Teenage Acne Treatment

Never Mind the Bollocks should be every teenage boy’s favorite record: pimple-faced outcasts led by singer Johnny Rotten playing dangerous, anti-establishment, chaotic music. What could be better? This album excited me when I first heard it at the tender age of twelve or thirteen- it tapped my anger but also made me laugh. This was teenage bliss! Instead of doing my homework I went to the library to research the Pistols. I considered myself to be a good, patriotic American teenager and the U.K.'s Sex Pistols were my heroes. Their posters hung on me bedroom wall and Never Mind the Bollocks made my life more enjoyable.  

To me the album celebrated individual expression and the songs were better than most of what passed for music in 1987. “God Save the Queen” still knocks my socks off and Steve Jones’ guitar playing is so damn fun. This is good stuff- especially if you're a weird teenager with acne and a curfew. Despite the stupid media circus surrounding them, the Sex Pistols made a thrilling, original sounding record- their only record- and then broke up before inspiring a generation. Now that’s what I call punk! Cheers. Grade: A 

Poster which hung on my bedroom wall circa 1987

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Classic Albums: Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols

Punk: Attitude

Cold War Punks

The Ramones’ third album is just as good as their debut but with some noticeable changes. Not only does Rocket to Russia have more radio friendly melodies than Ramones but it sounds much more similar to the Brill Building pop, girl groups, and surf music the band grew up listening to in the ‘60s. The results are genuine good vibes for the listener- Rocket to Russia might even be appropriate music for a July 4th barbecue- but there are exceptions. The break up numbers are dark and painfully honest and even some of the peppier songs remind us Ramones’ world is not a happy place. These four guys have some real, nagging problems, existential and otherwise. But when they come together to make their music, those problems fall by the wayside and the world is a better place- at least for two minutes.

It’s a common story: music helps young people cope with life’s challenges including the threat of nuclear annihilation by the Soviets. During my early teenage years on Long Island (at the end of the Cold War), Rocket to Russia was one of my favorite albums probably because it was funny, irreverent, catchy as hell, and hit all the right buttons for a teenage boy. The songs assured me I was not alone in this crazy world and girls were going to break my heart- but at least there was music. A couple of years later I started my own punk band, watched the Berlin Wall fall on TV, and saw the Ramones play live one summer night at Jones Beach. Good times. Grade: A

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Four Guys from Queens

I don't know whether or not the Ramones invented punk rock, but they sure made being a teenage boy a lot more fun for me. Of course I considered this album magical when I first heard it back in the ‘80s as will the generations of teenage boys who come after me (hopefully lots of them will be from the Middle East). Perhaps we’ll never really know what possessed the Ramones- four guys from Queens- to create this kind of music- twisted bubblegum, I think Johnny Ramone called it- though the band later claimed they were just tired of twelve minute guitar solos and smoke machines and wanted to get back to basics (short, fast songs about girls and being a creep).

By the mid-‘70s, rock music had become the Roman Empire at its most bloated and corrupt and the Ramones were tattered leather barbarians crashing at the gates. It’s hard to find anything wrong with this album though some songs are better than others. I recently watched the documentary Danny Says about the Ramones’ manager, Danny Fields, who tape recorded Lou Reed’s initial reaction as Reed sat anxiously listening to these songs for the first time circa 1976. Lou Reed- the Long Island godfather of punk- lost his mind over the Ramones’ music because he understood what it meant: rock gods and their minions were finished and music would never be the same. Oh, and your grandkids will probably dig this album, too. "Hey, ho, let’s go!" Grade: A

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Danny Says

Punk: Attitude

Big Star – Memphis Soul

Big Star were a ‘70s Memphis rock band who only became popular after they broke up and Gen X rockers began praising the band in interviews. (You can learn all about the Big Star drama in the 2012 documentary Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me). Fronted by the former teenage lead singer of the Box Tops, Alex Chilton, Big Star had some great power pop songs (Cheap Trick’s cover of Big Star's teen anthem “In the Street” kicks off That ‘70s Show) but I’ve always cared less about Big Star’s rocking side and more about their gentler, quieter side. 

For me, it’s on the vulnerable, lovelorn acoustic numbers where Alex Chilton’s unique voice and beautiful guitar playing really shine. I especially like when Chilton sings other people’s songs because we not only get to hear his soul in these loving covers but the man reminds us: he’s also a fan. Most of the founding members of Big Star have passed- Alex Chilton included- but the good thing about music is it lives on. So, enjoy some Big Star.  

