Lunar Boulevard

I had an experience yesterday. It was one of those experiences that at first is kind of bizarre, then kind of funny, and finally left me feeling sad when it was all over. I don't even know why I'm wasting time talking about it here and I doubt anyone will even read this. But if only one person gets something from this then I'll consider it all worthwhile. Yesterday I was in a bookstore and a man came up to the register and pointed behind it. At first I wasn't sure what he was pointing at until I discovered that it was a rack of pornographic magazines hidden out of view in the back. He could hardly mutter anything intelligible and basically mumbled that he would like to see some of them, asking if they were all the same and requesting to see various issues. There was no shame or embarrassment in the voice, just the deranged and lustful words of a dirty old man who wanted a Playboy or Penthouse that he hadn't seen yet. I don't know what difference there could be b...

Every artist seems to have it: that one album that people consider a failure, a mistake, an embarrassment, or a good idea that turned into a bad one. The whole goal of this series is to examine some of those albums from my favorite artists and point out that, while they may not be the best, they're still worthwhile albums and perhaps even great ones that simply never got their chance to shine. The members of R.E.M. are certainly no strangers to this. For nearly 30 years this band from Athens, Georgia has created some of the most memorable and exciting music of our time. Songs like "Losing My Religion", "Everybody Hurts", "The One I Love", and "Orange Crush" are easily recognizable to any listener and they've helped make the band one of the biggest and most popular in the world, complete with their introduction into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. They're never slowed down and still continue to make great music despite drumm...