Category Archives: music

music/audio: great recording of great playing

Posted on 2019-06-01 by skierpage

I listen to the NPR news summary on the main NPR page and the web page often features Tiny Desk concerts recorded at a not-so-tiny desk at some NPR office (and promoted by cute hedgehogs). Many are excellent. I grooved … Continue reading →

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music/web: Sundays spent disambiguating

Posted on 2019-05-26 by skierpage

The Google Now screen on my phone does a good job presenting news relevant to me. It struck gold when it displayed “new album out now” by The Sundays, zOMG!! After 22 years, out of nowhere they deliver a new … Continue reading →

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music: the Isley Brothers

Posted on 2019-05-23 by skierpage

3 + 3 > 5, ergo The Isleys were more talented than the Jacksons, QED. On “The Highways of My Life” brother-in-law Chris Jasper is immortal on piano and ARP synthesizer. Wikipedia says Stevie Wonder was making Innervisions down the … Continue reading →

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music: how to contribute scanned lyrics to the web

Posted on 2019-03-13 by skierpage

Lyrics are everywhere on the web, yet I regularly come across popular songs whose lyrics are nowhere to be found. Sometimes I have a CD or LP on the shelf with the missing lyrics printed in it! Time to make … Continue reading →

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music: Look Now, a great Elvis Costello album

Posted on 2018-10-18 by skierpage

Slate’s Carl Wilson said it well “Elvis Costello’s New Album Is His Best This Century” Yes it is. Look Now has the horns and backing vocals of Punch the Clock, more Bacharach collaborations like Painted from Memory, varied production that … Continue reading →

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music: Corduroy transcends Acid Jazz

Posted on 2018-09-22 by skierpage

I somehow found out about Acid Jazz in 1992 entirely through a few compilation CDs. One of them (100% Acid Jazz) contained an effervescent funky pop song called “Mini” by Corduroy, about… the Mini car. I like the way your … Continue reading →

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music: compare and contrast

Posted on 2018-07-01 by skierpage

The most excellent Brandon Harris asked his followers for musical “must pick one” binary choices. My thoughts (I refuse to pick!): Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson or Prince Both choices are earthshaking performer vs. musical creator. MJ delivered … Continue reading →

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music: stupidly great and in love

Posted on 2018-02-14 by skierpage

Happy Valentine’s Day! Setting up a global guarantee One of the sweetest love songs is “Wonderful World,” written and performed by Sam Cooke (who rewrote the original Lou Adler & Herb Alpert song). Go listen: Don’t know much about geography … Continue reading →

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music: talent overload on Aretha Franklin recording

Posted on 2017-12-10 by skierpage

“Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)” is a perfect pop song, then check the personnel and it’s not surprising – the talent involved is off the charts. Co-written by Stevie Wonder; Aretha’s own gorgeous piano intro … Continue reading →

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music: RIP Walter Becker 1950–2017

Posted on 2017-09-04 by skierpage

Another one gone. I own all the studio Steely Dan albums up to “Two Against Nature,” they’re simply masterful. A few years ago Google alerted me to a “new” Steely Dan album which turned out to be unauthorized bootlegs of … Continue reading →

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