Rock

Rock critic Ken Tucker has seen most of the heavy metal acts on the package tour's bill. He admires Metallica and the Scorpions; Van Halen has its merits, but he says Dokken and Kingdom Come are bland. Collectively, the bands' popularity shows that metal is a genre that should't be ignored -- though Tucker prefers to enjoy it from the comfort of his own home.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: the Metal Years. He says the compelling movie is a revealing look at how fans and musicians participate in the decadent culture of heavy metal music.

Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerry Casale were still in art school when they founded their band DEVO, which is equally inspired by high and low culture. They join Fresh Air to talk about their music's role in the current corporate-sponsored rock culture.

Rock historian Ed Ward looks at the history of Jamaican reggae music, which he says began as a reinterpretation of 1950s American rock and roll before becoming a style uniquely its own.

Critical darling Marti Jones's new album is a clear, straightforward declaration of her talents, says rock critic Ken Tucker. Yet it's her vagueness that makes her so interesting.

Record producer Huey Meaux opened a barber shop before becoming a record producer. He worked hard to turn regional Texas and Louisiana music -- made by both black and white artists -- into national hits.

Rock historian Ed Ward remembers The Dominoes, an early rock group led by pianist Billy Ward. The band helped launch the careers of Clyde McPhatter and Jackie Wilson.

The husband-and-wife rock duo -- with a boombox for a rhythm section -- joins Fresh Air for an in-studio concert. They recently found commercial success with their hit, "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades."

Rock historian Ed Ward remembers the 1960s British rock band, whose members later founded several other groups, most notably the Electric Light Orchestra.

Rock Critic Ken Tucker reviews "I'm Real," the new album by JAMES BROWN, the self-proclaimed "Godfather of Soul."