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"Hail to the King" has always wowed me... and now it also makes me think

Benjamin Kassel

Mar 28, 20223 min read

"Hail to the King" has always wowed me... and now it also makes me think

The tap-filled anthem is one of my 21st-century rock favorites, but its lyrical theming didn't register with me until very recently.

Benjamin Kassel

Mar 23, 20223 min read

"Evil Ways": the birth of Latin cool

Okay, how has it taken me this long to talk about Santana on here? That's borderline criminal — and I'm remedying that ASAP.

"Digital Love" is my favorite electronic track of all time

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 22, 20225 min read

"Digital Love" is my favorite electronic track of all time

...and I break it down today to pay tribute to the two robots with human souls who made it.

"Strawberry Letter 23" fits today's date

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 14, 20223 min read

"Strawberry Letter 23" fits today's date

Is it cool? (Is it cool?) I don't know, but it's February 14, and it feels right.

Diving into "21st Century Schizoid Man" in memory of Ian McDonald

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 12, 20224 min read

Diving into "21st Century Schizoid Man" in memory of Ian McDonald

As I've done twice before, I pay tribute to a recently deceased musician by looking back at one of their works.

"Spinning Wheel" is a most unusual jazz fusion track... and I love it

Benjamin Kassel

Jan 31, 20224 min read

"Spinning Wheel" is a most unusual jazz fusion track... and I love it

This song is out there, but it's a good kind of out there because of how Blood, Sweat & Tears mediate all its intricacies and oddities.

In "Burning in the Sun," an early Coldplay-esque sound meets bluegrass influences

Benjamin Kassel

Jan 27, 20224 min read

In "Burning in the Sun," an early Coldplay-esque sound meets bluegrass influences

With the employment of a mandolin, Blue Merle gave a sound I love a twist I never expected, but one I thoroughly enjoy.

"Sultans of Swing" is pure pub rock with a story of a jazz experience

Benjamin Kassel

Jan 14, 20223 min read

"Sultans of Swing" is pure pub rock with a story of a jazz experience

Dire Straits don't directly echo the music implied by their story, but they embody it just enough to tell a convincing and memorable tale.

Carpenter Brut's cover of "Maniac" places the listener inside the mania

Benjamin Kassel

Jan 3, 20224 min read

Carpenter Brut's cover of "Maniac" places the listener inside the mania

A "darksynth" retooling of a 1980s movie soundtrack classic gives the lyrics and title a much more fitting treatment.

I ring in 2022 with "Comfortably Numb," of all songs

Benjamin Kassel

Jan 1, 20224 min read

I ring in 2022 with "Comfortably Numb," of all songs

Why? It just kind of happened once, and I've kept it up since... but I try to read into it anyway.

"Life on Mars?": or, when Bowie outdid Frankie

Benjamin Kassel

Dec 17, 20215 min read

"Life on Mars?": or, when Bowie outdid Frankie

I celebrate and tell the story of my very favorite track from the Starman on the golden anniversary of its initial release.

Thanks to its synth pad, "Let Me Touch Your Fire" narratively leans into its title

Benjamin Kassel

Dec 9, 20213 min read

Thanks to its synth pad, "Let Me Touch Your Fire" narratively leans into its title

A R I Z O N A sonically track their narrator's heart opening up as they unexpectedly feel love.

With "One Headlight," the Wallflowers resolutely navigate toward better days

Benjamin Kassel

Nov 6, 20215 min read

With "One Headlight," the Wallflowers resolutely navigate toward better days

Jakob Dylan and company paint the end of youthful innocence as a time for reaffirming oneself and continuing to move forward.

"Dancing in the Moonlight" is the sound of harmless joy and escape...

Benjamin Kassel

Oct 1, 20214 min read

"Dancing in the Moonlight" is the sound of harmless joy and escape...

It's light, it's upbeat... and the context in which it was written definitely explains its sound.

"She's Not There" combines various influences into a stirring pop rock hit

Benjamin Kassel

Sep 26, 20214 min read

"She's Not There" combines various influences into a stirring pop rock hit

The title of the Zombies' jumpstart single is an answer, but it, along with the rest of the song, only breeds more questions.