breakbeats are evidence of how we were once broken, and i want nothing more than to bring about a healing.
questlove (née ?uestlove) — phily-born d
breakbeats are evidence of how we were once broken, and i want nothing more than to bring about a healing.
questlove (née ?uestlove) — phily-born drummer, dj, producer, filmmaker, author, publisher, polymath, curator, music encyclopedia, founding member of the legendary roots crew, and ambassadorial hip-hop figure — is not only an elder statesman of rap (do you want more?!!!??! turns 30 next year!), but also a sage, self-reflective chronicler of the art form's past and present. his latest outing, hip-hop is history, "celebrate[s] the hip-hop genre in all its diversity and vision, not to mention all its flummery and flaws."
quest's new book is a chronological account (in chapters covering five-year segments) of the most notable emcees, djs, producers, records, tracks, moments, innovations, beefs, and ongoing legacy of hip-hop's first half-century. published following the genre's 50th anniversary in 2023, hip-hop is history celebrates, elucidates, and excavates. it de-mythologizes, it honors, it reconsiders. it venerates and it scrutinizes. most of all, it finds questlove offering a tour of hip-hop in a personal (and personable) style, with his own fervor, bias, perspective, and tastes amply displayed and argued.
hip-hop is history (written with ben greenman, as with quest's memoir, mo' meta blues [greenman is also the author of dig if you will the picture: funk, sex, god and genius in the music of prince, with foreword by questlove]) is for the casual and hardcore fan alike. whereas jeff chang's seminal can't stop, won't stop offers a comprehensive account set within its proper sociopolitical context, hip-hop is history traces the same massive arc, but does so in a more intimate, personal way. questlove holding court on nearly any subject is worth undivided attention, but when he serves as rap docent, there's not a better guide in all the game....more
if you want to see the emotionally repressed man in your life cry—a stoic father, an unflappable granddad, a weird uncle, an immature brother—send
if you want to see the emotionally repressed man in your life cry—a stoic father, an unflappable granddad, a weird uncle, an immature brother—send him to a bruce springsteen concert.
published to coincide with the 40th anniversary of born in the u.s.a., steven hyden's there was nothing you could do looks at springsteen's bestselling, iconic seventh album. situating its release and enormous impact within the context of the social, political, and musical milieu of the mid-1980s, the rock critic portrays springsteen's classic record as a defining moment for the culture, for bruce's fans, and for the author himself (whom first discovered the cassette version as a six-year-old in his dad's car). critique, analysis, history, and personal take, there was nothing you could do explores the legacy of bruce's remarkable, influential, and often-misunderstood album — a 12-song record which still reverberates today. a must-read for bruce fans, of course, but also a fascinating snapshot of an era that seems so very far removed from where we ended up decades later.
that tape sounded like the beginning of something when i first heard it. but it wasn't. it was a harbinger of the end. and the end is where we are now.
our lives are a response to the call of our childhoods. somewhere in the echoes of the past, we find our truest selves.
tariq trotter — black thoug
our lives are a response to the call of our childhoods. somewhere in the echoes of the past, we find our truest selves.
tariq trotter — black thought of the legendary roots crew — is an indisputable top 5 mc of all-time. his new memoir, the upcycled self, charts the illadelph native's coming-of-age, family drama/trauma, and creative aspirations.
you sometimes hear stories of people who have "lost it all" and rebuilt their lives, but what i learned at a young age is that sometimes shit it just lost forever, or the cracks are so bad the building blocks never quite leg0-fit the way they once did.
focusing almost entirely on his youth, the subtitle to tariq's book sums it up: "a memoir on the art of becoming who we are." tariq's talents were evident in boyhood and while a host of hardships could have so easily derailed his ascendancy to rap game royalty, it's clear his strength, his drive, and his character were forged like steel. herein, tariq's voice is one of time-worn reflection and self-examination, honor and love for family, and encouragement for all still striving.
where scarcity and lack can be alchemized into expressive joy, where choas is a classroom and love is found in the calm.
ray robertson’s all the years combine (not to be confused with the video box set of the same name) is one impassioned fan’s take on the grateful dead’ray robertson’s all the years combine (not to be confused with the video box set of the same name) is one impassioned fan’s take on the grateful dead’s fifty(-one) finest concert performances. at first, admittedly, the notion of reading about a fellow follower’s favorite live shows may not sound like much fun, yet robertson’s takes are immensely gratifying — especially given his strong opinions, obvious devotion, and spirited prose.
covering the entirety of their musical career, all the years combine spans some three decades, from an early gig in 1966 to jerry garcia’s final show in 1995. the dead famously recorded nearly every single one of their 2,300+ concerts (apparently there’s a reward offered for any audio recording or video footage of their march 17, 1970 show with the buffalo philharmonic orchestra) — and they’re available online for free listening. robertson, of course, highlights some of the band’s most famous gigs, but also selects some less obvious performances for which he makes compelling cases.
