In my youth, when I owned only twenty or thirty albums, I’d guess that about half of them were greatest-hit collections. I was focused on value for money, but it was also an efficient crash course on recent musical history. Many of these records, however, had a song that just didn’t seem to fit. (This […]

posted 30 November 2009 in Tasty Bits. 4 comments

From The Andy Warhol Diaries, a seasonal selection: Thursday, November 23, 1978 I watched the Thanksgiving Day parade on TV. I guess New York really is booming–when you think that every member of every marching band has to stay in a hotel room overnight. I glued myself together and went down to work (cab $3.50) […]

posted 26 November 2009 in Excerpts. no comments yet

Earlier this year, I promised to add this article to the archives of this site: my 1993 cover story for Details on Nirvana. I delayed for a variety of reasons–first among them that I find it a hard article to put in context. Reading the piece now, I’m acutely aware of my own youth and […]

posted 23 November 2009 in Archives, Articles. no comments yet

On Sunday, I visited the Leo Carrillo State Park, just north of Malibu. This is a picture of one of the tidal pools: I believe those elaborate patterns in the wet sand are the trails of hermit crabs.

posted 20 November 2009 in Photos. no comments yet

(New to the countdown? Catch up here.) Two concert videos in a row! This one begins with the sound of a cheering crowd, a lonely lighter being held up, and an onscreen graphic reading “MARKET SQUARE ARENA / INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA / DECEMBER 11, 1987.” This is unusual–concert videos usually opt for an everytown approach, giving […]

posted 19 November 2009 in 1988. 5 comments

Byline alert: I have a short article in the new Rolling Stone on My Chemical Romance making their new album. They’re in the mixing-and-polishing stage now: I watched lead singer Gerard Way do some heavy-duty multi-tracking to sweeten the song “Trans Am” with backing vocals that he described as “1.2 seconds of Queen.” Once again, […]

posted 16 November 2009 in Articles. no comments yet

The flipwalks are more about space than time. When I look at them now, I remember the environment of downtown New York City, rather than the particular day I took a walk, but sometimes reading my notes will remind me of a time when I was jetlagged or bored or cheerful. (If you’re not familiar […]

posted 13 November 2009 in Photos. no comments yet

(New to the countdown? Catch up here.) In a crowded arena, a man stands on a stage, not moving. Fans frantically wave their hands, seeking his attention, or maybe trying to remind him to continue the show. The man is looking up, with his arms by his side. Lights flicker behind him and there’s a […]

posted 12 November 2009 in 1988. 5 comments

The “I” in that movie title was Valerie Solanis Solanas, who appears nine years later in this excerpt from The Andy Warhol Diaries: Friday, July 8, 1977 By the way, Valerie has been seen hanging around the Village and last week when I was cruising there with Victor, I was scared I’d run into her […]

posted 9 November 2009 in Excerpts. 4 comments

Taken below a large billboard on Highland Avenue in Los Angeles.

posted 6 November 2009 in Photos. no comments yet