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The Fourth Pick In The Great Album Game
I didn’t discover the wonders of Tom Waits until the mid-’80s, but once I got my head out of my ass, I dove deep into his catalog. Discovering an artist late is good because you can sample his wares and gorge on the buffet he’s produced. This baby is his second album, the title track…
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The Third Pick In The Great Album Game
His birth name is Declan Patrick MacManus, but that moniker doesn’t have the rock buzz of Elvis Costello. His debut album in 1977 solidified this mutant clone of Buddy Holly as a songwriting force to be reckoned with. The band backing him on this disc is Clover, an American west coast band. Costello would soon…
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The Second Pick In The Great Album Game
He lost his money and he lost his wife, those things don’t seem to matter much to him now. While “Born To Run” was the album that made Springsteen a sensation (he was on the covers of TIME and NEWSWEEK, not too shabby), this one is my favorite one. It’s dark, bleak, brooding, introspective–– with…
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Forget Politics–– Let’s Discuss Music, Shall We?
I was recently invited on a social media platform called “Facebook” (why not just call it “Cover”–– that’s what the face of a book is!) to participate in a game of selecting ten albums that are important to you. This seemed an innocuous enough task, and I suppose it is if you just make your…
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O Brothers, Where Art Thou?
It saddens me to report that Joel and Ethan Coen are mortals. They have finally written, directed and edited a not-so-great movie called “Hail, Caesar!” It’s not a bad film, it has its moments and some nice scenes, but it’s overall a miss for the brothers Coen. Wah wah wah. As a fanboy, I believe…
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Laugh Until You Cry
The Big Short is being billed as a comedy, which is funny. Hilarious, really. Yes, it has some funny lines and devices, but it’s a tragic film and an essential one every American should see. Director Adam McKay doesn’t need green screens and CGI magic to depict catastrophe and humanity put on the brink, he…