Circus
Circus was a monthly American magazine devoted to rock music. Founded as Hullabaloo, with a name change to Circus in 1969, it was published from 1966 to 2006. In its heyday the magazine had a full-time editorial staff that included some of the biggest names in rock journalism, and its circulation rivalled that of Rolling Stone and Creem.
220 articles
List of articles in the library
Interview by Paul Nelson, Circus, March 1969
Part Four of the Country Joe McDonald interview. ...
Interview by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, March 1969
PART TWO of my rap with Jimi Hendrix was concluded just before the elections in November. It is interesting to compare Hendrix's concepts of America ...
Interview by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, March 1969
Part Three of the interview with Steppenwolf's John Kay. ...
Tim Hardin: "My way of singing is natural enough."
Interview by Paul Nelson, Circus, March 1969
PART THREE of the Tim Hardin interview. ...
Traffic: An Interview With Steve Winwood
Interview by Paul Nelson, Circus, March 1969
TRAFFIC CRASHED recently (see "Hullabulletin" elsewhere in this issue for the story of the split), but not before Steve Winwood and I had a long ...
Interview by Paul Nelson, Circus, May 1969
ON THE eve of his first Columbia album, Suite for Susan Moore and Damion — We Are One, One, All in One, Tim Hardin talked ...
Fat Mattress: The Evolution of Fat Mattress
Profile by Lenny Kaye, Circus, February 1970
THERE IS A Formula, you see, and it's one of those accepted facts that if you follow it, both fame and fortune — or is ...
Crosby Stills Nash & Young: CSNY: Flying Freely
Report and Interview by Lenny Kaye, Circus, March 1970
THORNTON WILDER once wrote a book called The Bridge at San Luis Rey, where he followed back the lives of the victims of a bridge ...
Profile by Danny Goldberg, Circus, March 1970
JOHNNY CASH the Misfit: Drug induced and being busted for possession of benzedrine at the Mexican border happened long after he had made a name ...
Quicksilver Messenger Service: Quicksilver Does A Quickchange
Retrospective and Interview by Lenny Kaye, Circus, March 1970
ON THE NEW Year's Eve separating 1968 and its successor, the Quicksilver Messenger Service played a farewell concert at Fillmore West. Looking back at the ...
Interview by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, March 1970
IN RECENT weeks, Led Zeppelin's records have sold better than both the Beatles' and the Rolling Stones', according to Billboard Magazine's charts. And the reason ...
Flying Burrito Brothers: The Flying Burrito Brothers
Profile and Interview by uncredited writer, Circus, March 1970
WHAT IS the world coming to when the Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and the Grateful Dead get cut to pieces by a ...
Doug Kershaw: Crazy Cajun Fiddler
Profile and Interview by Danny Goldberg, Circus, April 1970
DOUG KERSHAW, before his current tour was primarily known as "the guy who was on the Johnny Cash Show the same night that Dylan was ...
James Taylor: The Saga of Sweet Baby James
Profile by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, May 1970
"Goodnight you moonlight ladies Rock-a-bye Sweet Baby James" ...
Profile by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, June 1970
"MAYBE SOME group will come along and be big, you know, but who cares. It's just happened so many times now," said Neil Young in ...
The Youngbloods: Youngbloods Leave Live
Report and Interview by Danny Goldberg, Circus, June 1970
THE YOUNGBLOODS have split from RCA, leaving behind a live album, Ride the Wind, which fulfills their contractual obligations to RCA and have begun their ...
Van Morrison: Egotistical and Brilliant
Profile by Danny Goldberg, Circus, June 1970
VAN MORRISON has finally begun to get his due. Finally is a pretty strange word to use with someone who is not yet twenty-five, but ...
Mott The Hoople: Mott the Hoople Causes Hoopla
Review by Bud Scoppa, Circus, July 1970
LISTENING TO A "sounds from England" segment on a local FM station several months ago, there was, surprisingly, what sounded like an outtake from the ...
Jethro Tull: A Subtle Acceptance
Interview by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, July 1970
A LITTLE OVER a year ago, Jethro Tull made their first appearance in America. The result was slightly less than overwhelming. No fanfares went up, ...
Review by Bud Scoppa, Circus, July 1970
IT'S BECOMING increasingly obvious that Rod Stewart is an unusually gifted singer and writer. His new album, Gasoline Alley, even more than his first solo ...
The Faces: From Pop to Euphoria
Interview by Bud Scoppa, Circus, July 1970
CROWD SOUNDS from the English Soccer Championship [actually the FA Cup Final replay – RBP Ed. and Chelsea fan!] flooded the fourteenth floor of New ...
Stephen Stills: An Interview in England - Part 1
Interview by Ritchie Yorke, Circus, August 1970
THE HOUSE now occupied by Stephen Stills is 350 years old and it really looks it. It has thick old oak beams, leadened bay windows, ...
The Moody Blues: Gentle, Smooth and Nice
Interview by Bud Scoppa, Circus, August 1970
THE FIVE RATHER dapper looking musicians on the Fillmore East stage began a song, and some members of the audience craned their heads to look ...
Stephen Stills: An Interview in England - Part 2
Interview by Ritchie Yorke, Circus, September 1970
This is the second part of an interview made in Stephen Stills' English country home in early 1970. ...
The Byrds are Amazingly Graceful
Report and Interview by Bud Scoppa, Circus, September 1970
STUDIO B IS down the stark fluorescent-lit hall of the CBS Hollywood arsenal. Past the snack bar with its dozen vending machines, it is beyond ...
Eric Clapton: An Interview with Eric Clapton
Interview by Ritchie Yorke, Circus, October 1970
ERIC CLAPTON STARTED work on his solo album (Atco) while in Los Angeles with Delaney and Bonnie. He came back to England with the unfinished ...
Melanie: Festivals: Powder Ridge A Ball Anyway
Report by Danny Fields, Circus, October 1970
Let me take you down Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields Nothing is real Nothing to get hung about Strawberry Fields forever Strawberry Fields forever ...
