Keep the Faith

It's funny. Despite being a child of the 80s, I don't, as a rule, like 80s music. And yet I didn't just manage to make an exception for this particular group -- they actually happen to be my very favorite band.

If you're a Bon Jovi fan, you get where I'm coming from.

There's kind of a lot of fans

Bon Jovi is not a "Favorite Band" pick that often wins you a lot of respect in serious music circles. But, to be fair to my musical tastes, they don't always get the credit they deserve. They've long since transcended their roots as an 80s hair band, and it's a mark of their talents as songwriters and performers that they've stayed relevant for nearly three decades.

For those of us who are fans, their apparently timeless appeal is easy to understand. Their songs are admittedly simple, but they're also infused with a real energy, making for tunes that are flat-out catchy fun. Their music's also packed with undefeatable optimism. Their lyrics have a message, and it's generally one of hope (you can't be a cynic and a Bon Jovi fan at the same time; it's a mathematical impossibility). In my experience, no one leaves a Bon Jovi concert in a bad mood. (And I've been to quite a few concerts.)

Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi recently celebrated his birthday (March 2), so that's exactly the excuse I need to talk a bit Bon Jovi. Allow me to recommend to you my top five album picks:

-- Slippery When Wet

Despite being their third album, 1986's Slippery When Wet was the album that catapulted Bon Jovi to success. Small wonder: the album contains the three songs that Bon Jovi is arguably best known for: "Livin' on a Prayer," "You Give Love a Bad Name," and "Wanted Dead or Alive."

The last song, which compares the life of a rock star to the life of a cowboy, is an incredibly catchy earworm with an unforgettable hook -- but it also has some interesting commentary on the world of rock 'n' roll and celebrity culture. It's the band's biggest singalong concert performance (with Jon Bon Jovi often bringing the audience in to take over for a verse), as well as their undeniable signature piece.



-- Have a Nice Day

Released in 2005, this ninth offering from the band is, at least to me, something of a turning point in Bon Jovi's musical sound.

In addition to the catchy song from the title, there's "Novocaine," "Last Man Standing" (a futuristic sci-fi piece on the music industry -- really!), "Story of My Life," and "Welcome to Wherever You Are" (my favorite song on the album).

This album's also notable for the song "Who Says You Can't Go Home,"  which appears in two different versions -- once as a solo for Jon, and a second version sung as a duet with Jennifer Nettles (one half of the country-singing duo Sugarland). While the duet version only made it to the 5th slot on Billboard's US Top 40, it made Bon Jovi history by hitting Billboard's #1 spot on the Hot Country Songs list.



-- Lost Highway

After the runaway success of "Who Says You Can't Go Home," it probably seemed like a no-brainer for Bon Jovi to try their hand at a full album's worth of country-inspired sound. This follow-up to Have a Nice Day is clearly influenced by the genre of country music, giving a different flavor to the band's unique sound.

While I am, admittedly, not particularly a fan of much country music, I was pleasantly surprised to find this release quickly becoming another one of my favorites. Much to my surprise, the songs I like best -- "Whole Lot of Leavin'," "Any Other Day," "We Got It Going On" (done as a duet with country music duo Big & Rich) -- are the ones that are most clearly a mix of Bon Jovi's rock roots and a newer, country music influence. The title song, "Lost Highway," is a great driving tune.



-- Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection

I'm absolutely positive it's cheating to include this album -- a 2-disc compilation of, well, what it says on the tin. But it's hard to deny the draw of this 2010 release, which dips into such albums as Crush, New Jersey, and Keep the Faith to pull together all their best-loved songs into one complete set. In addition to the three biggest hits from Slippery When Wet, we also get such fantastic classics as "It's My Life," "Blaze of Glory," "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night," "Bad Medicine," and "Keep the Faith" (that last's a particular favorite of mine).

 There's also a handful of new tunes in the bonus tracks. (One of them, "The More Things Change," is one of my very favorite Bon Jovi songs.) You can't beat that for a single album!



-- The Circle

"The Circle," Bon Jovi's eleventh studio album, is a unique album for me. While it is, in many ways, a return to the band's rock roots, there's a freshness to much of the music that makes the album stand out.

