tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134795952024-03-13T23:26:21.142-04:00Stephen HumphriesA Boston-based Chief Culture Writer for The Christian Science Monitor (www.csmonitor.com). Author of "Art of Rush." Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.comBlogger305125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-91234487348198098192022-04-11T18:34:00.002-04:002022-04-11T18:35:34.907-04:00Playlist - January to April 2022 <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GN3FqaiOACw" width="356" youtube-src-id="GN3FqaiOACw"></iframe></div> <br /><p></p><ul style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Marillion—<i>An Hour Before Its Dark </i>(2022)<i>, Fugazi box set</i> (2021)<i>, Live in Chile </i>(2016), </span><i>Holidays in Eden Live </i>(2011)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Porcupine Tree</span></span>—<i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px;">Closure/Continuation </i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px;">(2022)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Shearwater—<i>The Great Awakening </i>(2022)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Father John Misty—</span></span><i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Chloë and the 20th Century </span></span></i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2022)<br /><br /></span></span></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">The Weather Station—<i>How Is It I Should Look At the Stars </i>(2022)<br /><br /></span></span></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Nilüfer Yanya—</span></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px;">Painless </i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px;">(2022)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Joe Satriani—<i>The Elephants of Mars </i>(2022)<br /><br /></span></span></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px;">The Waterboys—</span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px;">All Souls Hill </i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px;">(2022)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Red Hot Chili Peppers—<i>Unlimited Love </i>(2022)<br /><br /></span></span></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul Draper—<i>Cult Leader Tactics </i>(2022)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Midlake—<i>For the Sake of Bethel Woods </i>(2022)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tim Bowness and Giancarlo Erra—<i>Memories of Machines </i>(2022 expanded reissue)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tears for Fears</span>—<i style="font-family: arial;">The Tipping Point </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2022), <i>Everybody Loves a Happy Ending</i> (2004), <i>Raoul and the Kings of Spain</i> deluxe edition (2009), <i>The Hurting deluxe</i> edition (1999)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Ichiko Aoba</span></span>—<i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px;">Windswept Adan</i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px;"> (2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px;">Ludovico Einaudi—<i>Underwater </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Public Service Broadcasting—<i>Bright Magic </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Portico Quartet—<i>Monument </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Failure—<i>Wild Type Droid </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Martina Topley-Bird</span>—<i style="font-family: arial;">Forever I Wait </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Larkin Poe—<i>Peach </i>(2017)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tame Impala—<i>Currents </i>(2015)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lana Del Rey—<i>Ultraviolence </i>(2014 bonus track edition)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">John Hiatt—<i>Terms of My Surrender </i>(2014)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Depeche Mode</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">—</span><i>Singles 86-98 </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2013)<br /><br /></span></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Robert Plant</span>—<i style="font-family: arial;">Greatest Hits </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2011) <br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Low—<i>Drums and Guns </i>(2007)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">John Parish and PJ Harvey—<i>Dance Hall at Louse Point </i>(1996)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Cocteau Twins—<i>Victorialand </i>(1986)<br /><br /></span></li></ul><ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Genesis—<i>Seconds Out, Invisible Touch </i>(1977, 1986)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="border: none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Steve Hillage—<i>L </i>(1976)</span></li></ul>Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-58077692969909559602022-04-11T16:14:00.001-04:002022-04-11T16:14:32.951-04:00Playlist Nov. to Dec. 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="307" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/etwD0lk2k-o" width="486" youtube-src-id="etwD0lk2k-o"></iframe><br /><br /><br /></div><p></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Robert Plant and Alison Krauss—<i>Raising the Roof </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Wolf Alice—<i>Blue Weekend, tour edition </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Elbow—</span><i>Flying Dream 1, deluxe tour edition </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bent Knee—</span><i>Frosting </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Justin Adams and Mauro Durante—<i>Still Moving </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Plenty—<i>It Could be Home </i>(2018), </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Enough </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Radiohead—<i>Kid Amnesiae </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Sting—<i>The Bridge </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Land of Talk—<i>Calming Night Partner EP </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Grasscut—<i>Haunts </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Big Wreck—<i>7.1 EP </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tame Impala—</span><i>The Slow Rush </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2020)</span></span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Bass Communion—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Sisters Oregon </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2017)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">David Bowie—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Toy box set </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021 version), <i>The Width of a Circle</i> box set (2021)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fovea Hex Steven Wilson remixes—<i>Salt Garden III </i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">(2019)</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Lil Band of Gold—<i>Plays Fats </i>(2012)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Chris Isaak—<i>Beyond the Sun </i>(2011), <i>Best of </i>(2006)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Feist—<i>Look at What the Light Did Now </i>(2010)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Los Lobos—</span><i>How will the Wolf Survive </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(1984), By the Light of the Moon (1987), <i>The Neighborhood</i> (1990), <i>Colossal Head</i> (1996)<br /></span></span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Lucinda Williams—<i>World Without Tears </i>(2003)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Richard Thompson—<i>Rumor and Sigh </i>(1991)</span></li></ul><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Public Image Ltd.—<i>Greatest Hits, so far </i>(1990)</span></li></ul></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Laurie Anderson—<i>Big Science </i>(1982)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Little Feat—<i>Hoy Hoy </i>(1981)</span></li></ul>Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-91823087949269439252022-04-11T16:14:00.000-04:002022-04-11T16:14:20.452-04:00Playlist - Oct. 2021<p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="302" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fN0OmdJUl0I" width="474" youtube-src-id="fN0OmdJUl0I"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lana Del Rey—<i>Blue Bannisters </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Low—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Hey What! </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The War on Drugs—</span><i>l Don't Live Here Anymore </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">LUMP—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Animal </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Steve Gunn—<i>Other You </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Robben Ford</span><span style="font-family: arial;">—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Pure </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My Morning Jacket—</span><i>My Morning Jacket </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Tori Amos—<i>Ocean to Ocean </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Grasscut—<i>Haunts </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Joe Bonamassa—<i>Time Clocks </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The Tedeschi Trucks Band—<i>Layla Revisited, live at Lockn, feat. Trey Anastasio </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tame Impala—</span><i>The Slow Rush </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2020)<br /><br /></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Death Cab for Cutie—<i>Thank You for Today </i>(2018)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Iron Maiden—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Senjutsu </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Samantha Fish—<i>Faster </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Steely Dan—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Northeast Corridor </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Donald Fagen—<i>The Nightfly Live </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Marillion—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Afraid of Sunlight Deluxe edition </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2019)</span><i style="font-family: arial;">, Fugazi Deluxe edition </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021), <i>Viernes Noche</i> (2019), <i>Live in Chile</i> (2017), <i>Marbles in the Park</i> (2017), <i>Best of Montreal</i> (2013), <i>Sounds that Can't Be Made</i> deluxe 2CD (2013), <i>Holidays in Eden live</i> (2011)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fovea Hex Steven Wilson remixes—<i>Salt Garden III </i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">(2019)</span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bass Communion—</span><i>Sisters Oregon </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2017)</span><br /><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Chris Stapleton—<i>Traveller </i>(2015)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Los Lobos—</span><i>How will the Wolf Survive </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(1984), By the Light of the Moon (1987), <i>The Neighborhood</i> (1990), <i>Colossal Head</i> (1996)</span></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Steve Howe—<i>Not Necessarily Acoustic </i>(1994)</span></li></ul><p></p>Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-68395965518379505982022-04-11T16:13:00.000-04:002022-04-11T16:13:47.218-04:00Playlist - March to July 2021<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="308" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rOF1tJ2Vfcw" width="465" youtube-src-id="rOF1tJ2Vfcw"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Wolf Alice—<i>Blue Weekend </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Can—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Stuttgart 1975 </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Sarah Jarosz—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Blue Heron Suite </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Nick Cave and Warren Ellis—<i>Carnage </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The Anchoress—<i>The Art of Losing </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds—<i>Back the Way We Came, Vol. 1 </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">David Crosby—<i>For Free </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Los Lobos—<i>Native Sons </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Tedeschi Trucks Band feat. Trey Anastasio—<i>Layla Revisited, Like at Lock'n </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The Anchoress—<i>The Art of Losing </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">John Hiatt—<i>Leftover Feelings </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Crowded House—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Dreamers are Waiting </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Jesca Hoop—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">The House that Jack Built - acoustic </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Billy Gibbons—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Hardware </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Bat for Lashes—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Livestream at Home </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Sheryl Crow</span><span style="font-family: arial;">—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Live at the Ryman (2021) <br /><br /></i></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Plenty—<i>Enough</i> (2021), <i>It Could be</i></span><i style="font-family: arial;"> Home (2018)<br /></i></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Albert Collins with the Barrelhouse—<i>Live </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Robert Plant—<i>Live at Knebworth 1990 </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">PJ Harvey—the Demos series of albums<i> </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Bass Communion—<i>And No Birds Sing </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Justice Cow—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Underglam </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">John Moreland—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">High on Tulsa Heat </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2015), </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Big Bad Luv </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2017)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The Pat McManus Band—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Full Service Resumed </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">It Bites—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Whole New World: The Virgin Years 1986-1991 </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2014)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Little Feat—<i>Down on</i></span><i style="font-family: arial;"> the Farm </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(1979), <i>Representing the Mambo</i> (1990)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Joni Mitchell—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Archives 1963-67 Highlights </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Marillion—<i>Recital of the Script (2009), Real to Reel/Brief Encounter (1997), The Thieving Magpie (2005) Live from Lorelely</i> (2009), <i>Afraid of Sunlight Live</i></span><i style="font-family: arial;"> </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2003), <i>Smoke</i> (2006), <i>This Strange Engine Live</i> (2007), <i>Sounds that Can't be Made - 2CD Special Edition</i> (2013), <i>Best Sounds - Chile </i>(2014), <i>Live in Chile</i> (2016), <i>With Friends at St. Davids</i> (2020)</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Gary Moore—How Blue Can You Get?<i> </i>(2021)</span></li></ul></span><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The Black Keys</span>—<i style="font-family: arial;">Delta Kream </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)<br /></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Squid—Bright Green Field<i> </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Nils Frahm—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Tripping With </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Arooj Aftab—<i>Vulture Prince</i></span><i style="font-family: arial;"> </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Dorothea Paas—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Anything Can't Happen </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">William Tyler—<i>New Vanitas </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Richard Barbieri—<i>On High </i>(2021)<br /></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Flock of Dimes—<i>Head of Roses </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Field Music—Flat White Moon</span><i style="font-family: arial;"> </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Israel Nash—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Topaz </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Mick Fleetwood and Friends—<i>Celebrate the Music of Peter Green </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Robben Ford and the Ford Blues Band—<i>A</i></span><i style="font-family: arial;"> Tribute to Paul Butterfield </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2001)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Pink Floyd—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Live at Knebworth 1990 </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The Pineapple Thief—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Soord Sessions </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Calexico/Iron and Wine—In the Reins<i> </i>(2005)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Nirvana—</span><i>Bleach </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(1989)</span><br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Yes—<i>90125 Live: The Solos </i>(1985)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">John Hiatt</span><span style="font-family: arial;">—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Slow Turning</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> (1988)</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">John Martyn—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Bless the Weather </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(1971)</span></li></ul></span><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Lucinda Williams—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Car Wheels on a Gravel Road </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(1998)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Los Lobos—</span><i style="font-family: arial;">How Long Will the Wolf Survive</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> (1984),<i> By the Light of the Moon</i> (1987) </span><i style="font-family: arial;">The Neighborhood</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> (1990), </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Colossal Head </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(1996), <br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Arvo Pärt—<i>Tabula Rasa </i>(1984)</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>SINGLES/EPs</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The Waterboys—<i>How Long Should I Love You? </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Loma—<i>Going Out </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The Good Silver—<i>Lightning Bug </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Wye Oak—<i>It's Way with Me, TNT </i>(2021)<br /></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Amplifier—<i>Glory Electricity </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Colin Edwin—<i>No Use for It </i>(2021)</span></li></ul><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Laura Veirs—<i>The Panther </i>(2021)</span></li></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Braids—<i>Slayer Moon, 2020 </i>(2021)<br /></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Tsubaki—<i>Ripe </i>(2021)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Courtney Swain—<i>Fountainhead </i>(2021)</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Big Wreck—<i>Middle of Nowhere </i>(2021)</span></li></ul></div><br style="font-family: arial;" /></div>Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-88057429636141437492021-06-16T18:03:00.001-04:002021-06-16T18:03:04.728-04:00Playlist - November 2020 to Feb 2021<p> <iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zSvdLcS62ZM" width="320" youtube-src-id="zSvdLcS62ZM"></iframe></p><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Steven Wilson—<i>The Future Bites Deluxe Edition Box Set</i> (2021)</span></li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Weather Station—<i>Ignorance</i><i> </i>(2021)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Laura Marling—<i>Live at Union Chapel</i><i> </i>(2021)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">David Bowie—<i>LiveAndWell</i> reissue<i> </i>(2021), <i>Ouvrez Le Chien</i> (2020), <i>No Trendy Réchauffé</i> (2020) </li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The War on Drugs—<i>Live Drugs</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Taylor Swift—<i>Folklore; Evermore</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Jonathan Wilson—<i>Rare Blur</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Phoebe Bridgers—<i>Punisher</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Joe Bonamassa—<i>Royal Tea</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Late Night Final—<i>A Wonderful Hope</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Robert Plant—<i>Digging Deep: Subterranea</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Fish—<i>Welschmerz </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Larkin Poe—<i>Kindred Spirits </i>(2020); <i>Self Made Man</i> (2020), <i>Venom & Faith</i> (2018)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Pineapple Thief—<i>A Different Kind of Truth </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Laura Veirs—<i>My Echo</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Nick Cave—<i>Idiot Prayer</i><i> </i>(2020); <i>Grinderman</i> (2010), <i>Abbatoir Blues Tour</i> (2007)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">John Moreland—<i>LP5 </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Blackfield—<i>Thank You for the Music</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Nadine Shah—<i>Kitchen Sink </i>(2020)<i>; Holiday Destination</i><i> </i>(2017)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Sufjan Stevens—<i>The Ascension</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Henrik Freischlader—<i>Missing Pieces</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Samantha Fish—<i>Kill or Be Kind</i><i> </i>(2019)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Julia Holter—<i>Ekstasis</i><i> </i>(2012)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">John Hiatt—<i>The Best Of</i><i> </i>(1998)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">World Party—<i>Egyptology</i><i> </i>(1997)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Arvo Pärt—<i>Tabula Rasa</i> (1984)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Greg Lake—<i>Manoeuvres </i>(1983)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Little Feat—<i>Down on the Farm</i><i> </i>(1979); <i>Representing the Mambo</i> (1990)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Steve Hillage—<i>Fish Rising</i> (1975), <i>Green</i> (1978) <i>Rainbow Dome Music </i>(1979)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Phoebe Bridgers—<i>Punisher</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Joni Mitchell—<i>Early Joni 1963</i><i> </i>(2020); <i>Dog Eat Dog</i> (1985)</li><ul style="line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><br /><br /><b>12 inch and 7 inch vinyl:<br /><br /></b></li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Weather Station—<i>Robber</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Steven Wilson—<i>Eminent Sleaze</i><i> </i>(2020); <i>12 Things I Forgot</i> (2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">David Gilmour—<i>I See Ghosts</i><i> </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Sarah Jarosz and Parker Millsap—<i>Mansion Sessions</i><i> </i>(2017)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">No Man—<i>Heaven Taste</i><i> (2016)</i></li></ul>Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-17321975109761537172020-09-13T19:25:00.002-04:002021-06-16T17:50:44.139-04:00Playlist August 2020<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oq5X2G5qKQI" width="425"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /><ul style="line-height: 1.4; list-style: disc; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Loma—<i>Don't Shy Away</i><i> </i>(upcoming, 2021)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Tim Bowness—<i>Late Night Laments</i> (upcoming 2020), <i>My Hotel Year</i> (2004)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Waterboys—<i>Good Luck, Seeker</i> (2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Tim Heidecker—<i>Fear of Death</i> (upcoming, 2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Angel Olsen—<i>Whole New Mess</i> (2020), <i>All Mirrors</i> (2019)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Land of Talk—<i>Indistinct Conversations </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Wire—<i>M</i><i>ind Hive </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Jaga Jazzist—<i>Pyramid </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">PJ Harvey—<i>Dry - Demos</i> (2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Joe Bonamassa—<i>A New Day Now - 20th Anniversary reissue </i>(2020)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Arcade Fire—<i>The Arcade Fire</i> (2005)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Santana—<i>The Best Of</i> (1998)</li><li style="border: none; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Calexico—<i>The Black Light</i> (1998)</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span><font face="arial">World Party—</font></span><span style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><i>Egyptology </i>(</span><span style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">1997)</span><i style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"> </i></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span><font face="arial">The The—</font></span><i style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Mind Bomb </i><span style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">(1989)</span><i style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"> </i></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span><font face="arial">The Blue Nile—</font></span><i style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">A Walk on the Rooftops </i><span style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">(1984)</span><i style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"> </i></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span><font face="arial">Talking Heads—</font></span><i style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Stop Making Sense </i><span style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">(1984)</span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span><font face="arial">Roxy Music—</font></span><i style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Manifesto - Steven Wilson mix </i><span style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">(1979)</span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span><font face="arial">David Bowie—</font></span><i style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Welcome to the Blackout (1978), I'm Only Dancing '74</i><span style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"> (1974) </span><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif"><i style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">ChangesNowBowie</i><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">(1997)</span></span></span></span></li></ul></div>Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-60234317552780891592020-09-13T19:03:00.004-04:002020-09-13T19:26:37.025-04:00An appointment with Mr. Scott of The Waterboys <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOsKTMKkedC8Fq63f3zhmhUOCPjgO2fx1LAIll3U8wSg_nB_rtKuHntyYSTPzlyJxAUE8ccMN52pqBYWp1XVfBo_D8p_qdTrcMkbZsIAuKmHdI6WoO6h8ddTIEK3HfKM60hMZIw/s1500/cover+The+Waterboys+-+Good+Luck+Seeker.