Bloggerhythms

Stevie Nicks is the first woman to be enshrined into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame twice: first, for her accomplishments with Fleetwood Mac and now for her solo career. Getting straight to the point, I contend that on her own Nicks is, at best, a borderline case for the hall. There are female artists with more chart action and greater influence who haven't even been nominated. Many of Nicks' top selling singles were duets and to me that detracts from her overall accomplishments. Would she have had the same success without Don Henley, Tom Petty, and Kenny Loggins? What did Nicks do on her own that Carly Simon, Tina Turner, Carole King, and others haven't? Historically, unless you're Joni Mitchell, female singer-songwriters have always gotten the short end of the stick. Carole King is already one of the hall's most worthy members and she was rightfully inducted with Gerry Goffin as part of the phenomenal songwriting team that influenced so many recording a...

In 2002 Hamish Stuart released Let It Snow , his 27-minute, eight song, Christmas CD in the U.K. in lieu of sending Christmas cards to his friends and family. He was originally going to record only "The Christmas Song" and "White Christmas" but he and his band were having such a great time they kept the sessions going and included six more tunes. Stuart, the former guitarist and bass player for the original Average White Band (1972-1983) and later a Paul McCartney sideman (1989 -1993), produced a tasteful, bare bones collection by keeping things simple. The breezy tracks are a hybrid of light R&B and jazz, the kind of stuff Stuart has always been good at. The arrangements include touches of flugelhorn, accordion, a little glockenspiel, and sleigh bells, of course. Stuart does not offer us anything new. The eight tracks are overly familiar seasonal favorites that anyone who listens to pop Christmas music should instantly recognize. They could easily soun...