Many of the songs are clearly influenced by current events (the album was released in 2009). Such songs as "Work for the Working Man" and "Brokenpromiseland" bring to mind the aftermath of the economic crisis; "Bullet" and "Happy Now" seem to reference the fears of the time.

But the best song of the album (and, to my mind, the best Bon Jovi song there is) is the wholly unusual "When We Were Beautiful." A surprisingly poignant piece, the song has the strong hook and typical structure one might expect from a Bon Jovi tune -- but the sound itself is unique. It's fitting for a song that looks both to the past and towards the future, making it a whole new kind of signature performance for the band.

Watch the band perform "When We Were Beautiful"

From the Catalog:

-- Music albums by (or featuring) Bon Jovi

-- Bon Jovi: The Crush Tour [DVD]

-- Lost Highway: The Concert [DVD]

-- Bon Jovi: Live at Madison Square Garden, July 15, 2008 [DVD]

-- Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful - Conversations with Phil Griffin - a book about the band



-- Post by Ms. B

Bye Bye Love

Phil (left) and Don (right) Everly

On Friday, January 3, 2014, one half of one of the most beloved duos passed away. Phil Everly, born January 19, 1939, along with his older brother Don created beautiful and moving harmonies that have continued to influence musicians to this day.

Their career started in the mid 1950s just when rock and roll was starting out. They, along with artists such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and many others paved the way.

The influence of their music can still be felt in many of today's musicians. And just recently Norah Jones and Green Day's Billie Jo Armstrong made a record of covers of Everly Brothers songs called Foreverly.

Read on for tributes and articles from around the web:

-- Singer Phil Everly -- Half of Legendary Everly Brothers -- Dies - From CNN.

-- Phil Everly, of Everly Brothers fame, dies at 74, wife says - From Fox News.

-- Phil Everly, Everly Brothers Vocal Legend, Dead at 74 - From Rolling Stone.

-- Linda Ronstadt and others remember Phil Everly (1939-2014) - From The Los Angeles Times.

-- Phil Everly's Son Jason Remembers His Rock Pioneer Dad: Exclusive - From Rolling Stone.

-- Phil Everly's Last Interview: Thoughts on 'Foreverly,' Gene Autry, Being 'Happy at 74' - From The Hollywood Reporter

-- Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong: The Dark Traditions of Phil Everly - From The Wall Street Journal.

Click here to see The Everly Brothers perform Wake Up Little Susie

From the Catalog:

Click here for various albums and collections of The Everly Brothers music.

Foverly [CD] by Norah + Billie Jo

Ike's Boys : The Story of The Everly Brothers [book] by Phyllis Karpp.


--Post by Tracy

Polka Face

A few months ago, I went to a Weird Al Yankovic concert. Though I'm something of a recent Weird Al fan, it was easily one of the most fun concerts I've ever been to.

There's no denying that "Weird Al" Yankovic is a truly talented musician (listen to "White and Nerdy" sometime, and note how he manages to spit out those rapid-fire lyrics). But a large part of his brilliance can be ascribed to his talent as a song parodist, taking well-known hit songs and giving them his own unique twist -- be it Michael Jackson's "Beat It" becoming "Eat It," James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" becoming "You're Pitiful," or Miley Cyrus's "Party in the U.S.A." becoming "Party in the CIA."

Weird Al Yankovic is a brilliant musician in his own right -- but it's the humor and fun of his parodies that add an extra dimension of awesome to his performances. With October 23rd marking his 54th birthday, it's a good time to recommend some other parodies that are sure to make you smile:



- Robin Hood: Men in Tights

I know, I know -- Mel Brooks's comedic masterpieces are clearly Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. Tough. This one's my favorite.

Besides, when it comes to parodies, this one is the most direct in its target (archery pun intended). While Men in Tights is plenty amusing in its own right, it's best enjoyed if you've first seen the Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The Costner vehicle was released in 1991, making Brooks's 1993 parody offering a direct response to the original blockbuster.

Starring Cary Elwes as Robin Hood (who rightly noted, "Unlike other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent"), Men in Tights tells much the same story as the original movie it parodies. Robin Hood puts together his band of Merry Men to bring down the evil Prince John and his right-hand man, the Sheriff of Rottingham (whose first name happens to be "Mervin," not that you asked). The beats of the movie more or less follow Prince of Thieves to a T; there's even a bonus cameo of Sir Patrick Stewart, taking on the Sean Connery role of King Richard. How can this not be my favorite?