with a robust knowledge of the dead’s extensive catalog, robertson parses each performance’s unique elements (often down to a particular song’s singular expression), situating each particular show and setlist among its broader context (noting personnel changes, personal struggles, tour elements, commercial and financial difficulties, etc.). beyond mere fan tribute or itemized recollection, all the years combine captures the essence of perhaps the greatest touring act of all time, expertly enumerating the many-splendored joys of hearing the dead live.
which is what this book is about: who the grateful dead were, what they became, and what they meant—musically. and continue to mean. i also believe that listening to the grateful dead will make you a better person. not just a more knowledgeable listener, but a happier, more enlightened human being. “look lovingly on some object,” the zen student is advised. “do not go on to another object. here, in the middle of this object—the blessing.” if you hang around the numinous long enough, don’t be surprised to find magic in your muesli. be grateful. that’s what art does.
no sound of a crowd, just ghosts and anxious murmurs.
springsteen’s nebraska may well be the most singular work of his career, and, in many ways, i
no sound of a crowd, just ghosts and anxious murmurs.
springsteen’s nebraska may well be the most singular work of his career, and, in many ways, is the skeleton key to his entire catalog. the record is an enormous achievement, as stark and haunting today, over forty years after its fabled release. deliver me from nowhere, written by former del fuego guitarist, nyu professor, and tom petty biography warren zanes, chronicles the making of bruce’s 1982 album (recorded onto cassette using only a 4-track). with access to the artist himself and the (surprisingly unchanged) colts neck, new jersey farmhouse where it was recorded, deliver me from nowhere is as much a historical account as it is an impassioned encomium. for the most ardent of fans, a good bit of the book may not offer much newness beyond specific anecdotes, but overall zanes did an excellent job capturing the album’s origins, zeitgeist, recording details, and legacy.
rough home demos. mastered at a low level. no singles. first track is about a serial killer. no tour or press. if you could make a list of the things a record company does not want to hear…
fans love to “solve” the music they love. we dig through lyrics, read and reread interviews, and demand clarity from the sonic murk of records we c
fans love to “solve” the music they love. we dig through lyrics, read and reread interviews, and demand clarity from the sonic murk of records we can’t stop playing even after we’ve long since evolved beyond our teenaged selves.
i was late to school on october 19, 1993. i’d inexplicably convinced a parent of my compelling need to buy pearl jam’s sophomore album on cassette the very minute the mall music shop lifted its gate on that much-anticipated tuesday morning. i had been a pretty ardent fan since the group’s videos first entered regular rotation on mtv — and it had already been a solid year of enduring embarrassingly bad “jeremy” renditions every time i met someone who imagined themselves clever. pearl jam loomed large throughout my teenage years, however much that ardor eventually cooled (but later warmed again!). i even had the unmistakable opening bars of “yellow ledbetter” as my flip phone ringtone so many ages ago.
steven hyden’s long road: pearl jam and the soundtrack of a generation mixes rock bio, band chronicle, music criticism, and fan appreciation to combine for a must-read for any devotees of the seattle quintet. arranged as a mix-tape featuring 18 tracks (each chapter titled with a pj song name and particular performance), long road explores the origins, ups, downs, all-arounds, and enduring legacies of this venerable, anomalous band — some 30+ years(!) after their formation and first album. hyden, a fellow teen-in-the-90s, clearly admires and was shaped by pearl jam’s music, so while his approach may be somewhat unorthodox compared to other books in the genre, long road is all the better for it... and will for sure have you digging out old tapes, bootleg CDs, and/or youtubing far too many concert videos. ...more
your problem is not the Problem. your problem is the part of the Problem that you're not looking at.
it's hard to imagine a contemp
the look
your problem is not the Problem. your problem is the part of the Problem that you're not looking at.
it's hard to imagine a contemporary writer with a more exciting output than gonçalo m. tavares. the angolan-born portuguese author (1970) has been published in nearly 50 countries and writes with a range that is nearly breathtaking. his newest to be translated into english, reading is walking, collects the five essayistic/aphoristic books which comprise his "encyclopedia series": brief notes on science, brief notes on fear, brief notes on connections (llansol, molder and zambrano), brief notes on music, and brief notes on bloom-literature. several of these musings, thought experiments, and observational notes would find easy company as imaginary addenda to the book of disquiet.
from his "kingdom series" (jerusalem, learning to pray in the age of technique, joseph walser's machine, and klaus klump: a man) to the "neighborhood series" to a voyage to india, it's evident that tavares possess both a prodigious imagination and a formidable talent. saramago himself said, "i've predicted that in thirty years' time, if not before, he will in the nobel prize and i'm sure my prediction will come true." as yet untranslated are novels, poems, plays, children's books, short stories, essays, and more.
most enigmatic is that each of his works end with "notebooks of gonçalo m. tavares | (#)" -- with the 5 books in reading is walking numbered 19, 22, 26, 37, 39.
who really is this curious man of letters and why aren't you reading him already?
darkness
in the dark, man sticks to his inclination to repeatedly not perceive things, in order to be free of anxiety: stupid and alone, like someone who believes in many things, but none of them tangible.
