Michael Palin has published his dairies (1969-1979) but its only portentous aspect is the title (The Python Years). It contains lots of juicy descriptions of George Harrison and others, sports a very useful index, and includes choice entries such as this dated August 25th, 1977: "A phone call from … [Read more...]

Today's Here and Now [audio] review of Across the Universe, a movie that's as impressive as it is disappointing. (At least they don't have the poor guy sing "Yesterday.") Reminded me of how poorly served T Bone Burnett was in WALK THE LINE: even material this well arranged and produced can't support … [Read more...]

Would this have happened without this? … [Read more...]

Bruce Springsteen "Nowhere Radio" Playing on his great theme of righteous, uplifting anger, this hook-studded throwback sports his first key change since "Hungry Heart," which was also thin-yet-crowd-friendly (anybody remember the EXPRESSIVE key change?). But the irony here doesn't quite catch hold: … [Read more...]

"Cooking was my thing." Bonus points for Eric Clapton's daytime Emmy mash notes. … [Read more...]

"Tonite 8:15--Staff party here at W.H.--receiving line & entertainment," Ronald Reagan wrapped up his diary entry for December 18, 1986, just weeks after the Iran-Contra "mess" or fuss" had gone public enough to Grinchify a lesser man's Christmas. "A magic night--a magician who baffled even the most … [Read more...]

Headaches have themselves by Jerry Fodor Consciousness and Its Place in Nature: DOES PHYSICALISM ENTAIL PANPSYCHISM? by Galen Strawson and et al · Imprint Academic, 285 pp, £17.95 Are we talking about non-combatants? … [Read more...]

It only takes 30 seconds for Weaver to equate herself with William Shatner (Star Trek) and Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) in Directv's new HD ads...the kind of ad they USED to make for the Japanese market. What kind of cash does Sigourney need to justify this low-rent move? Remember Robert … [Read more...]

Brian Lehrer Show Tuesday, August 14 … [Read more...]

SENTENCE OF THE MONTH from Peter Carlin's Catch A Wave: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson (Rodale) p. 110: "It was just like the old days with his Wollensak recorder, except much, much weirder..." … [Read more...]

Geoff Dyer, author of THE ONGOING MOMENT, in the current Threepenny Review on the ECM label: ...Recent ECM releases are of a very high standard, but in many ways Khmer (the follow-up, Solid Ether, kept dissolving into a clatter of drum'n'bass) is a high point in the ECM project precisely because it … [Read more...]

Watch for the Leon Fleisher documentary, TWO HANDS, on Cinemax this Thursday evening, August 2 at 7pm. Here and Now story with interview airs Wednesday, 8/1, around 12:45 EDT on WBUR-FM, Boston, 90.9. Check this page for audio after 2pm that afternoon. … [Read more...]

from David Runciman in the London Review of Books: What has gone is the traditional magic of pop radio that came, as Dylan describes it in his memoirs, from the experience of tuning the dial and having to settle for the best you could find. There are no more dials to tune. Instead, on digital radio, … [Read more...]

TO THE EDITOR: As a longtime admirer of Linda Greenhouse, I nevertheless object to the widespread yet editorially biased term "centrist" when referring to retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor ("In Steps Big and Small, Supreme Court Moved Right," July 1, 2007). Just look at the two most important … [Read more...]

Ron Rosenbaum on Tom Junod in Slate: ...And here it is--he begins with the question: "Does 9/11 still have meaning for most Americans? Does it have more meaning than celebrity? Does it have more meaning than the very specific message of meaninglessness contained in the weekly parable of Angelina … [Read more...]