It started with watching Pete Pardo talk about Van Halen on his inaugural entry for Sea of Tranquility’s Favorite Albums to Listen to in Summertime. I’m already planning a “Summer Playlist” in two weeks when I leave for a lengthy (for me) vacation, but Van Halen lingered, and it was a simple matter to put together some kind of “deep cuts” playlist filled with what are – to me – some of the biggest bands I happen to love. So that’s where we’re going this week. Warning: some of these might not be traditionally “deep cuts” – they’re not all buried in the sequencing. Some are favorites from reviled or unpopular albums, at least one was a big hit for another band. And of course one is a Zappa cut. Enjoy the weekend and let’s dig in.

Continue reading “(Un)Focused Definition Ep. 5: Big Bands, Deep Cuts”