Sam Sutherland

Jan 11, 2025 | bestclassicbands.com | Sam Sutherland

Recorded from late July through the first day of October 1970, Pearl remains Janis Joplin’s most fully realized record, fronting the best band she would ever lead on her strongest set of material, guided by the most sympathetic producer with whom she would ever work. Released the following January, the multi-platinum selling set topped both the album chart and the singles chart with a signature hit.

Oct 7, 2024 | bestclassicbands.com | Sam Sutherland

Call it the solo that sold the band. Mark Knopfler had written “Sultans of Swing” on his National Steel guitar in an open tuning, but he found the result “dull” until he bought his first Stratocaster in 1977, the year he joined brother David Knopfler (rhythm guitar), John Illsley (bass) and Pick Withers (drums) in Café Racer, the London quartet that would be rechristened Dire Straits.

Jul 3, 2024 | bestclassicbands.com | Sam Sutherland

When Steve Winwood entered the studio in February 1970, time and technology were poised for his graduation from front man in a rock band to full-fledged solo artist. At 21, the Birmingham native was already a seasoned veteran who had played pub gigs at 8, taken center stage with the Spencer Davis Group at 15 and helped pioneer rock’s progressive wing with Traffic before joining Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker in Blind Faith.

May 27, 2024 | bestclassicbands.com | Dhani Harrison |Sam Sutherland

On paper, Emmylou Harris’s eighth album read like a blueprint for her continued reign as a contemporary country music queen. Released in late January 1981, Evangeline steered toward that era’s Music Row mainstream and away from the more traditional material explored on 1979’s Blue Kentucky Girl and the acoustic bluegrass focus of 1980’s Roses in the Snow.

May 14, 2024 | bestclassicbands.com | Sam Sutherland

Neil Young’s reputation as a maverick was established when he abandoned the mellow country-rock glow of 1972’s chart-topping Harvest and “headed for the ditch” of more harrowing personal music. Yet that risky impulse to explore the darker visions wasn’t the first time the mercurial singer, songwriter and guitarist veered sharply from his career path. He’d already done that. Twice.