Tag Archives: Chuck Berry

“Respect isn’t enough. You’ve got to have a proprietary interest.” — Chuck Berry

“The epitome of what it is to be a rock ‘n’ roll guitar player, songwriter and singer.” — Joan Jett Listen, he was not a good person, nor was he well-liked, but legends don’t have to be good morally upstanding … Continue reading

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Stressful Autumn Shuffle

The past two months have been so stressful I’m not sure I even processed the stress. I’ve been up in Rhode Island, mostly, and then Allison and I went and stayed in a cottage in the woods of Connecticut for … Continue reading

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Winter/Spring iPod shuffle: I find doing these relaxing

“Look What They’ve Done To My Song” – Miley Cyrus. Every song in “The Backyard Sessions” has a purity of emotion and expression that GETS to me. “Jordon River” – The Raunch Hands. In my parents’ record collection. We were … Continue reading

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Year in Review: Running my mouth in 2017

It’s been a God-awful year in so many unprecedented ways. It’s also been a great year for me professionally (which has brought with it its own set of challenges.) Here are some of the things I’ve written this year. Reviews, … Continue reading

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Autumnal iPod Shuffle

Been a while since I’ve done one of these. I am working 3, 4 jobs and my writing career has morphed into a semi-regular schedule of work – expected and unexpected – but I will NEVER give up this blog. … Continue reading

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Two Obsessives: Pat McCurdy and I Discuss Elvis

Pat McCurdy and I go way WAY back. He’s a brilliant songwriter and performer in the Milwaukee/Chicago area. I first saw him play in Chicago. (Well, actually, this isn’t true. I first saw him when I was 12 or 13 … Continue reading

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Commute iPod Shuffle

Those buildings are reflecting the dying gleams of the sunset. With the moon soaring above. I just stood there staring for about 15 minutes. And it was freezing. Been a while since I’ve done one of these. My life, my … Continue reading

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On Chuck Berry:

Two pieces I want to link to, written by people I know, yes, no shame in that, I know smart people! 1. Glenn Kenny writes a beautiful and smart essay on Berry for Rogerebert.com – Kenny really knows his music, … Continue reading

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“Johnny B. Goode” in Outer Space

The Voyager spacecraft was launched in 1977 with many objects on board, a floating time capsule, and … maybe … a message to whomever might find it on the other end, light-years away. Included was the “Voyager Golden Record,” a … Continue reading

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“If you had to give Rock ‘n’ Roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.” – John Lennon

“Memphis, Tennessee:” This is how you write a song. DAMN. There are multiple characters. An uncle who writes stuff on the wall. A mother who caused problems. There’s a location mentioned so exact you could locate it with GPS. There’s … Continue reading

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