*translated from the portuguese by rhett mcneil (lobo antunes, machado de assis, a.g. porta, et al.) ...more
an overdue and long-deserved bio of the folk singer and civil rights activist, ian zack's odetta: a life in music and protest chronicles a remarkable an overdue and long-deserved bio of the folk singer and civil rights activist, ian zack's odetta: a life in music and protest chronicles a remarkable life and career. never afforded the success nor acclaim that should've rightly been her due, odetta's legacy nonetheless remains highly influential for generations of musicians. from her childhood in alabama to her participation in the march on washington to her later resurgence (and eventual national medal for arts and kennedy center honors), zack's biography is a fitting tribute to one of the most singular titans of song....more
"what everybody's looking for. the ever-unattainable but absolutely there part of life that's slightly out of your fingertips, slightly shaded in the "what everybody's looking for. the ever-unattainable but absolutely there part of life that's slightly out of your fingertips, slightly shaded in the dark somewhere. but within, it contains all the essences and raw physical vitality and blood and bone and sweat of living. it's the thing that makes it all worth it at the end of the day, even if you just get the tip of your tongue on it. it's our history. it's that train that's been running since they friggin' landed over here on the boat, and it's roaring with all of us right now, that thing. that's what i like to look for."...more
a posthumous collection of the canadian bard's poems, lyrics, self-portraits, and excerpted notebooks, the flame is a final parting gift from the latea posthumous collection of the canadian bard's poems, lyrics, self-portraits, and excerpted notebooks, the flame is a final parting gift from the late genius. cohen had been working on the book up until the time of his passing and it contains a selection of poetry that "he had carefully selected, chosen from a trove of unpublished work that spans decades." the lyrics cover cohen's final three albums (old ideas, popular problems, and you want it darker), as well as blue alert, the album recorded by anjani, his girlfriend and backup singer. the book concludes with entries from cohen's notebooks, as well as a transcription of the speech he delivered upon accepting the prince of asturias award. in all, a fitting final send-off from an unrivaled lyricist and chronicler of loss, loneliness, and laments.
you want it darker
if you are the dealer i'm out of the game if you are the healer i'm broken and lame if thine is the glory then mine must be the shame you want it darker we kill the flame
magnified and sanctified be thy holy name vilified and crucified in the human frame a million candles burning for the help that never came you want it darker we kill the flame
hineni hineni i'm ready, my lord
there's a lover in the story but the story is still the same there's a lullaby for suffering and a paradox to blame but it's written in the scriptures and it's not some idle claim you want it darker we kill the flame
they're lining up the prisoners the guards are taking aim i struggled with some demons they were middle-class and tame didn't know i had permission to murder and to maim you want it darker
hineni hineni i'm ready, my lord
magnified and sanctified be thy holy name vilified and crucified in the human frame a million candles burning for the love that never came you want it darker we kill the flame
if you are the dealer i'm out of the game if you are the healer i'm broken and lame if thine is the glory then mine must be the shame you want it darker we kill the flame
writing about yourself is a funny business. at the end of the day it's just another story, the story you've chosen from the events of your life. i
writing about yourself is a funny business. at the end of the day it's just another story, the story you've chosen from the events of your life. i haven't told you "all" about myself. discretion and the feelings of others don't allow it. but in a project like this, the writer has made one promise: to show the reader his mind. in these pages i've tried to do that.
and do that he did. legions of devoted fans have spent decades teasing out the biographical details of bruce springsteen's life from songs, on-stage banter, bootleg recordings, interviews, and books. so, with much anticipation, we've all awaited a glimpse (the story bruce himself has opted to share) behind the man whose music has shaped, and continues to shape, the lives of so many. born to run, seven years in the making, covers nearly every aspect of springsteen's life, from his early years and family life, to his initial forays into music, bar bands on the jersey shore, recording contracts, albums, bandmates, tours, and the like.
over the years i had come to the realization that there was a part of me, a significant part, that was capable of great carelessness and emotional cruelty, that sought to reap damage and harvest shame, that wanted to wound and hurt and make sure those who loved me paid for it. it was all straight out of the old man's playbook. my father led us to believe he despised us for loving him, would punish us for it... and he did. it seemed like he could be driven crazy by it... and so could i. when i tasted this part of myself, it made me scared and sick, but still i held it in reserve, like a malignant power source i could draw on when physically threatened, when someone tried to go someplace i simply couldn't tolerate... closer.