01. Big Star – “In the Street” (1972)

02. Chris Bell feat. Alex Chilton – “You and Your Sister” (1978)

03. Big Star – “Blue Moon (Demo)” (1974)

04. Big Star – “I’m in Love with a Girl” (1974)

05. Big Star – “Motel Blues (Live)” (1974)

06. Big Star – “September Gurls” (1974)

07. Big star – “Femme Fatale (Demo)” (1974)

08. Big Star – “Back of a Car” (1974)

09. Big Star – “Thirteen” (1972) 

10. Big Star – “Nightime” (1975)

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Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me (Trailer)

Paul Westerberg on Alex Chilton

A Decade Under the Influence

During the mid-‘90s, ‘70s music made a big comeback- I remember tearing the roof off at several college funk parties- but it wasn’t until the mid-‘00s that I finally treated myself to Have a Nice Decade: The ‘70s Pop Culture Box. This lovingly assembled Rhino Records collection was well worth the money and includes 164 of the most popular country, pop, soul, and rock songs of the era. 

You won’t find any Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, or Elton John on Have a Nice Decade, but you will find Alice Cooper, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and the Captain & Tennille as well as enough funk and disco hits to keep the dance floor moving. Many of these songs take me back to childhood, driving around with my dad listening to FM radio or running around with the other kids at summer barbecues as the sun went down and the grown-ups started getting sloshed. Perhaps life wasn’t any simpler in the '70s but compared with today the decade in which I was born seems kinder and much more fun especially while listening to these songs. So have a nice day, enjoy the music, and keep on truckin! Grade: A

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Zombie Invasion!

The Zombies are one of my favorite British Invasion bands and quite possibly the best of the era. Their sound was unique and sophisticated- almost classical- and the songs still sound fresh and modern today yet with an indefinable timeless quality. The band has impressive musical chops- dig Rod Argent on keys- but it’s Colin Blunstone’s voice that made them famous.

The Zombies’ masterpiece- Odessey and Oracle- is a very good album though a bit overrated in my opinion. I prefer listening instead to one of the many Zombies compilations. I recommend Greatest Hits which I enjoyed grooving to at work last summer on my headphones. Or, you could just listen to my favorite Zombies songs here. Enjoy!

01. The Zombies – “Whenever You’re Ready” (1965)

02. The Zombies – “I Can’t Make Up My Mind” (1964)

03. The Zombies – “Time of the Season” (1968)

04. The Zombies – “How We Were Before” (1965)

05. The Zombies – “Indication” (1965)

06. The Zombies – “I’ll Call You Mine” (1968)

07. The Zombies – “Gotta Get a Hold of Myself” (1966)

08. The Zombies – “She’s Not There” (1964)

09. The Zombies – “She Does Everything for Me” (1967)

10. The Zombies – “Leave Me Be” (1964)

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Little Steven's Underground Garage

The Zombies Official Website

Psychedelic Laundromat

I don't like the term psychedelic music because it denotes drug use which may or may not be the case depending on the artist and the time period. Any musical genre can be psychedelic given the listener's state of mind- have you ever listened to Zappa or Beethoven? Neither composer used psychedelic drugs but when it came to their music both were very far out dudes. Unfortunately, many people often learn the hard way: you don’t need drugs to boost your creativity or achieve a higher state of consciousness. Everything you need to expand your mind or get high is already inside you, and the drugs can’t give you anything you don’t already have.

I admire those musical adventurers who are genuinely curious, creative, and brave enough to explore strange, new worlds and then report back to us- through their music- what they've discovered. These are some of my favorite “psychedelic” songs ranging from soft, luxurious pop to down and dirty garage rock. They include walking with zombies, reading a box of Cheerios, and contemplating the infinite- though not necessarily in that order. Time to do some laundry. Enjoy!

01. The Neon Philharmonic – “Morning Girl” (1969)
02. Spirit – “Nature’s Way” (1970)
03. The Byrds – “Wild Mountain Thyme” (1966)
04. Roky Erickson & The Explosives – “I Walked with a Zombie (Live)” (1979)
05. The Byrds – “5D (Fifth Dimension)” (1966)
06. Count Five – “Psychotic Reaction” (1966)
07. The Byrds – “Lady Friend” (1967)
08. Love – “Alone Again Or” (1967)

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Little Steven's Underground Garage

Roky Erickson

Byrds of a Feather

With the exception of a few psychedelic experiments (including “Eight Miles High”), the Byrds (which included David Crosby for the first four or five albums) were mostly a harmonizing, trailblazing folk-rock and country rock quartet under the leadership of Roger McGuinn. I really like McGuinn’s singing and guitar playing style and respect his attempts to experiment and push musical boundaries rather than stay pigeon-holed in folk-rock. 