Request Robin Hood: Men in Tights from the Catalog



- Galaxy Quest

You may have gathered this by now, but I'm a big Star Trek fan. So it was pretty much preordained that I would fall in love with a Star Trek parody this good.

The story centers on a group of actors, who were the stars of the campy sci-fi series Galaxy Quest some twenty years ago. With their show long cancelled, the "crew" find themselves making their living by attending conventions and doing commercials. They snipe at each other -- particularly at Jason Nesmith, who played the captain on the show -- and generally find their lot in life to be a disheartening one. That all changes when a group of real aliens show up. Aliens who are admirers of the show. Aliens who don't have a concept of "fiction" in their society. Convinced that the Galaxy Quest actors are really a crew of space-exploring heroes, the aliens promptly pressgang the actors into helping them defeat an evil alien warlord.

It goes about as well as can be expected.

The Trek parodies are spot on ("Hey, don't open that [hatch]!  It's an alien planet!  Is there air??  You don't know!") But there's a real heart to the story that makes this film more than the sum of its parts. It's a genuine comedy that also has something to say about the nature of science fiction, imagination, and inspiration -- and it remains one of my very favorite films.

Request Galaxy Quest from the Catalog



- Dave Barry's "Fangs of Endearment: A Vampire Novel"

Every once in awhile, ever feel like a favorite author or actor has created something specifically with you in mind?

In his latest essay collection, I'll Mature When I'm Dead, humorist Dave Barry tackles a wide range of topics, from dance recitals to Hollywood to youth sports to colonoscopies. But my favorite chapter is the one entitled "Fangs of Endearment: A Vampire Novel." It's a clear parody of the third volume in Stephenie Meyer's popular Twilight series, Eclipse, and I could only conclude Barry had written it because he knew how much I'd enjoy it:

"The more I thought about it, the more I knew what I had to do: I had to go out into the woods alone. It seemed crazy, like the plot of a bad horror movie where the teenage girl hears a scary noise in the basement, but instead of doing what anybody with an IQ higher than a Chicken McNugget would do, namely sprint out of the house, she goes down into the basement. But I knew I had to do it, because that's what I always do with my trademark stubbornness: I place myself in grave plot peril when there is no coherent reason to do so. Some people may call this ridiculous, but I am guessing that 'some people' have not sold 50 million books to date.

"'I'm tired,' I informed [my father] Pete, yawning with my mouth open for emphasis. 'I think I'll go up to my room now.' I leaned over to give Pete a goodnight kiss, only to trip forward with my trademark heartwarming clumsiness and head-butt him in the temple. He went down like a sack of gravel, out cold on the kitchen floor, eyes open, pupils dilated. I decided it was best to leave him there. I knew that he couldn't do anything anyway. It was up to me. Only me. Me me me me me."

Request I'll Mature When I'm Dead from the Catalog



- South Park, Episode 12.2: "Britney's New Look"

Choosing a favorite South Park parody episode is sort of like choosing a favorite child -- at least for me, a huge South Park fan. But if truly pressed, I'd have to go with "Britney's New Look," an episode which aired in the show's 12th season.

When South Park is at its best (which is often), it becomes more than a showcasing of outrageous jokes and crude humor. Many episodes excel at using parody and farce to make a point, a skill which is put to good use in this episode. When the South Park kids discover that Britney Spears has come to Colorado, they decide to snap her picture and sell it to the tabloids for cash. They sneak into her hotel by claiming to be her children ("It's okay," an excited Britney says on the phone, moments before the boys walk in. "My kids are here. I feel better now.") The boys promptly walk into her room, and Britney's devastation at not seeing her children, and at the relentless media bombardment, give the boys more than they bargained for.

Surprisingly sympathetic to the real Britney Spears (in their own South Park-ian way), show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone use this episode as commentary on our culture's obsession with celebrity and the preying nature of the paparazzi who surround them. The ending of the episode is a brilliant spoof of Shirley Jackson's classic story The Lottery, with the thrown stones of the original story being replaced by paparazzi camera flashes.

