Black and Blue Collar: A Triptych
Sean MurphyIt continues to be a joy and honor to have my work appear --alongside so many excellent writers-- in Exterminating Angel Press. The theme of this issue is "Origin Stories,"…
Never Say Die! Celebrating Ozzy on His Birthday
Happy 70th birthday to Ozzy Osbourne, the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness. If you'd guessed, circa 1974, or 1984 (or 1994, etc.), that any of us would be celebrating John Michael…
Never Say Die: Celebrating Ozzy at 70
The Prince, on his Throne Happy 70th birthday to Ozzy Osbourne, the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness. If you'd guessed, circa 1974, or 1984 (or 1994, etc.), that any of…
None More Black: Reassessing Black Sabbath’s First Three Albums (or, The Unholy Trinity)
In the classic movie Chinatown, the villainous Noah Cross offers a sardonic take on his longevity. “I’m old,” he laughs, adding the immortal line, “Politicians, ugly buildings and whores all…
The Terror Card, Torture and You or, The Evil of Banality (Revisited)
6/09: Anyone who happened to miss this piece by Lakhdar Boumediene, entitled My Guantánamo Nightmare should check it out, here. Here is a taste of the sickening, yet predictable torment this…
Let Us Give Thanks for the Guitar Solo (Revisited)
Let us give thanks for the guitar solo. This excercise is equal parts pointless and onanistic, which, of course, is the entire point. (Quick: what was your favorite orgasm? Thought…
Let Us Give Thanks for the Guitar Solo (Revisited)
Let us give thanks for the guitar solo. This excercise is equal parts pointless and onanistic, which, of course, is the entire point. (Quick: what was your favorite orgasm? Thought…
Hey Gibson, Let’s Talk Guitar Albums (Revisited)
(August, 2010) Okay. Gibson (the fine folks who bring us some of our best guitars) has recently announced their selections of what they deem the Top 50 Guitar Albums ever.…
Ten Albums That Supposedly Suck (But Do Not): #2 (Revisited)
2. Black Sabbath, Never Say Die! (1978) Maybe Ozzy really did sell his soul to the devil. How else to explain his solo albums getting more love—even amongst old school…
Storm Thorgerson, R.I.P.: An A/V Appreciation
You know Storm Thorgerson. Even if you've never heard his name before, you know him. More, if you are any kind of fan of late 20th Century rock music (most especially…