‘60s Byrds

The Byrds covered quite a few Bob Dylan songs in their day and are credited with inspiring Dylan to abandon folk music and go electric after he heard the Byrds' rockin' version of “Mr. Tambourine Man". While I don’t have a favorite Byrds album, here are my favorite Byrds songs from their folk-rock and country phases. Oh, and all but four of them were written by Dylan. Enjoy!

‘70s Byrds

01. The Byrds – “All I Really Want to Do” (1965)

02. The Byrds – “She Don’t Care About Time (Single Version)” (1965)

03. The Byrds – “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Alternate Mix)” (1969)

04. The Byrds – “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965)

05. The Byrds – “Chestnut Mare” (1970)

06. The Byrds – “Jamaica, Say You Will (Live)” (1971)

07. The Byrds – “The Times They Are A-Changin’” (1965)

08. The Byrds – “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” (1968)

09. The Byrds – “Chimes of Freedom” (1965)

10. The Byrds – “Bugler” (1971)

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Roger McGuinn Interview - Later with Bob Costas

Cheer Up, Sleepy Jean

The first album I ever purchased with my own money was The Monkees Greatest Hits. I must have been 12-years-old at the time and my sister’s boyfriend drove me to the local strip mall so I could buy it. With a potent mixture of sunshine pop, bubblegum, and garage rock and backed by talented studio musicians and songwriters, time has been kind to the Monkees and their music. While many people now consider the group hip, when I was a kid the “Pre-Fab Four” were still the butt of jokes and critics savaged them as a sort of ‘60s equivalent to Mili Vanilli or the Spice Girls. Yet all I cared about was the Monkees' music and how it made me feel good during a terrible period in my life: the onset of puberty!

My first album (well, cassette tape)

A couple of years later I began dipping my feet into punk and straightedge music and both the Sex Pistols and Minor Threat cover versions of “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” definitely made those genres and groups more palatable to me. I’m guessing John Lydon and Ian MacKaye still are- and have always been- loyal Monkees fans because real punks don’t care if you make fun of us. That’s why we’re punk! Here are my favorite Monkees songs. (Wow, many of these songs still make me want to slam dance!)

Poster which proudly hung on my bedroom wall circa 1986

01. The Monkees – “Valleri” (1968)

02. The Monkees – “Last Train to Clarksville” (1966)

03. The Monkees – “Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)” (1967)

04. The Monkees – “A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You” (1967)

05. The Monkees – “Pleasant Valley Sunday” (1967)

06. The Monkees – “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” (1967)

07. The Monkees – “I Wanna Be Free” (1966)

08. The Monkees – “You Just May Be the One” (1967)

09. The Monkees – “Daydream Believer” (1967)

10. The Monkees – “What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?” (1967)

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Little Steven's Underground Garage

Rhino Records / The Monkees

In Praise of Sunshine Pop

As a man who appreciates good pop melodies and lush vocal harmonies, I have become enamored over the past five years by a ‘60s musical genre known as sunshine pop. Some of it is bad, to be sure, but there are some real pop gems to be found among the slop. Back in high school I was the singer for a suburban punk band but I never lost my taste for catchy pop melodies. Perhaps I was just another pop punk singer trying to play punk yet powerless to shake my pop roots; such is the power of pop.

To me sunshine pop is childhood, driving around with my mom listening to AM radio or lying in the grass beneath a tree on a warm spring day as sunlight shimmers through the leaves. If I could go back in time to my high school days then I would quit the punk scene, find some pretty hippie girls, and teach us to harmonize. After all, real talent seems to be the only thing that lasts. Enjoy the sunshine!

01. The Mamas and the Papas – “Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon” (1967)

02. The Peppermint Rainbow – “Will You Be Staying After Sunday” (1969)

03. The Peppermint Rainbow – “Pink Lemonade” (1969)

04. The Association – “Windy” (1967)

05. The Mamas and the Papas – “My Heart Stood Still” (1966)

06. The 5th Dimension – “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)” (1969)

07. The Mamas and the Papas – “Go Where You Wanna Go” (1966)

08. Harpers Bizarre – “Witchi Tai To” (1969)

09. The Association – “The Time It Is Today” (1968)

10. The Association – “Everything That Touches You” (1968)

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Mad Men - Final Scene

Monterey Pop

The Sound of Silence

When I was a child I used to sit in our suburban basement and dig through my parents' old record collection. Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits was my favorite. Not to listen to- but to look at. I was captivated by the photographs on the front and back covers of the album and I must have spent hours silently imagining just who these guys were. They looked so cool, so confident- and a little dangerous. The photos seemed to speak a secret code which only my parents and the other grown-ups understood. To me, Simon and Garfunkel were my parents' old friends, fellow revolutionaries from a magical bygone era, and I was born too late to ever truly understand the sacred bond- the code of silence.

