Hey . . . All I Want is Just the Way it Used to Be – Post 34

Gavin Lakin Hey, Now: Screw you. I mean it. How did then become so inconsequential? All I want is just the way it used to be. Plaintive: from the French, plaintif (aggrieved, lamenting), plainte (lament, complaint); Adj: Sounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic. Example: A Top Ten plaintive song from Bread, released in 1976, written by … Continue reading Hey . . . All I Want is Just the Way it Used to Be – Post 34

The Role of Social Commentary Songs in Popular Music; Preaching to the Choir or Effecting Change? By Gavin Lakin – Post 11

Some might say that there is no place in popular music for commentary, politics, and opinions - essentially sounding “preachy.” We’ve all been there in our own lives, when someone may be speaking to you directly or to a larger group about some idea or product, and you can feel the oily, snaky and unwelcome … Continue reading The Role of Social Commentary Songs in Popular Music; Preaching to the Choir or Effecting Change? By Gavin Lakin – Post 11

No Place to Ever Arrive: Songs that Defined the L.A. Sound of the 1970s by Gavin Lakin – Post 7

In his landmark book Laurel Canyon The Inside Story of Rock and Roll’s Legendary Neighborhood (2006 Faber and Faber), Michael Walker delivers a smash hit showing us how the L.A. Sound was established in the magical and iconic canyon. From the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Frank Zappa, The Turtles, The Mamas and the Papas, to Crosby, … Continue reading No Place to Ever Arrive: Songs that Defined the L.A. Sound of the 1970s by Gavin Lakin – Post 7