Tag Archives: music

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Song of the Day #5,325: ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ – Carole King

My final post on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class of 2013 covers the other non-performer honored that year, Lou Adler. Adler is a record and movie producer responsible for some iconic work over the course of his lengthy career.

The acts most associated with Adler are the unlikely grouping of Carole King, the Mamas & the Papas, and Cheech & Chong. Adler produced King’s classic Tapestry and nine other albums by the singer-songwriter. He’s also the producer of the Mamas & the Papas’ biggest hits, including ‘California Dreaming’ and ‘Monday Monday.’

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Song of the Day #4,793: ‘What It Feels Like for a Girl’ – Madonna

Two things that have impressed me throughout this Madonna deep dive are her commitment to collaboration and her interest in evolving her sound.

After her debut album, Madonna was turned down by her label when she wanted to produce the album herself. She took advantage of that opportunity and sought out Niles Rogers, the first of many big-name producers with whom she would record over the years.

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The music of 2008

With a couple high-profile releases (Counting Crows and R.E.M.) on the way over the next two weeks, I thought this would be a good time to catch up with the CDs I’ve purchased so far in 2008. I plan to review all of my music purchases this year.

I don’t feel as qualified to “review” albums as I do films, due to my lack of musical ability, I suppose, and the fact that I’ve never studied it in any formal way. However, it’s a safe bet that I’ve spent more hours of my life listening to music than watching movies, and I definitely know what I like.

Here, then, are my first reviews of 2008. I’ll compile them in one post because this is a catch-up effort. From now on I’ll blog one at a time as I do the movies.

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