News

1967

Jefferson Airplane: After Bathing at Baxter's (RCA)

This was the Airplane's second LP of 1967, and on it they took the studio freedom their two huge hit singles had earned them and went wild and unsupervised, making a real psychedelic album rather than the carefully contrived simulation of psychedelia that had been Surrealistic Pillow. The result had more avant-garde weirdness than hit singles (RCA had unrealistic hopes for "Watch Her Ride"), but the album actually coheres far better; for all the stylistic disjunctions and studio effects and Jorma Kaukonen's often-abrasive guitar sounds, and for that matter the nine-minute instrumental trio improvisation "Spare Chaynge," it flows organically, creating its own logic.

Cream: Disraeli Gears (I'm not even a Cream fan and I still have to acknowledge the brilliance of "Strange Brew," "Sunshine of Your Love," "Tales of Brave Ulysses," and "Swlabr")

Moody Blues: Days of Future Passed (early blast of prog-rock,...

North Hollywood, CA, July 30, 2010 – Four-time Emmy® Award recipient Glenn Weiss and two-time Emmy® Award recipient Steve Bass have been named to the 62nd Primetime Emmy® Awards production team, Executive Producer Don Mischer announced today. Weiss returns as Director and Bass as Production Designer of the telecast, airing live coast-to-coast on Sunday, August 29 (8:00 Pm Et / 5:00 Pm Pt) on NBC from the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Also returning to the Primetime Emmys for an encore performance, is the 17-piece “dream team” band under the direction of Steve Jordan and David Paich and comprised of renowned rock, jazz and studio greats, including guitarists Dean Parks and Ray Parker, Jr., keyboardist Michael Bearden, saxophonist Tom Scott, bassist Darryl Jones and percussionist Lenny Castro. As Executive Producer of seven Tony Awards and Director of the last ten, Glenn Weiss has received four Primetime Emmy Awards. Aside from collaborating with...

After months of complaints on Facebook's gung-ho attitude to its user's private data, Mark Zuckerberg has relented. Facebook will streamline its privacy settings. But did Zuckerberg really do an about-face on privacy or not?

Mark Zuckerberg's confessional letter appeared today on the Washington Post's Web site, and its headline suggests a no-nonsense piece of writing: "From Facebook, answering privacy concerns with new settings." Straight away this sounds promising--Facebook is aware that people are concerned about how Facebook is exposing their information, and is acting on it.

Strangely the content of the letter itself isn't as promising. Zuckerberg starts setting out the site's history and how it's designed to let people share information: "People want to share and stay connected with their friends and the people around them." This is true, and the Net gives them a tool to do this like it's never been done before. But then the usual...

Thank you, Internet, for “Stupid Fight,” a highly precise tool of science that compares the relative excessive exclamation-mark usage and typos of any given groups of Twitterers to find out which is “more stupid.” “A lot of people on Twitter are stupid. Many of these people follow celebrities and try to send them messages. But which celebrity's fans are most stupid? It's time to find out,” the site’s creator, Tom Scott, wrote by way of introduction. Although fear not, less intelligent Tweeters—looking at you, New York Review of Books readers!—there are always lavish fiscal incentives for celebrities who cater to your tastes.

George Benson Double-threat guitarist/singer George Benson has been sharing his gift of music since early boyhood. Born in Pittsburgh, George began his early career at the age of 8 on the ukulele and singing. In his teens, he fell in love with jazz and shortly thereafter started in Jack McDuff's band. By the mid-'60s, Benson was discovered by the illustrious visionary John Hammond and inked a deal with Columbia Records. Following decade, he signed with Warner Brothers, resulting in the multi-platinum Breezin', produced by Tommy Lipuma. Collaborations include Miles Davis, Jill Scott, Lee Ritenour, Al Jarreau, Lalah Hathaway, Bill Withers, Marcus Miller, Greg Phillinganes, Steve Lukather, Norman Brown, Patti Austin, Tom Scott, Gerald Albright, and Benny Goodman. Accolades include ten Grammys and the Nea Jazz Master Award. With a trove of classics to acquire, don't miss "Come In from the Cold,"...

For the first time since 2004, the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards will feature a live band as part of the telecast, being broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 20 (8:00-11:00 Pm, Et/Pt) on the CBS Television Network. The 17-piece band includes guitarists Dean Parks (America, Steely Dan), Ray Parker, Jr. (Raydio, "Ghostbusters"), keyboardist Michael Bearden (Michael Jackson's last music director), Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Tom Scott, bassist Darryl Jones (The Rolling Stones) and percussionist Lenny Castro (Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton). The all-star ensemble will be on-stage throughout the show.

Justin Timberlake will be among the numerous celebrities attending this year's Primetime Emmy Awards. The singer slash actor who had won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series at recent Creative Arts Emmy Awards, will be presenting a category on the Sunday, September 20 event.

Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, the Emmy this year will be one star-studded affair as in the past few days the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has announced several names who will be presenters. The latest batch, which would be the third, include Patricia Arquette, David Boreanaz, Jon Cryer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Rob Lowe, Tracy Morgan, Hayden Panettiere, Bob Newhart, Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Michael J. Fox and Ellen Burstyn.

Over at the music department, Sarah McLachlan is confirmed to perform live during the "In Memoriam" segment. Also, for the first time in the show's history, the event is going to present live music by...