Blog Archives
Born Again
This year we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1975 release of Bruce Springsteen’s third album, the classic, Born to Run. Hearing the song “Born to Run” is one of the most important musical experiences I’ve ever had. The song and the record both manage to convey some of the most exuberant music of the [...]
Kill Me A Son
Here’s a great documentary from the BBC’s Arena program. “Tales of Rock ‘N’ Roll – Highway 61 Revisited” maps-out the iconic American highway while illuminating Bob Dylan’s rock masterpiece which turns 50 this year. Critics often hear Blonde On Blonde as Dylan’s greatest, but I’d pick this one over that one. See for yourself… Stay [...]
Sounds of Scientology
Religion is a lot of things, but most obviously we can distinguish one sect, order, school or institution from another through their trappings: robes, candles, books, paintings, statues, gestures, poses and music. Music is central to faiths all over the world – songs are emissaries of religious stories, time capsules of historical events and they [...]
Becoming Stones
Felt like taking a break from the horror postings to share a new Rolling Stones documentary that just popped up on YouTube. The Under Review documentaries feature some of the biggest names in music criticism in their career spanning investigations. There are a number of Under Review chapters on the Rolling Stones, and here the [...]
Tom Again
I love the Blank on Blank project’s animated takes on archived interviews. In this episode Tom Waits waxes on Stonehenge, Hawaii and everything in between. Here’s the lowdown… Waits had just released the concert film, Big Time, when he was interviewed by Chris Roberts at a London recording studio; you can hear music playing softly [...]
Celebrating Trane
More than a year ago, on this blog, I added a post about John Coltrane. It was a July entry, remembering the giant’s death in that month in 1967. Today I’m remembering Trane’s birth on September 23, 1926. Here’s the same post from last summer. Whether in life or in death, Coltrane looms large for [...]
Cohen: 81
Leonard Cohen turned 81 on September 21. A year ago, on his 80th birthday, he released a great record called Popular Problems. Here it is. Happy Birthday, poet… Stay Awake! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel where I archive all of the videos I curate at Insomnia. Click here to check out more Music posts
Mod Rod
45 years ago, in 1970, Rod Stewart released this second solo record, Gasoline Alley. Classic tunes like “Cut Across Shorty,” “It’s All Over Now” and the title track make this Stewart’s first great solo record, delivering on the promise of 1969′s An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down and setting the stage for Every [...]
Floyd 50
Pink Floyd celebrated half a century over the weekend when Nick Mason and Roger Waters returned to the schoolyard where the band first came buzzing to life. Here’s Consequence of Sound with the details… 50 years ago, while students at London’s Regent Street Polytechnic, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright formed Pink Floyd. On [...]
