Morris takes the reader on a personal journey
Together Through Life: A Personal Journey with the Music of Bob Dylan by Chris Morris – Book Review
Posts By: Steve Crawford
“Adrian Street,” by Jon Langford & Men of Gwent Reviewed
No speculation on what Gary Glitter might do
Journey, Dallas, Texas, Gexa Energy Pavilion, May 20th, 2016 – Reviewed
Worst band ever
Ernest Tubb – Remembering The Texas Troubadour
The star power of Tubb most likely brought more attention to the Opry than the program did for the singer
Deeper In – Another Look at The Drive-By Truckers
They have a deeply dedicated and passionate fanbase
25 Essential Songs by the Drive-By Truckers
They have aggressively staked their claim to a vivid Southern gothic landscap
Faron Young – The Singing Sheriff Remembered
He lived fast, loved hard, and while he didn’t die young, he died on Faron Young’s terms.
Prince Remembered – I Think I Wanna Dance
He made people laugh, dance, and think at the same time
Where’s My Corn Dogs? The Old 97’s County Fair, Dallas, Texas, April 16, 2016, Reviewed
More Songs About Whiskey And Heartbreak
101 Reasons to Love Merle Haggard, Part Four
He lived life on his own terms and we are all much richer as a result of his idiosyncratic journey.
101 Reasons to Love Merle Haggard, Part Three
He went from a legitimate to a fading superstar
101 Reasons to Love Merle Haggard, Part II
They display his ability to simultaneously be a historian, traditionalist, and, at the time, a major country music superstar.
101 Reasons to Love Merle Haggard, Part One
Universally respected for his talent, his honesty, and his steadfast underdog empathy
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, America Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, April 5th, 2016 – Reviewed
I literally wept
Robbie Fulks’ “Upland Stories” Reviewed
As good as people pretended the last Jason Isbell album was.
Rate A Record: Cheap Hüsker Giants
Like your children, you want the best for them
The Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Band Of All Time: The Velvet Underground
Hopefully, a few lives have been saved by rock ‘n’ roll in the process
The 100 Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands #2: The Beach Boys
There are a small handful of true geniuses that have worked in the field of pop music and Brian Wilson is one of them.
The 100 Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands #3: Parliament/Funkadelic
In the P-Funk universe, the drugs flow continuously, the dancing never stops, and Saturday night never ends.
The 100 Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands #4: The E Street Band
“I told a story with the E Street Band that was, and is, bigger than I ever could have told on my own.”
The 100 Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands #5: The Replacements
It took very little for the always combustible parts of the band to explode in chaotic directions.
The 100 Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands, #10 – #5
HEY HO, LET’S GO DOWN
The 100 Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands, Part VIII – #20 to #11
On this leg of our voyage – mock executions, cross dressing, kicking out the jams.
The 100 Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands, Part VII – #31 to #21
Things to enjoy in this segment – peanut butter, Tokyo, serial murderers, peaches
Trouble Boys: The Story of the Replacements, Bob Mehr – Book Review
If you loved The Replacements, no explanation is necessary
The 100 Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands, Part VI – #44 to #33
On this part of our journey – acid, burritos, brothels, lobster.
The 100 Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands, Part V – #55 to 45
the punk rock Cher
The 100 Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands, Part IV – #65 to 56
There were several dysfunctional relationships within the band, leading to their breakup in 1969
The 100 Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands, Part III #75 – # 66
We take a stroll through “Paradise City,” where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
AC/DC, American Airlines Center, Dallas, Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016 – Reviewed
Selling arena rock nostalgia by peddling volume over quality
The 100 Greatest American Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands, Part II (#90 – #76)
Susanna Hoffs is just always nice to have around.