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOsKTMKkedC8Fq63f3zhmhUOCPjgO2fx1LAIll3U8wSg_nB_rtKuHntyYSTPzlyJxAUE8ccMN52pqBYWp1XVfBo_D8p_qdTrcMkbZsIAuKmHdI6WoO6h8ddTIEK3HfKM60hMZIw/w500-h500/cover+The+Waterboys+-+Good+Luck+Seeker.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Nineteen years after I spent <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0831/p20s1-almp.html" target="_blank">a memorable afternoon with Mike Scott</a> inside a Boston hotel, I called up The Waterboys songwriter <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Music/2020/0814/Waterboys-frontman-calmly-waits-for-the-lyrics-to-come.-They-always-do" target="_blank">for an interview</a> about the latest album, <i>Good Luck, Seeker.</i> This time, Scott was in his home studio in Dublin.</span></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;"></span></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">"All the days I'm not parenting I come here and work," he told me. "I'm either working on music or making videos."</span></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">I was only able to include a portion of stimulating conversation in the article so I thought I'd share some of the bits that ended up on the cutting room floor. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white;">The focus of this interview for <i><a href="www.csmonitor.com" target="_blank">The Christian Science Monitor</a></i> newspaper was about Scott's poetic lyrics but we also talked about how, unlike so many of his contemporaries, </span></span><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Scott strives to change up his sound. </span><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">The new record, and its two predecessors, are notable for often embracing a lush sound with RnB influences and hip-hop rhythms. The cracking first single, "The Soul Singer," is </span><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">propelled by a horn section with the blast of an afterburner.</span></span></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">Scott: "I loved soul music when I was a kid. I grew up in the '60s and so the latest Four Tops and Temptations and Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye and the Supremes records were always on the radio and I grew up with those just as much as the Beatles and the Stones. And I mean, it wasn't buying Four Tops albums. I was buying new singles. And then later I was big into Sly and the Family Stone. And then disco. I was mad for disco around 1978. I'd be buying all the disco records on 12 inch. So all of that has had an effect on me as well."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">The new album includes a cover version of "Why Should I Love You," Kate Bush's collaboration with Prince. Scott is a longtime fan of both. I reminded him that his sleeve notes to <i>Dream Harder</i> detail a dream that he once had of meeting Kate Bush in Edinburgh and the two of them searching for a cafe. "Yes, that's right," Scott chuckled. But it turns out that he has never actually met Kate. Nor has he met Prince, though the two of them formed a mutual admiration society. Scott </span><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">still occasionally plays "Purple Rain" at Waterboys shows, as he did in Boston last year (with Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention fame guesting on drums). Prince, meanwhile, had been known to cover the most famous Waterboys song.</span></span></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">"He's covered 'The Whole of the Moon' twice and he's done it in two different arrangements. I've heard one of them. Like everyone else, I've heard the funk version of 'The Whole of the Moon' that he did at a benefit concert," Scott said. "And the other time was at Ronnie Scott's club in London where apparently he did a piano/vocal version which I've never heard and would love to hear."</span></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">Mostly, though, the focus of my interview was on Scott's lyrics and the recurring themes in his songs.<br /></span></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">I reached out to Ian Abrahams, author of the biography <i>Strange Boat: Mike Scott and The Waterboys</i>, to glean his insights into the songwriter's words.</span></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">"I think there's three or four particular strands to Mike Scott's lyrics. As you say, there's the spiritual and mystical, which is a little bit undefined in how that reflects his own outlook, and of course our feelings towards these intangible ideas often shift and change as our life unfolds, so they inform us differently at different times in our lives, but there's not a definitive idea of where this part of his lyrics shapes his own life. I mean, clearly his relationship to Findhorn in particular has been a very powerful influence on his words, because it's a mighty powerful influence on him over the years, but I think his sense of spiritual is a fluid thing and he takes what he needs from those ideas depending on where he is in mind and in location."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">Another influence on Scott are poets such as Robert Burns and WB Yeats (On </span><i style="font-size: 16px;">An Appointment with Mr. Yeats <span style="background-color: white;">- </span></i><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Arts/2013/0503/Top-Picks-Henri-the-cat-s-philosophical-musings-HBO-s-specials-on-childhood-obesity-and-more?nav=128-csm_category-storyList" style="font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">my brief review here</a> <span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">- Scott created an entire album out of the latter poet's works) and also the writer CS Lewis. I asked the songwriter about each of them.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">"</span><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">Burns is Scotland's national poet. I'm very proud of him. And he wrote some really great work.... But he wrote in Scots, which this means much like Shakespeare, it's quite hard to understand him. You need to really work at it. His songs, I don't think he wrote the tunes. I think he fastened his lyrics to existing traditional tunes.... Some of his songs, I like more than others. But I always value him as a great writer and a great poet. Yeats: Another great poet. But I don't like all his work. I'm not interested in all of it. I also think he some of his more occult material, like 'A Vision,' I don't find very interesting. And then C.S. Lewis, I like all his fiction. And I don't we don't have much interest in any of his Christian theology. That theology comes into some of his fiction, some more than others, but whenever he's in fiction I'm with him."</span></span></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">Ian Abrahams, the biographer, shared this interesting observation with me about other literary influences on Scott:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">"</span><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">I also find it really interesting to dig and speculate at other, less obvious, moments where he's writing with other writers in mind. One that struck from his early work was hearing the SF writer Harlan Ellison in Scott's 'The Girl In The Swing', and if that's a deliberate homage or allusion that's going on there ("you just asked me do I know what love is"), I think that's really intriguing in the way that Ellison was the angry young man of science fiction, and Scott was equally an angry young man of rock music right back to 'Another Pretty Thing'... and Ellison kept that going all his life, and it feels like Mike has as well."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">I didn't have time to ask Scott about the occasional humorous, tongue-in-cheek songs he's written. But I did ask him about his penchant for writing songs about other artists and musicians. He's w</span><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">ritten a tributes to Patti Smith, Mick Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Hank Williams, Elvis, and, on the new album, actor Dennis Hopper.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">"</span><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">I don't know how that happens. 'Has Anybody Here Seen Hank' came out of the title. I remember there was a concert and someone said something and, one way or another, the phrase 'has anybody here seen Hank?' came up. And I remember improvizing a song on the spot. It was in Cardiff, 1986. I'll never forget it. And it didn't become the song 'Has Anybody Here Seen Hank?' but it sparked the idea. The Patti Smith one came out of a line she had in song, 'a girl named Johnny' and I stole that, I confess, and turned into 'A Girl Called Johnny' - partly written about her but partly not really about her at all."<br /></span></span></p><p><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">As for Scott's writing process? He told me he's always got something cooking, which is why he's released four albums in five years and already has the next one written. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">"I just write for fun," he told me. "</span><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif">I didn't like homework when I was at school...and sometimes I get asked to do things, prepare this or do that or write this and I think, "It feels like homework and I don't like it.' But making music never feels like homework." </span></span><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /></span><span face="calibri, helvetica, sans-serif"> </span></p><div><br /></div>Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-67088495708120089562020-07-27T20:13:00.002-04:002020-07-27T20:17:20.000-04:00Playlist: March through July<br />
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Steven Wilson—<i>The Future Bites</i></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(upcoming, 2021)</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Tim Bowness</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—<i>Late Night Laments</i> (upcoming 2020)</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Bob Dylan</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—<i>Rough and Rowdy Ways</i> (2020)</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Braids</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—<i>Shadow Offering </i>(2020)</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Sarah Jarosz</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—<i>World on the Ground</i> (upcoming 2020), </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Song Up in Her Head </i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2009)</span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Dua Lipa—</span><i style="background-color: white;">Future Nostalgia </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">(2020)</span></li>
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<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Ed O'Brien (EOB)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">—</span><i style="background-color: white;">Earth </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Elbow—</span><i style="background-color: white;">Live at the Ritz </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Flock of Dimes</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—S<i>o Much Like Desire EP </i>(2020)</span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Laura Marling—</span><i style="background-color: white;">Song for Our Daughter </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Rustin' Man—<i>C</i></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">lockdust </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Four Tet—</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Sixteen Oceans </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">David Bowie—<i>Is It Any Wonder</i></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Joe Satriani—<i>Shapeshifting</i></span><i style="background-color: white;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Tim Bowness/Peter Chilvers</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">—<i>Modern Ruins</i></span><i style="background-color: white;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">(2020), <i>California, Norfolk</i> (2002)</span></li>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Pearl Jam—<i>Gigaton</i></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2020)</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Porcupine Tree</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—<i>All</i></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> new live digital releases on Bandcamp.com </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Richard Barbieri</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Past Imperfect/Future Tense EP (2020)</i></li>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Israel Nash</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—<i>Lifted</i> (2018)</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white;">John Paul White</span>—<i>Beulah</i></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2016), </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><i>The Hurting Kind</i></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Braids</span>—Native Speaker</span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2011)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Radiohead</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—<i>In Rainbows Limited edition box set</i></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2007)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">In Tua Nua</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Vaudeville </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(1987)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Joni Mitchell</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Dog Eat Dog </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(1985)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Peter Gabriel—<i>Plays Live!</i></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(1983)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Supertramp</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—<i>Famous Last Words</i></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(1982)</span></li>
