I don’t suffer from social nostalgia. I don’t believe the past was better than today, I know it was worse. The 40s may have been a fairy tale time for […]
Sound City was my local record store in Long island City till I stopped frequenting the place a couple of years ago because I was buying all my music on
Heart Of Gold – Neil YoungOnly Love Can Break Your Heart – Crosby, Stills, Nash and YoungEverybody Knows This Is Nowhere – Neil YoungMarrakesh Express – Crosby, Stills, Nash and
In August of 1962 I was five years old and on vacation in Bournemouth, a somewhat working class vacation resort in the North of England. It was then I went
Just A Friend – Biz Markie Let Me Clear My Throat – DJ Kool Have you seen the Heinekin ad with the kids singing “Just A Friend” in the back
Have you ever known a person who seem perfectly nice and everybody thinks he is just wonderful but for some reason you just don’t get on? Well, this is me
“Who remembers Rudolf Hess?”-Warsaw Manchester, England is my home time. A rainy, grimy, miserable place half an hour from Liverpool which fancies inself a major player and isn’t at all
I actually found a list on The Onion of 8 song about sexual mishaps and they are quite right – Elastica’s “Stutter” was a big surprise to me. Dead Kennedy’s
2009 appears to have awaken from its winter slumber with the third good week in a row. Not great, mind but definitely good Doom Draw – Julian MarleyFamily Time –
I know, it’s terrible right? I mean, not only were they the early 80s saving grace rockwise but a) my friends were their friends and fans b) the Replacements had
At first glance Olivia Newton-John’s career trajectory appears to be a refraction on the Sandy charecter she played in the iconic movie musical “Grease, chocking on her cigarette, high heel
A Change Is Going To Come – Adam LambertHe was a standby for the road production of “Wicked” which, if not making him and amateur, sure made him a passing
One of my very favorite novels is Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” (she is absolutely my favorite) but as novels go it doesn’t translate well into other mediums: even the Olivier
Greatest album of all time? “Sgt Peppers,” Best? “Are You Experienced”? My fave? No contest: from Steve Nieve’s Booker T pounded intro on “Love For Tender” to the lost in
As my good friend Anonymous kindly corrected me, I asininely referred to Leonard Cohen as a tenor in my live at Radio City review. He is, of course, a bass
Look at it this way: we live in a world filled with real and terrifying fears and as consumers of entertainment we deal with these fears. Female sexuality, virginity, death,
I checked out the folks who hate me at leonardcohenforum.com . The actual review by Patricia Zohn is very good and if you want to see what the fans thinks
With Green Day’s “21st Century Breakdown” having all the hallmarks of a protest album dated before its release, and with critics writing drivel like “If it is out of step
Earlier this year I went to see Van Morrison perform “Astral Weeks” twice, once at MSG and once and for days later at the Beacon. The MSG set was excellent,
The Static Age – Green Day (“21 Guns” pretty lame on SNL last night)Get Down – Cam’ronOn the Road To Find Out – Cat StevensSofter, Softest – HoleGood Ol’ USA
It is June 1997 and Lil Kim is a mess -I know this because she is performing at a great women of hip hop concert and she can’t speak and
One day after writing the obituary of the album, I bought the album of the year and first runner up. I have only spinned Green Day’s “21st Century Breakdown” once
Chris Difford once claimed Frank Sinatra’s “In The Wee Small Hours Of the Morning” was the first record album as we know it. And he might be right. Produced by
“Before there was Elvis there was nothing.” -John Lennon The last time I wrote about Elvis Presley I was a 20something and i did a think piece about how Capitalism
After listening some more I must admit to having underestimated Cam’ron’s “Get It In Ohio” -Cam’rons spits the lyric real good, gangstas in the mid-west. The other two songs I
Together Through This – Bob Dylan 11 Songs:1 Pointless studio rehearsal of “Lay lady Lay”.1 Middling Berry knock off (Chuck, is that you?)1 Croaking atrocity.1 Missed opprtunity-but really missed, missed
Alphabetically by album name All I Ever Wanted – Kelly ClarksonArt Brut Vs Satan – Art BrutBl0od Bank EP – Bon IverCarolina – Eric ChurchCrack The Skye – MastadonDown The
Eleven years ago I saw Public Enemy open for Run DMC. PE had recently released their excellent soundtrack for (him again) Spike Lee’s “He Got Game” and they were pretty
Love Your Love the Most – Eric Church (latest in a long tradition of real good country boys) Alcoholics Unanimous – Art Brut (angular satire produced by the bloke from
The first of a long, long series: Contrary to my earlier comment Cracker’s “Darling One” is a lovely ballad…. Also, Cohen’s “Live In London” is better than I gave it
What pictures and videos don’t show you about Branford Marsalis is his sheer presence on the stage. Leading a young (the drummer is just eighteen!) intensely vigorous sharp as hell
LOS CAMPESINOS: THEY’RE GONNA GET DRUNK AND CALL YOU AT FOUR IN THE MORNING
Get Happy!! -Elvis Costello and the Attractions Are You Experienced? – Jimi Hendrix Experience In the Wee Small Hours Of the Morning -Frank Sinatra Ready to Die – Notorious B.I.G.
As a self-professed populist I believe that in a consumer society fiscal success is a hugely important part of artistic (or at least cultural) merit. In the 80s I championed
This is a love story. In 1980 I was a huge Elvis Costello fan (still am: the albums have lost their consistency but the live shows are stellar and his
I’d like to say it was about the time Lady Sovereign shared her Heinekin with the punters at the front of the stage with a shout of “SWINE FLU” or
A real good week this week. Two singles into the new Ciara, I like Justin Timberlake a lot but MAYBE he is spreading himself a bit thin -still “Love, Sex,
Legend has it Lennon and Ono spent their first night together working on avant-Garde music before making love. The result was three albums of experimental music and if “the Wedding
Hi Ho Silver Lining -Jeff Beck (Hatton entered the ring with ths b4 Pasqual knocked him out)Fantsay -Mariah Carey and Ol’ Dirty Bastard (forget to mention this oneNo Bed For
It had been five years -something like 30 in rock star years- and U2 were bac and We -We the world- were all third world nations at the tender mercies
Ol‘ Dirty Bastard, rapper with the posse to beat Wu Tang Clan, is pushing the product. Wu Tan Clan have just released “Forever” and they are closing out Hot 97’s
In December 1979 the Clash released their magnum opus, “London Calling”, considered by some the greatest rock album of all time, and the highest testament to the rule of punk
Last night I went to see “33 Variations” on Broadway: a new play based upon Beethoven’s 33 variations of a second rate Diabelli waltz. The play was way too busy
It is the winter of 81 -maybe February- and I am at the half empty Ritz (now Webster Hall) standing next to my friend John, drummer with Bounce -another greatest
In 1999 I was at a Labor Day Puerto Rican Music festival produced by Ralph Mercado -this is an all night long coming together of Salsa and Merengue royalty -I’ve
Here’s a story for you: maybe seven years ago I went to see the late great Ike Turner (yes, great, he was a wife beater and a great musician: wrote
Three was not the charm with Primal Scream, “Zombie Man” is all foot stomping and hand clamping signifying nothing. Three was the charm with Pet Shop Boys, “Did You See
