Rock

Rock Critic Ken Tucker reviews two albums by Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello featuring previously unreleased material. The two have been longtime colleagues and collaborators. Lowe has been the producer of many of Costello's albums.

Rock Critic Ken Tucker reviews new albums by George Strait and Steve Wariner. Their music is marketed as country, but Ken says their style is similar to that of singer-songwriters of the late '60s and early '70s, like James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt.

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the band Brinsley Schwarz. During the 70s, this band started the pub rock scene, where people put off by the glamour posturing of popular rock stars could hear rock-n-roll in informal and inexpensive surroundings.

Rock Critic Ken Tucker reviews "Naked," the long-awaited album from The Talking Heads. The album experiments with a variety of genres, including Funk, African Pop and Salsa.

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles Louis Jordan. Between 1930 and 1950, Jordan spearheaded the rhythm and blues sound. He was one of the very first crossover artists, appealing to both blacks and whites. Ed focuses on the Louis Jordan who pioneered rap music.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Now and Zen," the new album by Robert Plant, former leader singer of the super group Led Zeppelin.

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the glitter rock band The New York Dolls. Their front man was David Johansen, who has since recast himself as the martini-swilling crooner Buster Poindexter.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Rock of Life," by Rick Springfield and "Til My Heart Stops," by Lisa Hartman, two TV stars trying to make the rock charts. Springfield plays a doctor on the daytime soap "General Hospital;" Hartman is a cast member of the evening soap "Knot's Landing."

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Globe of Frogs," the latest album from Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians. The group's enigmatic lyrics and strong pop melodies are a big hit on college radio stations. Ken says this English band's strongest moment comes when the listener figures out what the singers are trying to say.

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the career of versatile Texas rock n' roller Doug Sahm, including the night in 1952 when he performed while sitting on the lap of Hank Williams, and his escapades as the leader of The Sir Douglas Quintet, a group of southerners who tried to convince the public they were British.

Lyricist and songwriter Robert Hunter. He's best known for his 28-year collaboration with Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, writing the lyrics to the classics "Uncle John's Band" and "Truckin," and the recent hit "Touch of Grey." He has a new solo album titled "Liberty."

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "The Talking Animals," the new album by singer, songwriter and record producer T-Bone Burnett. Burnett has produced the work of musicians like Marshall Crenshaw, Los Lobos, Roy Orbison and Elvis Costello. In 1975, Burnett travelled and performed with Bob Dylan's "Rolling Thunder Review."

Rock historian Ed Ward looks at the music of Mardi Gras as performed by Professor Longhair, the Neville family and The Hawkettes.

Bob Geldof, the star of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats and organizer of the Band Aid and Live Aid benefit concerts to aid starvation victims in Africa. His autobiography is titled Is That It?

Rock Critic Ken Tucker. It's another in the continuing series of interviews with Fresh Air's contributors. Ken tells us how a frustrated college poet found himself in crowded clubs listening to punk bands and being paid for it.

Fresh Air's film critic Stephen Schiff. Schiff is the Critic-at-Large for Vanity Fair magazine where he writes feature articles and the monthly film review column, "Short Schiff." From 1978 to 1983, Schiff was the film critic for the weekly Boston Phoenix. He has served three terms as chairman of the National Society of Film Critics.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the No Speak record series, all-instrumental albums brought out by the producer Miles Copeland. The artists are Pete Haycock, formerly of the Climax Blues Band, William Orbit, Stewart Copeland, guitarist for the Police and the group Wishbone Ash.

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles The Buzzcocks, a British punk group that had more influence on the British punk scene than better-known bands like The Sex Pistols. The band was based in Manchester and had an even grittier veneer than that of the notorious London punk bands.

Rock singer, songwriter and record producer T-Bone Burnett. He's produced the work of musicians like Marshall Crenshaw, Los Lobos, Roy Orbison and Elvis Costello. In 1975, Burnett travelled and performed with Bob Dylan's "Rolling Thunder Review." Burnett's new solo album, which he produced and wrote the songs for, is titled "The Talking Animals."

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, best known for their sexually suggestive songs in the 50s about "Annie," a woman of dubious reputation.