Arts and Entertainment

The assassination of John F. Kennedy was arguably the defining moment of the Boomer generation, and musicians responded with songs. Roger McGuinn -- still Jim at the time -- rewrote…

When the ore freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975, it was among the worst maritime disasters in the history of the Great Lakes, but it's…

One of Bob Dylan's many quirks is that he periodically fails to appreciate some of his best material. He left "Farewell, Angelina" off "Bringin' It All Back Home." "Blind Willie…

The theme song of the GOP's defense of Trump. Most people know the Three Dog Night cover of the song, but this was the original version, written by Argent guitarist…

This choice was inspired by the GOP's use of twisted logic to defend Trump, but as I listened again I noticed that Trump has been, in his inimitable way, touring…

Jethro Tull might hold the unwelcome distinction of being the best band not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (a contested title, to be sure). I thought they'd…

It's almost 30 years since the Black Crowes burst onto the scene with their "Shake Your Money Maker" LP. This ballad was the fourth single released from an album that…

With apologies to El Somnambulo for the new music, but I heard this song on WXPN the other day and now it's stuck in my head. Fang Fang is a…

Despite the video's clear references to John F. Kennedy's assassination, "Peter Pumpkinhead" actually was inspired not by politics but by a jack o'lantern that songwriter Andy Partridge carved one Halloween.…

John Lennon saw through Republican politics before Watergate ever happened. This track from his "Imagine" album, released in 1971, finds him spitting fire about a lying government (mostly, at the…

Before ELP released this track in 1970, the Moog synthesizer was a wall-sized curiosity used mainly for sound effects. Keith Emerson changed all that in about 32 bars, starting during…

In a way, this 1968 anti-war song was evidence that public opinion had turned against American involvement in Vietnam. Eric Burdon and the Animals didn't exactly have a peace-loving hippie…

Kanye West is raising hackles these days not just for supporting Donald Trump but Jesus as well, revealing a glaring hole in his understanding of both, but it's not as…