"On the Road," the movie based on Jack Kerouac's novel of the same name, will be released in the United States on December 21, 2012. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope, it's directed … [Read more...]
The Biggest Mystery in Hollywood History
"An author should have no other biography than his books." “The biography of a creative man is completely unimportant.” - B. Traven Warner Brothers bought the novel THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA … [Read more...]
Interview with Steve Andrews of the band, Beyond from Within
Steve Andrews is the musical force behind … [Read more...]
Music Review – Ringo 2012
Ringo Starr has been on a roll the past several years with the well-reviewed 2010 release Y Not, a successful tour, and now a lively new album titled Ringo 2012. This marks Ringo's 17th solo outing as … [Read more...]
Music Review – Robbie Robertson’s How to Become Clairvoyant
When I finally got my hands on How To Become Clairvoyant, I could hardly wait to take it home and play it. I had to hear what Robbie Robertson had created, and was convinced that anything Robbie … [Read more...]
Bob Dylan and the Beatles by Al Aronowitz, reviewed by Hammond Guthrie
Al Aronowitz is often referred to as "the godfather of rock journalism." But his roots are in the tradition of the writers who trailed behind the Old West's outlaws and revolutionaries, embellishing … [Read more...]
Book Review – Moondog: The Viking of 6th Avenue by Robert Scotto
Moondog: The Viking of 6th Avenue by Robert Scotto / Process Media / 2007 / 280 pages / ISBN # 978-0-9760822-8-6 Born in Marysville, Kansas in 1916, the son of an Episcopal minister, Louis Hardin … [Read more...]
Tom Waits’ Influence On Modern Jazz
When I first wrote about the influence that Tom Waits had on me as a songwriter (Introduction to Alchemy), I had one thing on my mind: publicity. When the idea for the second article (Applied Alchemy) … [Read more...]
A Study of Tom Waits through Cover Songs
When I wrote "Inherited Alchemy" my intentions were dualistic: to pinpoint the qualities Tom Waits held as a songwriter that were worthy of imitation, and flat-out, shameless hero-worship. Judging by … [Read more...]
Tom Waits’s Inspiration on Songwriting
As a songwriter, everything I hear is an influence, whether good or bad, loved or hated; it is "influential." In order to understand what has truly inspired a song, one should first look for the … [Read more...]
Review: Jamming with Relix: The Book
I first experienced what would eventually be called "Jam Band" music when I attended one of Ken Kesey's Acid Tests in 1965. In order to get into the place you had to first walk literally through the … [Read more...]
Pete Brown, Legendary Poet and Cream Lyricist, Interviewed by Bill Ectric
On June 16 ("Bloomsday"), 1964, Pete Brown gave the first ever poetry reading at Morden Tower, now a literary landmark in Newcastle, England. The Morden Tower Readings, conceived and organized by Tom … [Read more...]
Down by Law: The Loneliness of Jim Jarmusch
Not that it would make any difference. But if only for the sake of morale, you are willing to admit that it's a welcome shade of orange that breaks east at the horizon of what has been a … [Read more...]
(Revisiting) Mondo Hollywood: A Film and Event
At midnight on June 10, 2006, in a special event for the Moondance Film Festival, The Chaplin Theater (5300 Melrose Ave) in Los Angeles will be presenting the digitally-enhanced Director's cut of … [Read more...]
Diamanda Galas – Love is a Ballad that Eviscerates
When I listen to the music of Diamanda Galás, I am reminded that I have veins. There is something in her voice that punctures the flesh, the ears, the heart, in order to get at something visceral. … [Read more...]