Hipgnosis is the Gift that Keeps Giving
Sean MurphyThe image above --no matter how immediately recognizable or important it happens to be to you-- is more significant than you may realize. If you don't know it, or understand…
Steadfast and Inimitable: The Sound & Vision of Pharoah Sanders
Not a fan of Led Zeppelin, The Clash’s Paul Simonon once opined: “Just looking at their album covers makes me want to throw up.” When it comes to Pharoah Sanders,…
A Farewell to the King: Neil Peart (One Year Later)
Like, I know, many (many, many) others, it’ll be impossible to succinctly or adequately convey my admiration for Neil Peart. (Full and semi-embarrassing disclosure: I wrote my graduate school thesis…
A Farewell to the King: Neil Peart
Like, I know, many (many, many) others, it'll be impossible to succinctly or adequately convey my admiration for Neil Peart. (Full and semi-embarrassing disclosure: I wrote my graduate school thesis…
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…
Big Log
1983: I remember when this first dropped, during summer break before 8th grade (and then getting massive radio play that winter) and I was mostly underwhelmed. It was...aight. But it…
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…
Led Zeppelin on Led Zeppelin (Revisited)
We tend to not think of Led Zeppelin as actual human beings. The reason, of course, is that they are not. At least not in the ways that can be…
Alligator Lizards in the Air: In Search of the Sublimely Awful Lyric (Revisited)
Intravenus de Milo Spinal Tap album I can think of a lot of rock bands who have written some laughably awful lyrics. So can you. Part of rock and roll's…