Kris Kristofferson: The Road From Rhodes
Profile and Interview by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, October 1970
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON looks his songs. He looks as if he's been where he sings about and not surprisingly, he has. Now thirty-four, the singer has ...
Savoy Brown: Lookin' In, Lookin' Out
Profile and Interview by Dave Marsh, Circus, October 1970
IF THE BRITISH blues scene seems circular, both in terms of the way it has progressed over the last few years and in terms of ...
Big Brother & The Holding Company: What Big Brother Is Up To
Report and Interview by Ben Edmonds, Circus, October 1970
THE EXPLOITS OF Janis Joplin in her post-Big Brother days are inevitably front-page material, but what of the band she left behind? Big Brother & ...
Elton John, Bernie Taupin: Elton John: New Superstar
Interview by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, December 1970
ELTON JOHN played the Troubadour in Los Angeles and overnight became an industry superstar. Public relations people, having no personal or professional claim to the ...
Profile by Ben Edmonds, Circus, December 1970
HARD, THUMPING rock. That's what is coming out of England these days, and if it's a trend that can't very well last too long, at ...
Led Zeppelin: Zeppelin: "Everybody's Really Pleased"
Interview by uncredited writer, Circus, December 1970
LED ZEPPELIN, the world's most criticized and most popular band, have gone and fooled their critics and fans alike. The critics, amazed the band is ...
Profile by Danny Goldberg, Circus, January 1971
ODDLY ENOUGH, the first question that come to mind writing about Grand Funk Railroad is, why don't people like them? This is followed quickly – ...
Lee Michaels Is Over The Barrel
Interview by Danny Goldberg, Circus, January 1971
IT WILL COME as no surprise to followers of Lee Michaels that his sound has changed again. On the heels of his most successful album, Barrel, the ...
Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane: Hot Tuna
Report and Interview by Danny Goldberg, Circus, April 1971
"THE JEFFERSON Airplane" Jerry Garcia has said, "are a bunch of crazy madmen. Together, they have their own unique chemistry which is like a very ...
Dennis Wilson, James Taylor: On Location With James Taylor
Report and Interview by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, April 1971
DURANT, OKLAHOMA – James Taylor and Dennis Wilson (drummer of the Beach Boys) were into their sixth week of filming their first movie. The toll ...
Edgar Winter's White Trash: Edgar Winter's White Trash
Review by Danny Goldberg, Circus, May 1971
THIS IS MY pick for the greatest album of the year; it certainly is the most impressive surprise masterpiece to hit the rock scene in ...
Alice Cooper: Love Them To Death
Profile and Interview by Danny Goldberg, Circus, June 1971
"WE'RE MERELY the end-product of an affluent society," Alice Cooper is fond of saying. "We enjoy getting on stage and showing the public what their ...
The Beach Boys: A Group For All Seasons
Profile by Ben Edmonds, Circus, June 1971
FROM THEIR inception back in the early part of the last decade, the Beach Boys were at the pinnacle of the rock establishment, with an ...
Interview by Bud Scoppa, Circus, August 1971
POCO IS THE only rock 'n' roll band I've ever seen whose members smile as they sing - it's hard to grin with your mouth ...
Procol Harum: The Problematic Career of Procol Harum
Profile and Interview by Danny Goldberg, Circus, August 1971
'Most groups start at the bottom and work their way up,' says Keith Reid. 'But we started right in at the top.' ...
Jethro Tull: The Rise And Fall Of God As Told By Ian Anderson
Interview by Vernon Gibbs, Circus, August 1971
THE LATEST from Jethro Tull is as all the other albums were, mainly, the product of the hyperactive mind of leader Ian Anderson. Who is ...
Savoy Brown: Kim Simmonds Makes Savoy Brown A New Group
Interview by Danny Goldberg, Circus, April 1972
SAVOY BROWN is an oddity in the rock pantheon. Never really disappearing, yet never really together they can be compared most easily to John Mayall. ...
Alice Cooper: Rehearsing at The Fillmore
Report and Interview by Jim Esposito, Circus, October 1972
2013 NOTE: My photographer Flash and I were in New York City on other business when we heard Alice Cooper was rehearsing his upcoming tour ...
Humble Pie: Lost And Found — The Tasty Tale of Humble Pie's Softest Slice
Profile and Interview by John Swenson, Circus, December 1972
Once upon a time a raunchy shouter named Steve Marriott used to stand shyly in the wings asking if it was time to go onstage. ...
Leon Russell: The Forum, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, December 1972
WHEN LEON Russell took center stage at the Los Angeles Forum the pre-performance excitement had reached Rolling Stone proportions. As unbelievable as it seemed, Russell ...
Eric Clapton's Night of Stars — Inside the Rainbow Concert LP
Report by Stephen Demorest, Circus, November 1973
For two years, the solitary guitar-master slowly faded into the rock landscape, but thanks to Peter Townshend and a constellation of British stars, the legend is soaring back to his place in the heavenly firmament. ...
The Rolling Stones: Jagger's Goats Head Soup Jumps Back Into Music
Report and Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, November 1973
When the Jamaican moon started turning the tide in Jagger's bloodstream, he left the tame world of the international Jet Set up in the air. ...
Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road — Elton John Rockets Over The Rainbow
Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, December 1973
Running up against Evil Alice and The Rolling Stones, the good spell-caster fights to be head wizard in the Emerald City of rock. ...
David Bowie: Bowie Salutes the Sixties' Stars
Report and Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, December 1973
Aiming for his first musical, he abandoned the rock emporiums as quickly as he had arrived. But first, with a fine sense of etiquette, the ...
Report by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, December 1973
Gram Parsons: His body disappeared and the story behind it is cloaked in a veil of mystery. Why was it stolen and why was it ...
Lou Reed Stuns Listeners with the Horrifying Story of Berlin
Report and Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, December 1973
Confronted by the velvet shadow-master's terrifying movie without pictures, one employee ran from the studio in tears, Julie Christie stayed up all night talking about ...
