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13:23

The History and Mythology of the Beach Boys

Editor-in-Chief of Billboard Magazine Timothy White has written a new book that traces the evolution of the "myth" of Southern California through the lens of the Beach Boys and the Wilson family. It's called "The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience."

Interview
20:18

The 10 Best Records of 1994

Rock critic Ken Tucker picks his favorite pop music of 1994, running the gamut from country to rock to singer-songwriters.

Interview
06:02

Elvis Lets Loose While the Tapes Roll

Rock historian Ed Ward takes us behind the scenes of the Million Dollar Quartet session, which featured Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and others playing in the Sun Records studios in 1956.

Commentary
06:34

A Forgotten Pioneer of Rhythm and Blues

Rock historian Ed Ward takes a look at the influence of saxophonist Louis Jordan, who laid the groundwork for rocking Black artists of the 1950s like Chuck Berry.

Commentary
22:49

Funk Idol Bootsy Collins

Collins got his start with James Brown, where he "defined the finger-popping funk bass style" (Rolling Stone). He went on to work with George Clinton as part of the Parliment-Funkadelic tribe, before forming Bootsy's Rubber Band. On stage, he created alter egos, including Bootzilla, Boot-Tron, and King of the Geepies. He's put out more than 30 albums, and has just released "Blasters of the Universe," with a new band.

Interview
44:15

Revisiting the Early Life of the King of Rock and Roll

Author Peter Guralnick has written the first of a two part biography of Elvis Presley, retelling the story of the King's childhood "soberly, thoroughly and unsensationally" (says the ALA Booklist). "Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley" tells much of the story through quotes both from Elvis and people who knew him then. It attempts to portray Elvis' human side, rather than the mythical figure he has become.

Interview
15:26

Singer Marianne Faithfull Looks Back on Her Life

Faithfull got her start in the English music scene of 1964, when she dated Mick Jagger and had the hit song, "As Tears Go By." In the following years she had a drug addiction that almost killed her, before recovering in 1985 and releasing new albums. Her memoir, "Faithfull: An Autobiography," tells her story of highs and lows with music and drugs.

Interview
04:08

Luscious Jackson Pursues a Smooth Groove

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Natural Ingredients," the first full-length collection by Lucious Jackson, a four-woman band from lower Manhattan, whose drummer was once a member of the Beastie Boys.

Review

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