Reviews
John Prine’s “The Tree of Forgiveness” Fits the Mood You Are Currently In
I “discovered” John Prine in 2016 via my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist (“Ain’t Hurtin’ Nobody”). At the time, I was grumpy at work, and sarcastic country music was a surprisingly good fit for my mood. I’m not typically a fan of Country. I surmise it showed up in my playlist because at the time, my […]
Mark Knopfler’s “Privateering” Full of Puzzles, Ballads, Corned Beef
What strikes me most about modern Mark Knopfler albums is his tendency to sing about topics that are specific, obscure, and unusual. Songs that often seem unremarkable or even goofy at first turn out to be incredibly evokative and unique when you hear it for the 20th time and finally the lyrics click for you […]
Have a Little Mercy for ZZ Top’s “La Futura”
I don’t know that I’d call myself a ZZ Top fan, but I’m grateful to them for saving Back to the Future 3. About a decade ago, during a summer when concert ticket sales were at an all time low, I saw ZZ Top live for $5 with my British friend who called them “Zed […]
Rush’s “Clockwork Angels” Just Isn’t My Thing
I’ve been listening to Rush’s “Clockwork Angels” for about a week and I’ve yet to find a track, riff, or lyric that I’ve latched on to. I think Rush might be one of those bands whose songs you can really only like as a teenager, when songs about suburban subdivisions really speak to you. Thinking […]
Joe Walsh Back in the Fast Lane With “Analog Man”
The title track on Joe Walsh’s new “Analog Man” kicks the album off with one of the unfortunate tropes of contemporary classic rock — lamenting the newfangled stuff the kids are doing and pining for simpler times. The first line contains the groan-inducing term cyberspace, and the song contains crotchety old man lyrics like: The […]
The Offspring’s “Days Go By”
When The Offspring was at the peak of their popularity, I didn’t have much respect for them. To high school me, “Come Out and Play” was just a lousy novelty song about violence and anger. It wasn’t until years later that I stumbled on “She’s Got Issues,” which happened to coincide with my dating a […]
Van Halen’s “A Different Kind of Truth” Has Personality and Wit
With a reunion based on the notion that there’s no need to leave money on the table just because you hate each other, Van Halen brings us A Different Kind of Truth. Kicking off the album is “Tattoo,” which draws on the “teachers can be hot” vibe of Hot for Teacher to describe the process by which […]