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 I'm excited to announce that a self-contained chapter from my novel-in-progress Welcome to Accident has just gone live at Four Way Review. This is an exciting first for me, and I am pleased to see my work alongside such good writing. Muzzie and Kev are two characters who I've been living with for a while now, and so it is nice to see them reach a larger audience. Here's hoping, you'll be seeing lots more of them in the future!
For now head on over and give "Singing Backup" a read. There's also audio on the right of the page, so if you want to listen to my dulcet tones while you do it, be my guest!
Click the link to watch on Youtube
Saturday Morning Soundtrack #69: "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" by Pink Floyd (1979)9/13/2014  It's been a busy time here for me with my new job and with my brother's wedding, but I'm excited to be finishing up the 1970s (finally!). This was the year that Video Killed the Radio Star ushering in the 80s and an era of New Wave music, and there were some great songs released by a few of my favorite bands, but the top song of the year for me was also (I believe) the top song of the year on the Billboard charts. It remains Pink Floyd's most iconic song, and was the band's only single to top the charts in the U.S. and U.K. . . . . Saturday Morning Soundtrack #68: "American Dream Plan B" by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (2014)8/16/2014
 I guess maybe we should call this "Sunday Morning Soundtrack" this week--I had the entry written, but I got caught up with some other work yesterday morning and complete forgot to post it! Still, better late than never, right? I've been on a big Sting kick lately, ever since watching this brilliant TED Talk about artistic inspiration, and so it's no surprise that this week, I'll be taking a look at the first hit single ever produced by The Police. So sit down with your morning cup of coffee, and let the music play. . . .  With some new responsibilities on my plate Saturday Morning Soundtrack is going to be switching over to a new schedule. It'll really be more like "Every Second Saturday Morning Soundtrack" with me offering up the same semi-coherent fanatical ruminations on my favorite rock and roll songs on the second and fourth Saturday of each month (plus some special occasions). Today I'm looking at arguably the best rock song of all time. In fact, I almost didn't pick the song because it was too well known, too obvious a choice. But at the end of the day, I still love this song, and its iconic guitar solos provided too good to pass up!  Well, I missed a week due to travel, but I'm making up for it this week with a great B-side from America's original punk rockers. You'd be hard-pressed to find a song that captures the 1970s Cold War paranoia than this crazy tune. So enjoy! A couple more gems from 1976:  Well, we've reached the half-way point of the 70s, and I know what you're thinking, two Fleetwood Mac songs in three weeks? Well, I didn't plan it that way, but that's the fun thing about this trip through the decades, it's hard to anticipate what is going to happen. The truth is Fleetwood Mac is generally not one of my favorite bands. I like them, but I don't love them. That said, there aren't many songs better for listening to on a long night drive than this week's selection . . . .  I had a very difficult time picking a song from 1974. Sure, there are a few obvious hits ("Sweet Home Alabama," anyone?) but nothing that really blew my hair back. Who knew '74 was such a down year for rock and roll? Fortunately, I remembered this early gem from "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band . . . ."  We're stepping away from the countdown this week to bring you a guest Soundtrack Entry from writer, scholar, music fan extraordinaire Dominique Bruno. We aren't venturing too far in time, though, as Dominique takes a look at one of her strangest favorites from the late 70s.  1973 was a pretty "anthemic" year. We have "Freebird," "Angie," "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," "Dream On," and a slew of hard rockin' Zep tunes to name a few. But we're going to think smaller this week as we look at a pop song from the Piano Man himself. (No, not that song, though I am a big fan of a bar room sing-a-long.) No, we're going to listen to a number that's a bit more laid back, my all-time favorite song by Mr. Joel. . . .  For me, 1973 is the year that really started sounding like "the seventies" (though 60s soul is still going strong at this point with bands like the Temptations, the O'Jays, and the Chi-Lites churning out hits). Laid back bands like the Doobie Brothers, America, and Chicago are starting to emerge. Neil Young has gone solo. David Bowie has entered his Ziggy Stardust phase. Stevie Wonder remains bigger than ever. Elton John is a rising star. And singer-songwriters like Randy Newman, Harry Chapin, Paul Simon, Jim Croce, and John Denver are thriving. This is a time that truly highlights rock and pop's diversity--all the way from Alice Cooper to the Eagles. I really wanted to look at "Brandy" by one-hit wonder Looking Glass--the story of a resiliant barmaid in a port town who falls in love with a roving sailor. It's storytelling at its finest. However, I just couldn't pass up this week's song, which holds a special significance to me. So this week do yourself a favor: listen to both!  We're up to 1971 in this week's installment of Saturday Morning Soundtrack, and it's an incredibly tough year to choose from. Consider this: in 1971, Led Zeppelin released the most seminal rock song of all time, "Stairway to Heaven." John Lennon invited us all to "Imagine" a different, more peaceful world. Don McLean wrote his famous ode to America, "American Pie." The Who released their teenage angst anthem "Baba O'Riley." And Marvin Gaye asked the question of the decade "What's Going On?" Try picking a favorite out of that bunch! Not to mention all the other great songs I haven't mentioned, like "Riders on the Storm," "Me and Bobby McGee," "Wild Horses," "It Don't Come Easy," and "Ain't No Sunshine." '71 was truly a great year for music! As I always do when confronted with a difficult song choice, I dug a bit deeper and found a track that's often overlooked. It may not be quite as life-changing as some of the songs listed above, but I hope it's one that will get you moving in your seat. . . .  It's been busy around here lately, but fortunately, we're back up and running this month with some great updates forthcoming--the first of which is our opening Soundtrack entry for the 70s. We start with my favorite song of all time by one of my favorite bands of all time (though, admittedly, that first ranking changes from day to day!) So, kick back, and enjoy one of the great classics this week!  Well, we're back after a two-week vacation, and what a better way to kick start things than with a guest blog by resident metal expert Dan Joyce. Dan's mission is to show folks that metal is an expansive, vibrant genre with a great deal of variety and range, and lots to love. This week's track comes from a concept album that proves that point nicely. So enjoy!  We're going to take a break this week in The Soundtrack, but in a few weeks we'll be back with the dawn of a new decade: 1970. In the mean time, feel free to catch up with the music from weeks past!
 We're rounding out another decade in The Soundtrack, and 1969 was a tough year to choose. The Beatles and the Stones are still going strong, while other groups like Led Zeppelin, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby Stills and Nash, and The Guess Who are beginning to gain fame and attention. As I often do when faced with a tough decision, I dug deeper into my library and found one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands of all time. This isn't exactly a "buried treasure," but it is a song that's easy to overlook when we think about this era of rock and roll.  We're heading back to 1967 for this week's installment of Saturday Morning Soundtrack, when bell bottom jeans, tie dye, fringe jackets, and paisley prints were all the groovy rage. To celebrate, we're featuring a song that has gone down as one of the most iconic (and time-honored) tunes of the 1960s!  This week on the Soundtrack, I'll be taking a look at song written and performed by a former student and dynamite musician, Jacob Dunn. Jacob has been generous enough to share a song off his recent eponymous album and some insight into his songwriting process in a short Q & A after the review. You don't want to miss this!  It's Super Bowl weekend, which means I'll be busy prepping for the game, but The Soundtrack still goes on. In honor of the big game, we're taking a break from our countdown and taking a look at one of the bands that will be featured during this Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show--a group that also happens to be one of my favorite bands! Don't forget to check back next week when we'll be featuring a very special guest musician! |
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