I sat down the other night for one hour of perfect writing time, the kind of time recommended by experts who write books on writing.
The Ballad of Easy Procrastinator
From The Stacks: ‘Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan’
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2020 nominees were announced this week, and as always the list included a few surprises. Among them was Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, one of the […]
Deep Cuts: Pain Songs
All of the good stuff shares a border with pain.
Deep Cuts: Songs For No Names
I’ve had a lot of names over the course of my life. I’ve been Jimmy, Jim, James, Jimbo, Jimmy Mac, Jaime, Jamie, and Hymes. I’ve been Mr. Stafford, Dad, Son, and a […]
From the Stacks: The Vibrators, ‘Pure Mania’ (White Label Promo)
June 1977: American DJs are spinning Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke,” KC & the Sunshine Band’s “I’m Your Boogie Man,” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” Leo Sayer, Glen Campbell, and David “Hutch from Starsky […]
From The Stacks: The Police, ‘De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da’ (Foreign Language Single)
You don’t get to be the biggest band in the world by ignoring huge swaths of the world.
Deep Cuts: The Best of Not Prince
One can sum up ’80s pop music with four artists: Bruce, Madonna, Michael, and Prince. In a way they were the last of the real superstars. The ’90s belonged to the anti-stars […]
204. Sittin’ On Top of the World
John gave me a raise. Thanks to Tales From the Crypt I was now bringing home $500 per week, double what I made at Music Plus. Combined with Jody’s talent agency salary […]
Deep Cuts: MLK Songs
This has been a two-fer week for me. Martin Luther King Day aligned with deadlines both here and on The Good Men Project, so the two of you who read me in […]
Deep Cuts: Rocket Songs
Okay, so maybe the rockets of my childhood weren’t the kinds that shot monkeys into space. Why the hell were we firing monkeys into space, anyway? I’ll tell you why: because guys […]
Why It Matters 