Folk songs, whatever else they might be, are mainly craft. A good folk song tells you something you already know, in a form you’re already familiar with, on terms that were set down long before you were born-when the country was primarily windblown dust, open wagon trains and dysfunctional towns like Deadwood.
In the days Read More
From George Martin’s classically inspired production of the Beatles to Peter Gabriel’s early solo masterpieces, to Stereolab’s beautiful loops and blips, U.K.-based bands have often found a way to squeeze warmth and compassion from the stone-cold-especially now that the tubes are gone-machinery of the recording studio.
Certainly, the British embrace of technology has gone haywire Read More
The more you know about Bob Dylan, the less you know. A truly enigmatic artist, Mr. Dylan’s work and life offer vaporous handholds, explanations and instructions. Attempt to grasp them, and they will only dissipate and re-form into another contexture or idea. When a door opens into his past-a glimpse of the Delvic Hotel in Read More
As a fiction writer, I’m always looking for what Faulkner called “the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself.” But recently, the world poured on too much material. I’m not sure what to do with 9/11. Two boys down the street play whiffleball in their front yard without a father. He got up Read More
