Music and snobbery
As part of my newish – or rather, renewed – interest in popular music, I’ve been listening to a lot of music old and new. No doubt it’s at least partly as an escape from the political dolors du jour. … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Pop culture
“Get Back”?
There’s a huge number of reviews and discussions about the new Beatles documentary “Get Back.” I won’t even bother to link to any; they’re easy enough to find. Lots of people are raving about it, but they tend to be … Continue reading →
Maybe the Michigan prosecutor should charge the video game manufacturers with a crime
That’s sarcasm, by the way. I’m referring to this story; Police say they have found a horde of graphic journal entries and disturbing videos made by Crumbley. “I would characterize a lot of the stuff we’ve now seen as dark … Continue reading →
The Bee Gees’ musical evolution
Here’s an overview of four-plus decades of the Bee Gees’ careers. I wouldn’t have made exactly the same choices. There are two Beatles covers and a Carol King cover that I’d eliminate, as well as some obscure and some not … Continue reading →
The Bee Gees talk about taxes
And a few other things. The segment I’ve cued up is only six minutes long, but if you want to hear just the tax part it’s from 7:02 to 9:14. This interview took place in 1978, when Barry was 31 … Continue reading →
Emotion in popular songs: Part II
[NOTE: There isn’t a previous post called “Emotion in popular songs: Part I.” But I realize that this one was actually Part I on the subject, and now I’m posting a Part II.] Commenter “Brio” wrote the following on a … Continue reading →
The new aristocrats: masks for the masses, liberty for us
It’s no longer news when a Democrat politician who has been pushing masks and mask mandates – such as, in this case, Joe Biden – goes against his or her own recommendations and goes maskless. Same for parties of more … Continue reading →
Happy 75th birthday, Barry Gibb
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 →
Thank you, Don Everly and the Everly Brothers
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 →
On pop music fame, families, fashion, and too much fame: the Bee Gees
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 →
Condemned to repeat it?
David Foster writes: We have a century of evidence of what happens to a society when it falls into the traps of centralized economic planning, suppression of free speech, and the categorization of people–especially ethnic categorization. But an awful lot … Continue reading →
Telephone songs
I hear that telephones are growing obsolete, at least in terms of using them for actual conversations. They’re really just voicemail services and computers, especially for people under the age of 50. But the telephone used to be a big … Continue reading →