</ul>
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Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-40191751035261264532020-07-27T20:13:00.000-04:002020-07-27T20:17:54.976-04:00Hello, it's been a while...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Hello, it's been a while...</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It's felt like it, too - the pandemic has made the last four months feel like a year....</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There hasn't been a dull moment when it comes to writing stories as the chief culture writer for </span><span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/">The Christian Science Monitor</a>.</i></span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One thing I've missed, though, is getting out and about to report stories in person. The last story I did shoe-leather work for was a piece about</span><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><a data-auth="NotApplicable" href="https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2020/0310/When-fear-goes-viral-Battling-prejudice-in-Chinatown" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2020/0310/When-fear-goes-viral-Battling-prejudice-in-Chinatown"><span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">how the pandemic hurt Chinatowns</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">across the world first. A few months later, when the shutdowns began to ease, I helped report another restaurant story about</span><span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2020/0629/Will-America-still-go-out-to-eat-One-restaurateur-s-moment-of-truth">the difficulties of reopening e</a>ateries. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I also drove to Rhode Island for a story about how </span><a data-auth="NotApplicable" href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Movies/2020/0521/Pandemic-in-park-Viewers-pull-up-to-drive-ins-again" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Movies/2020/0521/Pandemic-in-park-Viewers-pull-up-to-drive-ins-again"><span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">drive-in cinemas</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> are more popular than ever, not just for movies but as concert venues. (Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Movies/2020/0508/When-can-I-go-see-a-movie-Hollywood-and-theaters-ponder-what-s-next">the future of cinema-going</a> remains uncertain.)</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But my first proper get-out-of-the-home office story was a look at how street artists have responded to the protests in the wake of George Floyd's death. The story profiles five artists across the US and I got to visit Boston's Rob "ProBlak" Gibbs to watch him at work painting the mural in the photo above. <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/2020/0724/How-George-Floyd-and-BlackLivesMatter-sparked-a-street-art-revival">Read the whole story here.</a></span></div>
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<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">During the height of the pandemic, I wrote about how it's </span><a data-auth="NotApplicable" href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Music/2020/0330/Live-from-anywhere-Musicians-find-new-ways-to-connect-with-fans" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Music/2020/0330/Live-from-anywhere-Musicians-find-new-ways-to-connect-with-fans"><span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">impacted musicians </span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">who rely on touring to make a living I interviewed the last musician I saw perform, an Americana songwriter named John Paul White who was previously part of the duo The Civil Wars with Joy Williams. That show was just two or three days before everything shut down and the show wasn't full because some people were already staying home. </span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Speaking of Americana, <span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I got to <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Music/2020/0304/Drawing-on-his-roots-a-rock-guitarist-finds-a-new-rhythm-in-Nashville">chat with Jonathan Wilson</a> for a second time (I previously interviewed him <a href="https://www3.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2017/09/21/the-hippie-roger-waters-side-has-his-own-squad-too/mu1GKqL3k2bYTHOut3xwnO/story.html?arc404=true">for </a></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><a href="https://www3.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2017/09/21/the-hippie-roger-waters-side-has-his-own-squad-too/mu1GKqL3k2bYTHOut3xwnO/story.html?arc404=true">The Boston Globe</a></i></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">) about his new album </span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Dixie Blur</i></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, a venture into classic Americana and country. </span></span><br />
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I also penned an article about how the coronavirus proved challenging for the <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Music/2020/0413/World-music-From-a-globetrotter-s-Queens-apartment-to-your-ears">founder of a unique, one-man record label</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For a change, I got to review a book - <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-Reviews/2020/0611/I-m-Your-Huckleberry-Val-Kilmer-s-candid-take-on-Hollywood-and-healing">Val Kilmer's absorbing memoir</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A far more fraught assignment was a look at <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2020/0618/Racial-protests-prompt-waves-of-upheaval-in-America-s-newsrooms">how the racial protests have led to upheaval</a> of newsrooms across the US - including my own.</span></div>
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<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Want an inspiring and uplifting read? Among the articles I wrote during the height of the virus are </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">stories about how neighbors </span><a data-auth="NotApplicable" href="https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2020/0316/Why-tough-times-can-mean-better-neighbors" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2020/0316/Why-tough-times-can-mean-better-neighbors"><span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">have helped each other</span></a><span style="border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">during Covid-19 and </span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">how one man is helping to <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2020/0623/A-different-kind-of-care-package-Concertgoers-Blanket-the-Homeless">blanket the homeless</a> in San Francisco</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I also <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/2020/0505/Another-effect-of-the-coronavirus-crisis-Forgiveness">wrote a magazine cover story </a>about the how the virus inspired some people to reach out estranged family members. That one seemed to move a lot of readers. It was certainly a buoyant experience to talk to people about healing relationships that had seemed permanently broken.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszV6JuxBQqKQdnr6KrGJflS1cDjs-cmPdi2qrQM5XBek4XSB2BdbES9GiZSI4_iEVI7ySjM1NQCzWdmvn9ze-eIdmoFSHT4BScrQtPJCX2SinRlhn18hL1V2eHEM6NHKquODgSw/s1600/IMG_20200727_200305659_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszV6JuxBQqKQdnr6KrGJflS1cDjs-cmPdi2qrQM5XBek4XSB2BdbES9GiZSI4_iEVI7ySjM1NQCzWdmvn9ze-eIdmoFSHT4BScrQtPJCX2SinRlhn18hL1V2eHEM6NHKquODgSw/s400/IMG_20200727_200305659_2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-2386257471377844312020-02-29T16:05:00.001-05:002020-03-11T03:13:19.013-04:00Playlist February<br />
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Steven Wilson—<i>The Future Bites</i></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Jonathan Wilson—</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Dixie Blur </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Robert Plant—</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Digging Deep vinyl singles box set </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Soccer Mommy</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Color Theory </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Colin Edwin</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">—</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Infinite Regress </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2020)</span></li>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">David Sylvian and Holger Czukay—</span></span><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Plight & Premonition / Flux + Mutability </span></span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2018)</span></span></li>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Emiliana Torrini and the Colorists—</span></span><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">self-titled </span></span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2016)</span></span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Joe Satriani—</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Additional Creations and Bonus Tracks </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2014)</span></li>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Chris Isaak—</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Live at the Fillmore </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2010)</span></li>
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<li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Foals—<i>Antidotes </i>(2008)</li>
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<li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Porcupine Tree—<i>In Absentia box set reissue </i>(2002)</li>
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<ul style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Jimi Hendrix—<i>First Rays of the New Rising Sun </i>(1997)</li>
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<li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds—<i>Murder Ballads </i>(1996)</li>
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<ul style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Dire Straits—<i>On the Night </i>(1993)</li>
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<li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Little Feat—<i>Waiting for Columbus </i>(1978)</li>
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<ul style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="border: none; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Carlos Santana/John McLaughlin—<i>Love, Devotion, Surrender </i>(1973)</li>
