Pretenders I and II
Sean Murphyhttp://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/7697/the-pretenders-pretenders/ by Sean G. Murphy Meet the New Boss — Same As the Old Boss or, The Great Pretenders If you were a certain age in the early ‘80s—say, old…
African Head Charge: Off The Beaten Track
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/6662/african-head-charge-off-the-beaten-track/ African Head Charge Off the Beaten Track (Anthology Recordings) US release date: 4 October 2006 by Sean G. Murphy World Music from Another World Think you haven’t heard African…
Charles Mingus: Music Written for Monterey, 1965. Not Heard … Played in Its Entirety, at UCLA
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/6591/charles-mingus-music-written-for-monterey-1965-not-heard/ Charles Mingus Music Written for Monterey, 1965. Not Heard … Played in Its Entirety, at UCLA (Sunnyside) US release date: 26 September 2006 UK release date: 2 October 2006…
Invitation To A Suicide
Invitation To A Suicide (DVD Review from PopMatters.com) http://www.popmatters.com/pm/film/reviews/6136/invitation-to-a-suicide-2004/ Invitation to a Suicide Director: Loren Marsh by Sean G. Murphy Taking the Concept of “Pay-per-view” to New and Unusual Places…
Steely Dan: The Definitive Collection
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/4938/steely-dan-the-definitive-collection/ Steely Dan The Definitive Collection (Geffen) by Sean G. Murphy Not Much New at Their Old School. And That’s Cool. Steely Dan will not be denied. At this rate,…
American Chowder
Moby Dick: American Chowder "Reduced to more practical terms, if Jazz music is gumbo -- and it is -- the archetypal American novel, with Moby Dick as its progenitor and…
Forever Never Changes
Forever Never Changes: Arthur Lee R.I.P. http://www.popmatters.com/music/features/060810-arthur-lee.shtml 10 August 2006 Contrary to popular opinion, the great American novel has, in fact, already been written. The problem is, it is not…
Every Day I Have The Blues
Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out. Now that’s a song, a blues. The real item. Not to be confused with the cookie-cutter, paint-by numbers, copycat slop that most…
Reflections on John Coltrane’s A LOVE SUPREME
Spring ‘06(from the liner notes of the 2003 reissue of A Love Supreme): “Boosted by a crescendo of piano chords, Coltrane steps in at full throttle. In a relatively small…
While We’re on the subject of the so-called Liberal Media
Friday, May 05, 2006 While We’re on the Subject of the So-Called Liberal Media… (sigh). This Colbert and Cohen stuff makes one realize, once again, that there is nothing new…