Request South Park: The Complete 12th Season from the Catalog



- "The Saga Begins" - Weird Al Yankovic

There are a lot of beautiful Weird Al parodies. This one just might be the best.

Get the song on Weird Al Yankovic's album "Running With Scissors" from the Catalog

Happy Birthday, Mr. Yankovic!

-- Post by Ms. B

The Sound of Movies

Whenever people ask me what sort of music I listen to, I never know how to answer. Because after Bon Jovi and the Monkees, the answer to my favorite type of music is: film scores.

I'm not talking about the soundtracks from musicals (though, admittedly, I'm a big fan of musicals, too). I'm also not talking about the kinds of albums that include a collection of pop songs that were featured in a film. I'm talking about the score of the movie itself: the background music that plays during the film. Such music -- which is largely instrumental -- probably makes up 50-60% of my CD collection (not to mention taking up the same amount of space on my iPod).

I think there's probably a few reasons why I'm such a fan of motion picture scores, as opposed to other type of music, but I think the biggest reason is this: I'm drawn to music that tells a story. A movie's score is an essential part of the viewing experience -- after the actors and the director, I think a film's composer probably has the biggest impact on the finished products. A movie's music can set the scene, highlight characterization, change a scene's mood, and invoke real emotion in the audience. And the best composers, I think, produce scores that strike the same emotional chords not just when you're watching the movie, but when you're listening to the music on its own.

If you've never listened to a movie score before, give it a try!  Here are a few of my favorite composers to get you started:

-- Danny Elfman

He's probably best known as director Tim Burton's go-to composer. But musician Danny Elfman crops up as the mind behind the music for a surprising number of well-known (and non-Burton) projects, including Good Will Hunting, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, Men in Black -- and the theme song for the TV show The Simpsons. 

Of course, Elfman's best-known work is his numerous collaborations with director Burton. To date, nearly all of Burton's films feature Elfman's music, including Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, and -- my favorite -- the songs and score for the animated musical The Nightmare Before Christmas (for which Elfman also sang many of the songs). Elfman's punchy, catchy, slightly-offbeat melodies are perfect for Burton's weird and wild filmmaking, and it's hard to imagine Burton's movies without Elfman's music behind them.

Born in Texas in 1953, Elfman spent much of his childhood in L.A. but eventually moved to France, where he became a member of a theater group. He next spent some time in Africa, but came down with malaria and had to return to the states. At which point his brother, who had just completed a film called The Forbidden Zone, asked Danny to create the soundtrack. He put together a group of musicians for the job, and after the project was over, the group remained together as the band Oingo Boingo. One of the band's biggest fans was a young Tim Burton -- the rest is history.

Listen to a clip of Elfman singing from The Nightmare Before Christmas

-- Jerry Goldsmith

Any Trekkie is rather honor-bound to be a Jerry Goldsmith fan. Goldsmith scored the music for five of the Star Trek movies -- including the original, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. (The new theme Goldsmith came up with for The Motion Picture was so well-loved by show-creator Gene Roddenberry that it would be reused as the series theme song for Star Trek: The Next Generation.)

To me, many of Goldsmith's scores have a sweeping, epic, almost operatic quality (which makes him quite a fitting choice for a Star Trek composer!). One of my personal favorites is his score for First Knight, the 1995 movie starring Sean Connery as King Arthur. The film had its flaws, but the soundtrack was not one of them: it's rich and fresh-sounding themes make the music of "Camelot" come alive.

Jerry Goldsmith was born in Los Angles, California, in 1929. He first started his career as a clerk at CBS, but quickly moved on to work as a composer, first for radio, than television shows, then TV films and mini-series. His first film score came in 1957, for Black Patch -- and he went on to score over 180 films.

In addition to his work for Star Trek, he was influential in other areas of sci-fi as well, scoring such films as Planet of the Apes, Alien, and the Twilight Zone movie. But his work went well beyond the arena of sci-fi, and the films he scored included Patton, Chinatown, Under Fire, Total Recall, Medicine Man, Basic Instinct, Mulan, and The Omen -- the latter of which earned him an Academy Award. He passed away in 2004, at the age of 75.

