“Suicide, especially one as violent as Cobain's, is the loudest possible invocation of silence; it's a perfectly clear way of turning your life into a mystery.”
With Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull on tour in 2023, we turn to an archive piece from their Golden Anniversary jaunt, in which we pointed out that the Voice never much liked the lads from England. Is it time to give the old sod on the park bench a break?
“From the strength of their personal decency and dedication, the musicians summoned up an oceanic passion, a commitment to the true experience of their materials that short-circuited the hair on the back of one’s neck”
“Nobody who played jazz was considered able to walk in and do a studio call. They were convinced you couldn't read, or you wouldn't show up, or you'd fall down drunk”
“Many jazz musicians don’t like singers, and some will go to great lengths to avoid playing for them. Not without reason. Frank Sinatra is a rare exception.”
“Even his weaknesses stem from too much talent. But the stamina of his personal vision is far preferable to the formulaic nowhere of the music business.”
