Bondi's Brother

Brother to Brother marks the first time Johnny and Donnie Van Zant have ever collaborated together, and the results are exactly what fans of either Lynyrd Skynyrd or .38 Special would expect – a set of tough, bluesy Southern rock. Instrumentally, it nearly achieves its full potential, capturing both of the guitarists in fine form. However, the material is a bit inconsistent, with several songs lacking memorable hooks or melodies. Still, the songs that do work are dynamite, and even the weaker tracks have their moments. And that means Brother to Brother is a worth a listen by any serious Skynyrd, Special or VanZant fan.

The legendary Janis Joplin's first band captured live at KQED, San Francisco in April 1967.
Big Brother are primarily remembered as the group that gave Janis Joplin her start. There's no denying both that Joplin was by far the band's most striking asset, and that Big Brother would never have made a significant impression if they hadn't been fortunate enough to add her to their lineup shortly after forming. But Big Brother also occupies a significant place in the history of San Francisco psychedelic rock

By this point, Vannelli has pared away the often-bizarre edges of his sound and became more mainstream. That's not a bad thing. This album's predecessor, A Pauper in Paradise, seemed to blow up his pretensions to skyscraper size with only the melodic and gorgeous "The Surest Things Can Change" coming out unscathed…

In 1970, the world got its first taste of the original pothead pixie, Daevid Allen's Gong, as Magick Brother was released in France on the BYG label. Allen's wife, Gilli Smyth, penned all the tunes on the album, and Allen's now-classic "Ph.P." drawing style graces the inside of the gatefold. Leaning a little toward the pop end of the spectrum, Magick Brother is a fairly light album, devoid of the blatant psychedelic/hippie qualities which shine through so brilliantly on the later Camembert Electrique…