Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged '1970'

Lethem Updates Cult Classic 'Omega' Comic Series

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:56:00 EST

Novelist Jonathan Lethem's retelling adds a post-modern twist to the mysterious superhero series Omega the Unknown, which introduced 1970s comic readers to a world of Borgesian paranoia.

West African Finds At The WFMU Record Fair

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:57:00 EST

While most regional record fairs have been replaced with gigantic mega-shows, the WFMU Record Fair in New York City still offers the collector a chance to find unknown minimal-synth seven-inches from Germany, random rap 12-inches from the Bronx's Golden Age, and Japanese Kabuki-psychedelia. Listen to five obscure West African funk, highlife, Juju and psychedelia tracks from the 1970s.

What Makes A Great Christmas Song...

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 15:56:00 EST

Ever since Jose Feliciano wrote and recorded "Feliz Navidad" in 1970, it has been a Christmas mainstay; nearly 40 years later, it remains one of the top 25 most-played Christmas songs around the world. Music expert Bill Adler weighs in on what makes a Christmas song successful.

Rodney Crowell On Mountain Stage

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:52:00 EST

Houston-born songwriter Rodney Crowell took his talents to Nashville in the 1970s and has been evolving ever since. His 1988 album Diamonds and Dirt garnered five No. 1 country singles, including one with his then-wife Rosanne Cash (with whom he still works today). In this Mountain Stage appearance, he performs music from some of his most recent albums, including this year's Sex & Gasoline.

Clive Barnes, A Critic's Critic

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

Arts critic Clive Barnes died Wednesday. During the 1960s and 1970s, the British-born Barnes exercised significant influence over New York theater and dance as a critic for The New York Times. He became a New York Post critic in 1978.

Waylon Jennings' Haunting Last Recordings

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:19:00 EST

A stalwart of the outlaw country movement in the 1970s, Jennings bucked the conventions of Nashville with a tough sound and attitude. He died in 2002, but his son Shooter, now an outlaw country star in his own right, has just released a collection of songs he made with his dad in the mid-'90s — the last recordings Waylon Jennings ever made.

'Dr. Doom' Calls U.S. Economy Worst Since WWII

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:05:00 EDT

Henry Kaufman, also known as "Dr. Doom" for his bearish forecasts in the 1970s, says the economy is in the "worst recession in the post-World War II period." The way to protect the economy from outright disaster, he says, is to protect the middle class.

Felix Rohatyn's View Of The Financial Crisis

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:56:00 EDT

At age 80, investment banker Felix Rohatyn has weathered many fiscal storms, from playing a key role in restructuring New York City's crippling debt in the 1970s to advising Lehman Brothers in recent years. Rohatyn offers some insight on the current fiscal crisis.

Orchestra Baobab: Senegal's Musical Revolution

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:54:00 EDT

In the 1970s, the musical environment of Senegal was ready for a revolution and Orchestra Baobab delivered. Combining a variety of established popular styles, the legendary Afropop group shaped the region's style with an Africanized sound of indigenous instruments and language. Hear a session from WXPN.

Guest DJ: Will Sheff of Okkervil River

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:17:00 EDT

Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff shares some of his favorite (and fairly obscure) music with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. The two talk about Okkervil River's latest album, The Stand-Ins and listen to some of the songs Sheff has loved and been inspired by over the years. Hear music from soul singer Lorraine Ellison, the 1960s Jamaican group Carlton and the Shoes, former teen idol-turned introspective singer Dion, and The Penetrators — a 1970s band some would call punk, others would call garage rock.

When Overqualified Jazz Musicians Go Rocker

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Music reviewer David Was takes a look at a new documentary about the The Wrecking Crew. They were the lesser known musicians responsible for hit songs from famous bands like The Beach Boys and the Monkees in 1960s and 1970s.

S.F. Eyes Amends For 1950s Uprooting Of Blacks

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Between 1950 and 1970, the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency relocated thousands of primarily black-owned businesses and homes in the name of urban renewal. Now, city officials are considering a plan to pay "reparations" to displaced individuals or their descendants by giving them top priority in the lottery for affordable housing units.

