Classic Rock Music Monday

The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist.

Back in 1978, I heard a new song by Neil Young, "Lotta Love" on L.A.'s FM rock stations. I thought it was a good song. Then, a few months later, I heard the same song, but it was by a newcomer (at least to me) singer, Nicolette Larson. I thought her version blew away Young's. Even my mom liked it. I liked her voice so well that I bought the LP (that's a vinyl record for you youngin's). 

Unfortunately, Larson passed away on December 16, 1997 at what is now the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

From the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Nicolette Larson, a recording artist who lifted Neil Young’s pop hit ``Lotta Love″ to the charts in the 1970s, has died at age 45.

Larson died Tuesday of complications from cerebral edema _ brain swelling caused by abnormal fluid accumulation _ at the University of California’s Los Angeles Medical Center, said her husband, drummer Russell Kunkel. He released no further details of her illness.

Larson performed with Jimmy Buffett, The Beach Boys and Willie Nelson.

Here's Larson performing "Lotta Love":

More People Buying Vinyl Than CDs During Pandemic

Above, a LP I recently purchased. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This isn't all that surprising to me. Many friends (including myself) and those in the recording industry (such as Neil Young) contend that vinyl records sound better than CDs.

So, with many people having time on their hands due to the pandemic, are buying more vinyl records than CDs for the first time since the 1980s.

According to USA Today:

Americans seem to be listening to more vinyl records amid the pandemic.  

In fact, vinyl outsold CDs for the first time since the 1980s, according to a recently released mid-year report from the Recording Industry Association of America. The report underscoring the state of the U.S. music industry captured how people's music listening has changed during the coronavirus crisis. 

With people having more time on their hands due to COVID-19 lockdowns, music streaming, which includes revenue from paid services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon, grew 12% to $4.8 billion in the first half of 2020.

To read more, go here.