Improving Upon Perfection, Part Seven
Sean Murphy(Parts 1-6 of this series here, here, here, here, here and here.) Having just written, at length, about King Crimson (check it HERE), it seems appropriate to revisit another song…
Technology and Privacy, Cont’d…
The ongoing controversy surrounding Edward Snowden has reminded me that the issues of privacy are not recent. Indeed, the notion of "other people" knowing what you are doing at all…
Mingus Speaks. We Listen.
Charles Mingus did not do small. He was a big man, with big appetites, big ambitions, big grievances, big passions, big skills, and above all, a big vision. By any…
When Is The Last Time You Got Your Fixx?
Alternate title to this post: Reach The Beach, Biotch! When's the last time you got your fixx? For me it was in the early '80s, when they were one of…
I Love Eleanor Friedberger More Than She Loves Playing Guitar
I am very much on the record of endorsing the Fiery Furnaces; indeed, I rank their 2006 joint Bitter Tea as my personal #10 choice for best albums of the…
King Crimson: A Prog-Rock Case Study
Although it was already suggested that Pink Floyd is the archetypal prog-rock band (HERE), an equally compelling case could be made for King Crimson. By practically any criteria, King Crimson…
Search for the New Land
There are times when I need to simply post a song, without comment. This is easier when no comment is particularly necessary. This is one of those times. If you…
Improving Upon Perfection, Part Six
(Parts 1-5 of this series here, here, here, here and here) "On The Sunny Side of the Street" is a song with a long, wonderful history. Like so many jazz standards,…
A Week of Americana. Part Five: Chinatown
Chinatown does not usually make the short list of best American films. In fairness, it probably shouldn’t. It will have to settle for merely being the only perfect American film…
A Week of Americana. Part Four: James Brown
On this most American of holidays, it seems appropriate --if not obligatory-- to celebrate the most American of geniuses. It does not get any more American than James Brown, does…