The I Ching says it best: Music eases tension from the heart, releases thoughts from the mind, and inspires us to greatness. For many people, music is a fundamental way they cope with the world. Lance Rally, the main character of The Pursuit of Cool, is one such person. Like most young people, he is […]
Duran Duran, with their unique synthpop sound, pastel clothing and male model looks, was the perfect creation for early MTV. They were the first to use exotic location shoots and cinematic techniques in their music videos. Like “Hungry Like The Wolf,” a companion video filmed in Sri Lanka, “Rio” was directed by Russell Mulcahy. The genius […]
When “Once in A Lifetime” debuted on MTV in 1981 it went into heavy rotation in the consciousness of everyone who saw it and became an instant classic. The Talking Heads went from being artsy underground musicians to the coolest of New Wavers. The video highlights all the early VHS video effects: multiple images, squiggly […]
The music video for “Come On Eileen,” a lethally infectious single by Dexys Midnight Runners, hit MTV in 1982 and that zippy violin melody and images of shirtless hillbillies have been burning in our brains ever since. 80s videos were beloved because they combined storytelling with music and few did it better than “Come on […]
The story of the three Followill brothers (plus a cousin) is one that would naturally appeal to English fans, predisposing them to worship and salivating claims of authenticity. The sons of a traveling Pentecostal minister, the journey of these Tennessee boys, from discarding church life to finding Led Zeppelin and worldly vices in Nashville, is […]
Here’s some mean-spirited irony: it all begins with a recycling bin. Save the planet, small carbon footprint, and feel like I’m not among the decimating and despoiling human herd. A big blue plastic bin, overflowing with magazines. It’s impossible to drag from the sides without busting it, the damn thing is so heavy. So I […]
Charleston, South Carolina, where I grew up, is a wonderful antebellum town, containing descendants of the remarkably stubborn and contentious people who gleefully fired cannon balls at Fort Sumter to start the civil war. A town where everyone knows how to shuck an oyster, sail a sailboat, and owns a seersucker suit. A kind of […]
The universe is one strange mofo. Exactly one week after standing in the rain and hearing Paul McCartney remark that it was the anniversary of Woodstock, this postcard of Southeast Asians on a bicycle arrived in my mailbox. It said: Robert, 40 years ago you bought my Skidmore t-shirt in Woodstock. Hopefully this card will […]
Paul McCartney played Piedmont Park on August 15. I was there. Keep in mind, I am no lover of celebrity. I don’t want anyones autograph. Saw Andie McDowell walking through the airport. Didn’t care. Reality celebrities? They deserve to be trampled. I’m a Beatles fan since the 5th grade. When Paul took the stage at […]
My eyes were glued to the man the entire concert at Piedmont Park. I glanced at his rocking guitar mates occasionally, but quickly zinged back to Paul. My discovery — the man is a goofball. He’s wacky. When he first strolled onto stage, he said,“When I’m at these things, first I like to take it […]
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