Last night I was thinking how the Mamas and Papas song “California Dreamin’,” with its very 60s idealization of California as a magical place for which a person might yearn, could not possibly be written now. That segued into thoughts … Continue reading →
It is the most solemn holiday for Jews. For the observant and particularly for the Orthodox, it involves fasting and atonement and is usually spent entirely in a synagogue. This is a Leonard Cohen song that’s based on one of … Continue reading →
I’ve discussed the Bee Gees’ 1978 song “Too Much Heaven” before. Released at the height of their disco era, it’s not disco but rather an R&B ballad with all three brothers singing in falsetto. Barry is the featured soloist and … Continue reading →
Today is the 75th birthday of Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the Bee Gees. It’s an achievement to be alive, given what he’s been through. And it’s also his anniversary; he and his wife celebrate 51 years of … Continue reading →
Don Everly of the Everly Brothers died last Saturday at the age of 84. I was going to start this post with the sentence: “I loved the Everly Brothers.” But then I checked the post I published on the death … Continue reading →
Regular readers here know about my recent rediscovery of the Bee Gees, and my new fascination with them. Many of you find this quite boring; others are interested. I am so surprised myself by the experience that I keep trying … Continue reading →
Among my drafts I have an enormous number of fragmented ones about the connection between music and emotion. It’s not something I really understand, but I keep trying to write about it nonetheless. I think some people are immune to … Continue reading →
Here’s a comment about the song “Dust In the Wind,” on the thread about the death of Robby Steinhardt, the violinist for the group Kansas: Sorry Neo, but that is about the tritest sappiest song there is. As if the … Continue reading →
Here’s Steinhardt, in a song that I particularly remember because it came out not long after the death of a family member of mine: From the Rolling Stone obituary: Steinhardt’s wife, Cindy Steinhardt, confirmed his death on Facebook. Cindy said … Continue reading →
I can just hear the cries of exasperation now: first the Bee Gees, and now Donna Summer? What is wrong with you, Neo? Despite the common disdain I hear about disco music, I love Summer’s voice. It’s a force of … Continue reading →
It’s one of those random facts, perhaps meaningless, that I nevertheless find interesting. From Born’s Wiki page: Max Born was a German physicist and mathematician who was instrumental in the development of quantum mechanics. He also made contributions to solid-state … Continue reading →
Remember the piña colada song? I didn’t much care for it (or the earworm it sometimes gave me). I also didn’t even know its title was actually “Escape.” But no matter. It was a huge hit and apparently has some … Continue reading →