while there is so much about born to run for a fan (or any reader of memoirs) to rave about, the candor and forthcomingness with which springsteen writes is often disarming. he opens up frankly about his childhood, his father's undiagnosed mental illness, his struggles connecting with others, his failed first marriage, his depression and treatment, therapy, overcoming and transcending the past, and much more. springsteen could have easily offered the boilerplate rock memoir (with the requisite name-dropping, tour debaucheries, fortunes earned, etc.), but instead shared openly about who he is, his struggles, his hopes, dreams, and fears — the very things that make him him and have inspired over four decades of unparalleled songwriting.
all i do know is as we age the weight of our unsorted baggage becomes heavier... much heavier. with each passing year, the price of our refusal to do that sorting rises higher and higher. maybe i'd cut myself loose one too many times, depended on my unfailing magic act once too often, drifted that little bit too far from the smoke and mirrors holding me together. or... i just got old... old enough to know better. whatever the reason, i'd found myself, once again, stranded in the middle of... "nowhere," but this time the euphoria and delusions that kept me oiled and running had ground to a halt.
it's all too tempting to presume we know an artist based on his or her creations. the impulse is perhaps a natural one and while art is undoubtedly informed or shaped by one's experiences, the alchemy often takes place in the artist's heart and mind. the ease with which springsteen has put into song the hopes and hardships of his imagined protagonists is deceptive, as all truly great art seems far simpler than it is. that his canon has reached so many speaks not only to his prowess as a storyteller, but also the philosophical, emotional, and experiential insights he's been able to translate into song.
at the end of the day, i was simply a guy who was rarely comfortable in his own skin, whatever skin that might be. the idea of home itself, like much else, filled me with distrust and a bucket load of grief. i'd long convinced myself... almost... that homes were for everybody else. but now, something was fucking with my movie. (that movie would be the one where i play an itinerant musician, unlucky at love but fabulously and unrewardingly talented; a charismatic man whose happy-go-lucky exterior covers a bruised but noble soul...)
born to run ought to rank as one of the genre's finest outings. over 500 pages long (written without assistance or a ghostwriter), bruce's autobiography sets an almost impossibly high bar for all rock memoirs to follow. one of the great powers of his music (again, perhaps like all art) is the effortless way in which a listener can inhabit his world of story and song. springsteen's music touches so many because it's also the story of their own lives: promises broken, loves forsaken, lives shattered, dreams left unfulfilled... but its most enduring quality may well be the inherent fortitude, courage, and personal strength in the face of adversity; the ability or self-reliance to overcome and continue on one's way. born to run isn't just an exceptional rock bio, it's an exceptional memoir. not only can bruce springsteen write well (as if nearly a half-century of songwriting didn't already make that plain), but his ear for rhythm, tone, and pacing enhance his natural storytelling gifts. content so many of us would have been with a mere peek behind the curtain. that bruce opened up his world to the reader is gift enough; that he revealed himself to be a human being with faults, foibles, and failures like the rest of us is a reward even greater than that.
i fought my whole life, studied, played, worked, because i wanted to hear and know the whole story, my story, our story, and understand as much of it as i could. i wanted to understand in order to free myself of its most damaging influences, its malevolent forces, to celebrate and honor its beauty, its power, and to be able to tell it well to my friends, my family and to you. i don't know if i've done that, and the devil is always just a day away, but i know this was my young promise to myself, to you. this, i pursued as my service. this, i presented as my long and noisy prayer, my magic trick. hoping it would rock your very soul and then pass on, its spirit rendered, to be read, heard, sung and altered by you and your blood, that it might strengthen and help make sense of your story. go tell it.
there is no shortage of books about bruce springsteen and his music. most offer the requisite biographical account and discographical summation. whilethere is no shortage of books about bruce springsteen and his music. most offer the requisite biographical account and discographical summation. while any dedicated reader of these books will likely encounter the same anecdotes, recording recaps, and a (deserved) appreciation of springsteen’s enormous cultural and musical influence, there are always gems to be unearthed and new details to discover. louis masur’s runaway dream focuses on springsteen’s third studio album, born to run, released to mostly great acclaim in 1975.
in chapters titled “before born to run,” “the making of born to run,” “the songs of born to run,” “the geography of born to run,” “the reception of born to run,” and “born to run thirty years on,” masur offers a comprehensive examination of one of rock’s most enduring albums (ranked #18 on rolling stone’s "500 greatest albums of all time"). masur, clearly an ardent, devoted springsteen fan himself, parses the eight songs that make up born to run, situating them in both their cultural and musical contexts, and allowing their triumphant success to be reflected back upon their genesis.
