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On Wednesday night, while most of the nation was glued to their TV sets, watching the best night of baseball ever–except if you’re a Braves or a Red Sox fan, I suppose–I was in Las Vegas, basking in the presence of Elton John. (Sir Elton’s been a big favorite around Rule Forty-Two HQ lately, due [...]
posted 29 September 2011 in Outside, Reviews. 2 comments
A Monday-morning five-star review from the Rolling Stone “Hall of Fame.” Madonna, Like a Prayer (1989) When people talk about Madonna exposing herself, they normally mean her tendency to drop her knickers. But her fourth proper album, 1989′s Like a Prayer, is filled with nakedly emotional songs such as “Promise to Try,” (about her mother, [...]
posted 9 May 2011 in Reviews. 4 comments
On the day of Prince’s second show at the L.A. Forum, some stray thoughts and observations from the amazing first show that I didn’t have room for in my review last week: 1. Los Angelenos show up late and leave early. Although the ticket said 7:30 and there was no opening act, at around 8:45, [...]
And he is funky. And I saw him last night at the fabulous Forum, on the opening night of his 21-show residency in Los Angeles, and I reviewed it for Rolling Stone‘s website.
posted 15 April 2011 in Outside, Reviews. no comments yet
Another five-star review from the Rolling Stone “Hall of Fame”: L.L. Cool J, Mama Said Knock You Out (1990) “Don’t call it a comeback!” L.L. Cool J shouted at the start of “Mama Said Knock You Out.” By 1990, for all his bravado, L.L. was sorely in need of a career boost. As he rapped [...]
posted 22 March 2011 in Reviews. no comments yet
Monday morning seems like a good time for Zeppelin appreciation. Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy (1973) When George Harrison met John Bonham, the Beatle told Led Zeppelin’s drummer, “The problem with your band is you don’t do any ballads.” Singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page could have taken umbrage–they had written the gorgeous [...]
posted 31 January 2011 in Reviews. 6 comments
With Prince William announcing his engagement and people simulating interest in the British royal family, it seemed like a good time to roll out another of my “Rolling Stone Hall of Fame” entries, this one a four-star review for the Kinks’ Arthur (not to be confused with Christopher Cross’s tribute to getting caught between the [...]
posted 16 November 2010 in Reviews. 4 comments
For your consideration, another five-star review from the “Rolling Stone Hall of Fame.” This time around, an often-ignored Dylan classic: Bob Dylan, Nashville Skyline (1969) When Nashville Skyline, the last of Dylan’s brilliant ’60s albums, was released, fans examined every one of its twenty-seven minutes for portents of musical revolution like fortune-tellers poring over the [...]
I finally watched The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town on HBO, and was reminded anew how much I love Bruce Springsteen’s fourth album. This is a discovery I seem to make periodically: the last time was in 2003, when I reviewed the record in Rolling Stone (as part of the [...]
posted 20 October 2010 in Reviews. 8 comments
I have a new capsule review up at the Barnes and Noble Review, this time of Video Slut, Sharon Oreck’s entertaining but erratic memoir of a life spent producing music videos. By the way, Ms. Oreck: that powerful record executive’s name was Mo Ostin, not Mo Austin.
posted 24 May 2010 in Outside, Reviews. 2 comments
