Fifty years later, the band still sounds great. Spirit has been in news in recent years related to a plagiarism lawsuit against Led Zeppelin over parts of “Stairway to Heaven”. I am not going to get into that, my focus will be on the classic period of the band. Randy California (real name Randy Wolfe), … More Spirit (the band)
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most celebrated and revered persons, certainly ranked in the shortlist of greatest American presidents. Abe, since he and I are on a first name basis, is also one of the most written about men in history. During the past few years, I have to confess, Abe has been on … More Young Abe Lincoln: Lessons
A lot of people saw The Deer Hunter, it won several Academy Awards including a Best Picture Oscar and was the talk of 1978, for a variety of reasons. Heaven’s Gate would only win Razzie and Stinker Awards, and is often credited with sinking a movie studio. This blog is a tale of a director … More Michael Cimino, The Deer Hunter and Heaven’s Gate
Penetrating winds engulf the soul Stripped bare to my essence No hiding, completely visible I am humble in your presence — Your eyes ask to lower my mask Trying, I cannot answer your question Words wedged deep, speechless Inside, my heart holds a confession — Seasons segue into memories We become a potent blend Each … More Humble
Success in the music industry is fickle, a creature of timing, promotion, talent, and luck. Here are five albums I own that sadly were neglected and passed into history. Larry Lee, Marooned. The sweet, polished vocalist of “Jackie Blue” of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Offered a solo album where he wrote or co-wrote the songs, … More A Dozen Debut Albums that Failed Expectations, but are Deserve a Listen
Maybe it’s me, or perhaps it’s she Through the snow and interference Every night at the stoke of one Her ghostly image makes an appearance — She has a lonesome, disembodied tone Climbing down from my dream The sand still coating my blurry eyes At six she disappears back into the stream — She arrives … More Test Pattern Girl
Thank you Greg Norman for giving me an excuse to once again write about Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist who was brutally murdered inside the Saudi embassy in Turkey. Norman is a successful professional golfer who is involved with a Saudi-backed golf organization. Recently, Norman made comments about the Khashoggi murder, seemingly chalking it up … More Still Awaiting Justice for Jamal Khashoggi
As a wannabe guitar player, I’m drawn more to smooth sets of chords forming an irresistible melodic progression. A catchy and inventive guitar riff is a thing of beauty for the soul. Riffs seem most closely associated with rock’n’roll, which I agree, but they can be found across musical genres. Riffs catch the ear, and … More Riffing: Music Artists Who Who Utilize the Technique
I never understood the historical, religious and political conflict in Northern Ireland. At the time, all I saw was tragedy. No, I did not live there, so it is perhaps not fair to comment. I do not judge, and naïvely, I always wondered why everyone could not find a way to live in peace. When … More Belfast (2021)
Memoirs are one of my favorite genres of books. Recently, I read Carl Bernstein’s Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom (Henry Holt and Co., 2022) and William Barr’s One Damn Thing After Another: Memoirs of an Attorney General (William Morrow, 2022). I read these books back-to-back. Dueling memoirs. What could these stories have in … More Bernstein v. Barr
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