In which Jeff indulges in gooey nostalgia, imbibes a few underage beers, ponders his life, and swills the unadulterated, luscious gush of emotion that is Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ ‘Ooh Baby, Baby’.
Continue reading...Personal
132: James Taylor, ‘Enough To Be On Your Way’
Losing a sibling. A pain that never passes.
A pop song is just a pop song, and a life is a life. But in our real lives, the two are intertwined, each person with his own background music.
102: Netanela/Matti Caspi, ‘Shir HaYonah’ (‘Song of the Dove’)
Praying for peace after the pogrom.
Continue reading...203: Aretha Franklin & Ray Charles: ‘Spirit in the Dark’
In which we peek outside the synagogue for a little boost in spiritual fervor.
Continue reading...268: Damien Rice, ‘The Blower’s Daughter’ (Natalie Portman’s Aunt)
This week we’re talking about aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews, and why Leslie Stevens will always be the most beautiful girl in the world.
Continue reading...307: Bob Dylan, ‘Living the Blues’
How I met Dylan backstage at The Johnny Cash Show in 1969–the ‘true’ story.
Continue reading...248: Bob Dylan, ‘You Ain’t Going Nowhere’
Dylan just turned 82, and the dude shows no signs of slowing down. I wrote the following SoTW seven years ago, when he won the Nobel.
It’s my attempt to get to the heart of how I perceive Dylan as an artist.