Comedy gold. Saturday nights in the Fall of 1973. CBS was the place to be. Years later, ABC would have a formidable Tuesday night anchored by Happy Days! and Laverne & Shirley, and NBC had a must-see Thursday night lineup built around Cheers and ER. This CBS lineup was my favorite. All in the Family, … More Best Television Schedule Lineup: Saturday Night Comedy, 1973-74
America was great until the damn liberals, poor people, those of color or different ideas and unwashed, longhaired communists started to make trouble. Life was good in Christian, Wonder Bread America before the criticism and protests. It was those commie longhairs that tried to destroy what’s good about this country. If they don’t like it, … More Blame it on the Hippies for Wanting a Better America
Fifty years later, the love story of John Lennon and May Pang is presented onscreen. The Lost Weekend, A Love Story (2023) is a long-form telling of their story in film clips, interviews and news stories. Pang has written about her and Lennon’s time together and appeared on many talk shows in the early 1990s … More The Lost Weekend, A Love Story (film review)
Today’s NFL is pass, pass, pass. Running the ball is boring for fans, and is only used to keep defenses honest. Besides, chicks love the long ball, as they say in baseball. I always marveled at teams that had a stable of quality running backs, and this was when teams only had a 40-man roster, … More When Football Was About the Run: L.A. Rams in the 1970s
I love progressive-rock music, but I’ve never connected with Yes’s majestic Tales From Topographic Oceans. The album is hailed in prog-rock circles as one of the most influential albums of all time. The album is 50 years old in 1973, certainly a time for reflection and discussion, and perhaps another chance to fall in love. … More How I Learned to Stop Fearing Tales From Topographic Oceans and Love the Album
The Wrecking Crew was the unofficial name of a group of successful musicians in the 1960s and 1970s, principally working in Los Angeles. These musicians worked on thousands of hit records and ran from session to session to work with the biggest names in the recording industry. Arguably, the three busiest drummers of this period … More Jim Gordon, Wrecking Crew Member, RIP
I try not to be a stick in the mud about my musical preferences, as I’ve been known to happen across some fine artists in categories other than my favorites. Here are a few I’m happy to share. Lizzo, Special (2022) Talk about unexpected surprises! I’d never heard a Lizzo song until I checked out … More Fresh Music: Discovering Great Music From Yesterday and Today
Carnal Knowledge was a risqué film in 1971, not for what it showed, as much as what it discussed. Male sexual attitudes and intimacy in relationships. Frank and revealing. Louie B. Mayer was probably spinning in his grave. Talk of sex is one thing, but how the male ego and self-worth are defined and added … More Carnal Knowledge (a look back)
Joni Mitchell is releasing her past work in chunks. The Asylum Albums (1972-1975) is the latest of her music to appear. Her first group of studio albums were on Reprise Records, and comprised her first set of remastered albums. The Asylum Albums were released on David Geffen’s Asylum Records, and represents a very commercially successful … More Joni Mitchell: The Asylum Albums (1972-1975)
Video blogger Barry Robinson has ignited a firestorm with his recent blog about bands that should stop touring. Declining vocal and skills, crass commercialism, use of prerecorded enhancements and absence of original members are reasons noted for making the list. With some encouragement, I’ve developed my own list of artists that should pull the tour … More Too Old to Rock and Roll?
Ticket 2 Ride 
You must be logged in to post a comment.