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<br />Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-63769686640213898932020-02-29T16:02:00.002-05:002020-02-29T16:02:52.718-05:00New on newsstands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVSvSdDmIl38ox5K9x7dTvNRBrHAozEiReM8HZ8s6pdjr2pp54Gfzw4tGnoHrRNDuzQoxSosWRkvBMdncxBwK_m4BjGI3t7ZdyQRnm2BwAyZNsRv1UCKhq6J0Z6hGPCoik8I8OA/s1600/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="394" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVSvSdDmIl38ox5K9x7dTvNRBrHAozEiReM8HZ8s6pdjr2pp54Gfzw4tGnoHrRNDuzQoxSosWRkvBMdncxBwK_m4BjGI3t7ZdyQRnm2BwAyZNsRv1UCKhq6J0Z6hGPCoik8I8OA/s200/image.png" width="153" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">The last time I remember death threats against an author was three decades ago. In 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against Salman Rushdie for writing "The Satanic Verses." (Rushdie remains alive and well but that book's Japanese translator was murdered.)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Now, another author is been hiding after death threats.<br /><br />Jeanine Cummins' book tour for "American Dirt" was canceled due to "specific threats to booksellers and the author." </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Why has this novelist whose thriller was </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">an Oprah Book Club Pick been targeted for her work? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">That's the subject of my deep-dive cover story this week for Monitor Weekly magazine. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">It's a story about the "woke" social justice movement, old hierarchies in the publishing industry, and the further encroachment of cultural appropriation claims into the realm of fiction. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(A shorter version is available online </span><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/2020/0130/American-Dirt-Who-gets-to-tell-your-story?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&cmpid=shared-twitter" style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">.)</span>Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-22005573488212425662020-01-25T16:52:00.001-05:002020-01-25T16:52:34.407-05:00Playlist January<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ft__PS9rFAU" width="425"></iframe>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Field Music—</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Making a New World </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">(2020)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Gary Moore—<i>Live from London </i>(2020)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Les Amazones D'Afrique—<i>Amazones Power </i>(2020)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Bass Communion/Freiband—<i>VL Tones </i>(2020)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Wire—<i>Mind Hive </i>(2020)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">A Winged Victory for the Sullen—<i>The Undivided Five </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Slow Show—<i>Lust and Learn </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Bruce Soord—<i>All This Will Be Yours </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Henrik Freischlader—<i>Live 2019 </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Eilen Jewell—<i>Boundary Country </i>(1973)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Greg Brown—<i>Milk of the Moon </i>(2002)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Joni Mitchell—<i>Travelogue </i>(2002)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Low—<i>Things We Lost in the Fire </i>(2001)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Lauryn Hill—<i>The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill </i>(1998)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Nick Drake—<i>An Introduction to... </i>(1994)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Richard Thompson—<i>Amnesia </i>(1988)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Japan—<i>Gentlemen Take Polaroids </i>(1980)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">David Bowie—<i>Pinups </i>(1973); <i>Santa Monica '72</i> (1994)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Pink Floyd—<i>Saucerful of Secrets </i>(1968)</li>
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Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-17134515386039281342020-01-10T23:07:00.000-05:002020-01-14T18:52:27.280-05:00Neil Peart: 1952 - 2020<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNT_UCsxyavzc_rZUa5IGc809ZMAnauKzLsigQw4f9leuqbLej77dI0Z3RYE1D54QWo_z7zET2S-R3z5TN7aCSqrMAxgBk-CtgTmAEBURLSwE8NEHM95HIFy2gOhb2_D0p0Y_PIQ/s1600/IMG_20200110_171951834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNT_UCsxyavzc_rZUa5IGc809ZMAnauKzLsigQw4f9leuqbLej77dI0Z3RYE1D54QWo_z7zET2S-R3z5TN7aCSqrMAxgBk-CtgTmAEBURLSwE8NEHM95HIFy2gOhb2_D0p0Y_PIQ/s400/IMG_20200110_171951834.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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Before the phone call from Neil Peart, I was a jangle of nerves. It was October 2006. Neil was calling from a hotel room in Toronto to promote his new book, <i>Roadshow: Landscape with Drums: A Concert Tour by Motorcycle</i>, which traced his 21,000-mile journey across North America and Europe during Rush's 2004 tour.<br />
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My trepidation was due to the fact that Neil hadn't been conducting many interviews during that period of his life. Neil was renowned as one of the most intensely private rock stars on the planet. In part it was because he was a naturally shy man who was never comfortable with fawning adulation. It was also because people kept wanting to ask him about the awful tragedy of losing both his teenage and daughter and wife between 1997 and 1998. Imagine having that wound endlessly prodded by Rush fans, however well-intentioned. Although Neil had emerged from his multi-year hiatus of grief to resume recording and touring with Rush, he wisely retreated from public contact. Accompanied by his close companion and security expert Michael Mosbach, Neil took strenuous measures to avoid contact with fans. To come across Neil Peart in the wild (his natural habitat, really) would have been more rare than stumbling across Bigfoot.<br />
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So, yeah, I was nervous. I wanted to do right by the interview. We started talking...and I immediately relaxed. Neil was friendly, easy to laugh, and very much at ease. <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1006/p12s02-algn.html">The interview</a> focused on what he was listening to (we talked about our mutual love of Porcupine Tree), watching (<i>Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby</i>!), and reading (Graham Greene, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway and so many others). It was more a casual conversation than formal interview and it was a hugely enjoyable experience chatting with someone who was so thoughtful and erudite.<br />
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Neil Peart was truly a Renaissance Man. He was naturally interested in the world around him and he pursued his many interests with hard-working zeal and a disciplined pursuit of excellence. He'll be remembered primarily, of course, as one of the very greatest drummers who ever lived. The man turned millions of concert attendees into air drummers. But Rush was just one (very sizable) aspect of a multi-faceted life.<br />
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Neil Peart was an intellectual and an autodidact who sure did deviate from the norm... For instance, during the 1980s, the drummer began bicycling hundreds of miles from one show to the next (stopping off at art museums along the way). And though he was a collector of expensive cars and enjoyed racing them, his favorite transportation was his BMW motorcycles. As a highly skilled motorcycle rider, he always took the small, off-the-beaten path route rather than well-traveled highways. A metaphor for his life, really. He was obsessive about visiting every single national park in the US (there are 61 of them) and made sure to get his park passport stamped at each one. Neil didn't just take up rowing, swimming, and cross-country skiing, he worked to master their proper techniques and stretch himself to the limit in each pursuit. He was a scholarly birdwatcher. A chef. A model kit builder. About the only thing I think he never got around to doing, though he sometimes talked about the idea, was fly-fishing.<br />
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Neil's intelligence and many interests made him a wonderful raconteur. It was in talking about books during our interview that I really connected with Neil. Reading was the great love of his life, perhaps even more than music. If he didn't have drumsticks between his hands, he had a book in them.<br />
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After the interview, I posted a parcel of books and CDs that I thought Neil would enjoy. Neil later wrote about one of the books, <i>Case Histories</i>, calling it "a gripping mystery by Kate Atkinson, whose genre is referred to as 'literary thriller,' which apparently doesn’t have to be an oxymoron."<br />
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A year later, when the <i>R30</i> tour had finished, I was surprised and delighted to receive a hand-written postcard (picture above) from Neil to thank me for the gifts. A few years later, he sent me another personal postcard (see below). Indeed, for all his aloofness, the drummer was renowned for <a href="http://www.andrewolson.com/Neil_Peart/writing/postcards/postcards.htm">taking time to write to fans</a>—something that very few rock stars of his stature would do. Not surprisingly, many bands that toured with Rush have testified to how the trio went out of their way to look after their opening acts. It's true what they say about Canadians being the nicest people....<br />
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Neil Peart was, first, a man of letters. He invested great time and care in corresponding with friends. The Canadian treasured that ancient and fast-fading art of composing thoughtful letters about, well, "news, weather and sports"—paraphrasing the words of a local television newscaster he once came across—with a close circle of pen pals. All those years of mindful tapping at keyboards and licking envelopes and stamps were a preparation, of sorts, for his foray into becoming a public author. Later, Neil began sharing similar epic essays on the open forum of his website—plus cooking recipes and book reviews. Neil Peart was one of the finest essayists of our age. And if that strikes you as hyperbole, just go read his <a href="http://www.neilpeart.net/index.php?cID=287">"News, Weather, and Sports" pieces</a> on his website NeilPeart.net (select from the list in the drop-down menu) and you'll quickly come to the same conclusion.<br />
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Neil's first book was an account of a cycling trip across North Africa. It was the first of his many publications as a first-rate author. His books were part memoir, part travelogue. His experiences in Africa, South America, Europe, and America were never dull. An explorer by nature, he had so many <i>adventures</i> (including a number of narrow escapes from harrowing situations). I'm particularly fond of his 2004 memoir, <i>Traveling Music: Playing Back the Soundtrack to My Life and Times, </i>in<i> </i>which he used his travels to chronicle not just the music that shaped him but also share revealing stories about his childhood and music career. One of the paradoxes of Neil Peart is that although he was an intensely private person, his books were unstinting in how much he opened himself up to his readers. There are many, many, many memoirs out there about people who've experienced tragic loss and devastating grief. Yet few of them immerse the reader in the experience of what it's like to go through the stages of mourning, seemingly endless concentric circles of hell, quite like his memoir <i>Ghost Rider</i> does.<br />
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Neil displayed the sort of facility with prose that he employed behind a drum kit. (Admirably, he was also a stickler for the proper use of the em-dash!) But what made him such a treasured travel writer was that he didn't just describe physical journeys—he wrote about mental ones. Neil was a thinker. Traversing swathes of the world by bicycle, motorcycle, and car, Neil was innately curious about the human condition. He wanted to parse the ideas, past and present, that shaped the places he visited and the people he met.<br />
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Neil's innate curiosity and scholarship fed into his lyrics, which offered sophisticated treatises on ethics, philosophy, and social commentary. Then again, The Professor wasn't above writing the occasional humorous riff on how a dog might view the world around him!<br />
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I could never have imagined that one day I'd get to write a book with Rush's art director Hugh Syme. I am hugely fond of Hugh, who was a joy to work with. I owe this wonderful honor to my dear friend Matt Scannell (Vertical Horizon), who recommended me to Neil, and Hugh. <a href="https://stephenhumphries.blogspot.com/2015/03/my-first-book-art-of-rush.html"><i>The</i> <i>Art of Rush</i></a> was a dream project. (Neil chose his friends carefully—as he expressed it in the "Limelight" lyric, "I can't pretend a stranger is a long-awaited friend"—because he invested so much love and time in each relationship. It's testament to the qualities of grace and love that Matt embodies and expresses that Neil befriended him.)<br />
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It was a pleasure to interview Neil again (and also Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson). Neil worked closely with Hugh on the concepts and ideas for Rush's artwork and so he was very invested in the book. I was inspired to write the best pages I could, knowing that an author I so admired would be reading them. I wanted to attain the sort of excellence he strove for.<br />
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Around the same time, Matt also invited me to write sleeve notes for Vertical Horizon's <i>Echoes from the Underground</i> album. Matt invited me to Jim Henson studios in West Hollywood to watch Neil lay down some drum tracks for that album. I sat quietly and unobtrusively in the corner of the control room, observing the virtuoso at work. (See the video of that day, below.) The sheer power of his playing made me hope they had reinforced glass in the control room. Neil was talking about a new ascending drum fill he'd been working on for some time, and unfurled it on the track to magical effect. I witnessed the immense concentration he brought to bear. And enjoyed those moments when he'd chuckle, eyes twinkling. It was an experience I'll never forget.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1nywYiKeX6g" width="425"></iframe><br />
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People may not appreciate that Neil's mastery of his drums was a result of talent, yes, but also immense practice and dedication. During the mid-1990s, Neil started taking drumming lessons with Peter Erskine and Freddie Gruber. Eager to challenge himself and learn more from those jazz masters, Neil had to fundamentally unlearn his largely self-taught style and learn anew the techniques imparted by Gruber. That work ethic applied to many aspects of Neil's life. On more than one occasion, he wrote about his great capacity for <i>endurance</i>.<br />