a colleague once noted to me that her husband believes all springsteen fans can be divided into two groups: those that identify most closely with born to run and those that favor its followup, darkness on the edge of town. while the former is an exceptional album (and one of my all-time favorites – springsteen or otherwise), i fall more squarely in the latter camp. but as born to run essentially paved the road for the unprecedented success springsteen would go on to enjoy (and is still enjoying), its importance in his canon cannot possibly be overstated. runaway dream should appeal most of all to already entrenched admirers, as it offers gradations and implications that will serve only to enhance the listening experience for an already familiar listener. some four decades after its release, born to run remains a seminal album in the rock pantheon and masur’s runaway dream is a chronicle of its many-splendored worth.
and so born to run took wing, hype and backlash, praise, criticism, and reconsideration, at its heels. it ripped through the cultural malaise of 1975 by fusing the past to the present to ignite what felt like a limitless future. it didn’t matter whether you were fifteen or thirty-five in 1975, whether you grew up on the sounds of the fifties or sixties or not. the album spoke to the moment. and it still does. not even in 2005, on the occasion of its thirtieth anniversary, had it become a nostalgia act – new generations coming of age hear it for the first time and are transfixed. the romantic dreams of escape have not faded. the bleak realities of life have not dissipated. the hope for redemption and salvation still drive us forward. time passes, but the making of identity never ceases.
an often humorous, personal take on the music of bruce springsteen, robert wiersema's walk like a man is "liner notes for a mix-tape," collecting 13 oan often humorous, personal take on the music of bruce springsteen, robert wiersema's walk like a man is "liner notes for a mix-tape," collecting 13 of the most personally iconic springsteen songs (as decided by the author). following a brief biographical sketch of springsteen, wiersema expounds upon each of his chosen musical selections, blending them with his own autobiographical accounts and relating their meaning to his own particular life experiences. having read not even a single line of wiersema's fiction (nor, admittedly, even knowing of his existence before encountering this book), no part of his personal reminiscences ought to have been of interest. yet, inexplicably they were.
wiersema, as ardent, dedicated, and thorough a springsteen fan as we tend to be, knows the songs in, out, and all-around. it comes as no surprise that springsteen's music was relatable to so many different parts of wiersema's own coming-of-age and adult development (as aspiring novelist, husband, and father), but in deconstructing their meanings, wiersema's personal (footnote-laden) accounts ably jive with what draws us to particular artists in the first place. an admirable appreciation of both springsteen and his music, walk like a man transcends music criticism, instead distilling the essence of why springsteen matters individually and how it is his songs have spoken ongoingly to the author over the years — and for each of us who continue to indulge one of the most breathtaking songwriting catalogs in american history.
it's deeper than fandom, though. i've grown up with springsteen as the soundtrack to my life. from my often painful childhood and youth in agassiz, british columbia, dreaming of escape, to finally getting out of town, falling in love, becoming a husband, becoming a father, finding a place in the world, the music of bruce springsteen has been there.
the poetry and power of born to run lie in its unwillingness to compromise, in the refusal of its protagonists to accept passively the hand dealt to t
the poetry and power of born to run lie in its unwillingness to compromise, in the refusal of its protagonists to accept passively the hand dealt to them by circumstance. they lie in the passion brought to common struggles, a passion that is mirrored by the ferocious roar of the music. mary, terry, wendy, and the magic rat are consistently searching within themselves, hoping to find the emotional resources — the love, the hope, the faith — to become their own heroes, to go on dreaming in the face of broken dreams. the album's stories are internal monologues and dramatic renderings of springsteen's own personal struggles with his parents, with authority, with women, and with the expectations of the world, universalized and ennobled through the language of the radio on top of his mother's refrigerator. it is an album about the unsung heroism of everyday life, the quiet glory of unflinching personal integrity in a world where virtue is deemed to be its own reward.
published in 1999 (just following bruce's reunion with his e street bandmates), eric alterman's it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive offers the usual biographical details of springsteen's personal life, professional dealings, and musical output. longtime fans, surely familiar with springsteen's background, may find scant novelty, but, as a rock bio, it's as good a place to begin as peter carlin's bruce for the uninitiated. where alterman's book shines brightest is in his situating of bruce's music and lyrics within their social context and cultural milieu. when alterman applies reasoned analysis and critical thought (benefiting from decades elapsed) to the success of bruce's songwriting and global fandom, his perspective brings great depth and understanding. as much a love letter to springsteen as it is a proper bio or critique, it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive is a strong entry in the canon of literature venerating, who may well be, the finest american songwriter of the past half-century.
the songs on darkness [on the edge of town] are about the characters born to run left behind. the record turns on an axis of anger; each song focuses on the desire to break bonds that have become chains, while lamenting the losses such a break necessitates. it is about recognizing that anger and hatred and the turning away of one's heart are the logical responses to the forces that claw away at your soul, but not the only possible ones. it is an album about the power of individual faith, of perseverance, of heart (but not, quite clearly, of love), to find a place to make a stand, however small and unlikely to succeed.
