Back in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, influential German electronic musicians Kraftwerk shared their visions of the future. Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider started the band as a progressive rock group, but quickly became interested in evolving musical technology.  Their songs consisted of lyrical content spoken through a vocoder or computer speech software accompanied by minimalistic electronic percussion and …

Believe it or not, the famous showman known as Liberace was the highest paid entertainer during the 1950’s up until the 1970’s. When he wasn’t busy singing, playing piano and acting in terrible television specials, the man had a sense of fashion that could only be described as “flamboyant.” Some of these costumes look like something Elton John would have worn in …

Although I no longer indulge in “the grass,” I feel I can offer some musical suggestions based on conversations I’ve had with a number of “users” and past experiences. Not surprisingly, mellow, atmospheric recordings seem pleasing to those who’ve recently smoked. I also found instrumental compositions and strange, experimental music seemed popular among the marijuana enthusiast. This is by no …

With the school year just beginning, it seemed appropriate to take a look at some rock and roll songs that cover the subjects of education, teachers, teen angst and rebellion. Not surprisingly, most rock songs featuring lyrics about school discuss topics of sexuality, drug use and frustration — not so much good grades, positive studying habits and perfect attendance. Songs …

1. David Bowie — “Ziggy Stardust” (1972) To the casual listener, the Bowie classic “Ziggy Stardust” may sound simply like the story of a rock star, his rise to fame and ultimately his tragic decline. Upon closer inspection, there’s so much more. Ziggy is actually an alien being sent to Earth with a message of hope, peace and love. The …

It’s a pretty good story … We got wasted in an alley, started a game called “piss foot fighting,” and there was a weird guy there named “Christopher Reeves” who claimed that when he died he wanted to be taxidermied (real word?) so his family could use him as a coat hanger. Fun night!

After extensive “research” for this article, I’ve come to the conclusion that often a band’s first record is its best. It’s been said that rock bands take years to write their first album, but normally only months to create the second. That means these earlier songs have been tried and tested live and are just begging to be laid down …