Author Archives: Jonathan Perry
THE MERITS OF STEPHIN: The Enduring Attraction (69 Love Songs’ Worth) of The Magnetic Fields
The news that Merge is gearing up for a “69 Love Songs” vinyl reissue campaign — with the first run of 1,000 copies being pressed on colored vinyl (for geeks like us who care about such things) — feels a little like re-discovering and savoring a half-forgotten love letter that you cherished and then, eventually, tucked away in a drawer with your memories. (Or, in our case, massive filing cabinets stuffed with CDs).
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE: The Drive-By Truckers Roll From Darkness To Daylight And Hit The Road Behind A New Live Album
The band’s 2001 landmark, ‘Southern Rock Opera,’ caught on with a broad audience that included hipsters and college kids, aging classic rockers, and ordinary folks who loved the sound of loud electric guitars set to lyrics that meant something. Both album and band also fared far better in the North and West than the group’s home turf: “The South is our weakest region – I think it’s because it’s too close to home,” said bandleader Patterson Hood. “We’re singing about stuff that’s right down the street. And nobody wants to hear that.”
NOT TO BE TAKEN AWAY: Moon The Loon, Gone Too Soon
Originally posted on RPM: Jonathan Perry's Life in Analog:
The four-headed hydra at rest. (L-R: Keith Moon, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle). Take Our Poll Manic Moon Mauls Melody, pictures at 11. Don’t even THINK about swiping my scotch Pete. Before Keith tested whether his Lincoln Continental could swim in the hotel pool.…
WHO’S NEXT? NOBODY COMES CLOSE: Reflections On Listening To Who At 50, And Their Rock Masterpiece (No, It’s Not Tommy)
Originally posted on RPM: Jonathan Perry's Life in Analog:
The sound of a jet taking off? Nope, it’s just The Who in full flight. Just a quick one — pun intended — to honor one of my all-time favorite artists, The Who, to mark their “Who Hits 50!” world tour that lead singer Roger…
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS: Listen As RPM: Life In Analog Spins The Sounds At Boston Free Radio!
A post meant as much for listening as reading: I want to give a shout-out and thanks to fellow music junkie and Boston Free Radio “Voices Of Time” host Alan Patterson for inviting “RPM ” (that would be me) to the Internet station’s Somerville studio to spin (and chat about) a few of my favorite things a little […]
SEND IN THE CLOWNS: Remembering Robin Williams (1951-2014)
Originally posted on RPM: Jonathan Perry's Life in Analog:
For decades, Robin Williams made me laugh. Monday night, he made me cry. Like many, I found myself suddenly paralyzed and weeping at the terrible news that Williams had passed by his own hand at the age of 63. And not just because he was a…
LOVE, LIFE, & LIT: Ted Drozdowski’s Scissormen Cut Deep To The Blues And Beyond
If it’s a bit hard to believe that my friend and colleague Ted Drozdowski is “only” celebrating the tenth anniversary of his lava-hot, molten blues trio, it may be because the veteran bandleader and award-winning music journalist has spent close to a lifetime listening to, and writing about, the very music he’s always treasured and revered. Playing it […]
BEANO’S BLUESBREAKING BEST: When Clapton Really WAS God (And Who Created Him? Why, John Mayall, Of Course!)
To me, this is Clapton at his rawest and fiercest; his bluesiest, purest, and most exciting, channeling his hero Freddie King (and even covering a tune or two) with a bottomless bag of stinging riffs, ferocious solo outbursts, and inventive accents of color and melody.
FROM GRAVEDIGGER TO TROUBADOUR: Life Above Ground With Ike Reilly’s Schemers, Dreamers & Junkie Faithful
Reilly’s songs teem with lowlifes, hustlers, and have-nots, dazed by despair, embittered by regret, and hardened by circumstance. Ever the sly, sardonic observer, Ike takes it all in from his perch in the shadows. His personae, like his music, shifts, bobs and weaves: sage, fool, jester, street-corner prophet, Reilly’s all of these things – sometimes within the same song.
The Luckiest Man Alive: Happy Birthday Ringo Starr, The Man Who Brought The Beat To The Beatles
Originally posted on RPM: Jonathan Perry's Life in Analog:
He’s not named Ringo for nothing! “I consider him one of the greatest innovators of rock drumming and believe that he has been one of the greatest influences on rock drumming today … Ringo has influenced drummers more than they will ever realize or admit.…
RPM: Jonathan Perry's Life in Analog 