Listen to the theme song from Star Trek: The Next Generation

-- Hans Zimmer

I wonder, sometimes, if Zimmer would still be my all-time favorite score composer if he hadn't happened to score several of my favorite films. Zimmer is behind the music for the Pirates of the Caribbean, Dark Knight, and Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes films -- the three movie franchises I happen to love best.

You don't have to be a fan of the films to appreciate his music, however. Nowhere is this more evident than in At World's End, the third film in the Pirates series. While many fans had a strong dislike of the movie (though I wasn't one of them!), the score was almost universally praised for its emotion, scope, and sweeping themes. Time after time, Zimmer creates scores that are as vast and varied as the movies he writes them for. Best of all, his music is catchy -- filled with thematic melodies that will stick with you long after the credits have finished rolling.

Zimmer was born in 1957 in Frankfurt, Germany. By age three, he had begun playing the piano; at six, he'd decided to become a composer. He moved to England in 1971, and started his music career writing commercial jingles. His first score was for the 1982 film Moonlighting, and his works include the music for Rain Man, Thelma and Louise, A League of Their Own, The Preacher's Wife, Gladiator, Pearl Harbor, Mission: Impossible 2, Hannibal, The Da Vinci Code, and countless others.

Listen to a clip from the score for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

-- John Williams

Star Wars. Richard Donner's Superman. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Indiana Jones. Jaws. Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Jurassic Park. Harry Potter. It's easier to name the iconic musical themes that Williams hasn't written than to remember all the ones he has.

John Williams is responsible for creating most of the best-known, and most-loved, movie themes of the last thirty-odd years. The majestic looming of Darth Vader's Empire "march," the heroic fanfare of Superman's theme, the ominous two notes of the approaching shark in Jaws or the sweet five-note greeting of Close Encounters -- they're probably familiar to you even if you've never seen the film in question. His themes pop with mood and character, creating atmospheres of emotion unparalleled in film scoring.

Born in 1932, Williams is a New York City native. He worked as a jazz pianist in night clubs and Hollywood film studios, before he was contracted in the late 1950s by Revue Studios to write themes for television. His first film score was for the 1959 picture Daddy-O. Since then, he's written the scores for over a hundred movies, and has won Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, and Golden Globes.

Listen to a clip of the Star Wars theme

-- Post by Ms. B

A Thriller from the King of Pop

Thirty years ago, in a bleak winter of record sales, an album was released by Michael Jackson that would change the music business in ways that no one could have imagined. That album was Thriller, and the date was November 30, 1982. By the summer of 1983, there were not too many people in the United States, or the world, that did not own a copy of this record.

I, like lots of others, grew up seeing Michael Jackson and his brothers performing on television throughout the 70s. But I don't think anyone could have foreseen the success and influence that Jackson would have from 1982 until his death in 2009. Before leaving Motown Records for Epic Records,  Jackson made four solo albums. In 1979, he released Off The Wall, which produced a few hits (Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Rock With You). With the release of these singles and a few others, Jackson was getting airplay on R&B as well as Top 40 radio stations at the same time, which was unheard of at the time. So by the time that Thriller was released three years later, there was no question of the album being pushed towards all audiences.

The first single from Thriller was The Girl is Mine, a duet with Paul McCartney. Sales were okay, but it wasn't until the release of next two singles, Billie Jean and Beat It, that sales of the album really took off. Thriller initially entered the charts at Number 11 at the end of December. After ten weeks, it made its way to Number One, and stayed there for 37 nonconsecutive weeks.

Throughout 1983, a combination of factors catapulted the album and Michael Jackson into a pop culture phenomenon. The first was his appearance on the Motown 25th Anniversary Special, where he performed Billie Jean and did his now-famous moonwalk. I clearly remember watching that special and being amazed and impressed by Jackson's skills as an entertainer. I knew while I was watching this performance that I was watching something very special. If you watch the video, you will see how electrifying it was. As soon as the first beats of the song started, the audience was on their feet and stayed there. The place really went crazy when he moonwalked across the stage. It was a spectacular performance!