Yet these poor guys were now relegated to an old cardboard box in a damp corner of our basement never to be played again. Or had my parents intentionally left the records there for my siblings and me to discover? As I got older I began to play the records and Greatest Hits became one of my favorites- to listen to. Then years went by and I lost touch with this collection until a few years ago when I reconnected with it. Not only is it the definitive Simon & Garfunkel album but it really is a perfect album. If I had to choose one vinyl album to leave my children- including the artwork- then it would be Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits. And that has to be worth something. Grade: A+

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The Harmony Game

Monterey Pop

Positively Jamaican

This is my all-time favorite Jamaican music album. No matter where I'm living in the world- Bulgaria, Zambia, China- I always have a copy with me. The Harder They Come is not just a Jimmy Cliff album but also features Desmond Dekker, the Maytals, and others. I'm guessing most people who dig this soundtrack have never seen the movie but it doesn’t matter. This is a great collection of timeless music and includes pop-reggae and rocksteady anthems to lift your soul and motivate you to do something to improve your life as well as the world around you. 

Even the sad songs- some of which contain a very strong Judeo-Christian message (this is Jamaica, after all)- will put you in a positive mood and remind you life is happening right now- so get up and do something about it! And of course, throughout the album, there is that wonderful Jamaican rhythm. Kids will love it, old people will love it, and no matter where you are The Harder They Come is sure to get even the lamest party grooving in no time. Grade: A

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John Lydon's Reggae Recommendations

The Johnny Rotten Show: The Punk and His Music

The Birds, The Bees, and Kenny Rogers

If you’re too timid to explain the facts of life to your kids then perhaps you should just let them listen to this album from beginning to end. It’s got everything including drinking, smoking, gambling, adultery, rape, teenage pregnancy, unfulfilled potential, broken dreams, and the awful truth life is tough- and only gets tougher until you die (in your sleep, with any luck). Not long after this album's release my family and I embarked on a holiday road trip from New York to Florida- and back- and Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits was the only tape we had in the car. Each of us enjoyed the songs in his or her own way and even though I was only a little boy at the time “Every Time Two Fools Collide” got to me; “Reuben James” thrilled me; and “Coward of the County” became my story.

Years later I was living in Bulgaria and was surprised to learn that during the Cold War Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits was nearly as popular behind the Iron Curtain as it had been in the United States. Each song on Greatest Hits spins a tale about what it feels like to be alive- and Rogers is a gifted storyteller who understands human desire. With stellar production, superb track sequencing, and strong duets with Kim Carnes and Dottie West, and yes, “Lady” (written by Lionel Richie), this classic collection is probably the only Kenny Rogers album you’ll ever need. Consider bringing it with you on your next family road trip- your kids may thank you one day. Grade: B+

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Coal Miner’s Daughter Delivers

Coal Miner’s Daughter is one of my favorite movies but I had low expectations for the soundtrack which I’ve been listening to and enjoying all morning. The film tells the rags to riches story of country music icon Loretta Lynn (Sissy Spacek) and was made with Lynn's blessing and participation. Sissy sings the songs and does a great job and Beverly D'Angelo, who plays Patsy Cline, also shines as both ladies breathe new life into country standards we know by heart. And that’s probably the best thing I can say about this album. If you love traditional country music but are burned out on the same old versions of the same old tunes then Coal Miner’s Daughter will put a smile on your face and remind you why these songs have stuck with so many for so long.

The best country songs tell about real life and real people but they also touch something deeper inside us. For me, there is a spiritual dimension to these songs which recognize the highs and lows that come with being human but also embrace our common humanity and reassure us we are not alone. This is music you can share with your kids and you will all be better for it. The film, which is just right for a family night around the television set, has many strong performances but Levon Helm steals the show as Loretta’s daddy, the coal miner. It's startling at first to hear Helm singing along to “Amazing Grace” at his own character's funeral but this fits nicely with the album's timeless quality and the movie's strong theme of family. Grade: A+

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Movie Trailer

Roger Ebert's Movie Review

Movie Reviews

Click movie to view

Norma Rae

The Bone Collector

All the Money in the World

Basquiat

Lincoln

Z

Rififi

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Nomadland

Apologetics

Click topic to view

Faith and Reason

Spirit, Matter, and the Spirituality 
of the Human Soul

Belief in God

Belief in God II