With an original single that clocked in at 8:30, one of the granddaddies of late-night, groove electronica. (For the last 20 years, it has served as the intro music to paranormal radio show, Coast to Coast AM.) It should be required that either you have to have the lights off or be in a car …
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The paradigm for the first two Duran Duran albums… This is the shit right here, it doesn’t get much cooler than this. – Steve Stav
“Everything I touch gets ruined.” Recently I experienced my 44th straight viewing of A Charlie Brown Christmas… yes, I have the DVD, but there’s nothing like recreating the delayed gratification of one’s youth by watching it on broadcast TV. (Sans the Dolly Madison commercials, sadly.) A Charlie Brown Christmas, to me, is like spending bittersweet, …
An old, passed-down Negro spiritual became even more epic in Nina Simone‘s vengeful hands… you can feel the heat and taste the sweat in this definitive version; over ten minutes of jazz-propelled desperation. With Miss Simone – no stranger to the church – leading a call-and-response from a decidedly rocking pulpit, “Sinnerman” remains popular music’s …
The right and ability to vote is the most fundamental component of freedom. It took a handful of years for white people in the colonies to secure this and other liberties from oppression; for the rest of those living in America, tyranny took a bit longer to overcome. Today seems like the most appropriate of …
A bit stiff, a little corny… but what a piece of rock history, televised. The Ventures‘ rock ‘n’ roll version of “Walk, Don’t Run,” which had debuted on Seattle’s KJR radio, was on fire in 1960. “Walk, Don’t Run” was hardly epic or complicated in design, but in the hands of masonry workers-turned-guitarists Bob Bogle …
Of all the great, great music of the 80’s, the one number that makes me the most nostalgic is not a political bombast or a depression-dirge. No, it’s a song sung by an androgynous singer for his identity-conflicted drummer/lover. Those who know me might be surprised by this revelation; those who know me well, however, …
Think Romney can’t win? In 1972, a highly decorated war hero, history professor, Heartland-bred campaigner on the war on poverty, future champion in the war on hunger and admired, anti-war U.S. Senator got beat in one of the country’s biggest landslides by Richard “tricky Dick” Nixon. At the tail end of the Vietnam war, when …
Forty years later, both Kolchak: The Night Stalker and its unforgettable intro have lost little of their “cool factor.” One of the most criminally cut-short series in TV history, the show lives on as a cult favorite… especially during October cable scare-a-thons. There were so many aspects about that show that made a lasting impression, …
Why couldn’t they have waited for the film’s debut, instead of tempting greedy bastards like myself? I will say that I only listened to about 30 seconds. Didn’t want to completely spoil it for myself. – Steve Stav
“Would you believe in a love at first sight?” “Yes, I’m certain that it happens all the time.” “What do you see when you turn out the light?” “I can’t tell you, but I know it’s mine.” Once in a while, you need a “Beatles day” – and Sunday was one of those days. One …
I am a pretty jaded critic… but I did not get on the bash-Adele bandwagon. This always happens with suddenly successful artists, and it is often deserved. Not with her. Adele can fucking sing. Simple as that. She wrote this song as a teenager. She opens with it at the Royal Albert Hall, supremely confident, …
I don’t have much to say… not a huge fan of this Bryan Ferry album, and I’ve avoided Bob Dylan my entire life. I will say this live version is amazing, as Bryan’s voice has aged remarkably well. The song remains reverential of its author, while simultaneously being very much a great Ferry performance. Bryan …
Emerson, Lake & Palmer is not a flash-in-the-pan outfit, of course – but I’ve long wondered why Greg Lake isn’t a huge star. Enormous talent. – Steve Stav shares his wisdom here and at SteveStav.com.
Holey Moley, I can’t believe I didn’t know that Whipped Cream had a Seattle connection…. the model being a former “Miss Greenwood” and all. Now 77! – Steve Stav shares his wisdom here and at SteveStav.com. Here’s an article from SeattlePI.com which will explain it all.
More people in Colorado and elsewhere are buying guns because A. They’re not nuts and B. They don’t want to get hurt by one. People debate the gun issue until they’re blue in the face, but between liberals (civil rights, funding) and conservatives (civil rights, funding) – no one wants to do anything about the …
I’ve discussed the incredible musical and vocal arrangements of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” to death – and never tire of it. However, so much is said of Brian Wilson’s studio wizardry, the Beach Boys’ lyrics are often overlooked as key components of timelessness. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older Then we wouldn’t have …
A few years ago, lightning struck when a classically trained, competition-level pianist turned her full attention to pop and electronica — resulting in the critically acclaimed 2010 album, When You Dream. Music history is full of such unlikely stories, odd segues and their accompanying bursts of brilliance. But when lightning strikes twice, and when the …
Of all of Neko Case’s many skills, her most notable is the innate ability to make haunting music for those who yearn to be haunted. Blacklisted, the second “solo” album released after leaving the Pacific Northwest, is perhaps her darkest recorded hour. It’s also one my favorites; a disc that can change or enhance a …
My friend Jill’s supremely green thumb has reminded me of my failure as a “plant owner.” I’ve only had two plants in my lifetime; both, sadly, are now deceased. One of them, some sort of giant bush, I blame its demise on my wife. However, it is the tale of Pokey that truly exemplifies my …
“I’m celebrating my love for you with a pint of beer and a new tattoo.” For all of his politics, Billy Bragg’s gift for relating the pinnacles and pitfalls of human relationships has always been quite remarkable. I know my friends in East Portland can dig it. – Steve Stav
When it comes to music festivals, there’s nothing like a little audience participation. To stoke the fires for the 12th annual Summer Meltdown Festival in Darrington, Wash., organizers have taken grassroots involvement to the next level. Featuring fans proclaiming “I Meltdown!” in a variety of ways, an e-commercial for the August 10-12 extravaganza debuts today …
The Jam’s brief, but incredibly influential career was not entirely spent recording fiery, anti-establishment fusillades. Tracks such as “Ghosts,” “English Rose” and the classic “That’s Entertainment” proved the band could produce more “pop” and less “power” — and still stir emotions some three decades later. My favorite among such songs is “Liza Radley,” the b-side …
The answer to the riddle of “why didn’t Britain’s most popular band make much of a dent here in the States?” has been debated forever. The truth is, there are a number of reasons why The Jam wasn’t huge here, why even the most savvy of radio listeners barely heard from them until all their …
I probably wasn’t the only suburban American youth who wished, at age 16 in 1984, that he was a handful of years older — and living in England. Los Angeles came in second on the desired locales list, but even at that tender age, my gut told me that the enormity, social disconnect and relative …
Among the dozens and dozens of Paul Weller-penned jewels, “The Butterfly Collector” has always been of the most intriguing, most fascinating songs to digest and ponder. I’ve always felt it was about disdain for an aging groupie living vicariously through a never-ending succession of “butterflies” in her collection. Rumour has it that I’ve been correct …
In the late 1970s and early 80s, Jam proved that you could be really pissed off AND carry a tune, at the same time. Paul Weller’s trio had legitimate reasons for their anger: massive unemployment, a recession, a conflict in Northern Ireland, a government long out of touch with the working class — and with …
When my baby sister was a baby, my mom had this giant cat that we called “The Lion.” Biggest cat I’ve ever seen that wasn’t just fat. Huge cat. And my sister could pull its fur, pull its tail, lay on him, the cat wouldn’t do a damn thing but take it. Now, if you …
Tonight on Steve’s Midnight Video: the brilliant Beautiful South, who have a penchant for making cleverly unconventional clips for their clever songs. – Steve Stav