Category: Commentary

Looking Back On 11 Years of EclecticMusicLover

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Commentary32 Comments

Earlier this month my blog turned 11 years old and, truth be told, I never thought in August 2015 that I would still be at it in 2026 (though admittedly, for the past year my output has diminished from 3-5 to only one post per week as I quit writing music reviews). Over the past 11 years, I’ve published 2,016 posts which have garnered 1,405,700 views from 663,374 visitors. My blog has 1,582 subscribers, though fewer than 40 ever engage with my posts.

The majority of my posts receive anywhere from 50-200 views; however, many have garnered over 1,000 views, with some going viral, particularly my “100 Best Songs of the 2000s” post published in 2015 and still my most-viewed post literally every single day! “Best of” lists and concert reviews have been among the most popular; here are my most-viewed posts as of today, August 21, 2026:

  1. 100 Best Songs of the 2000s (100-1) – 77,300
  2. 20 Best Disco Songs of All Time – 27,168
  3. 100 Best Songs of the 2010s (100-1) – 24,552
  4. 10 Greatest Rock Songs of the 1960s – 18,978
  5. “Magic” Songs – 17,437
  6. About This Blog – 15,646
  7. “Till There Was You” – From “The Music Man” to The Beatles – 10,565
  8. Concert Review: Janet Jackson Together Again Tour – 10,486
  9. 100 Best Indie Songs of 2025 – 9,553
  10. 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 – 9,256
  11. Concert Review: Coldplay Head Full of Dreams Tour – 8,685
  12. Concert Review: The Eagles Hotel California Tour – 7,471
  13. Artist Spotlight: The Mayan Factor – 6,044
  14. Top 100 Songs of 2018 – 5,113
  15. EML’s Favorite Songs – Marty Robbins: “El Paso” – 4,074

I’m not sure how much longer I will keep blogging, but I plan to continue through at least the rest of this year. Should my enthusiasm for writing about music return, I will hopefully churn out more posts in the future.

Something Weird is Happening on WordPress

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Commentary48 Comments

I’ve been blogging about music for ten years, and though my output has diminished from what it was during my peak years of 2017-2022 – to the point where I’m now generally posting only once a week – my readership has gradually increased, probably due in large part to the fact I now have an accumulated back catalog of nearly 2,000 posts. But I’ve recently noticed a significant uptick in daily views of my blog, from an average of 300-400 per day to well over 1,000 per day.

At first, I was elated by these stats, thinking that my blog had finally broken through the clutter and was getting more notice in the search engines (I do not pay for search engine optimization of any kind). But after checking the origins of my views by country, I was alarmed to see that 70-75% of my recent views are coming from China! Over the past ten years, the vast majority of my views have come from the U.S., as expected, followed by a much smaller but sizable number from the UK, Canada, Australia, India and Germany, in that order. For 2023, China came in 19th, with only 0.45% of the total views for that year, while last year it ranked #18 with only 0.37% of the total.

While I’m thrilled that so many Chinese people appear to suddenly be flocking to my little music blog, I can’t help but think these numbers aren’t legit, and may simply be bots or some other nefarious activity. Has anyone else noticed a sudden uptick in traffic to their blogs?

Taking a Necessary Break

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Commentary42 Comments

Those of you who’ve been regular readers of my blog posts over the past several months are aware of my political leanings, so it should come as no surprise that I am deeply disappointed, disheartened and angry at the outcome of our elections this past week. I am sickened that a small but meaningful majority of Americans voted to re-elect a cruel, corrupt, divisive and reprehensible narcissistic sociopath and serial liar to lead our country for a second time, and as a consequence, am not feeling very positive about my country or my fellow Americans right now. I do not wish to argue or debate about this here and will not entertain nor engage with any pushback or defense of any kind for Trump and his agenda.

Since the election, I’ve gone back and forth about whether I can or want to continue blogging about music, and have concluded that because my despair and disillusionment are so intense at this time, I cannot continue writing about music as if everything else is OK. While I believe that music can be a healing force, it’s unfortunately going to take more than that for me to heal.

I may decide to resume writing for my blog again at some future time but can’t predict if or when that will happen. In the meantime, I might read and/or engage with some of my fellow bloggers’ posts now and then if I feel up to it.

EclecticMusicLover named one of 10 Best Jangle Pop Blogs

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Commentary49 Comments

I’m thrilled to announce that my humble little blog EclecticMusicLover has been named one of the 10 Best Jangle Pop Blogs and Websites by the website FeedSpot – the internet’s largest curated database of bloggers and podcasts. It’s both a total surprise and an honor to even be included among these other great blogs. Here’s the link to the list, in which I’m ranked #10. I guess it’s due to the large number of jangle pop bands I’ve written about over the past year.

https://music.feedspot.com/jangle_pop_blogs/

This is the second time my blog has been included in one of FeedSpot‘s best-of lists; last year, it was named one of the 100 Best Indie Music Blogs on the site. (At that time, my blog ranked #48, but now sits at #20, which I must admit is a complete shock!)

https://music.feedspot.com/indie_music_blogs/

Though my blog is a labor of love for me, it’s also at times a source of frustration, disappointment and stress. Therefore, it’s gratifying that all my time and effort spent writing about often little-known independent artists and bands over the past eight-plus years has earned me some recognition!

