Rolling Stones' Bass Player Bill Wyman

Rock historian Ed Ward hares his opinions on some of the current crop of rock biographies and industry profiles, including Charles Shar Murray's look at Jimmy Hendrix's place in American culture, "Crosstown Traffic," which he says is brilliant.

In his new film, Sopranos creator David Chase tells a coming-of-age story about Jersey boys in the 1960s who dream of riding the wave of the British invasion all the way to stardom. Chase teams up with Steven Van Zandt -- of the E Street Band and The Sopranos -- to make the movie's music rock.

James Bond and The Rolling Stones both turn 50 this year. As critic John Powers points out, both may have been born in response to a dying British Empire, but their evolving legacies have reflected the times through which these brands have lived.