Van Halen’s Sound of Sex
Eddie Van Halen pushed away rock’s pretentious revolutionaries and said, “Let’s party.” Preferably naked.
Rock
Rest in Rock, Little Richard
If you were looking to build a Mount Rushmore of the founders of rock n’ roll, it would have to include Little Richard.
Neil Young and Chrissie Hynde: Rock of the Aged Protesters
In politics, he’s a rock-and-roll bully; she’s an American pragmatist with a heart of gold.
Kyle Smith Has Never Been This Wrong
If there’s anything more dangerous for rock music than musical ambition, it is literary ambition.
RIP Neil Peart, 1952–2020
The Rush drummer, who died on Tuesday after a long, quiet battle with brain cancer, was a one-of-a-kind musician and lyricist.
American Tunesmith
The delicate reflectiveness of his lyrics, like his attractively humble singing voice, tethers him to us, makes him unusually relatable.
Lovin’ the Ruins
Did you know that Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde and The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds were released on the same day, 50 years (and 4 days) ago? Well, Tablet’s Liel Liebovitz knew, and it led him to ...
Carl’s Rock Songbook No. 119: Today’s Sounds of the Sixties
As indicated in “My Second Psychedelic Revival,” 2008-to-the present has seen a significant burst of indie-rock creativity, and much of it has a mid-to-late 60s feel to it. There is ...
Carl’s Rock Songbook No. 118: The Paisley Underground
Somewhere I’ve read that it was Michael Quercio that gave this 80s rock movement its label. As indicated in the previous post, the bands whose recordings stand the test of ...