RIP Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Commentary14 Comments

I was very saddened to learn that Steve Harwell, the long-time former lead singer of alt-rock band Smash Mouth, died this morning at the age of 56. His manager Robert Hayes told Rolling Stone that Harwell “passed peacefully and comfortably” at his home in Boise, Idaho, surrounded by family and friends. The cause of death was liver failure, apparently the result of years of alcohol abuse. Harwell had retired from Smash Mouth in 2021 due to poor health, and was replaced by Zach Goode as the band vocalist.

The band paid tribute in a post on X: “Steve Harwell was a true American Original. A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle. Steve will be remembered for his unwavering focus and impassioned determination to reach the heights of pop stardom. Rest in peace knowing you aimed for the stars, and magically hit your target.”

Born and raised in my hometown of Santa Clara, California, Harwell began his music career in next-door San Jose as a rapper with the group F.O.S. (Freedom of Speech). After that group split up, he began working with his friend, drummer Kevin Coleman, and the two of them eventually teamed up in 1994 with guitarist Greg Camp and bassist Paul Delisle to form Smash Mouth. They released their debut ska-influenced album Fush Yu Mang in 1997. The album was a big success for the band, going double platinum (2 million copies sold), and included their debut single “Walkin’ on the Sun”. The song became a huge hit as well, going all the way to #1 on the Billboard Adult Top 40, Modern Rock and Alternative Airplay charts, and #2 on the Hot 100. I loved the song’s cool, almost jazzy vibe, which made me a fan.

Smash Mouth followed in 1999 with their second album Astro Lounge, which was even more successful than their first, ultimately going triple-platinum and reaching #6 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. It included their hit singles “All Star” and “Then the Morning Comes”. “All Star” became the biggest hit of their career, selling over six million copies, and reaching #1 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40 charts, #2 on the Alternative Airplay chart, and #4 on the Hot 100. The song appeared in numerous film soundtracks, including the 1999 film Mystery Men and the first Shrek movie in 2001, which of course gave it even greater exposure. Both “Walkin’ on the Sun” and “All Star” rank among my favorite songs of the 1990s.

They had a hit in 2001 with their cover of the Monkees’ classic “I’m a Believer” which was also featured in Shrek, and went on to release five more albums over the next 12 years, though none were as successful as the first two.

EclecticMusicLover named one of 100 Best Indie Music Blogs

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Commentary44 Comments

I received an email today from Anuj Agarwal, the founder of the website FeedSpot – the internet’s largest curated database of bloggers and podcasts – informing me that my blog EclecticMusicLover has been named one of the 100 Best Indie Music Blogs on the site. I’m not only thrilled and honored that my little blog is included in their most recent list of indie music blogs from around the world, but that it also ranks #48.

Many of the named blogs are located in the U.S. and UK, but multiple European countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Venezuela and South Africa are also represented. Here’s the link to the full list: https://blog.feedspot.com/indie_music_blogs/

It’s gratifying that all my time and efforts spent writing about little-known indie artists and bands over the past seven-plus years has finally earned me a bit of recognition!

RIP Tina Turner

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Commentary, Favorite Songs18 Comments

I was very sad to learn of the death of the legendary Tina Turner today, at the age of 83. She was truly one of a kind, with a rich and smoky powerhouse voice that inspired countless other artists and earned her millions of fans around the globe, me included. She was a courageous and great lady, and always a class act.

In honor of her passing, I’m reposting this 2020 article I wrote about Tina’s iconic song “What’s Love Got To Do With It”.

EclecticMusicLover's avatarECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER

Tina Turner

It’s been a while since I’ve posted one of my Favorite Songs, so thought I’d get back into the groove with my favorite Tina Turner song “What’s Love Got to Do With It“. Not only is it one of my favorite songs of all time, but Tina is also one of my all-time favorite female singers. And quite honestly, who doesn’t love Tina! One of the best live concerts I’ve ever seen was Tina Turner on her What’s Love? Tour in September 1993 (with Chris Isaak opening for her at the Cal Expo Amphitheatre in Sacramento, California).

Born Anna Mae Bullock in Tennessee in 1939 (hard to believe she’s now 80!), Tina Turner lived part of her rather troubled childhood (thanks to dysfunctional parents) in the town of Nutbush (which she immortalized in her 1973 hit “Nutbush City Limits”), but moved to St. Louis when she was 16…

View original post 980 more words

Randy Rainbow Skewers Kevin McCarthy in “Speaker of the House”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Commentary16 Comments

I don’t usually write political posts, but perilous times call for extraordinary measures. I loathe the American GOP – a party that’s now gone full MAGA and Fascist – with a burning passion. It needs to be destroyed, so that it may one day be reborn again as a rational party. If I offend any of my readers’ sensibilities, so be it.

