Les Claypool & Co: The Power of Music
Sean MurphyI will go ahead and answer my own question (posed the other month, HERE). Based on the footage I've seen (never caught him in real time, in person, alas) Les…
File Under: Man’s Inhumanity to Man (Revisited)
This hurts my heart and devastates my soul. It makes me furious and leaves me deeply distressed. And with a helplessness that at once causes me to question my belief…
Beauty is a Rare Thing: Celebrating International Jazz Day (Revisited)
All hope is not lost. At least enough people are still making --and listening to-- jazz that we can even attempt to initiate what hopefully becomes an ongoing occasion. In…
Whitney Houston and the Wages of Fame (Revisited)
Sadly, only the most optimistic or naive observers did not see this coming. Indeed, it is fair, if harsh, to wonder how it took so long. I make it a…
Emotional feedback on a timeless wavelength: Rush’s ‘Permanent Waves’
How unbelievably appropriate that Permanent Waves was released on January 1, 1980? In virtually every regard, this album ended the '70s (literally) and foreshadowed the fertile grounds (reggae, pop elements, concise…
Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine: Part Two
Picking up where we left off yesterday (which, in case you missed it, is HERE) and continuing the celebration (of the lizard), let's pick five more vintage vinyls. If your…
Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine*: Part One
Merry Christmas to me. So, a year or so ago I did something I'd been meaning --and promising-- to do for ages: I acquired a turntable. I knew it was…
Back To Bach
It's that time of the year, prompting reflection, peace and positive vibes. At least if you're smart and do most of your holiday shopping online. I doubt it's just me,…
Jethro Tull’s ‘Aqualung’: Even Better Than You Thought It Was (Revisited)
Whatever one’s feelings about progressive rock, Jethro Tull’s Aqualung is a rare album that remains at once part of, and above, the fray. It is, to be certain, a cornerstone…
The Who: Live in Texas ’75
It was a transitional year, for The Who and for rock music. On the precipice of the punk-led detonation, it was increasingly fashionable to kick sand on arena acts that…