My wife, the sweet Miss ViVi, arrived home from a run shortly after I finished my post about Spirit and Jay Ferguson.  I mentioned the connection to her, and she recognized neither “I Got a Line On You” nor “Thunder Island.” Yes, she’s been my faithful companion for nearly a quarter century.  And sure, she’s given […]

I’ve always loved “I Got a Line On You” by Spirit. Of course, in addition to this hit song, the band was also instrumental in launching the career of Jay Ferguson. For both reasons, they hold a respected spot in the pantheon of American Music.

One of my favorites — “Blackest Eyes.” Porcupine Tree has got to hold a record for the brilliance/fame mismatch. You know God has a sense of humor when Lady Gaga’s all the rage and these guys work in near anonymity.

You can hear a couple songs from Disturbed’s new album, Asylum —  the title song and one called “Another Way to Die” — at the band’s website here. Good stuff — I hope the rest of the album’s this good.

The old — the MC5 does one of the most widely covered songs ever: The MC5 were considered the founders of punk.  Sadly, two of the original members — singer Rob Tyner and guitarist Fred “Sonic” Smith, died of heart attacks in their mid-40s. And then there’s the new — a new song from Year Long Disaster, “Show Me […]

It is Friday, right? This is the stuff.

I first saw Carolyn Leonhart when she sang backup for Steely Dan at the Memphis in May Music Festival some years ago.  I was with my little brother Rich, and we were pretty far back.  I said to him, “I’ve got to go up closer to see if that singer is as beautiful as she […]

From Black Sabbath’s “Heaven and Hell,” from the eponymous album: They say that life’s a carousel Spinning fast, you’ve got to ride it well The world is full of Kings and Queens Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams It’s Heaven and Hell, oh well And they’ll tell you black is really white The […]

So was everything in the ’60s exactly like Manos:  The Hands of Fate?

Need I say more?