Dudgeon

Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus Raves, August 1975

NARY A POTENTIOMETER breathed a word at the Caribou Ranch high in the Rocky Mountains. And the baffles relaxed as the massive array of equipment ...

Rainbow: Post-Purple: Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Report and Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus Raves, September 1975

HE IS FAMED for cultivating a public image that extends beyond even the bounds of the antisocial. Even with Deep Purple, his own band, his ...

Supertramp: To Concept Or Not To Concept?

Report and Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus Raves, September 1975

THE DEBATE RAGES on amidst rock scholars – is the latest album by Supertramp a concept album, or is it not? The critics vote "Yes", ...

David Bowie, Elton John: Gus Dudgeon

Interview by Jon Tiven, International Musician & Recording World, October 1975

Jon Tiven talks to Gus Dudgeon about Elton, Bowie and recording in general. ...

Thin Lizzy: 'Fighting' Phil

Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus, November 1975

THIN LIZZY IS more than just your average rock band because Thin Lizzy features The Great Black Hope of rock 'n' roll himself, Mr. Phil ...

Rainbow Rising: Ritchie Blackmore Gets It Up

Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus, 1 June 1976

"WE'VE GOT The Rash from Stamford, Connecticut" reveals Mr. Ritchie Blackmore, "we've got Cozy Powell, the finest nonprofessional driver in England. Not to mention me, ...

ZZ Top A Go Go

Interview by Jon Tiven, Blast, August 1976

ZZ TOP DOESN'T exactly carry the image of being introspective, deep-thinking individuals. In fact, onstage they look like nothing other than a bunch of dumb ...

Tenpole Tudor: Let the Four Winds Blow (Stiff SEEZ42)

Review by Jon Tiven, Trouser Press, March 1982

ALTHOUGH THE UK has embraced Eddie Tudor and his cronies with open arms, Tenpole Tudor is pretty much an unknown quantity in America. ...

back to LIBRARY

COPYRIGHT NOTICE