Mick Ronson, Roxy Music: Mick Ronson: Slaughter On 10th Avenue; Roxy Music: Stranded
Review by Michael Gross, Circus, December 1973
AND WHEN THE kids had killed the man they had to break up the band... almost. Now that the glitter thunder is over, perhaps it'll ...
Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett: A Nice Pair — The Pink Floyd LPs That Failed
Overview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, February 1974
They finally became stars on their ninth album, The Dark Side of the Moon, but they were first led around to the dark side of the psyche ...
Report and Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, February 1974
Being a rock star has its advantages, but the spotlight is usually only big enough for one person. Circus took a behind stage look at ...
Maggie Bell, Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin Erect A Kingdom
Report by Stephen Demorest, Circus, March 1974
For months they've laid low in the recording studios preparing their sixth album. But suddenly the whole world was watching as the Christmas season brought them a ...
Johnny Winter: Saints and Sinners: Johnny Winter's Celebration of Freedom
Report and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, March 1974
IN A HUGE Connecticut mansion, the kind reserved for bank presidents -and rock stars, a tall, thin, albino blues player kneeled before a massive fireplace, ...
The Band, Bob Dylan: Dylan and The Band Return with Planet Waves
Report by John Swenson, Circus, April 1974
When Dylan took the lid off the box he was hiding in, he made the conditions for peeping in very difficult. Now Bob Dylan doesn't ...
Report by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, April 1974
AFTER YEARS of the Dylans, the Tim Hardins, the jazz aficionados, and the Elton Johns, almost nothing could shock either the people or the environment ...
Big Star: No Glam, Just Rock and Ram
Profile and Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus, May 1974
WITHOUT EVEN an ounce of glitter in their cosmetic kit, Big Star is a band that's making it without devices or gimmicks, unless you call ...
Carly Simon, James Taylor: Carly Simon Serves Up Hotcakes
Profile and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, May 1974
Carly's new LP offers an intimate peek into the home of one of America's most sought-after and most reclusive couples. ...
Mott The Hoople: A Frantic Mott Struggles To Stay On Top
Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, June 1974
Along with their mushrooming fame came high expectations from a hungry public, and suddenly they were competing against themselves as they face the task of ...
Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, June 1974
After years of drumming in a variety of hard rocking bands, Carl Palmer decided there had to be more to playing than simply marking time. ...
John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, The Smothers Brothers: Lurching Lennon: Beatle Bounced
Report by Jacoba Atlas, Circus, June 1974
WHAT IS happening to John Lennon? Last month it was the infamous Kotex caper. Recently the former Beatle with the mellow voice was at it ...
David Bowie's Diamond Dogs — Is His Bite As Good As His Bark?
Special Feature by Michael Gross, Circus, July 1974
Bowie was unbeatable, unstoppable, and untopable — until he released two dismal albums that proved all that glitters is not necessarily gold. ...
Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer: Edgar Winter Unleashes A Superstar Rock Band With Shock Treatment
Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, July 1974
When the Edgar Winter group exploded onto the record charts last year, few people expected the band to emerge as a whole triumvirate of rock ...
Interview by Steven Rosen, Circus, August 1974
PAUL RODGERS is perhaps England's (and America's) most well known unknown. As lead vocalist with Free he developed a small-but-strong following gushing with devotion. But ...
Mott the Hoople's Rock And Roll Queen — Skeletons From Mott's Closet
Retrospective and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, August 1974
"I'm not keen on this album coming out," Ian Hunter confided about the old Mott tapes labeled Rock and Roll Queen. "They were done a ...
Suzi Quatro: The Teen Queen Of Europe Comes Home
Profile and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, August 1974
IN 1971 SHE'D been nowhere – a local bandleader in Detroit who was more a spectacle than a musician. Then she left America. When Suzi ...
Sly & the Family Stone: Sly Stone Finds Domestic Bliss with Small Talk
Profile and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, September 1974
Two years ago, Sly Stone's future looked bleak. Now, after an acclaimed album, a woman, and a son have come his way, Sly's entire life ...
America: Can An English Holiday Revive America?
Review and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, October 1974
LONDON'S SPEAKEASY club shares a bond with New York's Max's Kansas City in that they are both music business hangouts. But where the sickly red ...
Marc Bolan, T. Rex: Marc Bolan: T Rex Flashes Light of Love on America
Profile by Michael Gross, Circus, October 1974
EARLY IN 1972, Marc Bolan and T. Rex were the biggest, bestest and baddest rock band in England. Every one of their singles shot instantly ...
The Faces, Ronnie Wood: Ron Wood Romps To A Royal Solo Debut
Report and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, November 1974
IN A SMALL, homemade studio in the depths of Ron Wood's British home, an array of the most famous faces in rock gathered one night ...
Yes: "A Rearranged Yes Says 'No' To Standing Still"
Interview by Ron Ross, Circus, December 1974
JON ANDERSON'S normally composed features clouded, as the mouthpiece for Yes, rock's foremost progressive quintet, recalled with a shudder his first case of critical cold-shoulder. ...
Bad Company Eat Up The Road On Their First American Tour
Report and Interview by Ron Ross, Circus, December 1974
THERE WAS THE TIME veteran road manager Clive Coulson saved Led Zeppelin from a stadium riot in Milan, Italy. "Zeppelin was the only English band ...
David Bowie: Bowie Throws A Bone To His 'Dog' Fans
Report and Interview by Ron Ross, Circus, December 1974
WHILE HARSHER CRITICS said his music was being lost behind his many theatrical masks, Bowie was planning the live album that would reveal him as ...
Foghat's Rock And Roll Outlaws' Highjacks The Big Time
Profile and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, December 1974
For years they've ridden through the badlands of a press blackout, but with an endurance as tough as their extended jams, the British road crew ...
Chicago: Is The Most Popular Band In America Handcuffed By Its Fans?
Profile and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, January 1975
IN THE FALL of 1974, a small number of groups had multiple album entries lodged firmly in the Top 200 chart of Billboard Magazine, the ...
