A Look Back at 2017
2017 has been a busy year for me. Between May and September my focus was primarily on writing Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon. That book – published by Rowman & Littlefield – will be out in less than seven weeks.
But I still managed to conduct nearly 170 interviews, and wrote dozens and dozens of features for print and online outlets. Sadly, a number of those I’ve interviewed this year passed away shortly after our interviews. Among the most notable are Larry Coryell, Tommy Keene and Allan Holdsworth.
On a happier note, 2017 will be remembered also as the year I conducted some of my all-time favorite interviews, including conversations with legendary producer Shel Talmy; psych/prog madman Arthur Brown; Kinks guitarist Dave Davies; pop icon Paul Williams; songwriting giant Jimmy Webb; synthesizer pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre; hero to inquisitive, rational thinkers everywhere Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson; jazz fusion master John McLaughlin and more than 150 others.
2018 looks to be even busier and more exciting. Best wishes to Musoscribe readers for a healthy and happy 2018.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.