Alby's Latest Posts
Song of the Day 1/11: Rush, “Tom Sawyer”
Neil Peart, widely considered among the best drummers in rock history, died this week at age 67, three years after learning he had brain cancer. Though he joined Rush after their first album, he quickly became the cornerstone of their sound, and not just behind the drum kit. He also wrote or co-wrote all the […]
Song of the Day 1/10: Badfinger, “Come and Get It”
This song was released in the U.S. 50 years ago — Jan. 12, 1970 — and it kicked off the tragic career of the recently renamed Welsh band The Iveys, now known as Badfinger, a name suggested by John Lennon when they were signed to Apple Records. Paul McCartney wrote it for the film “The […]
Song of the Day 1/9: Peter Gabriel, “Games Without Frontiers”
Peter Gabriel’s anti-war song was released on his third self-titled album, an effort rejected by his record company as “commercial suicide.” Atlantic rued the decision when Gabriel took the album to Mercury and this became a U.K. hit as a single. The song’s framework — the phrase “Jeux Sans Frontières,” so often misheard by Americans […]
Song of the Day 1/7: The Turtles, “Eve of Destruction”
Though Barry McGuire’s anguished version is the one that hit No. 1 on the charts, it was the Turtles who first recorded the song by P.F. Sloan (“Secret Agent Man”) that was pitched to and rejected by the Byrds. Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan harmonize beautifully on the choruses, but the tune wasn’t released as […]
Song of the Day 1/6: Brian Wilson, “Love and Mercy”
Perhaps the most beautiful and poignant composition of Brian Wilson’s late period was the lead single to his self-titled 1988 album, recorded near the end of his relationship with disgraced therapist Eugene Landy, who originally received a since-rescinded writing credit on it. “It’s a personal message from me to people,” Wilson once explained, calling it […]
Song of the Day 1/5: Edwin Starr, “War”
Sorry for being so obvious, but back in the days of the draft most people didn’t need so much convincing that war was a racket. Of course, back then it was more obvious that the portion of the public that supported the Vietnam War (known at the time as the Conflict Overseas) was composed mainly […]
Delaware’s Shittiest Democrats: Bob Byrd, Part II
Lobbyist Bob Byrd, who registers as a Democrat, had lots to say to Dace Blaskovitz in the radio interview sent out by the Caesar Rodney Institute — more than one post could cover. Yesterday’s installment showed Byrd thinks allowing public input in zoning decisions makes Delaware uncompetitive for businesses, meaning his clients. The public interest, […]
Song of the Day 1/4: The Beatles, “Rain”
For many years after its 1966 release, this song was one of the most difficult Beatles songs to find. Though recorded during the sessions for “Revolver,” it didn’t appear on that LP; it was available only as the B-side to “Paperback Writer.” If you didn’t buy the single, you had to wait until 1970’s compilation […]
Song of the Day 1/3: R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders, “Alabama Jubilee”
The Mummers Parade is in trouble again, this time because two members of the Froggy Carr comic brigade wore blackface during their march. This has elicited, yet again, calls from minority groups for the city to stop funding the parade, which is in the awkward position of having to defend many of its beloved century-plus-old […]
Delaware’s Shittiest Democrats: Lobbyist Bob Byrd
Every few years Delaware Today or some other publication prints what purports to be a list of the “10 Most Influential People in Delaware.” It’s always a joke, because it’s always full of people whose names are in the media frequently. The truth is that the most influential people in the state keep their names […]
Song of the Day 1/2: Neil Innes, “Protest Song”
The obituaries mostly said “Neil Innes of Monty Python” died Dec. 29, age 75, but that shortchanges one of the best comedy-music composers since Spike Jones. Before he worked with the Pythons, Innes was a member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, a British comedic outfit that was a favorite of the Beatles. Though never […]
Song of the Day 1/1: 20/20, “Yellow Pills”
This track, which appeared on the band’s strong debut album, was one of the signature songs of the power pop/new wave boom of the late ’70s. Its title was borrowed by the genre’s top fanzine (how like-minded people stayed in touch pre-internet) as well as a series of discs compiling the early years of power […]
Biden’s Delusions of Comity Reach New Level
Maybe now people will understand why Barack Obama hasn’t endorsed Joe Biden for president. Biden, who served loyally as Obama’s vice president, told a New Hampshire town hall last night that he’d be open to putting a Republican on the ticket as his own veep. The audience didn’t take him seriously at first. “The answer […]
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