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Sean Murphy
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Sean Murphy loves music, books, and movies and can’t imagine a world without sub-titles. He was born in northern Virginia and has never found a compelling reason to leave. He studied English at George Mason University and has an MA in Literature. One of his thesis papers dealt with the utopian impulse in ‘70s rock (which, depending upon one’s perspective, at least partially explains why he opted not to purse that PhD in Cultural Studies). During his time at PopMatters he has written music and movie reviews, along with the occasional essay. Despite living just outside DC, he remains recalcitrant in his conviction that paychecks mean less than personal fulfillment and that the pursuit of peace is not ironic. Endorses, in no particular order: anyone who is similarly allergic to right-wing radio and reality TV, the Red Sox, miniature schnauzers, Pho and Blanton’s single barrel bourbon. Ambition: to write the pretty-good American novel. Other stuff, too: http://bullmurph.com/


Features

Tuesday, November 29 2011

The Past Is Calling: Reconsidering The Who’s 'Quadrophenia'

Everything Pete Townshend did up until 1973 set the stage for Quadrophenia. It’s all in there: the pre-teen angst, the teenage agonies and the post-teen despondency.


Friday, November 11 2011

Why Not Pink Floyd?

Pink Floyd is perhaps the first truly underground band that cultivated a sound that was too remarkable to remain obscure. They willed themselves to be huge, and their influence is undiminished today.


Monday, October 24 2011

Drag the Dream Into Existence: Reassessing Rush’s Masterpiece

Moving Pictures is, without any question, not only Rush’s masterpiece, but one of those rare albums that epitomizes an era. It's a template of sorts for the way rock albums were made in the early '80s.


Thursday, September 22 2011

R.E.M.: The Greatest American Band. Ever.

Where R.E.M -- like any band -- really distances themselves and makes their true case for greatness is in the lesser-known and semi-obscure songs.


Tuesday, August 2 2011

10 Albums That Supposedly Suck (But Don't)

Some of these are hopefully no-brainers, others may be head-scratchers. All of them are albums that deserve a fresh appraisal.


Columns

Friday, April 9 2010

Hellraisers: They Lived This Way Because Nobody Else Could

These guys were geniuses at life: living fully on their own terms, and after all the broken glass, bludgeoned livers, and wrecked relationships, the sum shined brighter than the scattered bits and pieces.


Reviews

Friday, January 13 2012

Human Connections, Missed Connections, Chance Connections: 'Three Colors: Blue, White, Red'

Krzysztof Kieślowski avoids explicit political and religious tautology to make a case for faith that is wholly human -- and humane.


Friday, January 6 2012

Gentle Giant: Three Friends / Octopus

It would be a shame if Gentle Giant did not receive another (or first) assessment, particularly for would-be fans who simply have not had the opportunity to experience their music.


Friday, December 16 2011

Jimi Hendrix Experience: Winterland

Hendrix, perhaps more than any rock guitarist (before or since) was willing -- and able -- to improvise, so it’s intriguing to hear his ever-evolving interpretations of these familiar songs.


Thursday, December 15 2011

New Zion Trio: Fight Against Babylon

Where Saft's previous Reggae-tinged efforts used distortion and dissonance to create a sort of ambient dub soundscape, his New Zion Trio seeks clarity and concision.


Friday, December 9 2011

Jethro Tull: Aqualung (40th Anniversary Special Edition)

Jethro Tull suffers if compared to the critically reviled acts of the progressive era, but in terms of their influence, longevity and versatility, they really are a unique entity in rock music.


Bottle Rocket [9.Jan.09]
Love Story [1.Aug.08]
Stanton Moore: III [30.Nov.06]

Blogs

Wednesday, February 8 2012

Ben Gazzara and The End Of An Aura

Ben Gazzara: 1930 - 2012


Friday, February 3 2012

Don Cornelius: Rest in Peace, Love, and Soul

Soul Train creator/host Don Cornelius will be remembered--and should hereafter be celebrated--for giving a voice to Black America, and he should also be acknowledged—and praised—for making White America less white.


Friday, December 16 2011

Sui Generis on the Rocks: An Appreciation of Christopher Hitchens

The best way to compliment a writer, as a writer, is to recognize, with neither regret nor resignation, that on your best day you will always stand in awe of what they achieved.


