This Sunday [Dec. 6] at 9:00pm EST, I'll be appearing on Reelz when the channel premieres Metallica: The Story of the Songs. Reelz is available via most cable providers, streaming and satellite services. The show will be repeating over the next few days too, so be sure to check your local listings if you forget to... Continue Reading →
40 Years After the Breakup, What Have the Members of Led Zeppelin Done?
Forty years ago today, the surviving members of Led Zeppelin declared they would officially be breaking up, a little over two months removed from the untimely passing of drummer John Bonham on September 25, 1980 at the age of 32. Each of the surviving members - singer Robert Plant, bassist John Paul Jones and guitarist... Continue Reading →
35 Years Ago: ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge’ Nearly Derails Franchise
There sure has been a lot of horror film talk around these parts lately. "'Tis the season" goes the saying, but this is (maybe) the final entry on the topic for the year, one where I've focused on the second entry in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Freddy's Revenge. The movie was renowned... Continue Reading →
Why Has it Been More Than a Decade Since a New Freddy or Jason Movie?
The last time Freddy Krueger was on the the big screen was 2010 when the reboot of A Nightmare of Elm Street came out. A year before that was the Friday the 13th reboot, the last time Jason Voorhees was in theaters carving it up. At a time when horror films are at an arguable... Continue Reading →
Roundtable: Jason v. Freddy v. Michael
It's the age old question. Who would win in a fight: Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers? And while we didn't get to answer that specifically, over at Ultimate Classic Rock this week, a group of us had a little roundtable to discuss the trifecta of horror. Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm... Continue Reading →
The Minor Role My Grandfather Played in Shaping the History of Rock and Roll
Today marks 15 years since my grandfather, Charles F. Higgins Jr., passed away. It got me thinking about the small role he played in shaping the history of early rock and roll. Below is an article I wrote for The Daily Times a couple weeks before he died, and I thought now would be a... Continue Reading →
Why Eddie Van Halen Mattered to Me
Even the most casual readers of this column know I’ve always been a big fan of Van Halen, evident in the number of articles written about them since taking over Rock Music Menu a decade and a half ago. It would be an understatement then to say how much of a shock it came when... Continue Reading →
R.I.P. Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk Van Halen passed away today at the age of 65. It's a brutal blow to music and to me personally as his namesake band was one of my favorites - hands down - when it came to rock and roll. I've got many memories from over the years involving Van Halen, and will be... Continue Reading →
Roundtable: Metallica in the ’80s v. Metallica in the ’90s
Following on the heels of last week's Rush roundtable, I sat down with some of my esteemed colleagues over at Ultimate Classic Rock to talk about Metallica. Specifically, we broke down whether the band was better in the '80s or the '90s and why. Both periods had their merits, with the Cliff Burton era coming... Continue Reading →
Happy Birthday Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell should've turned 56 today. Not "would've" - should've. Crippled by depression, he took his own life three Mays ago at 52. It was so incredibly unexpected, heartbreaking and brutal. That day sticks with me like the JFK assassination does for boomers. Seriously - it was that intense and I'll never, ever forget the... Continue Reading →