I'll be the first to admit that I'm a huge fan of the Rumors era line-up but digging deeper into the Mac's catalog is highly recommended . Two forgotten stalwarts of Fleetwood Mac's early 70's lineups include the dandy Bob Welch and guitar virtuoso Bob Weston.  If you like Christie McVie's legendary contributions during the late '70's and early '80's you'll love some of her gems on albums like Penguin, Heroes are Hard to Find and Mystery to Me. Fleetwood Mac Live in 1973 McVie, sorely missed on the two most recent Fleetwood Mac reunion tours, is now retired in the English countryside but her legacy looms large over the long and storied career of the band.  She has, to date, appeared on all but two albums, either as a member or as a session musician.  Any questions about the soul and depth of McVie's compositions and writing skills should be answered with a listen to Mystery To Me's final track, Why.  Hmmm, I'm getting carried away about McVie and I set off to shine some light on Welch and Bob Weston. Here's a 1976 version of Why with Lindsey Buckingham adding some tasteful guitar stylings. Bob Welch was a pure bred Californian who helped to convince Mick Fleetwood and John McVie ...

Bob Mould's first solo album, was composed during the year following the dissolution of Hüsker Dü back in 1988. Released in the spring of 1989, Workbook presented a clear departure for Bob Mould after severing ties with Grant Hart. The album picked up immediate airplay on Modern Rock stations across the country fueled by an infectious bit of jangly Byrd-esque power pop on the single, See A Little Light .  But that song belies the overall mood of the album; closer listening of songs like Wishing Well and Poison Yearswould provide the true spirit Mould set out to document - disgust, despair and catharsis. Poison Yearsslowly builds to a climax as Mould recounts 'poison years that are now just a memory', seemingly clearly referencing the rancorous final year or two that Husker Du trudged through.   Later in the song, Mould states that 'treason is the reason for his poison years' as he slowly adds layers of acoustic and churning electric guitar to the track. Buoyed by an excellent backing band featuring Golden Palominos drummer Anton Fier, Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone and cellist Jane Scarpantoni, Mould delivers a career best solo effort out of the gate. Workbook - Bob Mould For all the doom and gloom present in the lyrics, the music and melodies on ...

A recent sun splashed Sunday afternoon at Birkdale presented a perfect opportunity to indulge in one of the best cigars available on the planet right now: the Padrón Family Reserve No. 45.  Released in two versions (natural and maduro) with one size (six inches with a 52 ring gauge), this exulted cigar celebrates the 45th anniversary of Padrón Cigars. After staking out an outdoor table at a local Starbucks next to a gas patio warmer, I carefully surveyed the scene for cigar disafficiondos before slowly torching up my pricey No. 45.  The cigar features a decadently dark hued wrapper, encompassing fine reserva Nicaraguan tobacco, reportedly aged for at least 10 years. Receiving nods of encouragement from a vicarious onlooker  toting a freshly brewed Venti, I slowly began to enjoy the cigar and couldn't believe the rich, intense notes of cocoa and espresso, followed by a slightly spicy finish; but all well rounded and incredibly smooth.  The firmly pressed tobacco burned very evenly and at a luxuriantly slow pace allowing nice coils of smoke to waft by soccer moms and yuppies buried in their Sunday Observers. Similar to a fine Pauillac or a nuanced Miles Davis or Steely Dan album, I didn't want this ...