the thing is - in life you've gotta keep yourself bare, you've gotta keep yourself trimmed down. can't start collecting a lot of junk.
compiling 40
the thing is - in life you've gotta keep yourself bare, you've gotta keep yourself trimmed down. can't start collecting a lot of junk.
compiling 40 years of conversations from 1973-2013, talk about a dream is a revealing glimpse of springsteen both personally and professionally. the thirty-one interviews in talk about a dream, ordered chronologically, trace the genesis, maturation, and near-incomparable success of one of america's finest songwriters. some of the more well-known interviewers included in the collection are neil strauss, bob costas, nick hornby, and elvis costello.
throughout the interviews (from early on to the present), it is evident that springsteen is humble, overwhelmingly dedicated to craft, and remarkably grounded (for any human being, let alone a rock star). he often speaks candidly - reflecting on nearly every aspect of his life and the world around him. obviously, talk about a dream will appeal most of all to the springsteen devotee. it is, nonetheless, a fascinating look into the life, times, and creative process of a man who continues to inspire awe in millions around the world.
oh, yeah. i mean, i got really down. really bad off for a while. and what happened was, all my rock & roll answers had fizzled out. i realized that my central idea - which, at a young age, was attacking music with a religious type of intensity - was okay to a point. but there was a point where it turns in on itself. and you start to go down that dark path, and there is a distortion of even the best of things. and i reached a point where i felt my life was distorted. i love my music, and i wanted to just take it for what it was. i didn't want to try to distort it into being my entire life. because that's a lie. it's not true. it's not your entire life. it never can be.
and i realized my real life is waiting to be lived. all the love and the hope and the sorrow and sadness - that's all over there, waiting to be lived. and i could ignore it and push it aside or i could say yes to it. but to say yes to part of it is to say yes to all of it. that's why people say no to all of it. whether it's drugs or whatever. that's why people say no: i'll skip the happiness as long as i don't have to feel the pain.
it hardly seems like it's already been a full decade. i can recall, all too vividly, that late october afternoon in 2003: sitting on the couch, readinit hardly seems like it's already been a full decade. i can recall, all too vividly, that late october afternoon in 2003: sitting on the couch, reading the philadelphia inquirer. national news, local news, sports... and then the front page of the arts & entertainment section. "elliott smith: sharp yet sweet" read the headline. strange to see an above-the-fold article about smith, especially as it had been a few years without a new album. but by the second sentence, my intrigue had bottomed-out, replaced instead by anxious dread and disbelief:
"but to a smaller constellation of listeners, smith, found dead in his los angeles apartment tuesday night from an apparently self-inflicted stab wound to the chest, was one of the most promising poets of the post-grunge era."
i remember being unexpectedly moved by the news and rather upset. celebrity musician deaths had never really affected me viscerally; not kurt cobain, not jerry garcia, not bradley nowell, not george harrison. sad losses, all of them - but elliott's death seemed especially tragic (if not entirely unanticipated). from my first listen of "alameda" (or was it "angeles"?) some six years earlier, elliott's music quickly worked its way into my regular rotation. save for the inevitable posthumous releases, there would now be no new songs to come. how did this happen? why? whatever for? and at only 34 years young.
with the exception of benjamin nugent's (not-so-warmly received) 2004 biography, elliott smith and the big nothing, and autumn de wilde's photo/interview book, elliott smith, not much has been published in the decade following the singer-songwriter's too-early passing. william todd schultz's torment saint, however, not only remedies that notable lack, but serves as what may well come to be the definitive elliott smith biography. as a professor of psychology, schultz offers, in addition to all of the requisite details about childhood and adolescence, critical insight into elliott as both an individual and an artist, as well as into the myriad influences that shaped his music and lyrical content.
schultz recounts smith's upbringing in texas - one marked by a tumultuous (perhaps abusive) relationship with his stepfather. smith's formative years in the lone star state defined much of his personality and outlook on life - baggage he was unable to escape even after he struck out on his own. it wasn't until he arrived in portland that he seemingly began to feel comfortable with himself or his talents (if, in fact, he ever truly did). tracing his musical ascendancy from the rose city to new york, and eventually los angeles, schultz portrays an artist deeply committed to his craft - perhaps in inverse proportion to how he felt about himself and his life, in general. quite a bit of time is spent on the industry side of things, recording sessions, record deals, tours, personnel changes, etc., but these details help lend the narrative more cohesion. while smith's alcohol consumption was always apparent, it wasn't until 2000 that his drug-taking took off in earnest (despite lyrical allusions throughout so many of his songs). very quickly, smith found himself in throes of addiction (heroin - though never injected, crack, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and other assorted pharmaceuticals), hastening his depressive spiral and disconnection from others. reading about smith's mental unraveling and emotional descent is at times very troubling. interventions, friends, lovers, record executives - seemingly no one was able to get through to elliott and convince him that his life was indeed worth living. the progressively sad story reaches its conclusion with the circumstances of his 2003 suicide.
