My latest piece for Waxwing is by far my most personal. I’m looking at Joni Mitchell’s music and how it remains a bridge to my mother nine years after her death.
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All the Good SongsMusic
All the Good Songs: TRACK 13—“She’s Not There” by The Zombies
December 30, 2020In 1964 a bunch of schoolmates from St. Albans, England pieced together a seemingly simple pop song whose sneaky depths would signal the coming arrival of the psychedelic wave. (photo: zombiesmusic.com)
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For his first album of non-original work, Bruce Springsteen recorded a loving, joyous homage to Pete Seeger, including a wild take on one of the country’s most familiar songs.
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All the Good SongsMusic
All the Good Songs: TRACK 11—“What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” by R.E.M.
August 24, 2020R.E.M.’s 1994 single signaled a new direction for the band at the height of their popularity, and revived a mystery about one of the strangest crimes of the 1980’s.
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All the Good SongsMusic
All the Good Songs: TRACK 10—“See Me in the Evening” by Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers
July 29, 2020Loud, messy and unquestionably brilliant, Hound Dog Taylor created a wild engine of noise that’s half Chicago Blues, half proto-punk, and would become the centerpiece of the largest independent blues label in the U.S.
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All the Good SongsMusic
All the Good Songs: TRACK 9—“Monster Mash” by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers
July 10, 2020A one-off novelty song that became the National Anthem of Halloween, Bobby Pickett’s 1962 delight secured his everlasting fame, even if he worked most of his life to be remembered for more.
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Years before the term “going viral” entered the lexicon, M.I.A.’s thumping, hypnotic debut single become one of the first examples of music sharing on a global scale and the Internet’s staggering power to launch careers.
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All the Good SongsMusic
All the Good Songs: TRACK 7—“Why Don’t You Haul Off and Love Me” by Bull Moose Jackson
June 11, 2020In 1949, the Cincinnati label King Records released two versions of this tune: a twangy country version, and a screaming jump blues number by saxophonist Bull Moose Jackson. In the process, they produced one of the skeleton keys to rock and roll.
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All the Good SongsMusic
All the Good Songs: TRACK 6—”Medley: It’s All Right/For Sentimental Reasons” by Sam Cooke
May 28, 2020In 1963, with his star on the rise, Sam Cooke went to a nightclub in Miami to record a live album in front of his fans. The result was one of the great concert recordings in history, and one that almost didn’t see the light of day. (Image: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)