Monthly Archives: December 2006

Ahmet Ertegun, R.I.P.

I’m saddened to report on the loss of one of the greatest figures in the music business: Ahmet Ertegun. His legacy is nearly unparalleled: starting on a shoestring budget in New York City recording blues sides, Ahmet and his partners (brother Nesuhi and partner Jerry Wexler) grew Atlantic records into one of the largest and most varied labels, hosting such popular bands and artists as Led Zeppelin, Chic, Phil Collins, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Bette Midler, and two of his earliest and most popular discoveries: Big Joe Turner and the late, great Ray Charles. R.I.P., Ahmet!
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Holiday Music 2006: Not Happening!

I remember when holiday music used to be an event to look forward to. In recent years I have begun to dread going out in public, and hearing whatever abomination the stores are playing that passes for Christmas music. This past weekend was no exception: the “trash” was blaring at us through every P.A. system we encountered. Throughout the past century, holiday music has been recorded as a product of the styles of its day, so I don’t see why modern music should be any different…but it is. And I feel it’s not so much nostalgia as it is a dislike of lot of what passes for popular music fashions these days.
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Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)

I bought the original Animal Crossing for the GameCube a couple of years ago for one of the kids as a gift. While they would play it every so often, there didn’t seem like much was going on in the game. This past summer, I finally sat down, created my own character and played it. And then…I got hooked. Just like Mario Bros. and Zelda in the past, another Nintendo game had me coming back every day to check on my town, buy and sell items, and improve my house. With the DS, there are changes and improvements to the original Animal Crossing, but it is still basically the same game. It’s familiar enough, but has some new features that make it a better game in some respects.
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