How does one who only knew the fat, sequined, goggle-sunglasses wearing Elvis give a damn for his 75th birthday? Consider that Elvis, more than any other figure, is ground zero for rock and roll. He was the tipping point, the one who through his Sun recordings and RCA debut defined rock and roll for everyone that followed….
For those unfamiliar with 24, here’s the plot: Counter terrorist super-agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) reluctantly gets pulled into yet another plot against the United States often involving the president and national security. Frustrated by the bureaucracy of his employer CTU (Counter Terrorism Unit), Jack eventually breaks all the rules, thwarting the crisis within 24…
TV continued it’s Renaissance providing entertainment superior to what can be found at the movies most weeks. Some veteran shows continued to satisfyingly plug along (Lost, House, 24, Family Guy, Amazing Race, and Idol) while some faltered (Rescue Me, 30 Rock, Damages) and one excellent show, Battlestar Galactica, ended its run. All available on DVD….
Get ready for the Oscar broadcast March 7 on ABC hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. Be sure to download the official ballot here for following along. I am a little nervous about this years Oscars. While I like Alec Baldwin, he’s clearly the best thing on 30 Rock by a mile, I wouldn’t call him…
The music business is an outright disaster. While it’s never been a place where talent, craft, and excellence coincide with the purchases and popularity of the very fickle general public – it has been a business where the goal was crystal clear – sell a ton a records. Selling records earned an artist respect and lots of…
For many, the Who died when the wildest of rock and roll drummers, Keith Moon, died in 1978. Moon has proven to be irreplaceable, and the Kenny Jones/Warner Brothers period of the Who which followed, with the exception of Eminence Front and Another Tricky Day, is mostly forgettable. Rock’s most articulate talking head, windmill armed…
I am one of those people that love concert DVD’s. If I have guests over I love having them rather than standard CD’s providing the background music. Concert DVD’s, by offering unfamiliar takes on popular songs, showing artists in performance, can be a catalyst to great conversations about music. Now that many concert DVD’s are…
“Rock and Roll’s Finest Night!” So said Little Steven in his incredibly eloquent “power of rock and roll” prelude to his induction speech for the Hollies. The head scarf wearing former Soprano Steve Van Zandt continued, “The Grammy’s? Nice people, nice show, but they go f*** themselves!” He was right. If you want a real…
Fans of guitar are overly familiar with lists of great guitar solos and great guitarists. There are hundreds of these on the Web with the usual suspects, “Stairway to Heaven,” “All Along the Watchtower,” “Comfortably Numb” and my personal favorite, “Kid Charlemagne.” These lists are fun to debate, and often provide the motivation to review…