Dave Swanson

"It started with the crystal age. It moved to the golden age. And now, welcome to the solid platinum age" states the tagline in the trailer for the 1978 movie 'FM.' Before MTV and MP3s, radio was music's unifying force. During the classic-rock era, it was also the gas that fueled the record industry.

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Released in April 1973, 'Ooh La La' was the fourth and final studio LP from the Faces. The ongoing mega-success of singer Rod Stewart's solo career would ultimately prove too difficult to keep the Faces raucous party going for much longer.

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In April of 1968, the Amboy Dukes released of one of the era's most definitive singles, 'Journey To The Center Of The Mind.' The song perfectly captured that bridge between psychedelia and the emerging harder-edged sounds.

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One more time! With the success, both critical and commercial, of last fall's mini tour, the Monkees are coming to your town again this summer.

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The Zappa Family Trust, headed by Frank Zappa's widow Gail, has announced that select titles from the massive Zappa catalog will be finding their way to vinyl this summer. In June, Zappa's Barking Pumpkin label will put out editions of 1973's 'Over-Nite Sensation' and the 1966 classic 'Freak Out!,' joining the recently released 'Finer Moments,' a collection of live material from the early-'70s.

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In April 1978, Ringo Starr was behind an hour-long TV special simply called 'Ringo.' Built around a 'Prince and the Pauper'-style premise, the show looked a lot like many other variety programs from the era. Right down to its eternal cheesiness.

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By the time they released 'The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees' in April 1968, the Monkees had been on a nonstop roller-coaster ride for a solid 15 months. Record after record, live appearances and shooting their TV show made for an exceptionally busy schedule. Except for the soundtrack to their movie 'Head,' which came out later in the year, 'The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees' would be the last album released by the original group.

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During his visit today (April 23) to the 'Ellen' show, Jon Bon Jovi talked about his band's 30 year history -- and of course was asked to comment on guitarist Richie Sambora's recent departure from their tour.

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Who would have ever guessed that in 2013, we would be talking about a new Stooges album? The odds were certainly not in that column, but then in 2003, the unexpected happened and Iggy Pop, Ron Asheton and brother Scott plugged in once again. They toured and wowed young and old fans alike with their brutal rock and roll assault, and even released a reunion album, although 2007's 'The Weirdness' was hardly the stuff of legend and kind of a false-start comeback.

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Terms like "classic" and "amazing" get tossed around an awful lot when talking about albums. Those words have been used and abused over time to the point where they are almost meaningless. Here to reclaim the significance of those terms is an album that truly is amazing and a drop-dead classic, the Zombies' 'Odessey and Oracle' -- which was released 45 years ago.

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On April 19, 1968, the Beatles parted ways with the Mararishi Mahesh Yogi. After submerging themselves in his teachings for what was supposed to be a three-month spiritual course, cracks began to appear. The band had flown to Rishikesh, India, in February 1968 along with friends like Donovan, Mia Farrow and the Beach Boys' Mike Love to begin an education in enlightenment.

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By 1973, Paul McCartney was enjoying a good run of post-Beatles triumphs, having secured a string of solo hits under his belt. Next stop, television! On April 16, 'James Paul McCartney' hit the US airwaves as a prime time variety special on ABC.

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