It wasn’t easy being John Lennon’s friend, and Yoko didn’t make things any easier. “If anyone was doing the hanging on, it was John. He hung on to me, always had done. […]
A few words about Pete Shotton…
Unnamed sources? Journalists should teach readers why they were used
On Thursday, four journalists for CNN reported: The FBI has information that indicates associates of President Donald Trump communicated with suspected Russian operatives to possibly coordinate the release of information damaging to […]
Jane Austen, alt-right heroine…say what…?
“I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.” – Jane Austen Various news sources, both here in America and […]
Chuck Berry and the Beatles: standing on the shoulders of a giant and all that…
According to one source, the Beatles covered at least 15 Chuck Berry songs. “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.” – John Lennon […]
Dancing about architecture: trying to read Paul Morley’s Words and Music…
I could offer several excuses for why I quit Words and Music, a book I had high hopes for (Morley is one of the great experts on contemporary pop), but the simple […]
Book Review: Hank: a Storyteller’s Story by Rick Burnham
Hank: a Storyteller’s Story tells a tale of identity theft of the most literal kind and how, as victims discover their true identities how much our pasts inform our futures. Rick Burnham’s brief […]
No Reply: the Beatles write a breakup song…
The scream at the end – “no reply!” – is one of the bleakest moments in the breakup song genre. “It was my version of “Silhouettes”: I had that image of walking […]
David Bowie and Paul McCartney: boats against the current…
Successful artists feel constant commercial pressure to repeat their sales success – a pressure that can make any artist choose a safe route. …so we beat on, boats against the current, borne ceaselessly […]
Lost Highway: Peter Guralnick’s search for the roots of roots music – part 3, there are no losers in music…
Authenticity. Music. Freedom. Whether you’re Elvis Presley or Sleepy LaBeef, if you can have the courage to follow Sam Phillip’s advice, you can’t be a loser. “You can be a nonconformist and […]
Peter Guralnick’s search for the roots of roots music: the curse of being a critics’ darling
Guralnick’s Lost Highway runs smack through the heart of Nashville’s Music Row – as with corporate Pop, Country & Western has always been about sales and little else… “‘Outlaw’ is the word […]
Progressive Culture | Scholars & Rogues 