Ten Ways of Looking at Four Decades
Sean MurphyI. Listen: When some of your best friends are people who exist elsewhere—characters in books you’ve read, musicians you’ll never meet, people from the past who died decades (even centuries)…
My Kind of Christmas Music
Tchaikovsky Corelli Bach John Fahey The Who Chuck Berry a two-fer from Jethro Tull! The Godfather The Boss Satchmo Ella! (An embarrassment of riches here, here, and here)…
There’s Just A Meanness In This World
As obstreperously opposed to the death penalty as I remain, it is nevertheless difficult to feel uncomplicated emotions regarding the execution of John Allen Muhammad. I --and any individual living…
Six (Not So) Easy Pieces
Back in 2006, I recall reading many intriguing reviews of Daniel J. Levitin's book This Is Your Brain On Music. It's been on my Amazon wish list ever since, and…
Woolworth’s RIP
Woolworths Goes Down: Last week Woolworths officially filed for bankruptcy If anything screams America, it's Woolworths. (K-mart too.) For me, the '70s mall scene is incomplete without Woolworths. And, of…
Born in the U.S.A. (or, Every Day is Veterans Day)
I. Personal Remember when Born in the U.S.A. was ubiquitous? The album and the song. Bruce was already big, but he wasn’t over the top. Born in the U.S.A. put…
They Will Rock You (They Are The Champions)
Part One: Introduction (and Apology) October ’08. In the spirit of two quintessentially American inventions (obsessions, really), baseball and rock and roll, it seemed like a swell idea to merge…