Currently browsing: Music
Just think of all the music that’s distinctly American. Jazz. Rock and roll. Motown. The blues. Zydeco. (And if we didn’t invent it here, we found a way to make it better.) We tap our toes, we dance, we thrill to the music of America.
Song: "Respect"
Aretha Franklin (Great American Things, July 18, 2009) was already a star before she released “Respect.” But this went all the...
Read MoreSingers: Talking Heads
It’s not unusual for bands to be formed by people who are in school together. A clue to what made Talking Heads so unique is where...
Read MoreMusic: George Gershwin
What do you call someone who wrote endearing classical music, some of the greatest popular songs of all time, as well as a number of...
Read MoreSong: "Born to Run"
In the liner notes to his Greatest Hits album, Bruce Springsteen (Great American Things, April 22, 2009) wrote this about “Born to...
Read MoreSinger: Hank Williams
I have to confess, I had no idea that Hank Williams died at the age of 29. His music was so fully developed, his influence so...
Read MoreSong: "Unforgettable"
This is one of the greatest songs from the Great American Songbook. Nelson Riddle arranged it, and Nat King Cole (Great American Things,...
Read MoreSingers: The Blind Boys of Alabama
The Rolling Stones formed in the early sixties. That’s a career span coming up on 40 years, which is remarkable. But the Blind Boys...
Read MoreSong: "Desperado"
There’s a Web site devoted to love song lyrics, and “Desperado” is featured there. I’m sorry, but that...
Read MoreMusic: John Coltrane
When driving through North Carolina on the way to Myrtle Beach, we pass through a little hamlet called – well, Hamlet. It has one...
Read MoreSong: "I Can't Make You Love Me"
“I Can’t Make You Love Me” is a virtually perfect song. It combines incredibly powerful lyrics with an arrangement that...
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