Roxy Music: An Imperial Roxy Music Move To Rule The World
Profile and Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, February 1975
Led by a debonair Disraeli of modern music, Roxy are the most powerful new force out of Britain since David Bowie. Can County Life charm America too? ...
Kevin Ayers' Velvet June 1, 1974
Profile and Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus, February 1975
CHARACTERIZING Kevin Ayers as a brilliant musician is like saying Jimmy Page is a nice guitar player – both are fairly accurate conclusions if you ...
Bad Company: Paul Rodgers Builds Bad Co. On Ballsy Basics
Profile and Interview by Ron Ross, Circus, February 1975
Forceful yet relaxed, Bad Company have left the fads, ego trips and tribulations of the sixties behind, and forged what the self-assured Paul Rodgers calls ...
Yes Battles The Skeptics With Relayer
Profile and Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, February 1975
Stabilized by their Swiss replacement for the seemingly indispensible Rick Wakeman, a nervy Yes have cracked into yet another album of epic proportions. Will Relayer ...
Kiss: "Big Bands Hate Us 'Cause We Steal Their Audiences"
Interview by Dan Nooger, Circus, March 1975
...
Jimi Hendrix, Arthur Lee, Love: On The Horizon: Love Springs Eternal For Arthur Lee
Profile and Interview by Dan Nooger, Circus, March 1975
ARTHUR LEE sits by the picture window of his mid-Manhattan hotel room, staring at the hotel across the bustling street below. "I just couldn't see," ...
Ringo Starr: Ringo Waltzes Through Goodnight Vienna
Profile and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, March 1975
His first solo album jolted those who had forgotten the placid Beatle with its astounding success, but Ringo's veteran producer likes his new platter even ...
The Guess Who Battle Obscurity With Flavours
Interview by Dan Nooger, Circus, March 1975
They're probably Canada's most influential group aside from The Band. Now, after nearly a decade of hit-making, the Guess Who are fighting to prove their ...
Genesis: Will America Swallow The Lamb? Why Genesis wouldn't chop up The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Report and Interview by Ron Ross, Circus, March 1975
For years Genesis had dreamed of cooking up a recipe of their most powerful surreal visuals and most mesmerizing music. Yet they feared their ambitious ...
Brian Eno, John Cale, Nico: Eno: The Monkey Wrench Of Rock Creates Happy Accidents On Tiger Mt.
Profile and Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, April 1975
One day Eno is going to formulate a theory that will make music melt out of the North Pole (maybe he'll do it with mirrors), ...
David Bowie, Mick Ronson: Mick Ronson: "It's Strange Being On Your Own"
Interview by Ron Ross, Circus, April 1975
WHEN MICK RONSON set down his guitar and stepped out of the London studio where he was serving as "musical director" for lan Hunter's first ...
Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus, April 1975
ACCOLADES SUCH AS "greatest single long-playing achievement since Sgt. Pepper" and "the most important record album ever made" fall over Queen's latest album as easily ...
The Faces: Faces Survive Solo Syndrome
Interview by Ron Ross, Circus, May 1975
The Faces were afraid America might forget them while they were busy getting some individual ambitions out of their system. But their first Stateside tour ...
Jimi Hendrix Makes A Crash Landing From The Phantom Zone
Report and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, May 1975
LATE AT NIGHT, the cluster of rock neophytes bunched around the portals of Steve Paul's famous club, The Scene, would scatter like mice as Jimi ...
Led Zeppelin: Under The Hood – A Backstage Chronicle Of The Historic 1975 Tour
Report by Danny Goldberg, Circus, May 1975
THERE WAS an historic purple aura in the clouds that hung over the audience at Madison Square that evening in February. ...
Rick Derringer: Giddy With Spring Fever
Review and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, June 1975
RICK DERRINGER's Manhattan home reflects nothing that might he called "rock star chic". Though his stereo set-up is large and an acoustic guitar may occasionally ...
Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, June 1975
ROBERT PLANT is rock 'n roll's definitive front man, a lion-maned athlete and beauty who struts and sings the wares of the world's mightiest band, ...
Black Oak Arkansas Kick Up Their Heels In Europe
Review and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, July 1975
SITTING IN a Holiday Inn, not in in Evansville or Bakersfield, but just a few minutes walk from Hyde Park in London, Jim Dandy Mangrum ...
Golden Earring — George Kooymans: "I Don't Want To Be The World's Greatest Guitarist"
Interview by Dan Nooger, Circus, July 1975
"We've always wanted to do a tour this way, but we never could before." ...
Nils Lofgren: America's Best Native Guitarist?
Profile and Interview by Michael Gross, Circus, July 1975
STANDING OVER A pool table in A&M Records' New York offices, lining up a shot and then pausing to draw on a cigarette, Nils Lofgren ...
Blue Öyster Cult, KISS: Stanley Kissed Off At Cult
Report and Interview by Ron Ross, Circus, July 1975
THE FLAMING ROCK 'n' holocaust that Kiss brings to the stage has caused many intimidated headlining groups to ban the New York nitro-rockers from appearing ...
The Beach Boys, Chicago: Spirit Of America: A Beach Boys Retrospective
Retrospective by Michael Gross, Circus, August 1975
Never have two monster groups been so united as the Beach Boys/Chicago tandem which is touring America like blood brothers. ...
Average White Band: 'Cut The Cake' — AWB Slices Out Chocolate Sounds With White Frosting
Interview by Dan Nooger, Circus, August 1975
The Scots cook like Yosemite and lay down a groove like the Grand Canyon. ...
Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson: Hunter and Ronson Tie The Knot
Report and Interview by Ron Ross, Circus, August 1975
IF NEW YORK and Los Angeles are the nerve centers of rock 'n' roll in America, Cleveland is its heartbeat. ...
The Rolling Stones: Stones Launch Onslaught '75 With Made In The Shade
Report and Interview by Dan Nooger, Circus, August 1975
Roaring through the sun circuit, the Kings of Cool have set America buzzing with the might of a million locusts. ...
