Commentary

Book Review: Finding Well-Paid Work After Graduation — The Luck of the Draw

May 20, 2024
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Readers interested in understanding how typical Americans transition from college to work should savor this provocative book.

Design Review: A Singular Art Nouveau Shopfront in Harvard Square

May 18, 2024
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Made over 100 years before the current marketing phrase went abuzz, 1304 Massachusetts Avenue is a charming example of a true immersive retail experience.

Music Review: The Beatles are Still Here, There, and Everywhere

May 8, 2024
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Beatles fans are being treated to a three-fer of projects spanning three media genres: a restoration of the film “Let It Be,” a book focusing on the two 1967 songs “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane,” and an appearance on the new season of “Doctor Who”.

Book Reviews: Something Wickedly Imbecilic This Way Comes

May 8, 2024
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Two books chase the devil’s tail as they examine America’s evil ways.

Jazz Perspective: Zev Feldman – A Sherlock of a Producer with an Impressive Portfolio

April 26, 2024
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Zev Feldman is becoming one of the great sleuth-producers of our time, and his name is becoming a marker of quality.

Music Commentary: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fest versus French Quarter Fest

April 25, 2024
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Which is the best fest? It’s up for grabs.

Design Commentary: The Future of Boston’s White Stadium — A Public/Private Gordian Knot

April 3, 2024
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Many in the increasingly vocal community of stakeholders feel strongly that tradition, history, and student sports will be the victims of this apparent corporate/public conflict.

Music Commentary: A Deep Dive into The Mothers of Invention’s “Plastic People”

March 29, 2024
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Frank Zappa’s tight editing ensured that “Plastic People” was a compelling aural creation, and his fierce confidence compelled listeners to pay attention to the words.

Music Commentary: A Mystery Solved on the 50th Anniversary of the Release of “Queen II”

March 28, 2024
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It is well established that the lyrics to the song on “Queen II” that’s directly about the painting (called “The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke”) originate from a poem Richard Dadd wrote about his picture. What’s never been established though is exactly how Freddie Mercury became aware of this poem.

Book Review: “3 Shades of Blue” — Transcendent Art, Despite Personal Demons

March 26, 2024
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“3 Shades of Blue” is at its most compelling seen as an extended essay about drugs, creativity, the jazz life, and the mysterious nature of musical genius. 

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