schultz, quite obviously, did considerable research in writing torment saint, interviewing nearly everyone who at one time or another figured prominently into elliott's life (or at least those that would agree to speak about it). most surprising about torment saint (or any rock biography, for that matter) is how beautifully written it is. schultz's prose is lyrical, vivid, and expressive - a fitting testament to a musician whose songwriting was roundly praised for its emotional eloquence and honesty. elliott smith's life was clearly a troubled one, with self-loathing, addiction, and self-destructive behaviors ultimately becoming too much to bear. while the legacy left behind in song is impressive, one cannot help but wonder what heights of musical accomplishment may have awaited elliott had he endured and overcome his demons. sadly, we'll never know, of course. torment saint, a decade after smith's suicide, helps piece together some of the more enigmatic aspects of his life and music. tender, compassionate, and non-judgmental, schultz's biography will obviously appeal to fans of the late singer-songwriter, but also to anyone for whom the connection between art and addiction, creativity and depression is of interest. torment saint, like elliott's music, is magnificently-rendered, often sorrowful, but tempered by candor and abundant feeling.
that he was able to make his art while fighting off addictions, holding suicide at arm's length, is astonishing. it's a testament to the power of his gift, which was irrepressible. there was no self-extinction drive in the gift, only the gift-maker. to live for one's art is a cliché, but for a time the music did seem to keep elliott alive, until the pain of living eclipsed the pleasure of the sounds and lyrics. as he put it once in a song, he was high on the sound, but there's no power in the air. the battle's on the ground.
"when you live your life through records, the records are a record of your life."™
drummer, dj, producer, and co-founder of the legendary roots crew, a"when you live your life through records, the records are a record of your life."™
drummer, dj, producer, and co-founder of the legendary roots crew, ahmir "questlove" thompson is a one of the music world's most virtuosic individuals. possessing talent in spades, ?uestlove's accomplishments are many, but it is his encyclopedic knowledge and abiding passion for music past and present that set him in another realm. mo' meta blues is indeed a music memoir, but the story of a life shaped by song most of all.
quest begins his bio with the obligatory childhood recollections, albeit ones perhaps far more fascinating than the average musical superstar. lee andrews, his father, helmed a philly-based doo-wop group, surrounding and immersing him in the music industry from a very young age. questo revisits his formative years in west philly - recalling an early (and still enduring) obsession with rolling stone and record reviews in general, the first time he heard sugarhill gang's "rapper's delight," as well as the artists and albums that defined this era of his life (his love for prince is likely unrivaled). ?uestlove goes on to detail his career chronologically, from meeting roots mc and co-founder tariq trotter (black thought) while at philly's high school for the creative and performing arts (and paying their dues as a drum/voice duet on south street) through to the roots' work as the house band on late night with jimmy fallon and the group's most recent (and remarkable) album, 2012's undun.
surely, quest's memoir will appeal most of all to fans of the roots and hip hop in general. while a knowledge of rap isn't necessary, a passable understanding of the genre ought to enliven the myriad stories (especially as he elaborates on early hip hop pioneers and luminaries, as well as his later work with the likes of d'angelo, dilla, the soulquarians, and others). ardent roots fan or not, mo' meta blues is a candid, thoughtful, well-written work full of humility, humor, and anti-hubris. in writing about records, race, success, creativity, self-doubt, hardship, and heartbreak, ?uestlove stands raw and unadorned, without the familiarity and comfort of his drum set or turntables to deflect attention. erudite and entertaining, mo' meta blues is much more than the mere record of questo's career - it's a sensitive, observant take on a life lived in, with, through, and surrounded by meaningful music.
and so that's how it goes. i keep moving through time and time keeps moving through me. and through that process, life takes shape. the question is what shape it is. i'm not the first person to ask this question, or to see how absurd it is to think there's a real answer. maybe life's a circle. maybe what goes around comes around. maybe there's karma and an account ledger that balances off all debts and credits. part of me believes that: the part of me that remembers that my drums are circles, that turntables are circles. but drumsticks are straight, and there are times when life seems like an arrow that goes in one direction and one direction only, toward a final target that might not be a final reward... music has the power to stop time. but music also keeps time. drummers are timekeepers. music conserves time and serves time, just as time conserves and serves music. i think i have to believe in circularity, even if i know that the arrow's coming in on the wing... will the circle be unbroken? that's not the only circle that's a question. every circle is. lines are statements. arrows are especially emphatic statements. they divide and they define. they count up and count down. circles are more careful. they come around again. they overthink. they analyze. they go back to the scene of the crime. they retrace their steps. that's where i end up, definitely maybe, always circumspect, always circumscribed by questions, by curiosity, by a certainty that i need a certain amount of uncertainty.