Comedian Randy Rainbow is a national treasure, frequently skewering the blatant hypocrisy of politicians and others in hilarious videos. His latest target is the obsequious Kevin McCarthy, who endured 14 humiliating losses before finally winning the Speakership of the U.S. House of Representatives on the 15th vote.

In this video, Rainbow calls out McCarthy and a number of other crazy Republican House members like Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.) and George Santos (N.Y), in “Speaker of the House” a brilliant spoof of the show stopper “Master of the House” from the legendary musical Les Misérables. A great example of his altered lyrics: “Speaker of the House/cunning little chap/covetous, conservative and full of crap. Thirsty as a fish/Quick to compromise/Only took the motherfucker 15 tries.” I love it!

Spotlight on Documentary Film “The Wrecking Crew”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Commentary7 Comments

Growing up in the 1960s, and hearing so much great music by such diverse artists and groups as the Beach Boys, the Ronettes, the Righteous Brothers, the Mamas & Papas, Sonny & Cher, the Monkees, Frank Sinatra and Glen Campbell, I never really gave much thought to who created their music. Until the arrival of bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who and the Kinks, who played most or all of their own music, it was common for the music on nearly all songs being recorded to be played by session musicians who worked behind the scenes.

Many of those musicians played for particular studios or music labels; Motown had the Funk Brothers, Muscle Shoals had the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Stax Records had their own in-house musicians, and so on. Another important group of session musicians, who were based in Los Angeles, came to be known as “The Wrecking Crew”. They played the music for such iconic hits as “Be My Baby”, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”, “California Dreamin’”, “Good Vibrations”, “The Beat Goes On”, “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” and “Wichita Lineman”, as well as the Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds, to name but a few.

Wanting to honor his father – the noted guitarist Tommy Tedesco, who along with other musicians was a key member of The Wrecking Crew – Denny Tedesco produced and directed a documentary film about these renowned session musicians. Production on the film began in June 1996, and took nearly 12 years to complete. The film premiered at the 2008 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, and closed out the Nashville Film Festival in April 2008, however, it was not released theatrically until March 2015, which is when I saw it.

Anyone and everyone who loves the songs from that golden age of music – or anyone interested in the history of American pop music for that matter – would enjoy this documentary. Scores of producers, sound engineers, session musicians and artists recall fond memories – along with a sprinkling of fraught moments as well – of sessions where they all came together to record songs that made history. In addition to Tommy Tedesco, some of the other notable session musicians included drummer Hal Blaine, bassist Carol Kaye and a young Glen Campbell, who started his career as a session guitarist before making it big as a solo act.

It’s fun to hear them discuss working with some of the talented and eccentric artists and producers of the day like Brian Wilson and Phil Spector. Conversely, it’s also great hearing artists like Wilson, Cher, Nancy Sinatra and Leon Russell discuss the brilliance of those musicians and producers, and how their skills and creative ideas made certain songs sound so much better. Carol Kaye’s subtle yet monumental bass riffs at the beginning of “Wichita Lineman” and “The Beat Goes On” are two examples that stand out. Two more are the beautiful opening guitar licks on the Mamas and Papas hit “California Dreamin’ and the Frank & Nancy Sinatra duet “Somethin’ Stupid”.

Here’s a snippet from the film focusing on Phil Spector’s legendary Wall of Sound:

And here’s one focusing on the Beach Boys:

The entire film can be streamed for a small fee on YouTube.

Just a Photo of My Cat

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Commentary, Uncategorized46 Comments

A lot of work goes into writing a music review, even for a single song. Not only must I listen to the song a number of times to get a good feel for the various elements of the music, melody, instruments, arrangement and vocals, among other things, I must also try to interpret what the song is about in cases where the artist has not provided any clues (which is a lot of the time). And if the artist or band has not provided their lyrics anywhere, I must listen carefully and repeatedly to try to decipher them, which can be a real challenge if the singer screams or shouts them, or sings in a manner that makes them unclear. I suppose this is my own problem, as most music blogs I read rarely, if ever, mention song lyrics.

On top of all that, I must also search all their social media sites to learn at least enough about the artist or band so that I might sound halfway intelligent when writing about them. This can also be a challenge when the artist has not given me any info about themselves, or when they don’t provide much bio info on any of their social media sites or their website. I must also search all the various music platforms their music may be included on, so that I can include those links to help readers listen to more of their music should they care to. I do all these things as a service to the artists, in the hope of giving them some badly-needed press and support.

I do my best to try to read as many posts as possible from blogs I follow, often spending one or two hours at a time several days a week, in the hope that at least a few will read some of mine in return. Needless to say, it’s very discouraging and disappointing when a good percentage of my reviews fail to get much attention, especially from fellow bloggers who follow my blog, now numbering more than 800! Even when I’ve featured classic songs of the past, thinking that perhaps more would find those posts more appealing, I’ve often been disappointed by the low level of engagement. This sense of frustration is compounded when I see some blog posts consisting of only a photo, a video or a two-sentence-long poem get scores of likes.

So, with that in mind, I’m posting a photo of my cat Panda to see what the response will be. If this proves to be popular, I may stop wasting my time writing music reviews, and just post more cat or travel pics.

Panda