Sara Lownds (now Sara Dylan) and Dylan became romantically involved in 1964; soon afterwards, they moved into separate rooms in New York’s Hotel Chelsea to be near one another. Dylan biographer Robert Shelton, who knew Dylan and Lownds in the mid-1960s, writes that Lownds…
Blog Archives
Gods & Monsters (2012) – Lana Del Rey
(Warning: The content of this post contain explicit messages which could offend some readers) I have written about the pitfalls concerning the pursuit of fame in Los Angeles in my movie articles of the Coen Brothers’ Barton Fink and David Lynch’s…
Ghosteen (2019) – Nick Cave
If there is sadness in Ghosteen, perhaps it is the recognition that we are often blind to the splendour of the world and indifferent to its attendant wonder. Perhaps the sadness is the recognition that the world is indeed beautiful, that it…
Rain Dogs (1985) – Tom Waits
Can I preface by saying how difficult it is to write a post here in between watching Day 4 of the Athletics in Paris. I told my good friend Sharon a few days ago that I would boycott the Olympics…
Born to Run (1975) – Bruce Springsteen
Born to Run, the title track is a frenzied anthem about the idealism and escapism of youth, similar to the spirit and message of another song on the record called Backstreets which I presented here in 2019. I was so…
Hold On, Hold On (2006) – Neko Case
Singer-songwriter Neko Case began her career in the mid-’90s, playing drums in various, mostly punk-oriented bands before launching a country-influenced solo project, Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, who debuted in 1997 with the album The Virginian. That same year, she also became part of…
Absolutely, Positively Friends (1993) – Kenny Marks
He is best remembered for helping to implement a style that he calls ‘horizontal music with a vertical connection’: songs that may be informed by a spiritual orientation but are not overtly about spiritual things.– Kenny Marks: Remembering the CCM…
Be My Baby (1963) – The Ronettes
Be My Baby was written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich at Spector’s office in Los Angeles. Early in 1963, Spector auditioned a vocal group trio – composed of sisters Veronica (also known as “Ronnie“) and Estelle Bennett with their cousin Nedra Talley – who were performing under…
Santa Fé (1967) – Bob Dylan
Santa Fé is a playful, improvisational and rollicking song recorded by Bob Dylan and the Band in 1967 in the summer or fall of 1967 in West Saugerties, New York (at a home of some of the Band members, known as Big Pink…
Mayonaise (1993) – Smashing Pumpkins
In the advent of alternative rock’s mainstream breakthrough, Mayonaise was released on the Smashing Pumpkins‘ second studio album Siamese Dream (image inset) in 1993. There are a whole host of other pioneering grunge / alt-rock groups who have featured here…
Observation Blogger 