The second event was the release of the Thriller video. MTV was still in its infancy then (and was actually showing music videos!), and there was great competition with other networks to get the exclusive rights to show the video for the first time. MTV ended up paying $1 million for those rights. More than a year after the release of the album, on December 3, 1983, the video made its premiere on MTV. The anticipation was incredible. I can remember discussing it with my friends and making plans to go to a friend's house to watch it, because my family didn't have MTV at the time. My friends and I were amazed. We had never seen anything like it. The story, the dancing, the makeup -- no one had put that much effort into a music video before, as far as I can remember. And at 14 minutes, it was basically a short film.

I recently listened to the entire Thriller album, which I haven't done in a very long time. While it doesn't hold up as well as some albums have over the years, it still is a remarkable record for the influence it had on American culture and the recording industry.

Some facts about Thriller and Michael Jackson:

• It is the number one selling album of all time
• All seven singles (which was twice as many as normally released) made it into the top 10 charts
• First African American artist to get repeated airplay on MTV because of Thriller
• Influenced dozens of today's recording artists

While Michael Jackson went on to make news out of his personal life, he should never be forgotten for his influence on pop culture and music. That influence also includes a spoof of Eat It by Weird Al Yankovic!

"Remembering Michael Jackson as 'Thriller' turns 30" -- Quincy Jones, producer of the album, recalls what it was like creating it.

"How 'Thriller' Changed the Music Business" -- A Billboard article on the influence of the album.

"‘Thriller’ video remains a classic 25 years later" -- A look at the iconic video from NBC's Today Show.

"Artists Reflect on Michael Jackson" -- Artists, young and old, talk about the influence of Michael Jackson, after his death in 2009.


Books about Michael Jackson

Performance Videos by Michael Jackson

CDs by Michael Jackson


-- Post by Tracy

The Gates of Graceland

Back in the late 80s, humorist Dave Barry wrote a surprisingly serious article entitled "Hearts That Are True," which would go on to appear in his book Dave Barry is Not Making This Up. He wrote the piece trying to uncover the mystery of exactly why Elvis was and is arguably the most popular performing artist of all time. He never really cracked the mystery -- but what Barry had to say about Elvis fans was no less interesting because of it.

Born in 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis's first record, That's All Right Mama, was released in 1954 -- a year after he had made his first amateur recording. He'd been a movie theater usher in high school and found work as a delivery truck driver before being "discovered" -- and his twenty-three year career would include 22 hit singles and and 33 film appearances. At one estimate, over a billion Elvis records have been sold, making Elvis the best-selling single recording artist of all time. (Estimates of the Beatles' records also put their sales over a billion, but when it comes to single acts, Elvis stands supreme.)

But if there's one thing that puts Elvis into the number-one slot, it is -- at least according to Barry -- his truly incomparable fans.

Barry interviewed a number of Elvis devotees for his article -- including those he called the "gate people," referring to the fans who had gathered around the front gates of Graceland during the 60s and 70s. Some of the gate fans were visitors to Memphis, but many of them were regulars, coming to the gates night after night after night, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Elvis or get his autograph.

The gate people were an entirely new class of fan, one that maybe hadn't existed before Elvis Presley mania. It was a devotion to the man and the music that, as Barry put it, seemed to mirror those figures who are "the focal point of a major religion."

August 16th marked the 35th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. (Fans paid tribute at Graceland by holding candlelight vigils.) But despite the years, Elvis's fan base seems none the smaller. To find out more about the life of Elvis -- and his fans -- check out these links and references.

Elvis Fans:

Thousands of Elvis Fans Flock Graceland Vigil (Yahoo) -- More about the candlelight vigil held at Graceland.

Elvis Fans Greeted at Graceland by Pricilla, Lisa Marie (CBS) -- A surprise greeting for fans gathered at Graceland to mark the 35th anniversary.

Fan Relations -- Find a local fan club chapter through the Official Website of Elvis Presley.

Elvis Online:

Elvis Presley: Official Website of the King of Rock 'N' Roll -- Everything Elvis. Biography, news archives, videos, music downloads, wallpaper, an online membership club, extras, and more.

Graceland (From the Official Site) -- Find out more about Elvis's Graceland mansion. You can even take a 360 degree virtual tour!

Tupelo, Mississippi: The Birthplace of Elvis -- The town still celebrates their status as the birthplace of music's biggest celebrity. There's a driving tour, a yearly festival, and the Birthplace itself -- the two-room house where Elvis spent his early childhood.