An Divided America In 'Nixonland'

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:14:00 EDT

Rick Perlstein's book, Nixonland, combines an evocative trip through the 1960s and early 1970s with an assessment of the impact of Richard Nixon's political career. Perstein argues that many of the deep political divisions in modern American politics were defined by that period, and exploited effectively by Nixon.

Kissinger, Ex-President Bush Attend Olympics

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Among the political luminaries attending the Beijing Olympics are Henry Kissinger and former President George H.W. Bush. Kissinger was a national security adviser for Richard Nixon who opened up U.S. relations with Communist China in the 1970s. Bush served as the senior U.S. diplomat in Beijing in the early days of U.S.-China relations.

Brazilian Psych-Rock For A Night On The Porch

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:52:00 EDT

In the 1970s in Recife, Brazil, a scene coalesced around a musician named Lula Cortes. An offshoot of the psychedelic rock scene happening around the world at the time, the movement created a handful of labels that recorded, produced and distributed some of the most beautiful music ever, perfect for hot summer nights.

Remembering A Conversation With Solzhenitsyn

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The Nobel Prize-winning author whose books chronicled the horrors of the Soviet gulag system has died of heart failure. Alexander Solzhenitsyn was 89. NPR's Anne Garrels talks with Steve Inskeep about a rare interview she had with Solzhenitsyn just after he was expelled from the Soviet Union in the 1970s.

Exene Cervenka: Fom X to Missouri

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Priestess of punk Exene Cervenka co-fronted X, one of L.A.'s most-enduring underground bands from the 1970's. Cervenka's always had a bit of a twang in her music. Now she lives in central Missouri, working on a new collection of songs and a collages. Her art will appear later this month in New York City.

The Word On George Carlin

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:01:00 EDT

Linguist Geoff Nunberg reflects on the life and language of the late comedian George Carlin, the master of observational humor who died last month. In the 1970s, Carlin observed: "There are 400,000 words in the English language, and there are seven of them you can't say on television. What a ratio that is: 399,993 to seven. They must really be bad." Then he proceeded to say them.

Why Aren't Candidates Talking Conservation...

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Why aren't the two presidential candidates talking more about conservation in this era of high gas prices? Jody Powell, press secretary during Jimmy Carter's presidency, discusses Carter's famous energy conservation speeches in the late 1970s.

Remembering George Carlin

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:45:00 EDT

In the 1970s, George Carlin's seven dirty words routine was the center of a famous obscenity case. More recently, the comic was named the recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, an award scheduled to be presented at the Kennedy Center in November. Carlin died Sunday of heart failure at the age of 71.

Obama Pins Hopes on Fundraising Power

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Sen. Barack Obama is the first major-party candidate since the 1970s to bypass public financing in a presidential campaign. The Democrat is counting on his fundraising success to give him a big advantage in the fall race.

Feds: Americans Driving Less

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:39:00 EDT

The Federal Highway Administration announced Wednesday that Americans are cutting down on driving. The decline is much larger than the only other drop in history, during the energy crisis of the late 1970s and 1980s, the government says.

Urban Verbs: Back for One Night Only

Sat, 24 May 2008 14:43:00 EDT

In the late 1970s, D.C.-based band Urban Verbs was destined to be the "next big thing." However, after two albums, Urban Verbs was dropped from its label. This weekend, the band reunites for one show only at the 9:30 Club. Guest host Guy Raz speaks with the original members.

The Chimp that Learned Sign Language

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:15:00 EDT

Project Nim was a research study conducted in the 1970s meant to find out if a chimpanzee could learn to sign. The study's chimp Â�- named Nim Chimpsky -Â� lived in a Manhattan brownstone with a family who could teach him sign language.

Stranded in a Friendly, Sleepy Little Far East Town

Thu, 08 May 2008 07:52:00 EDT

In the 1970s and '80s, Soviet authorities turned a tiny settlement in the country's Far East into a city that would serve as the hub of a major new railway network. The project collapsed during the end of communism. But the remaining residents of Tynda are struggling on.