Giuseppe Zangara

The one I'm talking about was the only real nutty one, fortunately. She was fairly normal while we dated, too (if a little moody); in fact, she was fine for about a month after she broke up with me. It got bad after I turned her down when she said she wanted to get back together.

Silverchair!

I think Songs in the Key of Life may be working its way into my all-time top 10. This is big news, guys.

Most music is derivative, though, so I really wouldn't harp on that.

I Would disagree with this. While I'm not that fond of the Jackson 5, and would never call them a classic group, I find them to be perfectly acceptable motown fare, while Hanson is just awful. They remind me of music you'd hear on a Veggietales soundtrack, if such a thing exists. I think you're really reaching with this comparison. Bullshit. The vocal harmonies on "mmmBop"—particularly the chorus—are heavily indebted to the Jackson 5. How different is this song from, say, "ABC?"

I wasn't saying Prince wasn't great.

Aside from viewing some concert footage from Roxy Music's 2001 reunion, I haven't given any attention to Ferry's work post-1985.

I've nothing to offer in return. My situation was four years ago and she deleted hers something like three years ago.

She later threw it back in my face (um, not literally) as part of a list of all the terrible things she did just to please me. It was like a scene out of a Philip Roth novel.

I forgot to mention that the last thing I clearly remember reading that Vonnegut wrote (it was either in the aforementioned book or something I was linked to online) consisted of him saying "I'm 82 and still have my driver's license!" He probably had to wipe the drool from his keyboard after typing that.

You'd be better off buying one of his older books. Unless you already have them, then go ahead.

Ferry's first two solo albums contain a Dylan cover a piece, both of which I like a good deal. But that was over 30 years ago. Can he still bring it?

Catch 22 and Slaughterhouse Five are really nothing alike, it's true.

"You're the Inspiration" is fantastic.

The Dirtbombs - Ultraglide in Black: Arguably the best band out of Detroit since the Stooges rips through a collection of 60s and 70s r&b and soul numbers, both well-known and obscure. An absolute blast of an album. Fuck what you think you know about modern day garage rock and check this out. Dump - That Skinny Motherfucker with the High Voice: Lo-fi, 4-track recordings of moderately known (in indie circles) James McNew (bassist for Yo La Tengo and sole member of Dump) spins his own versions of a random selection of Prince songs. A plus for McNew, he sings all the songs straight, which often gets at the heartache at the center of Prince's compositions, but without Prince's sneer. (Most notably on "When You Were Mine" and "Pop Life," both of which are borderline tragic tales in the hands of Dump, whereas Prince's originals were snide putdowns.) Bryan Ferry - These Foolish Things: The same year that his contemporary David Bowie released his dreadful covers collection, Pin-Ups, Ferry took advantage of a bit of downtime in Roxy Music's schedule to record and release an album's worth songs he, too, loved growing up. Whereas Bowie was interested in merely imitating his idols, Ferry threw his inhibitions out the window and went as gloriously over the top whenever he could. "Sympathy for the Devil" turns into a big and brassy Vegas revue showcase; "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" features proto-disco beats and unapologetically cheesey female backing vocals. Ferry goes all out here, taking on Leslie Gore's "It's My Party"—with narrative gender unchanged—completely straight, somehow transcending its novelty roots.

I just listened to it. I'm not surprised it hasn't made it onto any of their best ofs.

They have three good songs and I think I'm being generous when I say that.

I'm intrigued by this idea. Cuban women are hotter than Hawaiian women, to boot.

I don't think I know that one. Regardless, I learned an important lesson: Electric Light Orchestra were a shitty band, yet Jeff Lynne managed to pull a few good songs out of his ass, anyway.

I like the one Green Day song that steals the riff from "25 or 6 to 4."

I used to think ELO were one of the ultimate hits-only bands, but I made the error of listening to one of their compilations. I was able to tolerate about a fourth of it.

There's about 8-10 songs on their Greatest Hits that range from solid-to-great; the rest is definitely mediocre. (I'd rank them here, but it's been awhile since I've listened to it; I don't feel like sussing out the wheat outside of the few obvious ones.)

People with good taste (hi!) like the Stones, so strike them out. Journey is a hits-only type of band.

First "serious" writer I ever got into. I haven't read him in years, though; I should read a couple of 'em soon.

"MacArthur Park" "mmmBop" "Life is a Highway"