Music

Rock historian Ed Ward examines the other side of Sly Stone. In the 60s and 70s Stone was the flamboyant leader of the group Sly and the Family Stone, but he was also an accomplished record producer.

Tex-Mex rocker Doug Sahm. For many, he's still best known for his stint with the Sir Douglas Quintet, a group of Texans and Mexicans who were packaged to look like a British Invasion band. The group sported regal coats and fakey British accents and cranked out hits like "Mendocino" and "She'a About a Mover." Sahm has been playing a variety of styles ever since, including Tex-Mex, blues, rhythm and blues, rock. Sahm is now touring with Antone's Texas R&B Revue, and has just released a new album, titled Juke Box Music.

Rock and roll historian Ed Ward profiles Memphis soul musician and producer Willie Mitchell. Mitchell was a trumpeter whose own tastes ran to jazz and soul. But Mitchell enjoyed his greatest success as a producer and talent scout. He launched the careers of Al Green, Ann Peebles and O.V.Wright.

Guest critic Milo Miles has a primer on world music, and he examines why it should, by all rights, be more popular in the U.S. than it is. Miles is the former rock critic for The Boston Phoenix.

Rock critic Ken Tucker continues his look at current rap releases. This week he explores the music of The Beastie Boys, Queen Latifah and the 2 Live Crew.

Songwriter Fred Koller. He's one of Nashville's top songwriters. His songs have been recorded by Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dave Edmunds and Hank Williams Jr. He has also collaborated with John Prine, John Hiatt and Pat Alger. But in his book How to Pitch and Promote Your Song, Koller guides the novice songwriter through the music business, with tips on how best to present your songs. (Interview by Sedge Thomson)

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews new rap albums from LL Cool J, Kool Moe Dee, and a compilation album from Boogie Down productions.

Astronomer and science writer Timothy Ferris. His most recent book, Coming of Age in the Milky Way, is the story of how man discovered his place in the cosmos. The book was a surprise bestseller last year and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Critics hailed the book as a literary and scientific breakthrough that reads both as intellectual history and an adventure story. Ferris' first book, The Red Limit, was similarly praised for creating a new style of science book that combines the force of fact and detail with the grace of fiction writing.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "The Cinderella Theory," the new album by the master of funk, George Clinton. Clinton began his musical career when he formed The Parliaments. But it's with his densely layered rhythm lines and rap that Clinton has made his mark on music, defining the funk sound and culture. His best-known songs include "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker," "Atomic Dog" and "Think! It ain't illegal yet."

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles Jive Five, a soul band led by Eugene Pitt that flourished briefly in the mid-60s. Pitt was one of the few rhythm and blues artists to successfully make the transition to soul. He's best remembered for the song "What's Your Name."