Rock

Rock critic Ken Tucker respects the the role the premiere African American rock band plays in popular culture -- he only wishes they wouldn't re-appropriate so much bad heavy metal. Lyrically, Living Colour's new album, Time's Up, critiques the racism prevalent in rock music.

Rock historian Ed Ward remembers some country music-singing brother duos that preceded more famous siblings like the Everly Brothers.

Rock critic Ken Tucker agrees with the other reviews of Under the Red Sky he's read: Bob Dylan's smugness and surface-level lyrics come across as little more than a joke.

Cropper is a white musician who fell in love with black music. As a guitar player, he preferred working in the studio rather than on the road, and later became part of the house rhythm section for Stax Records. He's best known for his playing with Booker T & the MGs and Otis Redding.

Jim Morrison's out-of-control, self-destructive behavior nearly drove Densmore out of the band. Morrison died at 27; it took Densmore ten years to come to terms with his death. His new memoir is called Riders on the Storm.

Rock historian Ed Ward looks back on the career of the New Orleans-based musician. Bartholomew -- who's still playing today -- arranged songs for several other artists, and made many excellent novelty records of his own.

Rock historian Ed Ward is one of the privileged few who can vote for this year's inductees. He thinks the artists who really shaped rock and roll are underrepresented. Miles runs through the ballot, weighing each musician's merits, before choosing his top five.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews new albums by Was (Not Was) and Too Much Joy, both of which incorporate humor and rap influences into their rock sound.

Music journalist Charles Shaar Murray is the author of Crosstown Traffic, about how fans and critics have defined the groundbreaking African American guitarist in relation to white culture. The tension between black musicians and white audiences continues today, particularly with the rise of rap music.

Tucker wrote Brown's memoir, The Godfather of Soul, which was recently reprinted. He joins Fresh Air to talk about Brown's rise as a soul singer, the evolution of his stage persona, and his recent conviction and imprisonment, a punishment which Tucker believes is too severe based on the charges.

In the 1950s, Elvis Presley encouraged Jackson to sing rockabilly. She was notable for writing and performing her own independent and forceful songs, says rock historian Ed Ward. Her sexual persona matched Presley's, but proved to be a detriment to her career -- so she returned to country music.

Artists like Bonnie Raitt and Bob Dylan had hits with songs by John Hiatt. Despite Hiatt's success as a songwriter, he hasn't yet topped the charts as a performer. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his career, quitting drinking, and his new album, Stolen Moments.

Was is half of the rock group Was (Not Was). They have a new album called Are You Okay?. Was, who is white, has also become an in-demand producer who is heavily influenced by black music. He helped make Bonnie Raitt's comeback album, Nick of Time.

Vaughan recently died in a helicopter crash. Milo Miles joins Terry to discuss the late musician's legacy.

Hidalgo and Perez's Los Angeles-based band fuses traditional Mexican music with more straightforward rock. Their new album is called The Neighborhood, which is inspired by the different cultural communities of their home city.

Rock critic Ken Tucker says that the album Graffiti Bridge, which is also the soundtrack for an upcoming film, is a return to form for the artist, with simple, straightforward songs with strong hooks.

The early rock singer had a few big hits in 1957. By 1959, after a series of flops, he was washed up. What followed included jail time for a drug-related crimes and, eventually, death by a gunshot wound that may have been self-inflicted. Rock historian Ed Ward has this profile.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews two albums representative of the new, technology fueled variation on the classic Jamaican style. He says its accessibility may give reggae the larger audience it deserves.

Rock historian Ed Ward talks about how the city's music scene in the late '70s and early '80s incorporated rockabilly with bands like X, and Mexican traditions with Los Lobos.

Kent Nagano conducts the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra. He's known for performing lesser known, experimental works, including pieces by Olivier Messiaen and Frank Zappa. Contrary to many other musicians, he doesn't place much value in recordings, and believes the only way to fully appreciate a work is to witness it performed live.