The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
Links to writings. Musings on life. Photography. Travels. Skulls.
This week, UK rock and roll stalwarts The Cult are coming to the end of a tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their mainstream breakthrough LP Sonic Temple, which got the box set treatment back in October. The band has been on the road since the spring marking the occasion, with the final show... Continue Reading →
It's been three decades since the follow-up to the most successful film of 1985 delivered a sequel. Back to the Future II saw Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) go to the year 2015 then back again to 1955 in a tale full of time traveling twists and turns. For the... Continue Reading →
When Motley Crue announced they would be reuniting last week, less than four years after the last date of their much-hyped "Final Tour," some people weren't surprised; after all, look at how many bands have said farewell, only to come back for a money grab reunion. But there were many hardcore fans of the Crue... Continue Reading →
The Bay Area thrash metal scene of the early 80s isn't one of the most popular nor well-known. Mainly people see the era as the one that birthed Metallica. Thanks to director Adam Dubin, that's all changed with his excellent documentary Murder In The Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story. Featuring the... Continue Reading →
While on the road to promote their 2008 LP Dig Out Your Soul, arguably the best Oasis album since (What's the Story) Morning Glory? the fractious relationship between brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher finally reached DEFCON 1, with the latter first hurling a plum (!) at his sibling before swinging a guitar like an axe... Continue Reading →
Everyone seems to be focusing on 1969 for their anniversary pieces this year. Hey, I've been guilty of it too. I get it. But you know when was a really strange time? The summer of 2009, when some crazy weird shit went down over a short period of time. Tomorrow's Rock Music Menu in The... Continue Reading →
The late 70s and early 80s, saw Sylvester Stallone as nearly untouchable with his roles in the Rocky and Rambo films along with some lesser known gems like F.I.S.T., Victory and Nighthawks. Then there was the disaster of Rhinestone, Over the Top tank job and under-performing Rambo III. The actor's decline would continue through the... Continue Reading →
One of the better double bills of the summer so far is James and The Psychedelic Furs. For the former, I sat down with band leader Tim Booth to talk about the group's latest album, Living in Extraordinary Times, the current state of the world and how he found out Batman was a fan of... Continue Reading →
Earlier this month, the folks behind Ultimate Classic Rock launched a site dedicated to all things Prince, aptly dubbed Ultimate Prince. It's a deep repository of reviews, criticisms and news surrounding the life and death of the Purple One, and this week I took part in a roundtable to discuss the curiosity that is Prince's... Continue Reading →
Fifty years on, director Sam Peckinpah's masterpiece The Wild Bunch still has the ability to shock with its depiction of the last remaining outlaws in the Wild West going out with guns blazing and blood spilling. Over on the movies and culture desk at Ultimate Classic Rock, I look at just how affecting the film... Continue Reading →
