Bloggerhythms

Longtime readers of this blog have probably noticed how much space has been devoted to the original lineup of the rock band Chicago and how little respect (with very few exceptions) there is for the post-Terry Kath editions of the large, famous ensemble. Chicago 16 , the group's first album released by Full Moon/Epic after Columbia Records fired them, is not only their comeback album it's one of the exceptions. It's also the first of three records with new producer David Foster, and singer, keyboardist, guitarist, Bill Champlin who joined them the year before it was released. 16 is the album where Chicago began to use outside musicians extensively (the members of Toto were major contributors). In addition to the loss of Kath, Chicago's heart and soul, Robert Lamm, was largely absent for health and personal reasons. Peter Cetera, who had become the group's most visible member by this time, sang lead on most of the songs but he gave up his bass playing duties...

Often when I hear young people refer to classic rock as the music of old fogies I smile because a large percentage of what the Millennials are listening to are bands who revere the old guard. Such is the case with the young quintet, The Wild Feathers. Based in Nashville by way of Austin the band plays what on the surface sounds like modern rock but it's really just updated classic rock for the Twenty-first Century. It's been written on more than one occasion that the group has been influenced by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers but to this reviewer's ears the band is a louder, more rocking version of Southern California's Eagles. The melodies, high harmonies, and country guitar flourishes they add to hard rock songs are everywhere on this fourteen track, sixty minute, iTunes bonus version of their album.  (Unusually, the extra tracks are worth the money.)  The difference between The Wild Feathers and their elders is that today's production values allow artist...

Hey baseball fans, Spring Training is upon us and it couldn't be more welcome. Those of us living in the Eastern half of the United States have whined all winter (and rightfully so) about our unusually cold and snowy introduction to the new year so we're looking forward to the coming season. Normally, I would save a post such as this one for opening day but since I can't wait to put the snow shovels away and smell some freshly groomed grass let's listen to a sampling of baseball related songs before your star pitcher's newly torn rotator cuff knocks your team out of the race before Memorial Day. First, take a look at Bloggerhythms' review of High & Inside (2011), the second CD by The Baseball Project, Scott McCaughey's quartet staring Peter Buck on guitar and featuring nothing but songs about America's popular summer game. Their modern rock music is good but you have to be more than a casual fan to fully appreciate the concept. Gamble & H...

Larry Kirwan in 1998 The two part Liverpool Fantasy series ends today, the 50th anniversary of The Beatles first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show . This second installment is an e-mail question and answer session conducted with Larry Kirwan on June 15, 2003. Due to the passage of time a small part of the interview is dated but please don't let that stop you from taking in the many interesting things the author has to say about his novel. If you haven't already done so please read part one here so the interview will be more meaningful to you. -------------------------------------------- CR: What year was the play written? LK: I can't remember the exact date I began the play, but it was first produced down on the Lower East Side of NYC in Summer 1986. CR: What was the inspiration behind the original play? LK: Reading that "John Lennon would have been a success in whatever field he entered." At first, I thought that this was true but began to doubt...

The following book review of Liverpool Fantasy  - a novel based on the very early career of The Beatles and an email interview with its author, Larry Kirwan - were originally published on Bloggerhythms on May 5, 2005 in the first two weeks of this blog's existence. As a result only twenty-six people read the article in nine years. So, in tribute to the upcoming 50th anniversary of The Beatles' American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show it's time to re-post both parts of the original piece because a lot more eyeballs are perusing this little website today then when it first appeared online all those years ago. However, this time the interview will be split off into a separate entry on the actual anniversary (next Sunday), so stay tuned and don't touch that dial. --------------------------------------------- In addition to leading Black 47, New York City's infamous Irish-rock band for the last fifteen years, author Larry Kirwan is also a playwright, and now he ha...