Bryan Adams made his mark in the 1980s, when it wasn’t unusual for the airwaves and record shops to be dotted with songs of activism, protest and social conscience (Springsteen to Sting, U2 to Tracy… Read More
In the fall of 1982, Donald Fagen released his first solo album, not long after he put his Steely Dan partnership with Walter Becker on ice. The Nightfly was inspired by the late-night DJs Fagen… Read More
When you think of Édith Piaf, it’s hard not to think automatically of La Vie En Rose. It’s often called her signature song, and with good reason. The song inspired the title of the Oscar-winning… Read More
Earlier today, I placed an order at the venerable Fred’s Records here in St. John’s for the forthcoming album from Meshell Ndegeocello, the American bassist, producer, singer and lifelong boundary-pusher. Synonym doesn’t come out until… Read More
Most of the songs I listen to are conventional — that is, they have lyrics. I might even sing along to them as I putter about the house, or drive anywhere. But I’ve always had… Read More
Fifty years ago, Abba released Dancing Queen. I can’t think of too many songs that have had so much currency throughout those years, that — even now — can pack a dance floor within a… Read More
“I’ve always been misunderstood because of how I look; don’t judge me by the cover ’cause I’m a real good book.” — Dolly Parton In November 2023, I borrowed the audiobook of Songteller: My Life… Read More
“The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself.”— Eddie Vedder Something of a voice for Gen X kids like myself, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder’s quote above has been dished up around the… Read More
A bunch of us gathered at the venerable Georgetown Pub in St. John’s Friday for a karaoke night. Our friends Jessica and Brock have been wrapping up a visit, and a bunch of former newsroom… Read More
Ten summers ago, case/lang/veirs was released — a one-off collaboration between the singers Neko Case, k.d. lang and Laura Veirs. It’s worthy, and it all happened fairly quickly. To mark the occasion, the trio and… Read More
Like a lot of people, I didn’t think that much of George Michael at the outset. Wham! was a huge pop act in the early and mid-Eighties, and were hard to escape. Nothing really against… Read More
“No good opera plot can be sensible, for people do not sing when they are feeling sensible.”— W.H. Auden So wrote the British poet W.H. Auden, during a period of his life after he had… Read More
In November 1986, I went to see New Order at the Congress Centre in Ottawa. Peter Gabriel was playing that same night in an arena across town; instead of a nosebleed seat there, I went… Read More
Last Saturday, I went to see Mumford and Sons in Toronto. It was a great show (some notes follow below), and I also learned that there is a big difference between Rogers Centre and Rogers… Read More
“Never apologize, never explain — didn’t we always say that? Well, I haven’t and I don’t.”— Marianne Faithfull Those words appear in the first of Marianne Faithfull’s memoirs, Faithfull: An Autobiography, which was published in… Read More