The Talking Heads were one of the biggest and most influential musical groups from the late 1970s to the late 1980s, essentially a decade of mostly innovating and provocative music. Once again, we get into labeling issues because this band mixed several genres and infused their own style. Post-punk, New Wave, indie, world music – … More Talking Heads, Chris Frantz’s book and the New Wave era
Eighty-one years is a long time to live, at least it used to be. Science, medicine, nutrition, faith and love have moved the bounds of life. Considering Crosby’s wild life, I’m a bit surprised he reached 81; all the same, I’m sad he’s passed. In life, we are rarely as wonderful as some think or … More Remembering David Crosby: Favorite Songs
The Police had a great, but relatively short commercial period of success. Here is a look back at their music. The first Police album came out in November 1978. Labeled as “New Wave,” The Police were a punk rock offshoot, contemporaries of Elvis Costello, U2 and The Jam. High energy, short and concise songs, minimalist … More The Police: A Look Back
I don’t believe I’ve ever purchased a soundtrack without seeing the film. Until now. Moonage Daydream is an incredible mashup of Bowie music and dialogue. The soundtrack is hardly just a collection of songs, it’s a David Bowie experience. If you’ve seen the film, you are one up on me. The soundtrack can stand on … More MOONAGE DAYDREAM: The Soundtrack (David Bowie film)
The news of Jeff Beck’s passing was a surprise, even at age 78. Beck was active and seemed in otherwise in very good health. Bacterial meningitis. My last Jeff Beck blog included his recent album with Johnny Depp. I enjoyed the album and purchased a copy. That was a surprise, I was ready to dismiss … More Jeff Beck: So Long
True confession: It has been years since I seriously listened to R.E.M., beyond just a song or two. In the 1980s, this was one of my favorite bands, before they took the big record company money and tried to appeal to the stadium audience. Their sound was fresh, jangly and succinct. R.E.M. was not a … More R.E.M. – Looking Back at Their Studio Albums
Songs in the Key of Life, one of the best albums of 1976. This double album was all over the radio and was perhaps the pinnacle of Stevie Wonder’s musical output. Consider, this was Wonder’s 18th album, and he was only 26 years old. Amazing! The early 1970s had been a richly creative period for … More Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life (revisiting)
Movie music is fascinating. Most of it is average at best; functional, but not memorable. Bond films, Hitchcock suspense, the themes from Jaws, The Exorcist, Rocky and Breakfast at Tiffany’s – all magical film moments. We can all think of our favorite film scores, whatever generation we represent. Bernard Herrmann, Max Steiner, Dimitri Tiomkin, Henry … More To Kill a Mockingbird: Musical Score
Concept albums are tough to pull off. Think Sgt. Pepper, Tommy, Quadrophenia, Animals, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Tales from Topographic Oceans, Thick as a Brick, The Wall, et. al. There might be an integrated story, instrumental segues, musical motifs and epic feel to the production. Or, the songs might conceptually linked by content … More Concept Albums by Frank Sinatra, Paul Williams, Richard Harris and Carole King: Of Love and Heartache
Another Neil Young release for 2022. The man is prolific. Young and Crazy Horse released Barn, last December, and this year the unreleased Toast, Noise and Flowers (a live album), and his 50th anniversary of Harvest. World Record is a head-scratcher. Too much for a single CD, it spills onto a second CD. Designed for … More Neil Young, World Record (a review)
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