Word: songs
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1970-1979
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...would much rather have written the best song of a nation than its noblest epic." So said Edgar Allan Poe, the 19th century American poet, teller of horror tales and inventor of the detective story. A vulnerable sort, tormented by melancholy and eventually by drink, he was infatuated with the mystery and dramatic power of music. Years after his death in 1849, composers-Sousa, Rachmaninoff, Debussy-found themselves equally fascinated by the music of his words...
...Argento's eighth opera, and as fine as any ever written by an American. Its success is an appropriate sequel to the Pulitzer Prize he won last year for his song cycle From the Diary of Virginia Woolf. He is a rarity among composers in that he knew nothing about music until age 14 (when he read a book about Gershwin), and did not begin piano lessons until 16. Three years later he was a piano major at Baltimore's Peabody Conservatory of Music. The first summer he read the letters of Mozart. Recalls Argento...
...past, the Stones have carefully chosen their opening numbers, kicking off in high gear with such exhilarating songs as "Sympathy for the Devil" on Beggar's Banquet, "Gimme Shelter" on Letit Bleed, and "Brown Sugar" on Sticky Fingers. But "Hot Stuff," the opener on this most recent album seems an unlikely choice for the prestigious spot. A not very exciting "disco-departure," its repetitive sameness is a drag. On close and multiple listenings the song's instrumental complexities provide something to be appreciated--some nice juxtaposed guitar work and several intricate percussion tracks. But at least the last two minutes...
Jagger attempts to lead the band through a Jamaican reggae tune, "Cherry O Baby," the only non-original song on the album, but no one can generate the energy or interest to break through the monotony. But the problem may lie as much with the sequencing of the cuts as with the quality of the Stones' rendition or the song itself. Listened to in isolation, "Cherry Oh Baby" comes off as a fairly good and authentic reggae imitation. But for the ear accustomed to rock and roll's strong second beat emphasis and generally faster pacing, the reggae rhythm often...
...Southern tales, in this version Jagger adopts the persona of a southern man "on the run 'cause (he) killed a man" and in narrative style informs us of the details. Jagger's voice is sometimes disturbing as he descends below his natural register, but for the most part the song rocks in a typical Jagger-Richard fashion, pleasing because it is so familiar. Yet Keith Richard's clean, tough guitar riffs have lost something of their power since the early days. Interestingly the finest guitar work to be found on this cut is provided, not be a Stone...