Elvis @ Your Library:

Elvis music albums from the collection

Elvis films and concerts on DVD and Blu-ray from the collection

Elvis biographies -- All about the life of Elvis Presley. Includes some DVD documentaries and audiobooks.

Elvis novels -- The legend of Elvis lives on in these stories featuring the King of Rock 'N' Roll.

Dave Barry is Not Making This Up -- Read Barry's original article on Elvis fans, "Hearts That Are True."

Elvis's second appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show

-- Post by Ms. B

Happy Birthday, Sir Paul!

Thanks to fellow-MPL Librarian Janet B. for her great guest-post today about Sir Paul McCartney!

I have heard it said that the music of adolescence is the music a person most identifies with throughout life. For me, as a teen-ager during the 60s, it was the music of the Beatles. The biggest regret of my life (and I still throw this up to my parents) is that I did not get to see the Beatles when they performed in Pittsburgh. Even though I would have gone with a group of friends, my parents were convinced it was much too dangerous for a thirteen-year-old to be in a crowd of wildly excited teenagers. I do have a souvenir from their visit, because a friend knew a photographer who covered the Beatles in Pittsburgh, and gave me one of his photographs from the press conference. If you look closely, you can see a KQV microphone in front of Paul at the very edge of the photo.

Feeling guilty, perhaps, after not allowing me to see the Beatles, my parents agreed to delay our return from a vacation at the Jersey shore so I could see “A Hard Day’s Night” a week before it was released in Pittsburgh.

I still have the original Capitol albums, now too scratched to play, and even though I listen to remastered digital versions. I’ve kept these albums as treasured keepsakes. I collected Beatles’ merchandise as well, including the doll pictured at the top of this post, who, as part of the complete set, is worth much more than the original $1.98 price. 

I knew all the lyrics to their songs and loved that their music changed and grew as I did, from the youthful exuberance of “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” to the haunting “Yesterday,” to the mature acceptance in their final single, “Let it Be”. While I love all the Beatles’ songs, often my favorites were either written primarily by Paul or featured him singing lead. My little granddaughter seems to share my preference, because she would stop crying to listen quietly as I sang, “I’ve Just Seen a Face” to her when she was very tiny.

The Beatles had such an important influence on popular music that it seems they were together as a group much longer than just the ten years from 1960 to 1970. Members of the group went on to separate careers after their breakup, with the most enduring career being that of Paul McCartney, who still tours, headlined the half-time show at Super Bowl XXXIX, closed the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert this month, and is scheduled to close the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics in London next month. 

His music has continued to change as he grows older. His band, Wings, performed from 1970 to 1981 with many hit songs, including “Band on the Run,”  and “Live and Let Die.” He is still composing and recording, with his most recent release in February of this year. “Kisses on the Bottom” is a collection of standards performed with guest performers Diana Krall, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Wonder, but also includes two new McCartney compositions. A live performance of songs with his guests was streamed over the Internet on February 9, 2012, in nostalgic black and white, from Capitol Studios, where it was recorded.

Watch more of the February 9th show here.

Sir Paul has been touring with a new band since 2001, and in August 2010, I finally got to see a Beatle perform live, when I attended one of the two concerts he performed in Pittsburgh as the first act to play in the new Consol Energy Center. The concert was three hours of nearly non-stop music. The playlist included Beatles’ songs, well-known Wings’ hits, and more recent releases. It felt like he was sharing his entire musical life with the audience, who loved every minute. Scott Mervis of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette described it as a “high-energy show” in his review.

Sir Paul has received numerous honors and awards during his now-70 years. Among the honors are the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize in 2009, Kennedy Center Honors in 2010, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012. In 1997, he was knighted as a Member of the British Empire for his service to music, and became Sir James Paul McCartney.

A few years ago, I was asked to name the person I would most like to meet, and, of course, I replied without hesitation, “Sir Paul McCartney.” I’m sure I would be star-struck and tongue-tied if I ever had the opportunity to meet him, but I can be more eloquent in print. Happy Birthday, Sir Paul, with best wishes for many, many more, and thank you for the gift of your music to me and all your other fans!

-- Post by Janet B.