Along with Pink Floyd, Thorgerson and Hipgnosis were central figures in the transition from 60s psychedelia to the expansive, million-selling radio rock that defined most of the 70s. More than any single figure, he established intricately composed, surrealist photographic techniques, collages, and pictorial reappropriations as key ingredients of mainstream album art.

It begins and ends with "Ball and Biscuit," and by "it," I mean "Western civilization." The 21st century's most astounding, most wryly pornographic, most brain-meltingly electrifying blues song. Did the electric guitar even exist prior to "Ball and Biscuit"? Did distortion? Did hype? Did critical praise? Did the colors red and white? Did outlandishly oversize declarations of virility? Has there been a single memorable guitar solo performed anywhere, by anyone, in the decade since its release?

This is so, so awesome. Gate-triggered second and third mics on Bowie. Eno and Fripp innovating with feedback and synthesizers.

Comparing the excellent work and perspective of seminal music writer Ellen Willis and the horribleness of ‘Record Collecting for Girls’ by Courtney E. Smith.

‘Pity the poor rock fan? Well, no: Rock fans have launched enough snobby, pernicious bits of language at other genres that they could afford to do some penance resurrecting their own.’

‘ I present to you a Hawaii punk mix, which was put together by our comrade Harry, an ex-pat Hawaii punk currently living in Los Angeles, CA. He's been in a lot of bands since his teens, and is currently playing in Hands Like Bricks, Harry and the Hendersons and Black Fag (The Absolutely Fabulous Tribute to Black Flag) in L.A. and Eddie Murphy's Law when he visits the 808. ‘Harry made a mix for a friend who was curious about the scene over here. It kinda goes all over spectrum through genres and decades, with lots of old school stuff and a few current jams as well. Some bands on here have a discography of demos and albums, some only got to record one or two songs for a comp, so you get a really broad idea of the music scene over the years. Harry also wrote some great notes to go with it, which you'll find when you open the zip file.’

From the first EP to the soon-released LP, how it all happened.

By Matthew Perpetua.

"To mark the publication of rock critic Rob Sheffield’s second book, an 'I Love the 80s'-style tribute to the music of his youth called Talking to Girls About Duran Duran, eMusic’s Michaelangelo Matos took a unique approach to the author interview: a jukebox jury in which music critics, rather than songs, were the focus of discussion."