Pink Floyd: More Gritty, Less Giddy
Report and Interview by Alan Betrock, Circus, October 1975
IT HAS BEEN over two-and-a-half years since the release of Pink Floyd's last album, Dark Side Of The Moon, and yet the hit LP is ...
Review by Bud Scoppa, Circus, November 1975
FROM LISTENING to Fleetwood Mac, you'd think this once-definitive British blues band was a Southern California pop group – and you'd be right. The three ...
Rod Stewart: Atlantic Crossing
Review by Bud Scoppa, Circus, November 1975
HAPPILY, THAT HORNY, rank, exuberant rascal who romped through Rod Stewart's masterpieces Gasoline Alley, Every Picture Tells a Story and Never a Dull Moment has ...
Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus, November 1975
THIN LIZZY IS more than just your average rock band because Thin Lizzy features The Great Black Hope of rock 'n' roll himself, Mr. Phil ...
The Who: What's Next For The Who
Report by Dave Schulps, Circus, December 1975
"The report of my death is greatly exaggerated"– Mark Twain ...
Jethro Tull: An Interview with Ian Anderson
Interview by Steven Rosen, Circus, 9 December 1975
IAN ANDERSON is not fond of the press; in fact, he dislikes that body intensely. Interviews have misquoted him, misrepresented him and manhandled him. In ...
David Essex: Danger In The Fairground
Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, 20 January 1976
"I'VE ALWAYS gone against trying to be something I'm not," says David Essex, the British pop idol who is lounging in a suite of Coventry's ...
Interview by Ira Robbins, Circus, 20 January 1976
"JETHRO RETIRE HURT!" blared the headline in a major British magazine just over two years ago, when a spokesman for the group announced an "indefinite" ...
David Bowie: Station to Station
Review and Interview by Richard Cromelin, Circus, March 1976
DAVID BOWIE, never one to maintain continuity in his work or in his life, has become more elusive than ever in the past year. ...
Electric Light Orchestra: Face the Music (United Artists)
Review by Gary Kenton, Circus, 23 March 1976
HATS OFF to Jeff Lynne! For all the success that he has achieved as the prime mover of the past three Electric Light Orchestra albums ...
Profile and Interview by Dan Nooger, Circus, 23 March 1976
THE SWEET are a hit band in the U.S. today. They might have been in 1973. Their single, 'Little Willy', had been a smash and ...
David Bowie: Bowie Meets The Press: Plastic Man or Godhead of the Seventies?
Interview by Ben Edmonds, Circus, 27 April 1976
AFTER THE BRILLIANT plumage of every previous David Bowie incarnation, the stark black and white figure on the Station to Station stage might have come ...
Interview by Dan Nooger, Circus, 27 April 1976
"Music Will Not Exist In 2112" ...
Profile and Interview by Stephen K. Peeples, Circus, June 1976
SHE'S ON THE Midnight Special stage wearing a Happy Days T-shirt given her by Anson Williams, leaning into Dennis Linde's 'Burnin' Love' with so much ...
Rainbow Rising: Ritchie Blackmore Gets It Up
Interview by Jon Tiven, Circus, 1 June 1976
"WE'VE GOT The Rash from Stamford, Connecticut" reveals Mr. Ritchie Blackmore, "we've got Cozy Powell, the finest nonprofessional driver in England. Not to mention me, ...
Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, 17 June 1976
Aerosmith's New Yankee Hanky-Panky ...
The Tubes: Tubes at the Garden of Eden: Can They Sell It Out?
Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, Circus, 6 July 1976
THE BICENTENNIAL year has been a busy one for The Tubes, bull goose loonies of the San Francisco rock world. Shortly after ushering in New ...
The Ramones: Why the Ramones Are Great (I Think)
Comment by Paul Nelson, Circus, 6 July 1976
RAMONES (SIRE) may or may not be the best album so far this year, but its fate — good or bad — is going to ...
Marvin Gaye: I Want You (Motown)
Review by Bud Scoppa, Circus, 10 August 1976
MARVIN GAYE, one of the most durable pop presences — his three-record compilation is easily the solidest of Motown's Anthology series — has in recent ...
Andy Pratt: Avenging Andy Rides Again
Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, 24 August 1976
THREE YEARS AGO, Andy Pratt had bats in his belfry. Flutter, flutter -you could hear the unrequited passions playing hide-and-go-seek in his psyche. ...
Review by Bud Scoppa, Circus, 24 August 1976
DONALD FAGEN AND Walter Becker don't play by the rules. They won't tour, they won't talk to interviewers, they won't keep a band together — ...
Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, 13 September 1976
"I Hate The Blues!" Snaps Chaka Khan. ...
Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, The Yardbirds: Zeus Of Zeppelin: An Interview with Jimmy Page
Interview by Mick Houghton, Circus, 12 October 1976
You're your own record company bosses now with Swan Song, which is a far cry from the days when you were doing sessions for Decca ...
Interview by Robert Duncan, Circus, 26 October 1976
Ted Tells Tales Of Sin & Salvation ...
Thin Lizzy: Tonight There's Gonna Be Trouble!
Profile and Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 30 December 1976
Thin Lizzy Stalks the Fury of Fandom. By Wesley Strick ...
Bernie Taupin, Elton John: Elton John: Elton's Blue Moves
Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 17 January 1977
In One Era and Out Another ...
Kiss: "Rock And Roll O-O-O-Over"
Interview by Dan Nooger, Circus, 17 January 1977
Kiss Captures the Searing Sound, Live in the Studio ...
Queen: A Day at the Races Is A Self-Made Masterpiece
Report and Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 31 January 1977
IT WAS SOME WEEKS BACK, and Europe's biggest rock band had four months' studio time behind them, and two weeks ahead. "It feels like we've ...
Review by Lester Bangs, Circus, 31 January 1977
I LOVE KISS. They can do absolutely no wrong by my book (Sybil). The reason they can do no wrong is that they can do ...
Steve Harley: Love's a Prima Donna
Review by Lester Bangs, Circus, 31 January 1977
YOU'VE GOTTA FEEL sorry for Steve Harley. Aside from not having as much talent as Arthur Brown, he's really gotten the stult end of the ...
