Dweezil Zappa continues the Zappa on Zappa Tour, and I thought this would be a great time to comment on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s most vexing inductee, his father, Frank Zappa. Zappa is singular. There is really no one like him before or since. His output is staggering in term of volume and…
It Might Get Loud is a documentary chronicling a “summit” between guitarists The Edge (U2), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), and Jack White (White Stripes). In a warehouse they chat about their pasts, development as guitarists, while sharing some of their classic riffs between them. Remote locations with each guitarist are also included in order to…
In a just world all lovers of blues-based guitar would know Robben Ford. Sadly they don’t. Allow me to introduce him to some of you, while reviewing and updating for the rest. Robben is one of the dozen absolute finest guitarist playing today. On paper, he has had a remarkable career from the blues of…
Today the inductees for 2010 were announced. They are ABBA Jimmy Cliff The Hollies Genesis The Stooges I have commented on these artists previously. I am neither surprised nor disappointed by this list. With Madonna’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, all bets are off to a criteria which includes any notion of rock…
HBO this month is presenting a 246 minute version of the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert which was held at Madison Square Garden in October 2009. A diverse and significant roster, representative of the Rock and Roll Hall’s inductees, perform in this surprisingly energetic and mostly entertaining performance. For those who…
Mostly because of their darker natures, these three films were not among my favorites in 2009. I cannot recommend them – despite their undeniable excellence – for a variety of reasons. Mainly, I like movies to be fun and escapist – these are not. Two of these films are on many top 10 lists. The…
I suppose at a Robben Ford concert, along with a one drink minimum, is a one musician per table minimum as well. His type of music, rich with harmonic complexity, has a limited yet intensely loyal appeal. To many guitarists he is a legend. Whatever configuration of musicians he assembles to tour with, will draw…
Award shows are a bit of an American obsession. There are the big three, Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys and then there is everything else (I counted 15 off the top of my head). All these events try to balance stodgy star-studded formality with hip irreverence. The Oscars are the gold standard for the former, and…
My days of loving the obscure art house film is over. I am also through with the totally depressing, and “realistic” films about some social cause. These generally make up the bulk of most film critics lists – not mine. No Precious or Up in the Air on my list – which are both well executed films. Only one…