Rambling Rhoads

As a fan of a wide variety of popular (and not-so-popular) music from the 1950s (and sometimes even earlier) up through the present, one of my bucket list projects for years has been to put together a list of my 100 favorite songs of all time. At some point I decided that, once I got around to figuring that out, I could put it out on a blog, for the infinitesimally small proportion of the Internet world that might be interested. So, here we are. While the Top 100 will be a major focus, I also plan to post on a variety of other musical (and occasionally non-musical) topics, in which you may or may not be interested. (If a particular posting doesn’t ring your bell, you’re only a few clicks away from a dancing cat video on YouTube.)

Friday, February 28, 2025

Roberta Flack

https://variety.com/2025/music/news/roberta-flack-singer-killing-me-softly-dead-1236318888/

I always get a kick of the way Les McCann ended his liner notes for Roberta Flack’s debut album:

Roberta can take you all the way inside and clean your soul—out!

“And God said: That’s Good!”

And I say: She sings her ass off!

And the lyrics from my favorite song of hers continue to resonate today:

A whole lot of things that's wrong is going down, yes, it is

I can't understand it from my point of view

'Cause I think you should do unto others

As you'd have them do unto you

Then maybe folks wouldn't have to suffer

If there was more love for your brother

But these are tryin' times, yes, it is

Favorite songs:

Tryin’ Times

Where Is The Love*

Killing Me Softly With His Song

Ballad Of The Sad Young Men

Feel Like Makin’ Love

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

The Closer I Get To You*

Compared To What

When Love Has Grown*

Jesse

* -- with Donny Hathaway

Monday, February 24, 2025

Truth and accuracy

The Washington Post just published an article on the lawsuit filed by the Associated Press challenging their recent ban from covering White House events. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt commented as follows: “I wanted to get the White House counsel on the phone before taking the stage to see what I can and cannot say. But look, we feel we are in the right in this position. And I said in my first briefing from the podium: We are going to ensure that truth and accuracy is present at that White House every single day.”

The article did not indicate whether Leavitt was able to keep a straight face when she reached the “truth and accuracy” section of her remark. Or whether she had her fingers crossed.