The Bee Gees: The Tide Has Turned
Interview by Stephen Demorest, Circus, 31 January 1977
From Their Home on the Isle of Man, the Bee Gees Return ...
The Sylvers: Something Special
Review by Lester Bangs, Circus, 31 January 1977
WHAT'S WRONG with disco music? All my friends hate it, so I know there must be something good about it. They say it's inhuman; I've ...
George Harrison: Harnessing Harrison
Comment by Robert Duncan, Circus, 14 February 1977
Somewhere Beyond the Sea, At 33⅓, Is God's Greatest Gift to Space Music ...
Jackson Browne's Two Year Autobiography
Profile by Kris Nicholson, Circus, 14 February 1977
The Pretender Is Dreamy and Calculated ...
Review by Lester Bangs, Circus, 14 February 1977
LIKE MANY OTHER citizens of Lower Manhattan, I feel guilty. The reason I feel guilty is, however, not the same as the other 2,833,756 culpable ...
AC/DC, Little River Band, Sherbet: Little River Band, Sherbet, AC/DC: Up Starts
Profile and Interview by Toby Goldstein, Jim Green, Circus, 14 February 1977
Three Australian Bands Hit The U.S. ...
Nazareth's Game Plan: Fight It Out Until It's Right
Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 14 February 1977
IN GERMANY, their rock-hard rendition of Joni Mitchell's 'This Flight Tonight' won an award for chart longevity. On their recent 13-date cross-Canadian tour, they played ...
Interview by Deborah Frost, Circus, 14 February 1977
A SUBTERRANEAN VOICE growls across the phone wires, hesitates, and growls again – this time more softly. Canadian telephone service might be different, but it's ...
Allman Brothers Band: The Allman Brothers: Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas
Review by Lester Bangs, Circus, 14 February 1977
I MAY BE DEFICIENT but somehow I feel grateful for the existence of this Allman Brothers album. Unlike the sodden Win, Lose or Draw, which ...
Live Review by Robert Duncan, Circus, 28 February 1977
Sabbath & Nugent: The Heavy Metalists Battle It Out Before 20,000 Spectators ...
Brian Eno, David Bowie, Iggy Pop: Bowie Now: New Songs for Day and Night
Report and Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 28 February 1977
THESE ARE the facts:David Bowie's latest album, Low, is two-sided. Side One contains seven crypto-disco tracks, no track shorter than 1:42 or longer than 3:26. ...
Review by Lester Bangs, Circus, 28 February 1977
LET'S SEE, as of now I have written two features on Deep Purple, plus, uh, I reviewed In Rock, Machine Head, and Who Do We ...
Queen: A Day At The Races (Elektra)
Review by Wesley Strick, Circus, 28 February 1977
OKAY, SO they're effete, flaky, fey. And proud. So what? This (sort-of) sequel (self-produced) to A Night at the Opera reeks of arch naivete. Freddie Mercury warbles ...
Review by Lester Bangs, Circus, 28 February 1977
IDI AMIN, Grand Kleagle of the topographic boil of Uganda, has said, in response to world press canards that he's a mere throwback: "I am ...
Queen: The Queen Tapes Part 1: Brian May
Interview by Mick Houghton, Circus, 28 February 1977
Stargazing Guitarist Brian May Turns the Telescope on Himself and Talks About What He Sees ...
Thin Lizzy: Johnny the Fox (Mercury)
Review by Stephen Demorest, Circus, 28 February 1977
THIN LIZZY live and die by a sometimes ingenuous, sometimes embarrassing bravura. They are a strong, quick, and occasionally clever band, and on their four ...
Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 17 March 1977
Rodgers and Ralphs Mix Celestial Magic At Chopin's Chateau ...
Peter Gabriel: Say Goodbye to the Bubble Creature
Report and Interview by Barbara Charone, Circus, 17 March 1977
BOB EZRIN CALLS him the overkill kid. And it's easy to see why. Right now Peter Gabriel wants to sandwich 16 complicated bars of music ...
The Eagles: Hotel California (Asylum)
Review by Stephen Demorest, Circus, 17 March 1977
LISTEN, I'M willing to believe these guys are trying. I'm just glad I'm not buying. Don't you become one of their statistics, either. Hotel California ...
Mumps, New York Dolls, The Ramones, Talking Heads: The Ramones: Punk City Night
Interview by Gary Kenton, Circus, 17 March 1977
The Ramones Leave Home While Talking Heads and Mumps Play the Bowery ...
Bad Company: "We're the Best Group in the World"
Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 31 March 1977
Mick Ralphs Rolls Out the Bad Company Red Carpet ...
Fleetwood Mac: Rumours (Warner Bros.)
Review by Fred Schruers, Circus, April 1977
YOU COULD look it up. After 10 years and a like number of frequently boring albums (some great stuff in there, too), these penguin fanciers ...
Emerson Lake & Palmer: Emerson, Lake and Palmer's Grandest Design
Interview by Dan Nooger, Circus, 28 April 1977
Works, Vol.1 Is the First Instalment of a Spectacular Orchestrated Rock Showcase ...
Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter: Muddy Waters: Hard Again (Blue Sky)
Review by Gary Kenton, Circus, 28 April 1977
IT IS NEVER an easy task to record a legend. What, after all, could Muddy Waters — at the age of 60 — do on ...
Review by Lester Bangs, Circus, 28 April 1977
AS HIS ORIGINAL output grows slighter (in both senses) with each successive album, the case for Rod Stewart as supreme interpreter of other peoples' songs ...
Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 28 April 1977
The Sweetly Shocking Rockers Who Brought You 'Pull the Plug' Are Back With Their Second LP Violation. ...
Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, Cream: Will Cream Stand the Test of Time?
Retrospective and Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 28 April 1977
MAYBE YOU'VE seen the recent full-page spreads, and maybe you've wondered. In January, RSO Records reissued nine landmark rock 'n roll albums. "Collector's Editions," the ...
