Four Dead in Ohio

On May 4 1970, four students were assassinated by the United States National Guard on the Kent State University campus in Kent, Ohio while peacefully protesting the Viet Nam war. On May 19, 1970 (15 days later), Neil Young saw an article in Life magazine about the shooting, and immediately picked up his guitar andContinue reading “Four Dead in Ohio”

A Perfect Wake Up

Rock and roll music did not just appear on Tuesday, when there had only been country, classical and jazz music on Monday. Rock and roll was not invented. It did not pop into existence out of thin air. It was not curated. It was not created in a flash of inspiration and creativity. Rock andContinue reading “A Perfect Wake Up”

This Perfect Life (Part 2)

First we just hear the bells. Three gentle chimes from Tibetan wishing bells symbolizing the beginning of a journey, and creating space for purity and reflection. After spending five years away from the music business to raise his son Sean and to spend time with his wife Yoko as they made a life for themselvesContinue reading “This Perfect Life (Part 2)”

This Perfect Life (Part 1)

When I first connected to music, to music that was introspective, provocative, and meaningful, I was a young teenager. I was a teenager who didn’t know much about life, love, or pain. A teenager who didn’t know much about what made a life of substance. So I listened to music. I listened to music thatContinue reading “This Perfect Life (Part 1)”

These Perfect Boots

It must be hard to be the child of a star. The expectations of following in your famous parents’ footsteps must be suffocating, and if you decide to pursue the career they pursued, then a decision needs to be be made. Do you try to develop a career completely on your own (risking potential failureContinue reading “These Perfect Boots”

The Forever Perfection of “Dancing Queen”

Breathe in deep, and fill your lungs with air. Look up to the sky, and raise your hands up above your head. Smile, and wear your flashiest dress or your widest lapels. Twirl around. Strap on those platform shoes. You know you look good. “Dancing Queen,” the shimmering, bombastic, amazing 1976 disco manifesto is playingContinue reading “The Forever Perfection of “Dancing Queen””