Barry Manilow, American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, Thursday, February 18th, 2016 Reviewed
Barry Manilow in 2016 is no more and no less embarrassing now than he was in 1975
America’s Greatest 100 Rock ‘n’ Roll Bands, Part 1(#100 – #91)
When it comes to popular music, individual mileage always varies
Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music, John Fogerty, Reviewed
Fogerty comes across as a good hearted, high strung perfectionist who is happier catching fish than writing music
Chris Maxwell’s Arkansas Summer Reviewed
It’s a slow, Beatles influenced number about family dynamics
Petty: The Biography, Warren Zanes – Book Review
The majority of the book alternates between a discussion of Petty’s career, issues within the band, and Petty’s personal life
Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock ‘n’ Roll, Peter Guralnick – Book Review
Guralnick has given his audience an invaluable history lesson and resource
My Top 40 of 2015
Without further ado
Kinky Friedman Birthday Bash, River Ranch Stockyards, Thursday, December 10th, 2015 Reviewed
I wasn’t sure if I was attending a concert, a pledge drive, or a geriatric redneck drunken party. It’s the day after and I’m still not sure what it was
Elvis Costello, “Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink” – Book Review
My ultimate take away is in his songwriting, as in this book, Costello doesn’t have the self-discipline to harness his enormous talents into consistent greatness
Cheap Trick At The Bomb Factory, Dallas, Texas, Saturday, November 7th, 2015, Reviewed
Whether it is due to the group being revitalized with the stature nod of being nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or whether the bad karma about removing Bun E. Carlos has subsided, they put on a terrific show
Los Lobos: Dream in Blue by Chris Morris – Book Review
Morris deftly chronicles the band’s recording career, more often than not letting the musicians (and producers) provide the historical perspective. He makes no grand pronouncements and indulges in no hyperbole. He is as equally generous in complimenting their successes as he is direct in addressing their failures
Ray Wylie Hubbard ‘s “a life…well, lived” Reviewed
At some level, Hubbard almost works like a magician; he’s a guy who seems to have a perpetual ace in the hole.
Comin’ Right at Ya: How a Jewish Yankee Hippie Went Country, or, the Often Outrageous History of Asleep at the Wheel by Ray Benson – Book Review
He ultimately found that his real love was traditional country music, performed for working class people, and went to rural West Virginia to form a band and live off the land (those were free spirited times). The band had a regular gig in Paw Paw
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominations for 2016
If you are in the business of selling blood pressure medicine, you probably discuss the inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as often as possible. Just last week a complete stranger growled at me, while waiting in line to see The Zombies, “THEY SHOULD BE IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME!” I almost responded with “Are you kidding me?” just to see if the guy’s head would have exploded
The Bottle Rockets “South Broadway Athletic Club” Reviewed
In 2015, The Bottle Rockets have chronicled a maturity that doesn’t sound like a defeat or a compromise; it sounds like an unmitigated triumph.
Weird Al Yankovic, Verizon Theater, Grand Prairie, Texas, Friday, 21 August 2015 Reviewed
Al’s music draws you in because you are often hearing some of the most recognizable hooks and riffs in pop music. His band has the talent to move from hard rock, modern pop, and rap seamlessly and Al never breaks character during the show. There’s no moralizing or social commentary in his material. Silliness reigns supreme.
Grand Opening of the Texas Musicians Museum, July 25th, 2015, Irving, Texas
Museum curator Tom Kreason has worked tirelessly for years to make this a project a reality. Financially, the museum is a partnership with the city of Irving as part of a downtown renovation plan, but the vision, sweat equity, and execution of the myriad details required to make this concept a reality has all been overseen by endless hours of planning, work, and personal sacrifice by Mr. Kreason
Judas Priest, Verizon Theater, Grand Prairie, Texas, Monday 13 July, 2015 – Reviewed
For an old fashioned, pump fisting night of late ‘70s/early ‘80s metal, it’s hard to imagine that few bands have held up as well as the current touring version of Judas Priest. Rob Halford might not look quite as comfortable on the prop motorcycle in 2015 as he did in his youth, but he’s still aged better than most of his competitors
Brian Wilson, Verizon Theater, Grand Prairie, Texas, Wednesday 24th June, 2015, Review
Wilson is a sympathetic figure, even more so do to the recent biopic Love & Mercy, and with his personal tragedies and triumphs, it’s impossible not to root for the man. He was in good spirits on this evening, giving brief song introductions (“This one’s in the key of E,” “Let’s hear the girls yell,” “This one rocks like hell!”) and punching the air for emphasis
