Welcome

‘Listening Sessions’ is a Substack publication dedicated to the joy of listening to music. Each issue features a deep dive into an album or an artist or an issue of interest, mixing musical analysis with historical background in an engaging way. If the next thing you want to do after reading one of my essays is to listen to the music I’ve just featured, then I’ve done my job.

Who am I? My name is Robert C. Gilbert and I am a long-time music lover and record collector. My tastes are wide-ranging and while I primarily focus on the music from the sixties and seventies, I occasionally write a round-up on new and upcoming releases that I think are worth hearing. If you love music, ‘Listening Sessions’ is for you.

I publish a long-form essay every 10 days (sometimes I go two weeks between editions but always give readers a head’s up) and they are free for all to read and share. Paid subscribers also receive a quarterly reflection on music from me—a collection of thoughts of whatever has caught my interest. Included as well will be an update on the state of my Substack.

Writing about music has always been a dream of mine and I am deeply grateful that I’ve been able to carve out a niché here on Substack. I am also grateful to anyone who wishes to support my work by taking out a paid subscription.

Paid subscriptions are available on a monthly ($6) and annual ($50) basis (all funds in Canadian dollars).

To get a taste of ‘Listening Sessions,’ check out my archive here.

Substack is maybe the best place these days for great music writing. Check out my recommendations for other writers are doing a great job here. You can subscribe to any or all without reservation.

If you’re a musician or publicist wishing to pitch me an upcoming album, I would love to hear from you. Contact me directly at listeningsessions78@gmail.com.