The Hollywood Stars: Hollywood Stars: Hollywood Stars (Arista)
Review by Wesley Strick, Circus, 9 May 1977
THEY KIND of sound like a network game show, don't they? Frisky with the promise of big bucks for the right formula. Eager but not ...
Deep Purple: Deeper Shades of Purple
Report and Interview by Deborah Frost, Circus, 12 May 1977
DEEP PURPLE. The name itself was synonymous with the rock genre it perfected; Deep Purple was heavy metal. Unleashing waves of relentless decibels upon worshippers ...
Iggy Pop: The Idiot (RCA Victor)
Review by Wesley Strick, Circus, 12 May 1977
IN 1974, RAY Manzarek invited Iggy Pop to front for the Doors. It's said that Iggy dyed his hair jet black to suit the part. ...
Review by Gary Kenton, Circus, 12 May 1977
HAVING BEEN brought up on rock & roll, it took me a while to discover that country music had its good points. (At the very ...
Interview by Steven Rosen, Circus, 12 May 1977
SAMMY HAGAR, resplendent in all-red jumpsuit and looking more the little kid in newly-shorn locks, questions the questioner. "What do you mean, my 'space concept?'" ...
Review by Bruce Malamut, Circus, 12 May 1977
The Band Relax on Untroubled Islands ...
Report and Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 26 May 1977
The Return, In Relative Good Health, Of Rock's Ragged Edge ...
The Beach Boys: Beach Boys: The Beach Boys Love You (Reprise)
Review by Lester Bangs, Circus, 9 June 1977
THE BEACH BOYS present the most convincing argument in our entire culture for never growing up. ...
Jan Hammer, Jeff Beck: Jeff Beck & Jan Hammer: More Lively Than Wired
Interview by Fred Schruers, Circus, 9 June 1977
Jeff Beck Explodes With The Jan Hammer Group Live ...
Nils Lofgren: I Came to Dance (A&M)
Review by Wesley Strick, Circus, 9 June 1977
NILS GOT A haircut. Check the sleek black cover of Lofgren's latest — he looks like a troublemaker. A certified Travis Bickle time-bomb, Nils is ...
Sex Pistols, Rick Wakeman: Rick Wakeman Denies Press Rumors In Sex Pistols Controversy
Interview by Jim Farber, Circus, 9 June 1977
LONDON: The furor over the Sex Pistols' firing by A&M Records still rages in the British Press. Punk rock is more controversial than ever. Circus ...
Foreigner: Rock & Roll Prowess Heralds Foreigner
Profile by Toby Goldstein, Circus, 9 June 1977
THE STAGGERING success of Foreigner's debut Atlantic LP and single, 'Feels Like the First Time', proves that the world has been waiting for yet another ...
Led Zeppelin: The Tour In Progress: Jimmy Plage Files His Report
Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 9 June 1977
ROBERT PLANT comes bouncing into the hotel room in satin blouse, second-skin denims and high-heeled sneakers. "We've got a new Jimmy Page," he crows. "He's ...
Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 23 June 1977
Jimmy Page Pauses for a Few Words about Roots, Keith Richards and Zep's Musical Karma ...
Interview by Don Snowden, Circus, 23 June 1977
STEVE MILLER FOUND himself caught on the horns of a dilemma in 1974. A cult favorite from the first days of the Summer of Love, ...
Ted Nugent: Stalking The Elusive Rock Crown
Interview by Jim Farber, Circus, 23 June 1977
Cat Scratch Fever Is Ted Nugent's Strongest Bid for Superstardom in Fifteen Years on the Road ...
Interview by Toby Goldstein, Circus, 21 July 1977
The Wilson Sisters Paint a Portrait of Their Little Queen ...
Bad Company is Mean But Clean as they Roar Through the USA
Interview by Don Snowden, Circus, 21 July 1977
BAD COMPANY'S 1976 American tour was a marathon four month affair that left the British blasters drained of energy and suffering from a severe case ...
Review by Stephen Demorest, Circus, 4 August 1977
THERE'S NO way you can take rock & roll too seriously after listening to this stuff. Compiled by Lenny Kaye (yes, he's also lead guitarist ...
Kiss: Love Gun Is a Real Bazooka
Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 4 August 1977
Behind the Scenes of the First Kiss Simulated Concept LP ...
Peter Frampton: Philadelphia Screams for More
Report and Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 18 August 1977
Frampton Previews I'm In You Before 90,000 Expectant Fans ...
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes: This Time It's for Real (Epic)
Review by Susin Shapiro, Circus, 8 September 1977
CERTAIN TRADITIONS should not be allowed to tarnish, and the tradition of bar bands is one of the populist heirlooms that should go on glowing ...
Captain and Tennille: Come In from the Rain
Review by Lester Bangs, Circus, 29 September 1977
IT'S TOO EASY to be cynical about the Captain and Tennille. People who pride themselves on being hip and chic find it very convenient to ...
Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones: Keith Richard Caught Live
Interview by Paul Nelson, Circus, 29 September 1977
A Long Look at the Rolling Stones, Love You Live, and the Journey Between Then and Now ...
Jimi Hendrix: The Final Tribute to Jimi Hendrix
Memoir by Al Aronowitz, Circus, 29 September 1977
I HAD TO talk Miles into going to Jimi's funeral with me. ...
Daryl Hall & John Oates: Hall & Oates: Back Together Again
Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 13 October 1977
Hall & Oates Abandon Philly Soul ID, Adopt Heavy Metal Stance ...
Linda Ronstadt Listens To Your Sleep
Interview by Barbara Charone, Circus, 27 October 1977
Simple Dreams Is The Rock Queen's Latest Treasure ...
The Beatles: Repackaging Pleasant Memories: The Beatles' Love Songs
Comment by Wesley Strick, Circus, 5 January 1978
Beatles' Love Songs Presents Twenty-Five Romantic Gems ...
Report by Wesley Strick, Circus, 5 January 1978
Will Their Punk Madness Spread to the States? ...
