Music
« Previous EntriesHow Barry Manilow Made Me a Contrarian
Sunday, February 3rd, 2013In my Sunday column, I talk about my abiding love for the musical stylings of Mr. Barry Manilow.
The Mad Genius of Brian Wilson
Monday, June 25th, 2012George Will has the Beach Boys as avatars of freedom, of a glorious sunshine-y Reagan/Goldwater individualism that could not be farther from today’s California, which is more or less an organized conspiracy of the careless rich and the government-dependent poor, abetted by an influential middle of government workers….Michael Anton of the Claremont Review of Books [...]
“Blood on the Tracks” the Movie
Thursday, April 5th, 2012I don’t think it’ll work but someone is giving it a try. By the way: Has anyone ever noticed that despite the raging genius on side one, side two of the album is … not that great?
Liveblogging Whitney Houston’s Funeral
Thursday, February 16th, 2012The ceremonies will be live-streamed. EW promises a live blog about it. And the slightly queasy feeling in my stomach grows. Ugh.
I’d be sympathetic to genuine displays of emotion, if there are to be any. The staged, publicity-seeking variety is kind of revolting.
Party for Whitney
Monday, February 13th, 2012The bizarrely festive atmosphere surrounding Whitney Houston’s death on Grammy weekend has me puzzled. This was the most successful female singer of the era, and a frequent presence on the Grammys. Did anyone consider postponing? Nah. Was there soul-searching, reflection on the excesses of the pop-star life, on the damage wrought by global fame at [...]
And the Most Depressing Song of All Time Is…
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012Everybody Hurts by R.E.M.? Nah.
Banned from Zuccotti Park
Thursday, December 15th, 2011It turns out not just anyone can promote a political speech at Zuccotti Park: pro-American rock band “Madison Rising” was denied a permit to perform on the same spot where Jackson Browne and Tom Morello of “Rage Against the Machine” played. Todd Seavey has more about what it’s like to rock hard while leaning right.
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The Conservative Case for Taylor Swift
Friday, December 2nd, 2011Amity Shlaes takes a break from her superb financial-historical writing to make an argument for Taylor Swift as the pro-parent, anti-bully (and anti-Miley) role model for young girls. Interesting stuff. It’s touching that her song “Best Day” is about driving around with her mom laughing it off after suffering from Mean Girls at school.
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John Lennon Loved Reagan?
Thursday, August 18th, 2011I’m not sure I believe this story from Lennon’s assistant Fred Seaman about the boss’s alleged love for Reagan.
Lennon died a month after Reagan was elected. His last album was in some ways a rebuke to his own save-the-world-ism and a return to individual and family values, though, and his hair wasn’t a whole lot [...]
Baby You Can Drive His Car
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011Paul McCartney’s 1967 Lamborghini is for sale, expected to fetch $200,000. Seems a little low, no? Kind of a unique item. Marlon Brando’s driver’s license and Jackie O’s fake pearls sold for tens of thousands, didn’t they?
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