all things reconsidered

Call for Papers: All Things Reconsidered – February/March 2023

We are seeking essays for our February and March 2023 All Things Reconsidered series. These essays analyze classic albums in music history.

We are seeking essays for our February and March 2023 All Things Reconsidered series. These features analyze classic albums in music history. They are indexed in the academic ProQuest database. We are seeking pitches for articles on the albums listed below.

All Things Reconsidered articles should be at least 1,400 words, although that’s fairly short for a substantial essay, and writers are encouraged to go longer. Indeed, many of these features are in-depth, written for posterity and education, and some go over 3,000 words.

In these essays, we want to address:

  1. Why this album matters. How has it stood the test of time?
  2. How has the perception of the music changed over time (if relevant)?
  3. Where the album came from in the history of the artist’s music and the genres/scenes from which it emerged.
  4. What societal trends influenced the making of the record, and what influence has it had since being released?

Tips for essays:

  1. Please don’t use excessive lyric quotations unless you are doing a true literary analysis. Quotations are fine, but ideas are better.
  2. Please have a unique take on the album. Develop a central thesis to build your essay.
  3. These need to be essays with original critical thinking. We don’t want just a bunch of tracks listed with pure descriptions. There must be an analysis.

Please choose from the list below and address pitches to Sarah Zupko and enter your pitch into our Submittable with the subject of “All Things Reconsidered”.

submit

PITCH DEADLINE: 10 February 2023. Feel free to pitch albums not on this list as well.

FINAL ESSAY DEADLINE: 25 February 2023

Note: PopMatters is a wholly independent magazine of cultural criticism, est. 1999. Our mission is to educate readers and document our period on the cultural timeline. We publish for posterity. PopMatters is a highly respected magazine because of its ideals and its fine writers and editorial staff. However, such high ideals are not monetarily rewarded in today’s publishing climate. For this reason, we can offer you an excellent publishing platform for your quality work and our social media efforts – but for now, we are unable to pay you for your articles. Even the editors are currently volunteering their time. We are presently a 100% volunteer organization, with all advertising revenue supporting our basic expenses. Writers retain ownership of their copyright on articles, so they can use them for books and other projects. Their essays are indexed in ProQuest, as PopMatters has an educational mission.


Albums – February

You may also pitch albums that are not on this list.