KISS: The Well-Kept Kiss Secret
Report and Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 5 January 1978
Photographing Gene Simmons Reveals the Minds Behind the Masquerade ...
Deniece Williams is Here to Stay
Interview by Fred Schruers, Circus, 2 February 1978
Songbird Album Showcases Ex-Wonderlove Singer ...
Fleetwood Mac: The Ghost of Fleetwood Past
Memoir by Al Aronowitz, Circus, 2 February 1978
EVERY TIME I hear a Fleetwood Mac cut on the radio, I find myself thinking they're friends of mine, and I don't even know them. ...
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Tom Petty Can Make 'Em Scream
Interview by Fred Schruers, Circus, 2 February 1978
Are the Heartbreakers on the Brink of Stardom? ...
Boz Scaggs Treads the MOR Tightrope
Profile and Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 16 February 1978
Down Two Then Left Plays Funk Against Fancy ...
Linda Ronstadt, Female Vocalist of the Year
Profile by John Swenson, Circus, 16 February 1978
At the top in Her Field, She Becomes an American Heroine ...
Rick Danko: Rick Danko (Arista)
Review by Fred Schruers, Circus, 16 February 1978
SO IT WASN'T our imagination — Band fans have been chomping on gruel since the release of the group's second album. Rick Danko's solo debut ...
George Duke Reaches for the Sky
Interview by John Swenson, Circus, 2 March 1978
Crossover Success Comes Easily for Keyboardist ...
Jackson Browne Thrives on the Endless Road
Profile and Interview by Wesley Strick, Circus, 2 March 1978
LATE LAST summer, Jackson Browne sipped a glass of Burgundy backstage and said, "I'm touring with the Section, who are the best studio players in ...
Joni Mitchell Meets Don Juan's Reckless Daughter
Report by Wesley Strick, Circus, 2 March 1978
NINETEEN SEVENTY EIGHT is a watershed year for Joni Mitchell; Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (Asylum) is the superlative singer-songwriter's tenth album; its release marks the ...
Natalie Cole: A Thoughtful, Thankful Sophisticated Lady
Interview by Fred Schruers, Circus, 2 March 1978
Natalie Cole's Career Soars after Two Grammys, Three Hits ...
Interview by Fred Schruers, Circus, 2 March 1978
Canadian Guitarist Expands Basic Unit For U.S. Surge ...
The Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (Warner Bros.)
Review by Wesley Strick, Circus, 2 March 1978
Johnny Rotten Assaults Rock & Roll ...
Overview by John Swenson, Circus, 16 March 1978
International Technical Geniuses Discover Disco's Possibilities ...
Emmylou Harris: Full House at the Elite Hotel
Interview by Fred Schruers, Circus, 16 March 1978
Emmylou Harris' Fourth LP Is a Grand and Seedy Selection ...
Elton John, The Ramones, Sex Pistols: Mr. Ramone, Meet Mr. Rotten
Report by Fred Schruers, Circus, 16 March 1978
CIRCUS Invades Britain for a Classic Punk Clash ...
Blondie: Plastic Letters (Chrysalis)
Review by Wesley Strick, Circus, 11 May 1978
ABOVE ALL, Blondie is supposed to be about Fun — the group even printed a defensive Fun Manifesto on the liner of its debut Private ...
The Outlaws: Outlaws Brought Back Live
Interview by Fred Schruers, Circus, 11 May 1978
Southern Renegades Captured at Last on Vinyl ...
Robert Palmer's Breakthrough Year
Profile and Interview by Chris Charlesworth, Circus, 11 May 1978
His Gentlemanly Double Fun Has a Sultry Roll ...
The Tubes: What Do You Want from the Tubes?
Profile and Interview by Fred Schruers, Circus, 11 May 1978
Double "Live" Package Delivers Best of Bay Area Bonzos ...
Jimmy Buffett: Red-Eyed Sails in the Sunset
Profile by Fred Schruers, Circus, 8 June 1978
Jimmy Buffett Floats Home Another Relaxing Rock Monster ...
Elvis Costello is Angry and Convincing: This Year's Model Fulfils Every New Wave Expectation
Profile by Fred Schruers, Circus, 22 June 1978
IT'S 1:30AM IN the Bootlegger Lounge in Syracuse, NY. Elvis Costello, the one with the owlish stare and the spitting mad vocals, the man whose ...
Patti Smith Riding Crest of New Wave
Interview by Fred Schruers, Circus, 22 June 1978
Easter, Her Third LP Is Commercial and Artistic Success ...
Bob Marley & the Wailers: Bob Marley: A Puff Away from Huge
Interview by Fred Schruers, Circus, 6 July 1978
Bob Marley and the Wailers Gain Fans Near and Far with Kaya ...
Cheap Trick Takes a Giant Step
Interview by Jim Farber, Circus, 6 July 1978
Heaven Tonight, Chicago Groups Third LP, Inspires Rock Fanaticism ...
Kraftwerk: The Man Machine (Capitol)
Review by Bruce Malamut, Circus, 17 August 1978
THE MAIN thing that separates Kraftwerk from the rest of its electronic German contemporaries is the band's sense of melody and rhythm. ...
The Rolling Stones: Some Girls (Rolling Stones)
Review by Nick Tosches, Circus, 14 September 1978
Stones Rise From The Dead ...
Rush: Lifeson Arrives Stage Center With Rush
Report and Interview by John Swenson, Circus, 31 March 1982
ALEX LIFESON, the lanky blond guitarist whose playing is the cornerstone of Rush's live sound, is relaxing in his midtown Manhattan hotel room after a ...
The Scorpions: From Europe To Video Domination
Interview by Jeff Tamarkin, Circus, 31 August 1985
AFTER SPENDING virtually all of 1984 on the road, rocking fans on four continents, you'd think Scorpions needed a break. So they did, and they ...
The Scorpions: Scorpions: Around the World
Interview by Jeff Tamarkin, Circus, 30 November 1985
IT TOOK THE Scorpions more than a dozen years to do it, but there now remains no doubt that the Hannover, West Germany-based rockers have ...
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