It began as a dream in the minds of two teenage companions, Don Van Vliet and Frank Zappa, isolated in the barren town of Lancaster. After their high school years, Zappa moved to Cucamonga, and Van Vliet, quitting his job … Continue reading
Spikes Jones, Allen Sherman, Stan Freberg, Yogi Yorgesson–these are just a few of the wonderful gems that have been unearthed over the years by the crazy Dr. Demento. Dr. Demento’s syndicated radio show (online and off) has been a favorite … Continue reading
R.E.M.’s direct link to pop music’s past was their initial producer, Mitch Easter, a native Southerner who built his studio, Drive-In, at his parents’ home in Winstom-Salem, North Carolina. Easter produced great pop recordings by Chris Stamey and Oh-OK, and … Continue reading
The music of R.E.M. speaks in many voices, swirling voices searching for a new language through the words of mythology, literature, and Holy Scripture. Like pieces of conversation overheard, the words of R.E.M.’s songs seem to tumble from their music … Continue reading
It is with much trepidation that I write of “beach music,” a phenomenon that has consistently been making waves across America and the world (yes, Virginia, there are even “beach enthusiasts” in Muncie) since the early ’60s. Over the past … Continue reading
….there was a giant Jesus who walked the hills of the Ozarks near Eureka Springs. I witnessed this grand event, and have lived to tell about it. You can, too. It was Tammy Faye who told me about this monstrous … Continue reading
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE KIND FOLKS AT POPKRAZY
“Sometimes I almost feel Just like a human being.” –Elvis Costello, “Lipstick Vogue,” 1978 The discovery of self, getting to know the inner you, is the very stuff of our troubled and crazy times. The growing number of support groups, … Continue reading
I can’t remember the exact date, but it was after one of those Nashville Fan Fairs that I used to love. My cohorts in product development for Time Warner were with me. I know that much. We were heading north … Continue reading
1) “Brick House,” Commodores (1977) This torrid smash showed that the group could still create a down-and-dirty dance groove after their easy-listening smash, “Easy.” Written by the whole band like it was some kind of romp, it features a randy … Continue reading
WikiPedia and Amazon and All Music Guide almost make this unnecessary, but for the record, I want to argue that the combo package of The Beach Boys Today! with Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) [love those exclamations points-although I don’t … Continue reading
When Michael Jackson appeared on the roof of Woolco in Southgate Shopping Center in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1977, he had no idea that one day he would be wed to the daughter of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and … Continue reading
Harold Lloyd Jenkins–or Conway Twitty, the name WE knew him by–was one of the America’s most successful country music performers. Until 2000, Twitty held the record for the most Number One singles of any country act, with 45 Number Ones … Continue reading
Some of you will already be familiar with this fabulous creation because it has made many appearances on playlists and radio programs of the weird and wacky variety. It has been labeled as one of the world’s worst records, and … Continue reading
Psychedelic rock was a mind-expanding consciousness, the first vestige of free-form experimentation in rock ‘n’ roll history. Prior to the spirit of psychedelia, rock ‘n’ roll was restricted by a certain form and melodic structure–teenage or British bands hacked out … Continue reading
The country cult classic, “Psycho”, was composed by Leon Payne, a blind Texas country singer-song writer, after he’d read about fellow Texan Charles Whitman. In 1966 Whitman had strangled his mother to death, stabbed his wife, and then headed to … Continue reading
I grew up not far from the Mississippi line, just south of Memphis, and made many journeys to the delta. Birney Imes has done a great job of revealing the truth about this area with just 58 brilliant photos. It’s … Continue reading
Chris Kenner is almost a lost figure in the world of R&B and rock ‘n’ roll, and yet, the song he wrote and orignally recorded, “Land of 1000 Dances,” was covered so much in the ’60s by garage groups and … Continue reading
In the late ’70s, disco video was all the rage. TV programs such as Kicks, Hot City, and Soap Factory Disco marred the broadcast airwaves. As long as folks had the desire to celebrate their beautiful brawn on the set … Continue reading
It was the invasion of the sleazoids in deadly dull black and white, and I have the flyer somewhere. If it ever shows up, I will scan the damn thing, and post it on this blog. I’ve looked all over … Continue reading
I absolutely LOVE the Chuck Wagon Gang!! I first heard their recordings, I think, on Rev. Mull’s Singing Convention on his flagship station WJBZ in Knoxville. On this praise station, Rev. Mull and his wife hosted the show and taught … Continue reading
I grew up about a mile from Graceland in a suburb of Memphis called Whitehaven. In the late ’60s, it was always a trip to go see Elvis at his home. Back then, the lines of tourists weren’t so long, … Continue reading
Released in 1976, at a time when the Sex Pistols were wreaking havoc amongst the Brit, “Have Moicy” then seemed like an album out of time, from another era—hey, even from another planet. With the Unholy Modal Rounders and the … Continue reading
I’m not sure whatever happened to this guys. They released one amazing album, this one, and then were never really heard from again. Which is a shame because Hackamore Brick remains the precursor to all the NY punk that came … Continue reading
While in college at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, I would frequently break away from the library and head downtown to look for records. In the early ’70s, Providence was a funky place to be, and I loved it. … Continue reading
