Best Of

A selection of our top stories, for your reading pleasure…

HERE’S WHY KAREN CARPENTER MATTERS

Alan BisbortJune 20, 2019

The singing/drumming half of the 1970s' hitmakers the Carpenters died at age 32 in 1983 of health issues related to anorexia. As popular as she was in her lifetime, Karen Carpenter has, according to a new book, Why Karen Carpenter Matters, “generated...

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WHAT WAS THE FIRST ROCK & ROLL RECORD? DEKE DICKERSON SAYS IT’S ‘ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK’

Deke DickersonJune 14, 2019

In Part 1, Deke Dickerson lays out his belief that the template of Rock & Roll was forged by the jumping Rhythm and Blues combo The Treniers in the early 1950s. That magic spark happened in the seaside resort town Wildwood, New Jersey, in the sum...

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EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG: ROCK & ROLL WAS INVENTED IN WILDWOOD, NEW JERSEY! – BY DEKE DICKERSON

Deke DickersonJune 12, 2019

Deke Dickerson charts the birth of Rock & Roll music—as we know it—to the early 1950s, and a little seaside resort town called Wildwood, New Jersey. Long before Elvis stepped inside Sun Studio, Dickerson says it was a criminally underrated musica...

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JACK CASADY: THE BASS MAN SPEAKETH

Benito VilaJune 11, 2019

One of the most distinctive bass players in rock history, Jack Casady came to prominence with Jefferson Airplane, but his resume stretches back to Little Anthony & the Imperials and forward to Danny Gatton, David Crosby, Warren Zevon and a memora...

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SEASON OF THE WITCH: WHEN AN AMERICAN RESHAPED BRITISH POP MUSIC

Richie UnterbergerJune 6, 2019

Promoter/producer/club owner Joe Boyd, with his production company Witchseason, introduced the world to some enduring artists in its time (1967-70): Fairport Convention, the Incredible String Band, Nick Drake, Vashti Bunyan. He also produced Pink Flo...

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UNKNOWN PLEASURES: JOY DIVISION’S MASTERPIECE AT 40

David ChiuMay 30, 2019

The Manchester quartet navigated the post-punk waters on their own, self-releasing an EP and then giving the world what is now considered a classic album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979. Peter Hook, Joy Division’s bassist, and Jon Savage, author of new o...

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PETER LAUGHNER: AN UNFINISHED LIFE

Todd McGovernMay 23, 2019

Cleveland's vital and unsung punk scene would not be complete without a chapter on Peter Laughner. Laughner, who died in 1977 at the age of 24, co-founded legendary bands Rocket from the Tombs and Pere Ubu, among others. An amazing singer and songwri...

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Women of Rock Unite!: Oral History Project founder/director Tanya Pearson Explains How

Sharon M. HannonMay 7, 2019

Frustrated over a lack of sources about women rock musicians, a Smith College grad student decided to go to the sources themselves. Five years later, Tanya Pearson—writer, musician, archivist—has amassed a world-class archive of digital interviews an...

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SON OF A GUN: NEAL CASSADY’S SON JOHN TELLS ALL

Laura Marie BraunMay 2, 2019

John Allen Cassady, now 67, reflects on growing up with the king of the counterculture, the inspiration for Dean Moriarty in On the Road, the driver of Kesey’s Merry Prankster bus. It was a lot more stable of a childhood than anyone would have thou...

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THE DEATH OF SGT. CARTER

Burt KearnsApril 29, 2019

Frank Sutton, who played the gruff sergeant foil to Jim Nabors’ country bumpkin Gomer Pyle, was a talented actor on screen, tube and stage. He lived and died, quite literally, for his profession as an actor, but there was a side that few outside ce...

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STEALING STIV BATORS

Bebe BuellApril 25, 2019

Model and singer Bebe Buell fell into Stiv’s arms in the wake of her romances with Todd Rundgren, Rod Stewart and Elvis Costello. And they remained best friends to the end of his life. Bebe shares some happy and surprising moments with the man she ...

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Linda Gail Lewis: The Killer’s Little Sister Gets Her Own Groove

Michael ShelleyApril 17, 2019

She was driving a car at 11, married (for the first of 8 times) by 14 and joined her brother Jerry Lee Lewis on tour as a teen. She flirted with ‘60s pop stardom after recording a hit duet album with Jerry Lee but remained part of his touring group ...

