Van Halen – The Best Of Van Halen Part I (Warner Brothers) Fact: Van Halen were the best hard rock band of the late seventies and early eighties. Fact: Van Halen has sucked since 1985. It’s not a coincidence, 1985 was the year that leader David Lee Roth, metal’s sleaziest (in a good way) and … Continue reading
Marshall Crenshaw – Miracle of Science (Razor & Tie) In the five years since Crenshaw’s last album the music world has completely changed. It’s changed even more since he released his spectacular first album in 1982. He’s spent most of his career on the outside looking in, and Miracle of Science won’t change anything. Too bad because it’s … Continue reading
Sheryl Crow – Sheryl Crow (A&M) Crow’s self-titled second album seems to be a statement of purpose. Crow doesn’t like the folk-rock cover girl tag that was stuck on her with her popular debut, so she wants to rough it up a little. She has taken over the reins on this album and wants to prove … Continue reading
Jewel Portrait of a Young Artist by Jay S. Jacobs POPENTERTAINMENT.COM ARCHIVES-June 1996 We spoke with superstar Jewel Kilcher in June 1996, just as her first album Pieces of You was starting to explode. It’s a Sunday afternoon at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia. Employees are rushing around setting up for this evening’s show. This is the … Continue reading
Bryan Adams – 18 ‘Til I Die (A&M) Okay, it was kind of funny a few months ago when Metallica tried to trick us into thinking they were grunge. But I have to draw the line if Bryan Adams thinks that he can pull it off. Being grunge is more than losing twenty pounds and not … Continue reading
Tori Amos Living Well is the Best Revenge by Jay S. Jacobs Tori Amos is living out the ultimate revenge of the nerd. The self-described childhood social outcast has in the last five years become a well-known and very respected artist. From a youth of religious confusion brought about by her conflicting feelings about her … Continue reading
Melissa Etheridge by Jay S. Jacobs POP ENTERTAINMENT.COM ARCHIVES – June 1994 – This interview took place soon after Melissa Etheridge released what was soon to be her biggest album ever, Yes I Am. The idea of the guitar God is one that has always seemed fall on the right side of the Y chromosome. Men … Continue reading
Sarah McLachlan – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (Arista) It is tough to describe exactly what it is that Sarah McLachlan does. So many artists you can nail in two words (i.e., Metallica: speed metal, Garth Brooks: country pop, Michael Bolton: worthless crap). But Sarah McLachlan refuses to be labeled, thank goodness. Many times this schizophrenia shows up … Continue reading