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Neil Peart's final tour with Rush was indeed one of fortitude. By the accounts of his band mates, Geddy and Alex, he was often in great pain. Many years of athletic drumming had taken their toll.<br />
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Those of us in the audience had no idea. (As Neil was fond of saying, quoting Gruber, “It is what it is. <i>Deal</i> with it.”) As always, Neil pushed himself past the point of excellence each night. <a href="https://www.loudersound.com/features/neil-peart-marching-to-the-beat-of-a-different-drum">In a short essay for <i>Classic Rock</i> magazine</a>, he explained how his signature drum solo that tour was the culmination of everything he had learned as a drummer.<br />
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And then Neil left the lighted stage. He retired from the band, from drumming, from public life. <br />
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Neil had other interests he wanted to pursue, such as publishing a final book, <i>Far and Wide</i>. More importantly, he wanted to spend quality time with his second wife, Carrie, and their daughter, Olivia. It was apparent from his writings how much they enriched his life. I never met his family but the bell of my heart tolls for them...<br />
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Neil had often expressed admiration for the way in which Bill Bruford had retired during his early 60s, knowing that it's best to bow out when you're at the top of your game.<br />
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“Lately, Olivia has been introducing me to new friends at school as ‘My dad – he’s a retired drummer,'” Peart told <i>Drumhead</i> magazine. “True to say,” Neil said, before adding that it’s “funny to hear.”<br />
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“It does not pain me to realize that, like all athletes, there comes a time to … take yourself out of the game,” Peart added. “I would rather set it aside then face the predicament described in our song ‘Losing It.'”<br />
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(The lyric he's referring to: “Sadder still to watch it die, than never to have known it.”)<br />
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When Neil's drumming mentor and friend Freddie Gruber was near death, he had a conversation with Neil's wife during which he told her, "I had quite a ride. I wish I could do it all again." </div>
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Those words inspired lyrics on Rush's final studio album <i>Clockwork Angels</i>: “Some days were dark/ Some nights were bright/ I wish that I could live it all again.” </div>
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In <a href="https://www.loudersound.com/features/rush-neil-peart-man-out-of-time">an interview</a> with longtime Rush chronicler Philip Wilding (whose <a href="http://philipwilding.co.uk/uncategorized/love-remains-though-everything-is-lost/">remembrance piece</a> is a must-read), Neil offered the following comment on Gruber's wistful lament, "I don’t feel that way. Maybe I will when I’m older. Nevertheless, I respected it so much...."<br />
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Neil couldn't have lived life any fuller. A "Homeric life," as Bradley Birzer, author of <i>Neil Peart: Cultural Repercussions</i>, wrote <a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/a-homeric-life-neil-peart-1952-2020/">in his tribute piece</a>. As one mourner put it on Twitter today, "He lived the lives of 10 men."<br />
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He leaves his many fans with glorious memories, millions of words, and dozens of albums of music. But he also leaves an example of how to live life—never wasting time, always looking to improve oneself, forever seeking the meaning of it all even in the darkest hours.<br />
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As he put it in the lyrics to the song "The Garden": "The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect."<br />
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During his truly extraordinary life, Neil Peart more than earned both those things.</div>
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Follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Steve_Humphries">@steve_humphries</a>.<br />
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<br />Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-8767787605203510512019-12-30T22:11:00.000-05:002019-12-30T22:11:20.292-05:00Playlist November-December<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c1UEHTMHkxM" width="425"></iframe>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Les Amazones D'Afrique—<i>Amazones Power </i>(2020)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Who—<i>Who </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds—<i>Ghosteen </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">God (Steven Wilson and Ford)—<i>Panic Underneath the Arches </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Kurt Vile—<i>Bottle it In </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Michael Kiwanuka—<i>Kiwanuka </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Marillion—<i>With Friends from the Orchestra </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Nils Frahm—<i>All Encores </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Swans—<i>Leaving Meaning </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Pineapple Thief—<i>Hold Your Fire </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Watson Twins—<i>Duo </i>(2019), <i>Southern Manners</i> (2005)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Pink Floyd—<i>The Later Years - Highlights </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Robben Ford and Bill Evans—<i>The Sun Room </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Michael Kiwanuka—<i>Kiwanuka </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">David Byrne and St. Vincent—<i>Love this Giant </i>(2012)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Shawn Colvin—<i>Live '88 </i>(2019)</li>
</ul>
Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-11188550699179338402019-12-30T22:04:00.002-05:002019-12-30T22:05:29.520-05:00When dead artists are resurrected for a tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Last month, I attended the joint comeback tour by Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison...<br />
<br />
...as holograms.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Music/2019/1204/Buddy-Holly-s-back-as-a-touring-hologram.-But-is-it-live-music">I wrote a story</a> about how hologram tours are tipped, by some, to be the next big thing. We'll see if that prediction pans out - next year's virtual tour by a hologram of Whitney Houston (backed by her former band) could be the one that breaks this trend wide open. Then again, will a virtual performer be a viable substitute for an actual person on stage?<br />
<br />
“There's all kinds of talk about the chemistry that a band has, or even a backing band has to have. It's one thing to be playing along with recordings, which most musicians have gotten used to these days. But it's an entirely different thing when your front man isn’t real,” Jem Aswad, senior music editor at Variety, told me.<br />
<br />
That lack of true connection between avatar and the band affects the audience experience, he argues. It’s a poor substitute for a flesh-and-blood show such as when Mr. Aswad witnessed Childish Gambino forge an electric connection with his audience while singing “This is America” at New York’s Madison Square Garden last year.<br />
<br />
However, fans of music from an earlier time have to make do with limited options available to them because many of the original performers are no longer alive, David Brooks, Senior Director of the Live & Touring beat at Billboard magazine, told me. That’s why some people are willing to see Queen with Adam Lambert singing instead of Freddie Mercury, Vince Neil performing in place of Glenn Frey in The Eagles, or John Mayer sitting in for Jerry Garcia in the Grateful Dead spin-off group Dead & Company.<br />
<br />
“If a fan thinks it's cool, interesting, and they know there's no alternative, they might be interested in that,” says Mr. Brooks.<br />
<br />
My take on the show I saw was that while I didn't fall into the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley">uncanny valley</a> - the holograms were, at times, quite effective - I wasn't entirely sold on the experience. After a few numbers the show had a certain sterility to it that the live backing band couldn't be overcome. A live performer interacts with the audience; the hologram just acts. The sound was, however, pristine and the show had a good production standard. I've never been into tribute bands and I don't really see the point of watching an illusion. <br />
<br />
That said, I could foresee one exception. At present there are two bands of David Bowie alumni musicians who regularly tour in tribute to their former frontman. I've not gone to see either of them because Bowie's voice is irreplaceable. But if either group were fronted by a David Bowie hologram, I'd be very curious to check it out...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrvEwmdKHVPzo_kQyDC8s2f_8TNptgRO8yzdWl8MXHt2PtfxPgU0KHBlYgSQdFDAYiVIF_oFOrxyhJlLBfUZZZs5ZaYIFGTke3CKNUiL37OVnQRm2NNbcZw5efr4Ge2ps7zPXIA/s1600/IMG_20191116_211235074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrvEwmdKHVPzo_kQyDC8s2f_8TNptgRO8yzdWl8MXHt2PtfxPgU0KHBlYgSQdFDAYiVIF_oFOrxyhJlLBfUZZZs5ZaYIFGTke3CKNUiL37OVnQRm2NNbcZw5efr4Ge2ps7zPXIA/s320/IMG_20191116_211235074.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-15913476858712246862019-10-27T18:43:00.001-04:002019-10-27T18:43:35.718-04:00Playlist Aug/Sept/Oct<br />
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">no-man—<i>Love You to Bits </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Lana del Rey—<i>Norman Fucking Rockwell </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Opeth—<i>In Cauda Venenum </i>(2019)4</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Elbow—<i>Giants of all Sizes </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Floating Points—<i>Crush </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Bat for Lashes—<i>Lost Girls </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Bent Knee—<i>You Know What they Mean </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Foals—<i>Everything Not Saved Will be Lost, pt 2 </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Tool—<i>Fear Inoculum </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Black Keys—<i>Let's Rock </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Kurt Vile—<i>Bottle It In </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Joseph Arthur—<i>Come Back World </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Robbie Robertson—<i>Sinematic </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Tinariwen—<i>Amadjar </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Sheryl Crow—<i>Threads </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Bass Communion—<i>Dronework </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Big Wreck—<i>But for the Sun... </i>(2019)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Brian Eno—<i>Apollo Atmospheres and Soundtracks </i>(2019 version)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">David Crosby—<i>Sky Trails </i>(2017)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Sarah Jarosz—<i>Follow Me Down </i>(2011)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Laura Veirs—<i>Saltbreakers </i>(2007)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Eilen Jewell—<i>Boundary County </i>(2006)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Low + Dirty Three—<i>Fishtank 7 </i>(2001)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Mark Knopfler—<i>Sailing to Philadelphia </i>(2000)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Shawn Colvin—<i>Live '88 </i>(1995)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Waterboys—<i>Room to Roam </i>(1990)</li>
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Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-50008814383502403812019-10-27T18:43:00.000-04:002019-10-27T18:43:07.453-04:00Best concerts you've ever seen?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwSXZHjzdmNz86qfxGwi3Jc40YnHKs31IBW8oX-s7WHwg2bRbnWKkK-6FlEE2NLruTxlqg9X6RjE_WDmqDi43RhncG_LeWiH7VFIaB7C0MfxEltZtAOzkZPNIi8lQuvLLM5tcSw/s1600/1091376_4_1018-CHOREOGRAPHER_standard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwSXZHjzdmNz86qfxGwi3Jc40YnHKs31IBW8oX-s7WHwg2bRbnWKkK-6FlEE2NLruTxlqg9X6RjE_WDmqDi43RhncG_LeWiH7VFIaB7C0MfxEltZtAOzkZPNIi8lQuvLLM5tcSw/s400/1091376_4_1018-CHOREOGRAPHER_standard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy</span></i><br /><br />
If you're in New York between now and early January, go see <i>David Byrne's American Utopia</i> on Broadway. He has completely reinvented what a pop concert can be. Find out more by <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/2019/1017/American-Utopia-A-choreographer-helps-reimagine-pop-concerts">reading my new interview</a> with choreographer Annie-B Parson on how she helped Byrne (who answered my questions via email) to realize his brilliant vision. One of the best shows I've ever seen.<br />
<br />What distinguishes a truly indelible concert from a good one? I got to thinking about that when I answered a quiz circulating on Twitter (see below) about one’s concertgoing history.<br />
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First concert: Johnny Clegg (Johannesburg, 1989)<br />
Last concert: Jenny Lewis (Boston, 2019)<br />
Best concert: Kate Bush (London, 2014)<br />
Worst concert: Blondie (Boston, 2017)<br />
Most concerts: Robert Plant (at least 30 times)<br />
Haven’t but wanna: Arcade Fire<br />