ps - if you're a true roots fan, ?uestlove's acknowledgements will undoubtedly be as gratifying as the past 20 years of liner notes....more
in the nearly thirty years since leonard cohen first recorded "hallelujah," it has gone from largely overlooked album track to one of the most coveredin the nearly thirty years since leonard cohen first recorded "hallelujah," it has gone from largely overlooked album track to one of the most covered songs in recent history. rock editor and journalist alan light traces the improbable trajectory of this now infamous song from its painstaking birth (it took years to compose) to its enduring ubiquity. the holy or the broken focuses mostly on the bard of montreal and the late singer-songwriter responsible for its most well-known (and perhaps most stirring) rendition.
since the turn of the millennium, "hallelujah" has appeared in films, on television programs, as part of globe-spanning tribute concerts, in olympic coverage, and, most recently, on nearly every conceivable incarnation of reality tv singing competition ever to grace the airwaves. with hundreds of available covers, "hallelujah" has been performed by everyone (after cohen, john cale, & jeff buckley) from rufus wainwright, k.d. lang, regina spektor, and bono to bon jovi, justin timberlake, willie nelson, neil diamond, susan boyle, and even michael bolton. following brief biographical backgrounds on both cohen and buckley, light follows the mania that has often accompanied the song, interviewing dozens of musicians for whom the song proved pivotal, poignant, or commercially lucrative.
composing an entire book about a single song is a lofty endeavor, but light's work is well-researched and often interesting. in addition to reporting upon the nearly exhausting number of cover versions, light also considers the lyrical complexity and musical qualities that have made the song so appealing across so wide a spectrum. apparently now somewhat of a regular at weddings, funerals, bar mitzvahs, and church services, light outlines the song's allure in both spiritual and secular contexts. if you've ever referred to "hallelujah" as "the shrek song," this is probably a book that you should consider required reading posthaste.
this world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled, but there are moments when we can transcend the dualistic system and reconcile and embrace the whole mess, and that's what i mean by "hallelujah." ~leonard cohen
it's a hymn to being alive. it's a hymn to love lost. to love. even the pain of existence, which ties you to being human, should receive an amen - or a hallelujah. ~jeff buckley
too often rock biographies seek to canonize their subjects, offering up for consecration the revelatory details of sexual conquests, pharmacological otoo often rock biographies seek to canonize their subjects, offering up for consecration the revelatory details of sexual conquests, pharmacological overindulgences, and distended egos. in an art awash with tragic figures and truncated careers, perhaps the story of a musician possessed of an integrity matched only by his commitment to craft is the exception that belies the rule. bruce, peter ames carlin’s third work about one of rock n’ roll’s elite (after books on paul mccartney and the beach boys’ brian wilson), chronicles the life and career of bruce springsteen, an artist for whom the excesses of superstardom proved to be of little appeal.
with unrestrained (and unprecedented) access to those closest to springsteen, including his immediate family, friends, bandmates, and producers alike, carlin reveals a man whose often contradictory nature helped shape and define not only his professional life, but his personal one as well. while not an authorized biography (in the sense that editorial control was wielded from afar), bruce was written with the blessing of springsteen himself- having granted carlin hours of interviews (“[he] made it clear that the only thing i owed him was an honest account of his life.”). equitable and impartial, bruce provides just that: the most candid and complete glimpse into the rocker’s past and present that has yet been published. as one of the more enigmatic figures in american music, discerning the man from the myth was likely no small task.
beginning with his frequently tumultuous family life growing up in the blue-collar neighborhoods of monmouth county, new jersey, bruce traces the trajectory of springsteen’s formative years as a youngster in awe of elvis presley to a guitar-laden loner with a preternatural devotion to his instrument of choice. working chronologically from his early work with shore-based bands and his first recording contract in 1972, carlin paints the portrait of a passionate performer intent on making it big. covering all seventeen studio albums from his debut, greetings from asbury park, n.j. (recorded some forty years ago), through to this year’s acclaimed wrecking ball, bruce recalls, in detail, the significant recording sessions, concerts, tours, personnel changes and inevitable conflicts that have marked his four decades with the inimitable e street band.
the complexity of springsteen’s paradoxical character is well-conveyed, as are the personal struggles he endured to attain the pinnacles of fame and commercial success. carlin’s shrewd observations of springsteen as a man often in conflict with his own opposing internal forces (the need for privacy versus the desire for notoriety), allow for the impression of an imperfect, yet honorable individual. carlin’s bruce is the earnest, compelling biography of a man who often exemplifies the better traits of those he’s spent nearly a half century singing about: empathy, compassion, dedication, and a dissatisfaction with the status quo. while there has been many a biography written about springsteen, bruce will likely serve as the most definitive, save, of course, unless the boss himself were to turn his gifted pen from composing songs to writing memoir. ...more
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