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THE NEW GUYS: ROCK & ROLL REPLACEMENTS THAT WORKED

Darren PaltrowitzApril 16, 2019

Often a new band member replacing an original player has, despite fans’ worst fears, actually turned out for the better (think: Ringo Starr for Pete Best). Here are 12 other examples of happy endings, from AC/DC to the Sex Pistols. In this era of ...

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DAVID GODLIS: THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHER AT CBGB

Eric DavidsonApril 4, 2019

Because he brought a street photographer’s eye to the party, Godlis captured New York’s early punk scene at its most raw and humane. His shots of the CBGB scene are some of the most interesting on record, but Godlis continued to pursue his street pho...

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From its waterfront perch in Sausalito, the Trident’s clientele could see the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. The club/restaurant was “a trippy space ship” whose passengers just happened to be a Who’s Who of rock & roll (the Stones, Quicksilver, Crosby, Garcia, Lesh, Sam Andrew, Peter Stampfel) and Hollywood (Clint Eastwood, Warren Beatty, Sterling Hayden) and elsewhere (Alan Watts, Sonny Barger, Bill Cosby), not to mention Robin Williams was one of the busboys and the tequila sunrise was invented at the bar. The Fifties became the Sixties at the club, then the Sixties became the Seventies…Benito Vila takes us back, through the words of those who were there. Read more!

Quentin Chip on OUT TO SEA WITH THE OUTLAW COUNTRY CRUISEQuite a line-up I must admit. I've met Lee Perry , Kinky and Kris Kristofferson unfortunately not on the same boat but on separate occasions. All highly intelligent geezers who would be incongruous in the tawdry world of rock 'n' roll but have successfully carved a niche for themselves in
Jan Collins on CHIP TAYLOR: THE HAPPY GAMBLERInteresting he skipped over the Carrie portion of his return to music.....
Dave Brock on THE PUZZLING CASE OF PATTI SMITH: GROUNDBREAKER, ‘GODMOTHER OF PUNK’ AND YOUR MOM’S FAVORITE AUTHORNitpicky, I know, but "Kids Are People Too" was a Sunday morning show, not Saturday. My former uncle (aunt's ex-husband) worked on the show. I got to meet KISS and Patti (amongst many others) and even Gene Simmons was nicer than Patti. She was really nasty to me, my sister,

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BASIL WOLVERTON: AMERICA’S WEIRDEST ARTIST

OUT TO SEA WITH THE OUTLAW COUNTRY CRUISE

CHIP TAYLOR: THE HAPPY GAMBLER

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TAQUILA MOCKINGBIRD: KEEPING PUNK HISTORY ALIVE IN L.A.

CAROL KAYE: THE BOSS OF THE BASS GUITAR

MARSHALL CRENSHAW IS HAVING ANOTHER FIELD DAY

Best Of

HERE’S WHY KAREN CARPENTER MATTERS

WHAT WAS THE FIRST ROCK & ROLL RECORD? DEKE DICKERSON SAYS IT’S ‘ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK’

EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG: ROCK & ROLL WAS INVENTED IN WILDWOOD, NEW JERSEY! – BY DEKE DICKERSON

JACK CASADY: THE BASS MAN SPEAKETH

SEASON OF THE WITCH: WHEN AN AMERICAN RESHAPED BRITISH POP MUSIC

UNKNOWN PLEASURES: JOY DIVISION’S MASTERPIECE AT 40

PETER LAUGHNER: AN UNFINISHED LIFE

Women of Rock Unite!: Oral History Project founder/director Tanya Pearson Explains How

SON OF A GUN: NEAL CASSADY’S SON JOHN TELLS ALL

THE DEATH OF SGT. CARTER

STEALING STIV BATORS

Linda Gail Lewis: The Killer’s Little Sister Gets Her Own Groove

THE NEW GUYS: ROCK & ROLL REPLACEMENTS THAT WORKED

DAVID GODLIS: THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHER AT CBGB

BASIL WOLVERTON: AMERICA’S WEIRDEST ARTIST

OUT TO SEA WITH THE OUTLAW COUNTRY CRUISE

CHIP TAYLOR: THE HAPPY GAMBLER