Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 3/2: Rod Stewart, “Gasoline Alley”
It’s hard to remember now, after decades of listening to him sing shlock, that Rod Stewart was once an artist who mattered. He could rock as raucously as the Rolling Stones with the Faces, but his standout skill was his sensitive way with the ballads and the folk-based songs on his solo albums. “Gasoline Alley” […]
Song of the Day 3/1: Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, “Cantaloupe Island”
You learn something new every day, and what I learned the other day blew my mind. Jeff Goldblum — yes, Jeff Goldblum the actor — is also a jazz pianist, and a pretty good one. He and his band play a weekly gig at a Los Angeles piano bar, and they occasionally come east for […]
Song of the Day 2/28: Talk Talk, “It’s My Life”
The music world is mourning the death of Mark Hollis, founder of the British band Talk Talk, best known for a string of synth-pop dance hits in the early ’80s, culminating with “It’s My Life,” later an international hit when covered by No Doubt. If that was all he ever did, his passing would hardly […]
‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes: February 2019
We will deviate from the normal alphabetical listing of songs by artist, at least for one special song and artist. Why? Because not only is this artist great, not only are the song and video great, but…wait for it…I’m bringing him to the Arden Gild Hall on Friday, May 10. He’s literally a one-man band […]
Song of the Day 2/27: Randy Newman with Mark Knopfler, “It’s Money That Matters”
You say you’re confused by life in modern America? Let Mr. Randy Newman explain things for you. With the help of Mr. Mark Knopfler, he will decode the mystery of why we find ourselves where we are. Spoiler alert: It has something to do with who we are. For those who liked the Queen video […]
Song of the Day 2/26: Queen and David Bowie, “Under Pressure”
I promise this is the last day of Queen music, and to be honest I’m posting it not only because it’s a great song, but because this video manages to “document” something that never happened. If you watch carefully you’ll notice that it’s more than one concert edited together — it’s three, actually — because […]
Song of the Day 2/25: Queen, “I’m in Love With My Car”
As expected, Rami Malek won the Oscar last night for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody.” More surprisingly, the show opened with the current incarnation of the band — Brian May on guitar and Roger Taylor on drums with Adam Lambert on vocals — performing “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the […]
Song of the Day 2/23: The Records, “Starry Eyes”
The Records were a British power-pop band of the late ’70s-early ’80s, one of the post-punk, skinny-tie, jangly-guitar outfits that carried the torch for rock ‘n’ roll against its deformed bastard child, disco. They never broke through as a band except for “Starry Eyes,” released in 1978, and even that stalled out in the bottom […]
Song of the Day 2/20: Steely Dan, “Only a Fool Would Say That”
Every time I hear another attack on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez this song pops into my mind. Some people say this is the Dan’s answer to John Lennon’s “Imagine,” (Lennon, remember, was the “Fool on the Hill”), belittling the idea of “a world where all is free.” This being Steely Dan, that’s open to some interpretation — […]
Song of the Day 2/19: The Rolling Stones, “Hand of Fate”
The star of this track is a guy who almost became a Rolling Stone. Wayne Perkins was a session guitarist out of Muscle Shoals, one of a half-dozen or so who auditioned for Mick Taylor’s job after Taylor left the band in 1974. Keith Richards later said the “Black and Blue” album, released to mixed […]
Song of the Day, 2/18: The Nazz, “Open My Eyes”
It’s hard for those who didn’t live through the ’60s to appreciate how large the Beatles loomed over pop culture. Not only did their music spawn entire new genres, they also starred in films that influenced how bands presented themselves. In the case of “Open Your Eyes,” the Nazz ripped off the Who’s “Can’t Explain” […]
Song of the Day 2/17: Paul Anka, “Wonderwall”
That Ryan Adams cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall” is great, but it’s so gloomy. Paul Anka, on his album of rock covers, gave it a much more upbeat, ring-a-ding-ding reading that gets my foot tapping every time.
Song of the Day 2/16: Ryan Adams, “Wonderwall”
Ryan Adams has found himself in a world of trouble for something rock stars used to consider one of the perks of the job: Smutting around with underage girls. The New York Times gave Adams the full #metoo treatment this, interviewing several aspiring young musicians plus Adams’ ex-wife, actress Mandy Moore, who all painted pretty […]
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