Imagination can be an awesome and powerful force. But it can be used for good OR evil. So, it can also be a hypocritical and destructive force. You can imagine yourself flying, on your own power, over the clouds and even through the ocean. And you can imagine no possessions in a world where everyone shares everything. And you can imagine you’re more virtuous … The rest of the story…
Tag Archives: music history
What do these words have in common: abstruse, Delphic, incomprehensible, indecipherable, inexplicable, oracular, paradoxical, recondite, and unfathomable. According to the dictionary, they’re all synonyms of enigmatic. Sounds like I’m about to give a language lesson. But I’m not. This is about music’s mystery. Enigmatic sounds might not be your cup of tea. And, if you think jazz-fusion is as enjoyable as fingernails on a … The rest of the story…
Here’s one way to turn somebody else’s heartbreak and misery into a tidy profit. Many years ago a man found himself too lonely to go on. In fact, he wrote a suicide note saying “I walk a lonely street”. Then, he jumped out of a hotel window to his death. You might tend to skim over that story of heartbreak and misery. Unless… Unless … The rest of the story…
They happen to the rich and poor, the beautiful and ugly. And to the short and tall, the fat and thin. Even the old AND young. I’m talking about issues of the day. Trouble is, most of America prefers to sleepwalk through them now. Because it’s easier to watch a TV program, or play a video game, or cheer on sports teams than it … The rest of the story…
I worked in a disco. Yep. It’s true. I was a bartender. And I also worked as what they called a “floorwalker.” That was one of the guys who (you guess it) walked around the floor to make sure they were having a good time and behaving. And at the end of the night, I sang Better Off Dead. (Are you with me so … The rest of the story…
I remember sitting in my mom’s living room, with headphones on, listening to Jim Croce’s album, “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim.” The title song, about a bar fight, was a hit. But another hit on the album was, “Time In A Bottle.” The original key signature, for Time In A Bottle, was D minor. I don’t have airtight confirmation on that. But most … The rest of the story…
This week, back in 1979, I lived and worked in Houston, Texas. My brother and I had established ourselves as one of the more popular music duos. And we had fans we could depend on to come see us as we performed all around the city. It was quite an experience for me. Actually making a living playing live music. But my brother and … The rest of the story…
I can make the connections from some quirky directions sometimes. They’re not always important. And often they’re probably only interesting to me. This might be one of those times. But a couple of unrelated articles connected in the eccentric region of my brain this morning. And I’m gonna share a little of what the U.S. Mint has in common with rock music. If you … The rest of the story…
A long, catchy melody line is a thing of beauty. And, for the most part, it’s a thing of the past. Pop music, in almost every genre, tends to seek out a vowel and repeat it over and over these days. Well, when it’s not touting body parts and one-night stands. And here’s why I mention a long, catchy melody line. I thought about … The rest of the story…
I remember seeing, as I drove from Texas to Kansas, a road sign for the turn-off to Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It was a long time ago, after my junior year in high school. But that’s an unusual name. A Cherokee name. And you might wonder what significance a town of about 17,000 people could have. Yeah, you might shrug it off as just another wide … The rest of the story…