Thursday, November 17 2011

Black Magic: 15 Essential Original Lineup Black Sabbath Songs

The original lineup of one of heavy metal's first and greatest bands has recently announced it had reunited and is heading back into the studio, so now is as good a time as any to dive into the vault and celebrate some essential Black Sabbath offerings from that incarnation.


Thursday, November 10 2011

The Alchemist: Trey Spruance's Ongoing Quest for Greatness

If what eventually follows Secret Chiefs 3's Book of Horizons (2004) is half as good as the opening salvo (now seven years old, already!), we are in for something special, and Trey Spruance will begin to solidify his case as one of the most important -- if largely unheralded -- musicians of his time.


Ranking R.E.M.: The 10 Best Albums (Sound Affects) [12.Oct.11]
In Defense of Good Sax (Sound Affects) [9.Aug.11]
(It's Always) Time For McCoy Tyner (Sound Affects) [11.May.11]
An Appreciation of the Compact Disc (Sound Affects) [28.Apr.11]
Billy Bang: Goodbye and Rest in Peace (Sound Affects) [19.Apr.11]
In Memory of Sidney Lumet: Celebrating 'Serpico' (Short Ends and Leader) [13.Apr.11]
Remembering Keith Relf, and the Yardbirds (Sound Affects) [24.Mar.11]
Right Down the Line: R.I.P. Gerry Rafferty (Sound Affects) [11.Jan.11]
A Timely Musical Blessing From Soulive (Sound Affects) [15.Dec.10]
Remembering Frank Zappa: 17 Years Later (Sound Affects) [9.Dec.10]
The Shape of Jazz That Came... (Sound Affects) [8.Sep.10]
Alex Chilton R.I.P. (1950 - 2010) (Sound Affects) [18.Mar.10]
Did You Get the Knack and Doug Fieger? (Sound Affects) [15.Feb.10]
Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones In Concert (Consuming Consumables) [17.Dec.09]
This is Fela Kuti's Time (Sound Affects) [17.Dec.09]
The Day The Music Died, Redux (Sound Affects) [15.Dec.09]
Paint It Black (Sabbath) (Sound Affects) [2.Dec.09]
August Left Our World a Poorer Place x2 (Sound Affects) [10.Sep.09]
“Radical Jewish Culture” Redux (Sound Affects) [9.Sep.09]
R.E.M. - "Exhuming McCarthy" (stream) (Mixed Media) [10.Jun.09]
Kwai Chang Caine R.I.P. (Short Ends and Leader) [4.Jun.09]
See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me…Sell Me (Sound Affects) [23.May.09]
Herbie Hancock: Old School American Idol (Sound Affects) [20.Apr.09]
Got a Beef? Sure ‘Nuff ‘N Yes I Do (Sound Affects) [3.Apr.09]
John Zorn: Rebel with a Cause (Sound Affects) [31.Mar.09]
The Things They Carried (Short Ends and Leader) [30.Mar.09]
Before Bad Brains There Was Death (Sound Affects) [17.Mar.09]
Work Pig: Bringing Home the Bacon (Short Ends and Leader) [16.Mar.09]
Cheever: Straight No Chaser (Re:Print) [4.Mar.09]
"In my stories is where I live." (Re:Print) [25.Feb.09]
Mistaken Identity? (Re:Print) [2.Feb.09]
Freddie Hubbard: An Appreciation (Sound Affects) [31.Dec.08]
It’s All Part of Der Process (Re:Print) [3.Dec.08]
The Whiteness of this Whale (Sound Affects) [25.Nov.08]
Mitch Mitchell: The Perfect Engine (Sound Affects) [17.Nov.08]
Ornette Coleman: Then and Now (Sound Affects) [10.Nov.08]
Five Reggae Albums You Cannot Live Without (Sound Affects) [11.Jul.08]
John Belushi’s Greatest Performance (Sound Affects) [23.Jun.08]
Here's The Thing... (Short Ends and Leader) [18.Jun.08]
Nothing Golden God Can Stay (Sound Affects) [29.May.08]
The David Lynch Dilemma (Sound Affects) [12.May.08]
Earth Day (Sound Affects) [3.May.08]
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