essay Archive
24 Nov 2025
Five Rock Covers of Songs by Paul Simon
Paul Simon is one of the most celebrated songwriters of his generation. With Art Garfunkel and as a solo artist, Simon has penned many songs that have become standards; “Bridge […]
18 Nov 2025
Take Five: Classics from the Pen of P.F. Sloan
P.F. Sloan was one of the most important behind-the-scenes artists of the mid 1960s. Working primarily as a songwriter in those days, he only occasionally made commercial inroads as a […]
30 Oct 2025
Music Blurbs Vol. 16
America Their name notwithstanding, tuneful and breezy folk rockers America got their start in London. Founding duo and mainstays Dewey Bunnell (born in Texas) and Yorkshire-born Gerry Beckley formed the […]
22 Oct 2025
Take Five: Great Performances by Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan is one of hard rock’s most celebrated vocalists. He’s best known for his work with Deep Purple; his vocal on the hit “Smoke on the Water” is among […]
14 Oct 2025
Take Five: Protest Songs from Beyond the “Protest Era”
Music as a vehicle for protest has a long and proud history. During the McCarthy era of the 1950s and the civil rights era of that and the following decade, […]
03 Oct 2025
Music Blurbs Vol. 15
Toto Few bands have covered the wide stylistic range of Toto; fewer still have found commercial success doing so. Formed in 1977 by a coterie of top session players, Toto […]
02 Oct 2025
Take Five: Pre-megastardom Gems from Hall and Oates
Daryl Hall and John Oates were among the biggest musical acts of the 1980s. With their trademark mix of soul, r&b and pop, the duo soared to the heights of […]
29 Sep 2025
Take Five: Tracks Illustrating Ben Folds’ Versatility
North Carolina-born pianist, singer and songwriter Ben Folds came on the national scene in the 1990s with his band Ben Folds Five (in fact a guitarless trio, not a quintet). […]
18 Sep 2025
Music Blurbs Vol. 14
More of my 200-word sorta-bios. A Flock of Seagulls The enduring visual image of A Flock of Seagulls is one featuring Mike Score’s distinctive hairstyle, a swept-forward do reminiscent of […]
16 Sep 2025
Five Top 40 Singles from Black Sabbath (No, Really.)
Few listeners would ever consider Black Sabbath a “singles band.” Pioneers of drop-tuned, doomy heavy metal, the Birmingham, England quartet exerted a massive influence on hard rock of the 1970s […]