Phil Spector photographed in the 1970s, and a recent booking photo. I heard Phil Spector died and immediately thought of the end of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” That’s happened every time I’ve heard Phil Spector’s name since 2003, when he killed Lana Clarkson, the actress who played the…

Here comes—let’s be realistic here—the slightly less overcast sun, with the Beatles. You’re reading this in 2021. That means you made it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m under no impression that 2021 will immediately be all sunshine and rainbows. We’re still in the midst of a plague that should…

It’s usually too much to ask for: a legitimately good new chunk of music standing on merit alone from the guy who could’ve retired 40 years ago and still been called the world’s greatest living songwriter today. Paul McCartney is 78 years old. He doesn’t have to make records anymore.…

Insert Foot ignoring reality by doing some light reading. You want hope that 2020 will work itself out anytime soon? Sorry. This is where your dreams come to die today. Here’s how optimistic I am the virus-soaked coast will clear to emerge from our dark corner/mother’s basement/fire shelter made…

From Candy Loving to the Queen, these are all the people Tony Hicks has wanted to be isolated with over the years. I once swiped one of my stepdad’s Playboy magazines. It probably happened (a lot) more than once … when I was a kid … not lately. I’m…

Jeff Lynne’s ELO, “From Out of Nowhere.” If Jeff Lynne makes a record under the name “Jeff Lynne’s ELO” without the ELO, and the record drops more than four decades after the band’s best work, does it still make the wonderful noise of old? Not really. Is new record From Out of Nowhere still…

Columnist, author and animal advocate Gary Bogue. Photo courtesy of the Lindsay Wildlife Museum. Last week the Bay Area lost local legend Gary Bogue, longtime pets and wildlife columnist for the Contra Costa Times. In his years with the Times, along with his work with the Lindsay Wildlife Museum…

We think that spells “chocolate” in Babymetalese. It’s probably obvious what topic I’m doing this week: World Chocolate Day, celebrated annually on July 7. Supposedly it celebrates the day chocolate was introduced to Europe. It should not be confused with National Chocolate Day in October and the apocryphal International…

The Beatles marching toward spring. Bay Area, something amazing happened: It stopped raining. I know, I know. I shouldn’t complain. We recently went through a three-year stretch with no rain at all. But if I wanted to live in Seattle I would, and that month-long run of wet weather…

Actual image of editor Daniel J. Willis after his third concert in three nights. In my tireless quest to come up with a new topic every week, I’ve been lucky the past month or so. Holidays, awards shows; they’re conceptual gold. But my luck has run out. Do you…