By Chris Gray
It's time to rank the best of what went around and came around again.
BILLY JOEL
The Stranger
(Columbia/Legacy)
As punk and disco exploded, the Piano Man's deeply unhip 1978 breakthrough proved that top-shelf Broadway/Brill Building songwriting could still sell - and, occasionally, rock. "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" and "Anthony's Song (Movin' Out)" remain priceless snapshots of Annie Hall-era NYC, the title track bares real teeth, and the Kenny Chesney fave "Only the Go
Anti-RecordsJust in case you forgot, February is Black History Month. This year, BHM has taken on an added significance with the historic election of Barack Obama, which has brought hope for meaningful change in society. However, it should be remembered that, to paraphrase Sam Cooke, it's been a loooo-nnng time comin', and furthermore, that some of the primary messengers of change have been black musicians.
On that note, legendary soulman (and Bay Area resident) Booker T. Jones - of Booker T.
Booker TBooker T and Bettye LaVette
The Independent
Friday, May 8, 2009
Last night I saw Booker T. Jones, one of the titans of American music, and it really hit me how much he has contributed to Western pop culture. I was also digging his performance, as was everyone else at the sold-out show.
When I was growing up in the American South in the '60s, my parents kept the radio tuned to country or easy listening stations. When I had a chance to turn the dial, the music I heard was completely affe
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