2Pac – Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. 1993

50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin’ 2003

Abdullah Ibrahim – Fats, Duke & The Monk 1973

Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies 1973

Barbra Streisand – The Barbra Streisand Album 1963

Beach House – Devotion 2008

Blondie – Plastic Letters 1978

Blue Öyster Cult – Tyranny and Mutation 1973

Calexico – Feast of Wire 2003

David Ruffin – David Ruffin 1973

Destiny’s Child – Destiny’s Child 1998

Dinosaur Jr. – Where You Been 1993

Dionne Warwick – Presenting Dionne Warwick 1963

Duke Ellington / Charlie Mingus / Max Roach – Money Jungle 1963

Duke Ellington & John Coltrane – Duke Ellington & John Coltrane 1963

Echo & the Bunnymen – Porcupine 1983

Einstürzende Neubauten – Tabula Rasa 1993

Everything But the Girl – Idlewild 1988

Fleetwood Mac – Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac 1968

Foals – Holy Fire 2013

Goo Goo Dolls – Superstar Car Wash 1993

Hot Chip – Made in the Dark 2008

Janet Jackson – Discipline 2008

Jellyfish – Spilt Milk 1993

Johnny Cash – Blood, Sweat and Tears 1963

Judas Priest – Stained Class 1978

Kate Bush – The Kick Inside 1978

Leonard Cohen – I’m Your Man 1988

Lou Reed – Street Hassle 1978

M.I.A. – Paper Planes 2008

Massive Attack – 100th Window 2003

Morrissey – Suedehead 1988

my bloody valentine – m b v 2013

Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea 1998

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Nocturama 2003

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Push the Sky Away 2013

Otis Redding – The Dock of the Bay 1968

Paul McCartney – Off the Ground 1993

Pearl Jam – Yield 1998

Ramones – Subterranean Jungle 1983

Robert Plant – Now and Zen 1988

Sam Cooke – Mr. Soul 1963

Sham 69 – Tell Us the Truth 1978

Sonic Youth – Confusion is Sex 1983

Spandau Ballet – True 1983

Swervedriver – 99th Dream 1998

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – Hearts of Oak 2003

The Church – Starfish 1988

The Fall – The Frenz Experiment 1988

The Mountain Goats – Heretic Pride 2008

The Postal Service – Give Up 2003

The Stooges – Raw Power 1973

Thompson Twins – Quick Step and Side Kick 1983

Tomorrow – Tomorrow 1968

U2 – War 1983

Van Halen – Van Halen 1978

Village People – Macho Man 1978

Albums – March

You may also pitch albums that are not on this list.

*NSYNC – *NSYNC 1998

Bastille – Bad Blood 2013

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Kaya 1978

Bobbie Gentry – The Delta Sweete 1968

Buzzcocks – Another Music in a Different Kitchen 1978

Caribou – Up in Flames 2003

Cecil Taylor – Conquistador! 1968

Ciccone Youth – The Whitey Album 1988

David Bowie – The Next Day 2013

Deerhoof – Apple O’ 2003

Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion 1993

Dolly Parton – My Tennessee Mountain Home 1973

Drive-By Truckers – Gangstabilly 1998

Duffy – Rockferry 2008

Dwight Yoakam – This Time 1993

Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid 2008

Elvis Costello & The Attractions – This Year’s Model 1978

Evanescence – Fallen 2003

Fastball – All the Pain Money Can Buy 1998

Frank Black – Frank Black 1993

Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing 2008

Gang Starr – Moment of Truth 1998

Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple 2008

Herbie Hancock – Sextant 1973

John Cale – Paris 1919 1973

Joni Mitchell – Song to a Seagull 1968

Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience 2013

Kacey Musgraves – Same Trailer Different Park 2013

Killer Mike – Monster 2003

King Crimson – Larks’ Tongues in Aspic 1973

Laura Nyro – Eli and the Thirteenth Confession 1968

Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy 1973

Lightning Bolt – Wonderful Rainbow 2003

Lou Reed – Legendary Hearts 1983

M. Ward – Transfiguration of Vincent 2003

Madonna – Ray of Light 1998

Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire 1973

Morcheeba – Big Calm 1998

Morrissey – Viva Hate 1988

Nick Lowe – Jesus of Cool 1978

Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I-IV 2008

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Dazzle Ships 1983

Patti Smith Group – Easter 1978

Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon 1973

Pink Floyd – The Final Cut 1983

Pixies – Surfer Rosa 1988

Prince – The Truth 1998

Pulp – This Is Hardcore 1998

R.E.M. – Accelerate 2008

Rodney Crowell – Diamonds & Dirt 1988

Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure 1973

Saint Etienne – So Tough 1993

Scott Walker – Scott 2 1968

Semisonic – Feeling Strangely Fine 1998

Songs: Ohia – The Magnolia Electric Co. 2003

Suede – Suede 1993

Tears For Fears – The Hurting 1983

The Beach Boys – Surfin’ U.S.A. 1963

The Beatles – Please Please Me 1963

The Dodos – Visiter 2008

The Incredible String Band – The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter 1968

The Mothers of Invention – We’re Only in It for the Money 1968

The Move – Move 1968

The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely 2008

The Spinners – Spinners 1973

The Strokes – Comedown Machine 2013

Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning 1983

Todd Rundgren – A Wizard, a True Star 1973

Tom Waits – Closing Time 1973

Toots & The Maytals – In the Dark 1973

Waxahatchee – Cerulean Salt 2013

Waylon Jennings – Lonesome, On’ry and Mean 1973

Wings – London Town 1978