Janis Joplin The Pearl Sessions (Sony/Legacy) Music: Rating: Package: Rating: Released in January 1971, three months after her October 1970 death, Pearl quickly became Janis Joplin’s definitive studio album, rising to #1 on the Billboard charts and staying there for nine weeks. Joplin ditched the horn section that somewhat muddied her Kozmic Blues project and, [...]

Jerry Ragovoy, the famed soul songwriter and producer, died on July 13 of complications from a stroke. He was 80 years old. Even though Ragovoy wrote and arranged soul songs, his work is best known through the rock artists that covered his material. The Who covered his song “Anytime You Want Me,” on their 1965 [...]

One interesting fact about American Idol last night: none of the six songs performed sucked. Instead, there were cuts by Patty Griffin, Kris Kristofferson, R.E.M., U2, and even….Alannah Myles. And this night was for the whole thing! A heated battle between Goo-Goo-esque crooner Lee DeWyze and saucy, how-could-you-not-like-her soulstress Crystal Bowersox, last night’s American Idol [...]