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In thinking about the hundreds of shows I’ve seen, I came to the conclusion that three qualities truly elevate a show. The first, naturally, is a dynamic performance. I’m thinking of Prince in Los Angeles, 2011. I watched the human dynamo play a three-hour concert in which his spontaneous fifth encore was 15 minutes after the houselights had come on and half the audience had left.<br />
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The second ingredient is an unexpected surprise. When Peter Gabriel performed “In Your Eyes” at the Hollywood Bowl, John Cusack ventured onstage – boombox in hand – in homage to that song’s role in the famous scene from “Say Anything.”<br />
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The third, perhaps most underappreciated element, is what happens in between songs. Some bands never say a single word to the audience. By contrast, indie-pop singer Feist made an unforgettable 2017 theater show feel like a campfire singalong among friends.<br />
<br />
After the audience joined in on a complex harmony, the Canadian songwriter joked, "You're all hired for the band. Tour bus leaves at 10:15 for Toronto. Get your passports. I suppose that would make you defectors!"<br />
<br />
At one point, Feist glanced up when my wife did a bird whistle before the start of the avian-themed "Caught a Long Wind." The two began exchanging bird calls.<br />
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Isn’t connection the quality we yearn for most in music? It can happen when recorded sounds in one’s headphones make one feel an ethereal bond with artists – together, but alone. But it’s extra-special when hundreds of enthralled strangers join in musical fellowship, like that evening with Feist.<br />
<br />Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-6191793803092238172019-08-18T12:48:00.003-04:002019-08-18T12:59:23.910-04:00Playlist June through July<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XfHPGNMvbtM" width="425"></iframe>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Thom Yorke—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Anima </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Eilen Jewell—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Gypsy </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Jesca Hoop—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Stonechild </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Waterboys—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Where the Action Is </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Calexico + Iron and Wine—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Years to Burn </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Cross Record</span>—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Cross Record </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Rory Gallagher—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Blues </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">These New Puritans—<i>I</i><i style="font-size: 14.85px;">nside the Rose </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Santana</span>—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Africa Speaks </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Ludovico Einaudi—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Seven Days Walking, day 4 and day 5 </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The National—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">I am Easy to Find </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Radiohead—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Minidiscs [Hacked] </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Ben Granfelt—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">My Soul to You - Live </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Courtney Swain—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Between Blood and Ocean </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Marillion—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">dotcom </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019), <i>en el marquee</i> (2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">David Crosby—<i>Here if You Listen</i><i style="font-size: 14.85px;"> </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2018)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Elbow—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Live at Jodrell Bank </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2012)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">These New Puritans—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Field of Reeds </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2010)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">David Bowie—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Glastonbury 2000 </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2018), <i>Storytellers</i> (1999), <i>Never Let Me Down</i> (1987), <i>Tonight</i> (1984)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">XTC—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Apple Venus, Vol. 1 </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(1999)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Beatles—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Beatles for Sale </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(1964)</span></li>
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Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-50531000831497833352019-08-18T12:48:00.002-04:002019-08-18T12:54:09.921-04:00By the time I got to Woodstock...<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During a trip to Bethel, New York, to report a story about the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock festival, I met three recent college graduates in the parking lot outside the Woodstock museum. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They were agog at the difference between that concert and modern-day festivals. It wasn't just the cost of a $7 ticket versus a $300 ticket to today’s extravaganzas, but also the degree of communal openness at Woodstock. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You know any of the festivals I've ever gone to, people liked to isolate themselves and kind of set up their own camps with the people that they were there with,” said one. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I've definitely seen a lot of pictures where people were like, nude, swimming in the river nearby,” said another, who was wearing a Pink Floyd T-shirt. “No, I don't think I could imagine anyone doing that.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I can't imagine my grandmother having ever been here,” added the first student. “And she was.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story I wrote, all 3000 words of it, was about how the iconic festival shaped a generation - and how that generation both resembles and differs from the young iGen today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">It's the cover story of this week's issue of </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The Christian Science Monitor</i></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> magazine. You <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Music/2019/0812/Field-of-tie-dyed-dreams-How-Woodstock-changed-a-generation">can also read it online at this link</a>.</span></span><br />
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Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-40431910593052359482019-04-27T12:56:00.000-04:002019-04-27T12:56:38.505-04:00Playlist April<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ik2Fp3c5-2k" width="425"></iframe>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Joy Williams—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Front Porch </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Danger Mouse and Karen O—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Lux Prima </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Ludovico Einaudi—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Seven Days Walking </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Peter Gabriel—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Rated PG </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Jeff Buckley—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">In Transition </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Riverside—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Love, Fear, and the Time Machine </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2015)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Pineapple Thief—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Magnolia </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2014)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">XTC—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Skylarking </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(1986)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Cocteau Twins—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Treasure </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(1984)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Pink Floyd—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Atom Heart Mother </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(1970)</span></li>
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Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-13437104674766319852019-04-27T12:53:00.000-04:002019-04-27T12:58:37.176-04:00My new job....<br />
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In some personal news, I have just been hired as Chief Culture Writer at <i><a href="https://csmonitor.com/">The Christian Science Monitor</a></i>. (I didn't choose the grandiose job title!)<br />
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The newspaper, a pioneering bastion of journalism, was founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1908. It was as an alternative to the pervasive "yellow journalism" of the day. As the newspaper's masthead proclaims, "To injure no man, but to bless all mankind." It has won multiple Pulitzer Prizes and renown for its non-sensationalistic, fair, truth-seeking approach. Fundamental journalistic principles that, at the time of its arrival, seemed novel! Perhaps it shouldn't be called a newspaper anymore given that <i>The Christian Science Monitor </i>ceased printing a daily newspaper over a decade ago and moved online. These days it's a <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/About/Monitor-Daily">daily digital publication</a> but we also produce also a <a href="https://subscribe.csmonitor.com/pubs/TF/CSX/A31-CSX_Multititle.jsp?cds_page_id=232996&cds_mag_code=CSX&id=1556382241501&lsid=91171124014043218&vid=1&icid=mkt%3Aweb%3Ar-blk-wk-sub2&cds_tracking_code=r-blk-wk-sub2&cds_response_key=I8KCSXW02&cds_campaign_code=18web">weekly print magazine</a>.<br />
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Poke around <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/">the website </a>or, better yet, subscribe. It's a publication for thinkers. A focus on stepping back from the news to focus on big ideas underlying the news—a look at trends, understanding others, prevalent modes of thought, and identifying progress in the world (as well as pointing areas that require attention and help). <i>The Christian Science Monitor is </i>also renowned for its truly global focus with international bureaus across the world.<br />
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I previously worked at the newspaper from 1999-2009 where I conceived and edited the Weekend Section. I was also a writer at the Los Angeles bureau prior to leaving for a freelance career. I'm thrilled to return to the newspaper. Here's a few articles I've written since my return. (Note, the newspaper allows non-subscribers to read five free articles a month.)<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Music/2019/0308/Is-the-music-industry-finally-facing-its-MeToo-moment">Is the music industry finally facing its #MeToo moment?</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Music/2019/0322/Rock-on.-How-biopics-are-giving-rock-n-roll-new-life">Rock on. How biopics are giving rock ’n’ roll new life.</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/2019/0401/Apple-joins-the-streaming-menu-but-are-viewers-already-full">Apple joins the streaming menu, but are viewers already full?</a></b><br />
<b><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/2019/0419/Holy-grail-how-Hollywood-can-get-religious-movies-right"><br /></a></b>
<b><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/2019/0419/Holy-grail-how-Hollywood-can-get-religious-movies-right">Holy Grail: How can Hollywood get religious movies right?</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Music/2019/0412/Bye-bye-harassment-Musicians-take-a-stand-for-festival-safety">Bye-bye harassment: Musicians take a stand for festival safety</a></b><br />
