RIP Tommy Smothers
Tommy Smothers has died at the age of 86. I was an early fan, having seen him and his brother on some variety show or other, doing their number, “Chocolate.” I was a kid and I howled with laughter. They … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Music
Tonight’s the first night of Chanukah
[NOTE: This is a heavily revised version of a previous post.] This is the first night of Chanukah, and I wish everyone a happy one. Chanukah is about a successful revolt and a miracle of light: The miracle of the … Continue reading →
Hostage psychology
Whether or not you think the hostage deals are a good thing for Israel’s goal of defeating Hamas, I don’t think anyone here doesn’t take joy in the family reunions and in particular the release of the children. I’ve watched … Continue reading →
Looking ahead to 2024
I haven’t been feeling especially upbeat lately, and that’s an understatement. This is that time of the year when it gets dark early, especially up north where I live. Gloomy. October 7 and its aftermath have been horrendous. Tuesday’s election … Continue reading →
Academics and artists for Palestinian terror
If the horrific situation in the Middle East can be said to have any pluses, probably the only one would be that it has underlined the destructive state of academia in the US today. I use the word “underlined” rather … Continue reading →
Loverly Audrey Hepburn
For a change of pace, here’s Audrey Hepburn singing “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “Show Me” for the My Fair Lady film. I understand why she was dubbed instead; there’s a lot of strain in her voice. But I like … Continue reading →
I like to look at singers while they sing
I find that I like to be able to see singers when they sing. That means I prefer watching live performances of my favorites. I wonder why. Maybe I like to see the physical effort. Also, the emotion on the … Continue reading →
The Letter
I’ve always been very fond of the 1967 hit “The Letter” by the Box Tops. I had a long-distance boyfriend at the time, about to be drafted and sent to Vietnam, and the song had particular resonance. But it was … Continue reading →
Mickey Thomas explains how he learned to sing
On the song “Fooled Around and Fell In Love,” which I highlighted in this post, I couldn’t help but notice the strong gospel flavor of lead singer Mickey Thomas’ rendition. There’s no question that’s one of the elements that made … Continue reading →
Biden’s secret email life
Biden wrote over five thousand emails under his various aliases, and the National Archives is stonewalling about releasing them: In its filing, SLF’s [Southeastern Legal Foundation] legal team made clear that it was requesting documents that NARA already admitted holding: … Continue reading →
Age and singing voices
Some singers who have clear and ringing voices, especially in the upper register, find that as they age they just can’t sing that way anymore. But some can (by the way, Elvin Bishop wrote the song and is playing the … Continue reading →
A protest song for our times: “Rich Men North of Richmond”
I put Oliver Anthony’s song “Rich Men North of Richmond” in Thursday’s “Roundup” post, but I have a lot more to say about it. First, in case you missed it, here’s the song: I also noticed that commenter “huxley” wrote … Continue reading →