Billy Joe Shaver - Freedom's Child
The hard part to remember now is that this man was once regularly described by many, himself included, as a rough-edged, brawling fight-picker and general maker of trouble.
It's hard because the 63-year-old performer we see onstage these days, the man reflected also in this first Billy Joe
Roadkill On The Three-Chord Highway: Art And Trash In American Popular Music
In this new collection, writer Colin Escott proves again that he has impeccable taste, a world-class record collection, and a fascination with the behind-the-scenes artistic choices and business dealings that, sometimes, transform mere records into hits.
If Roadkill On The Three-Chord Highway has a weakness, it's that Escott
Pops Farrar: 1930 to 2002
Two weeks before his father died, John Farrar, the eldest son of James Paul Farrar, asked the question every son one day will face. "What should we do, Pops?" His father had been diagnosed with cancer over a year ago; though he was known to be "terminal,
Mickey Newbury: 1940 to 2002
"The dancing stops, but the music goes on."
In the deepest blue of night, in the wee hours of September 29th, Mickey Newbury drifted off to dream at his home in rural Oregon, and never came back. His passing was no surprise, as he'd been battling
Can't Be Satisfied: The Life And Times Of Muddy Waters
During his first trip to England, Muddy Waters, ruminating about his humble beginnings and how far the blues had taken him in the world, told a reporter from Melody Maker, "There's no way in the world I can feel the same blues the way I used to.
Mark Knopfler - The Ragpicker's Dream
Mark Knopfler's often beautiful and affecting third solo album is about exile. It's not about the exile forced by war or famine, but by the natural progression of ordinary life. "Why Aye Man", the opening tune, could have anchored a good early Dire Straits