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06:37

A Guitar Player Find His Soul

Booker T. and the M.G.'s guitarist Steve Cropper cowrote and played on countless soul music hits during the 1960s. While he focuses more on producing nowadays, his musical legacy endures. Rock historian Ed Ward tells his story.

Commentary
08:58

A Driving, Bottom Force

Surf guitar legend Dick Dale joins Fresh Air to talk about how he developed his signature style. He's featured in the new Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon movie Back to the Beach.

Interview
09:21

A Pop Singer Returns, Older and Wiser

Singer Dion, from Dion and the Belmonts, is making a comeback singing Christian songs. He joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to talk about his early career, growing older, and getting sober.

Interview
06:18

A Songwriter's Unprecedented Risks

Rock critic Ken Tucker says that Warren Zevon's career owes more to admiring critics than popular success. Regardless, his new album--his first in five years--is worth seeking out.

Review
06:23

Transforming Country to Rock and Roll

Rock historian Ed Ward looks back at Elvis Presley's early recording session, which show that the singer borrowed as much from white country music as he did from the blues.

Commentary
06:24

A Cult Artist's Eclectic Influences

Kid Creole is the alter-ego of songwriter August Darnell. His charming but boasting album titles and complex lyrics may have kept him from rock stardom, but rock critic Ken Tucker says the music on his new album--I, Too, Have Seen the Woods--is beguiling.

Review
26:49

Navigating the Pop Music Industry

Record producer, musician and songwriter Todd Rundgren joins Fresh Air to talk about his career both in-studio and on the concert stage. Recently, he's branched out into television, writing music for Pee Wee's Playhouse.

Interview
06:35

Cashing in on the Summer of Love

Rock historian Ed Ward looks at how record labels tried--and failed--to market second-rate bands from San Francisco's psychedelic rock scene.

Commentary
06:32

Making the Music She Wants to Hear

Roseanne Cash's newest album, King's Record Shop, blends country and rock music. Rock critic Ken Tucker says that her affectless voice lends itself to both genres.

Review
03:28

A Rags-to-Riches Cliche

Critic-at-large Stephen Schiff says that La Bamba, the new biopic about Ritchie Valens, is a whitewashed portrait of the late musician, and mostly lacks a rock and roll spirit.

06:26

A Bizarre and Essential Love

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the 1960s California band, fronted by African American singer and songwriter Arthur Lee.

Commentary
06:32

Turning Rockabilly Red

Sonny Burgess was known as much for his monochromatic look as he was his wild music. Ed Ward says the word to describe him is "weird" -- Burgess favored unconventional instrumentation and bizarre lyrics.

Commentary
06:15

The Grateful Dead's First Album in Seven Years

The long-running band continues to gain new fans, even straight-laced yuppies. Rock critic Ken Tucker says In the Dark is their best album in over a decade, coming close to capturing the spirit of their live shows.

Review
06:46

Exhuming the Remains

Rock historian remembers the 1960s Boston band The Remains, whose music reflected the genre's growing depth and sophistication. Despite opening for the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, the group never caught on.

Commentary
06:44

A Listless "Tango in the Night"

Rock critic Ken Tucker says Fleetwood Mac's records in the 1970s kept rock music vital. Their most recent effort feels uninspired by comparison.

Review

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