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<br />Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-70550883785074559112019-03-30T19:21:00.002-04:002019-03-30T19:21:19.555-04:00Playlist March<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_UwsP3ioiks" width="425"></iframe> <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Loma—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Half Silences, </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">single</span><i style="font-size: 14.85px;"> </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Foals—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Everything Not Saved Will be Lost </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Jon Anderson—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">1000 Hands </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Jenny Lewis—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">On the Line </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Kate Bush—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Other Sides </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">The Mute Gods</span>—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Aethiests and Believers </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Jack Hughes and the Quartet feat. Syd Arthur—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Nobody's Fault but Mine </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Waterboys—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Karma to Burn </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2005)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Sunny Day Real Estate—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">How it Feels to be Something On </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(1998)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Peter Case—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Six-Pack of Love </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(1992)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">XTC—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Skylarking </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(1986)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">U2—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Under a Blood Red Sky </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(1983)</span></span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Talk Talk—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">The Party's Over </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(1982)</span></li>
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Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-8143693771142945462019-03-18T21:55:00.001-04:002019-03-18T21:55:53.790-04:00Is the music industry finally having its #MeToo Moment?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As assignments go, my latest Culture story for <i><a href="http://csmonitor.com/">The Christian Science Monitor</a></i> took a lot of digging to get people to talk.<br />
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<a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Music/2019/0308/Is-the-music-industry-finally-facing-its-MeToo-moment">My lengthy think piece</a> explored whether the music industry is finally having its #MeToo reckoning now that Ryan Adams, R.Kelly, and Michael Jackson are finally being held to account. Over the past half year, groups such as The Orwells, Hookworms, Sorority Noise have disbanded following allegations of sexual misconduct by individual members. Sigur Ros and Real Estate parted ways with band members accused of, respectively, sexual assault and sexual misconduct. Industry titans Charlie Walk, Russell Simmons, and LA Reid have been fired following disturbing allegations.<br />
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I wanted to exploring what, if anything, has changed. It seemed to me that there's been a shift in power within the industry. And there's also been a shift in how the public at large views #MeToo abuses. (I took all the Ryan Adams albums I own—above—off my CD shelf and haven't had any desire to listen to them of late, though I will return to them some day. Just not anytime soon...)<br />
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And yet, even though the likes of Amber Coffman, Phoebe Bridgers, Lydia Loveless and Julia Holter have used their online platforms to name alleged abusers in the music scene, many others have remained silent about instances of sexual harassment, sexual misbehavior, and even rape. They're often afraid for their careers, especially those who are unknown.<br />
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As influential publicist Judy Miller Silverman of Motormouth Media put it to me, "Because the onus of coming out and trying to have a career is difficult because then suddenly you're beholden to male A&R people and label people saying, 'Oh, that's the musician that outed the blah-blah. She's trouble.' To keep your own career safe, you almost have to get to a certain place. You need to be at a certain level in order to be secure or you're worried that your career is over before it's begun."<br />
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Judy also mentioned how difficult it is to be the first person to go on the record to name an abuser, hoping that others follow. "What if no one else comes forward and their accusation is hanging in the wind?" said Miller Silverman.<br />
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For my story, I wanted to talk to people in the industry who were victims. I put out numerous feelers via various contacts and...nothing. Well, not quite. I knew at least two people who knew victims but had no success in getting them to talk to me. And then, via a third contact, a woman decided to talk to me about her story. It took her three days to muster the courage. During our 90-minute interview, I think I forgot to exhale. This musician told me one helluva story about a famous rock musician, the full details of which I'm not able to reveal. She asked for anonymity because she's not a famous musician and she feared the "court of public opinion." Even so, she was very brave to tell me her story, one she hasn't told to many people. I only wished I'd had more space to tell the full tale. But you can read her story <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Music/2019/0308/Is-the-music-industry-finally-facing-its-MeToo-moment">in my piece</a>.<br />
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I have a feeling that there are going to be many more stories about #MeToo abuses emerging from the music industry in the coming months and years. In the wake of the Ryan Adams story, Juliana Hatfield noted in a tweet, "i imagine that a lot of rock star guys are scared right now.”<br />
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<br />Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-2098551344754203482019-02-28T12:24:00.000-05:002019-03-18T21:57:49.932-04:00Playlist February<br />
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Dido—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Still on My Mind </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(upcoming, 2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Tim Bowness—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Flowers at the Scene </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(upcoming, 2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Patty Griffin—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Patty Griffin </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(upcoming 2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">The Mute Gods</span>—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Aethiests and Believers </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(upcoming 2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Jessica Pratt—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Quiet Signs </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Rustin' Man—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Drift Code </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Rival Sons—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Feral Roots </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2019)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">The Pineapple Thief—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Dissolution </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2018)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Father John Misty—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Pure Comedy </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2017)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Marillion—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">A Sunday Night Above the Rain </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2014)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Sarah Jarosz—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">Build Me Up from Bones </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(2013)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Pink Floyd—<i style="font-size: 14.85px;">More: Original Soundtrack </i><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">(1969)</span></li>
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Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13479595.post-65712347474901423682019-02-27T22:51:00.003-05:002019-02-27T22:52:55.697-05:00Mark Hollis: A life (1955-2019)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKY1I6hM-X3ZQiEyz6NuHRokT699kss_lZbcKzcpU8_u48OncSSZm0zqsxDvGX8Rxt5R_ZFnC7J0Ph76Al9chjtdT-hdEPKfyczN949axG2qbrt4-4tjKgDQAN8Asms5gqOc033Q/s1600/IMG_20190226_023335430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKY1I6hM-X3ZQiEyz6NuHRokT699kss_lZbcKzcpU8_u48OncSSZm0zqsxDvGX8Rxt5R_ZFnC7J0Ph76Al9chjtdT-hdEPKfyczN949axG2qbrt4-4tjKgDQAN8Asms5gqOc033Q/s400/IMG_20190226_023335430.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
The thing about rock stars is that we somehow expect them to live forever. We often forget that these musical gods are mere mortals. So when they die, we're seldom prepared for the news when it comes.<br />
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On Monday afternoon, I saw a tweet on Twitter that Mark Hollis of Talk Talk had died. It wasn't an official announcement—it was something more like a rumor. It seemed hard to believe. He was only 64 years old. But, since Hollis quit his professional music career 18 years ago, he's been so elusive, his life so private, that it's almost as if he had completely disappeared off the planet. No one knew anything about what he'd been up to. I imagine that Hollis was one of the inspirations for Nick Hornby's excellent novel <i>Juliet, Naked</i> (recently made into a movie) about a fictitious musician who mysteriously packed it all in and hadn't been heard of, let alone spotted, for decades.<br />
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By all accounts, Hollis was quite humble and quite ordinary in his down-to-earth nature (he wasn't the sort of exotic alien species of rock star like Bowie or Prince). Yet his disappearance and disinterest meant that fans bestowed upon him a mythos, a certain mystique—qualities that also apply to Talk Talk's utterly timeless music. During all those years since Hollis had exited the public square, I held out a faint hope that he'd pull a Kate Bush and announce a surprise shows as a solo artist or with a reunited Talk Talk. I would have flown cross-Atlantic for those shows, just as I did with Kate Bush. (Btw, few people know this but Hollis and Bush briefly tried writing in the studio together in the 1990s but it didn't work out. A shame. That tantalizing partnership remains one of music's great <i>what ifs?</i>) But Hollis was the rare artist who had little interest in returning for a cash-in reunion, writing a memoir, or producing a comeback album for the Spotify generation.<br />
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So when word of Hollis's death spread on Twitter on Monday and the confirmations began to arrive, I sat down at my laptop and spent three feverish hours writing a lengthy <a href="http://www.undertheradarmag.com/news/mark_hollis_of_talk_talk_a_life_1955_-_2019/">obituary/appreciation for <i>Under the Radar </i>magazine</a>. (The piece doesn't flow and breathe the way I would've liked but it was a rush job to get something up on the website.)<br />
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it was a sad moment for an ardent fan such as myself. The finality of the selfish wish for a return of some sort so that we could have <i>more</i> of his remarkable gift.<br />
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...But he'd already given us so much. He endured a torturous experience in making of <i>The Spirit of Eden</i> and <i>Laughing Stock. (</i>Things were so bad that engineer Phill Brown's wife told him that if he did that if he ever spent that many months locked in a studio again that he could move out.)<br />
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So it's best to be grateful to Hollis for those beautiful works he created for Talk Talk and as a solo artist. They include five albums that don't sound dated and whose qualities ensure that they will remain timeless masterpieces.<br />
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This week I've swapped emails with several musicians who were as deeply affected by Mark's passing as I was. We all know how special he was. I also emailed Toby Benjamin who runs the Spirit of Talk Talk fansite on Facebook. Several years ago, Toby spearheaded a <i>beautiful</i> and informative book titled S<i>pirit of Talk Talk, </i>cowritten by music writer Chris Roberts (<a href="https://www.loudersound.com/features/if-you-understand-it-you-do-an-appreciation-of-the-late-mark-hollis">read his tribute piece here</a>) and longtime Talk Talk visual artist James Marsh. (I also contributed some interviews about Talk Talk with Elbow's Guy Garvey, Robert Plant, Glenn Phillips, Richard Barbieri, and David Torn). Toby also put together a Talk Talk tribute album featuring King Creosote, White Lies, Zero 7, Jayson Little, Turin Brakes, Goldheart Assembly, Joan As Police Woman, Duncan Sheik, Nils Frahm, The Acorn, Alan Wilder, and Linton Kwesi Johnson. (Apparently Hollis's favorite track on it was a classical music version of <i>April 5th</i> by Matthius Vogt Trio.)<br />
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In my email to Toby, I expressed how much it would have meant to Mark Hollis if he could have seen all the love and affection in the tributes to him. Toby responded, "Mark wouldn't care about any of it. Its a nice thought but he was really beyond all praise and adulation of any kind. He did it and moved on."<br />
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Fans such as Toby and myself will find it harder to move on. Thank you, Mark, for creating transcendent art that has affected so many of us inside the most intimate part of our souls.<br />
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Stephen Humphrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14613362706549737345noreply@blogger.com0