music

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The Late Movies: Happy Birthday, Freddie Mercury

Today would have been Freddie Mercury's 66th birthday. We lost him in 1991, the year before Wayne's World brought his opus "Bohemian Rhapsody" to a new generation. Mercury had a stunning voice, spanning four octaves, and his stage presence was sized to match. To blow your mind, check out this vocals-only track from "Under Pressure" (with David Bowie). I have advanced it to the point where Mercury belts out his insane "whyyyyyyyyyyyy!" This. Now, let's settle in for some Queen classics, and... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Paul Simon's Concert in Central Park, 21 Years Later

Twenty-one years ago today, Paul Simon put on a massive concert in Central Park. The performance on August 15, 1991 focused on material from his albums Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints, plus an assortment of greatest hits of his previous work, including Simon & Garfunkel material...but without Garfunkel. The resulting double album has been required listening in my house for the following two+ decades. Of course, Simon's 1991 Concert in the Park wasn't his first Central Park blowout -- way back in... READ ON

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The Night The Beatles Rocked Shea Stadium

Though the Fab Four found it hard to remember the second occasion, the Beatles actually played Shea Stadium twice. When he was later asked about the "second Shea Stadium concert," George Harrison replied, "Did we play Shea twice?" Ringo Starr was asked the same question and gave the same exact response, "Did we play Shea twice?" This is rather understandable, with the Beatles' extraordinarily eventful career, the excessive drugs taken, and the natural flaws of memory. Another word would probably also... READ ON

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Embrace the Remix

In this ten-minute video, Kirby Ferguson explains how the basic elements of a "remix" are actually the core parts of all creative work. Ferguson uses Bob Dylan as a case study -- and he's right to do so. Dylan's early work was clearly based on other folk tunes, and there's nothing wrong with that. Dylan modeled himself largely on Woody Guthrie, who is also mentioned in here. Guthrie's immortal quote is put in context: "The words are the important thing. Don't worry about tunes. Take a tune, sing... READ ON

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11 Songs Inspired by Literature

Devo and Thomas Pynchon. Mick Jagger and Charles Baudelaire. Though they seem like rather unlikely pairings, many great rock songs have been the result of a lyricist finding inspiration in the pages of a book. These are just the tip of the iceberg - be sure to share your favorite literary-inspired lyrics in the comments.1. The Song: “Pigs (Three Different Ones)," Pink Floyd.The Novel: Animal Farm, George... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Geeking Out on "The Edge's" Guitar Rig

Today in 1961, Dave Evans (known as "The Edge" of U2) was born. In the 51 years since, The Edge has become known for his layered, echoing guitar lines. He famously developed an ultra-complex guitar rig, involving a massive pedal board, a series of rack-mounted effects processors, a stunning array of pedals, and a series of vintage amps. While this mega-tech approach seems fairly common now, its complexity was decidedly over-the-top when U2 debuted. Wikipedia discusses The Edge's signature riff for... READ ON

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The Stories Behind 15 Albums Named After Numbers, Featuring a Lot of Van Halen

When you think about it, most album titles are a little cryptic (Fiona Apple, I love you, but that's a lot of title). But there’s something especially intriguing about a record that goes by nothing but a few digits. Those digits are usually anything but random, so here are a few of those musical mysteries, unraveled. 1. The Beatles: 1. All 27 songs on the 2000 album were #1 hits in either the U.S. or the U.K. (though some made it as the B side of a hit single). You may have noticed the exclusion of... READ ON

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The Late Movies: The First 7 Videos on MTV

MTV turns 31 today. It launched one minute past midnight on August 1, 1981, with footage of Space Shuttle Columbia and Apollo 11 launches, then the words "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll," spoken by John Lack, one of the creators of MTV. An extended version of the MTV theme riff played, and then we were treated to the first set of music videos on MTV. Tonight, let's remember those early music videos by watching them. In order. First up, here's that intro bit: 0. "Ladies and gentlemen, rock... READ ON

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How "The Power" Literally Rocked the House

Turbo B and Penny Ford, featured performers on "The Power" On July 5, 2011, the 39-story "Techno-Mart" mall in Seoul, South Korea shook for ten minutes, causing a two-day evacuation and an investigation. The cause of the tremors? Seismic experts concluded that "The Power," a dance hit by the band Snap!, simply rocked too hard. Tae Bo Power - It's Gettin' Kinda Hectic When the shaking occurred, it was felt only in the upper floors of the Techno-Mart. An investigation revealed that several... READ ON

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The Late Movies: "Paul's Boutique" Turns 23

The Beastie Boys released their opus Paul's Boutique today, July 25, way back in 1989. (To some of us that doesn't seem so long ago.) It was their second record, and the band faced tremendous pressure to meet or exceed Licensed to Ill, known for anthemic party-rock/hip-hop hits like "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" and "No Sleep till Brooklyn." The Dust Brothers produced Paul's Boutique and in many cases actually wrote the music and arranged the samples. Although at first the album wasn't... READ ON