Old-school news, just in time
by Kevin Burton You remember Eric Carmen for “All By Myself” and for the Raspberries’ “Go All The Way.” But it’s one of his B-sides that resonates most with me. We got word last week that Carmen had died at age 74. The news sent my mind to several places, including to a …
Continue reading ““No Hard Feelings” By Eric Carmen Is A Gem”
by Kevin Burton When you move into a house, you see it and feel it in a way all your own. You inhabit that space with your special vitality. The way others see that space, if they see it at all, may be interesting, but it lays no lasting hold on you. …
Continue reading “50 Years Ago, Terry Jacks’ “Season In The Sun””
by Peter D. Kramer lohud.com “Hello, my name is Lachi. Like Versace,” says the woman in the fabulous dress and the beaming smile. Then the New York-based singer-songwriter takes more time than most people, to describe herself. She offers a visual self-description for blind people in her audience, saying she is a Black …
Continue reading “Singer Lachi Lifts Up Her Voice For The Blind”
by Kevin Burton We may have to file this under Benign Stupidity, but after (maybe not enough) careful thought, I’m going to do the story. We’re talking 70s pop music as we often do on Tuesdays. I love this band, I love this song, please hear that up front. But what a load …
Continue reading ““It Only Takes A Minute” Has Strange Lyrics”
by Kevin Burton Wichita police have arrested 45-year-old Ricky Aldrete for multiple crimes, including the theft and destruction of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue, according to published reports. Page 7 reported on the story after Major League Baseball stepped forward to pay for replacing the statue, (MLB To Replace Vandalized Robinson Statue, Feb …
Continue reading “Updates on Robinson Statue, Dirty Dancing”
by Kevin Burton I’m inclined to give Billy Joel a pass, aren’t you? Hasn’t he proven his brilliance? Hasn’t his place in music history been settled, certified for decades now? Any music-related hall of fame that he is not in, he should be in. Hey, if Dolly Parton is in the Rock …
Continue reading “Billy Joel, We Love You Just The Way You Are”
by Kevin Burton I have made the case for “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney as the greatest love song ever written. But it’s Valentine’s week and nobody’s going to buy that claim just now. Feb. 14 calls for something with a different feel. So I phoned a friend, so to speak. …
Continue reading “Tears Of Joy In This Valentine’s Day Music”
by Kevin Burton Is it just that easy, like flipping a switch? Guess we’ll find out Thursday, when Columbia Records drops the first new Billy Joel single in 17 years, a song called “Turn The Lights Back On.” “In a press release from his label, Columbia Records, the song is said to …
by Kevin Burton Steely Dan and four others will be inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame this year, according to multiple reports. R.E.M. and three non-performing songwriters, Hillary Lindsey, Timothy Moseley (Timberland) and Dean Pritchard will also be inducted. I don’t know if the Songwriters’ hall has toxic politics the way …
by Kevin Burton Yesterday was Elvis’s birthday. He was born Jan. 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. And the fact that I used only his first name and you know exactly who I am talking about is one measure of his exalted place in American culture. But how good was he as a musician, …
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