Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 8/11: Rodriguez, “Sugar Man”
Sixto Rodriguez, whose early ’70s albums gained little attention in the U.S. but found an overseas audience that fueled a late-career revival, died in his hometown of Detroit this week at age 81. He finally found fame in America a decade ago after being featured in an Oscar-winning documentary, “Searching for Sugar Man.” The son […]
Song of the Day 8/10: The Band, “The Shape I’m In”
Robbie Robertson, whose lead guitar and character-driven songs drove the influential music of The Band, died Wednesday, age 80. Though his compositions include he enduring rock standards “The Weight” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” Robertson’s place in rock history goes much deeper, entwined as it is with Bob Dylan. After he played […]
Song of the Day 8/9: Carl Douglas, “Kung Fu Fighting”
The Alabama dockside brawl was more like a pro rasslin’ melee or a hockey donnybrook than a chopsocky flick, but neither the WWE nor the NHL have inspired a No. 1 hit like “Kung Fu Fighting.” No song in history made more out of less. Jamaican singer Carl Douglas was in the studio to record […]
Song of the Day 8/7: Bachman-Turner Overdrive, “Takin’ Care of Business”
Who says irony is dead? Zoom, the San Jose-based company that became synonymous with remote work, has told its employees they have to return to the office at least two days a week, provided they live within 50 miles of a Zoom work site. I have no idea if they run an 8:15 into the […]
Song of the Day 8/6: Marshall Crenshaw, “Someday, Someway”
Marshall Crenshaw’s eponymous debut LP arrived in 1982, a time when New Wave was petering out, but its spare, fresh updating of Buddy Holly’s rockabilly sound won him critical attention. “Someday, Someway,” the first single from the album, only reached No. 62 on the Hot 100, but the LP was full of catchy tunes that […]
Song of the Day 8/4: Sugar, “Believe What You’re Saying”
Some people in the media are pretending that the case against Donald Trump hinges on whether he believed what he was saying about the election being “stolen.” Uh, no. You can believe what you want to believe, you can say what you want to say, but you can’t take criminal action just because you believe […]
Song of the Day 8/3: Elton John, “Slave”
Warning: It is illegal to play this song for students in Florida. This seems like an odd topic for a British pop singer to tackle, but it fit with lyricist Bernie Taupin’s early fascination with 19th-century Americana. It was included on “Honky Chateau,” the 1972 LP that sealed John’s stardom. You might notice that there […]
Song of the Day 8/2: John Lee Hooker, “Boom Boom”
And boom goes the dynamite. Jack Smith answered the question “Will Donald Trump ever face consequences for his life of crime?” in the affirmative, and American history has been changed forever. We just don’t know how yet, because the debris from the blast still hasn’t hit the ground. Considering that those six co-conspirators are for […]
Song of the Day 8/1: Cyndi Lauper, “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Theme”
A lot of 40-somethings are having childhood flashbacks at news of the death at 70 of Paul Reubens, far better known as Pee-Wee Herman. He announced his six-year struggle with cancer only in a posthumous message. Reubens developed the Pee-Wee character as one of the early members of the Groundlings, the Los Angeles improv troupe […]
‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes: July, 2023
Best month of the year? Quite possibly. So much stellar stuff and so much variety: I’ve found the songs of Big Thief resistable–until now: For lovers of the Wild Tchoupitoulas which, come to think of it, should be everybody. BTW, Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah is the former Christian Scott, trumpeter extraordinaire. I LOVE this stuff!: […]
Song of the Day 7/31: The Marvellettes, “The Hunter Gets Captured By the Game”
A nod to the Republican Party’s big new obsession, which is the same as its big old obsession. In 1967 the Marvellettes were still enjoying their comeback when this Smokey Robinson composition became their penultimate Top 40 hit. It reached No. 13 on the Hot 100, and No. 2 on the R&B chart. Grace Jones […]
Song of the Day 7/30: Merle Haggard, “Life in Prison”
Just something for Donald Trump to think about as he stews in his fetid juices over the wrongs he’s done. “Life in Prison” appeared on Merle Haggard’s third album, 1967’s “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive.” The title track was the first of his 38 No. 1 country hits. Haggard’s stretch at San Quentin was far from […]
Song of the Day 7/28: Randy Meisner, “Hearts on Fire”
Randy Meisner, founding bassist of the Eagles, died Wednesday at age 77. He’d had health problems for many years; his last live gig was in 2008. Meisner had stints in Poco and Rick Nelson’s Stone Canyon Band before joining Linda Ronstadt’s backing band, which morphed into the Eagles in 1971. Meisner’s high harmonies helped define […]
Recent Comments