No one will agree with all of this, but this guy (whomever he is) has put real blood, sweat, tears and thought into this analysis of his "Desert Island Jukebox" of 1960's 45's. Only thing is, by December 19, he had only gotten up to song #16. Anyway, it's a terrific stroll down memory lane, with some very smart discussion thrown in--and Youtube links to every song he picked.
Apparently, he is just recovering from cancer, which greatly slowed the project. Just a fabulous collection of songs and thoughts about the songs, even if you disagree a lot, which I do. I linked the most recent section, which has links to all of the other sections--with at least three more to come. He broke section 10 into groups of 5 songs, instead of 30, so he could write more. I'll re-post when he gets to #1.
An example of part of his analysis of just one song:
| 24. Suspicious Minds Elvis Presley 1969 It’s not so much rock, pop, or even R& B, as it is gospel – white boy-gospel. And not that staid and stodgy, stiff-collar, Old Rugged Cross kind of Puritan/Presbyterian stuff either, or that prim and proper How Great Thou Art stuff. I’m talking good old fashioned, hand-clapping, chest-swelling, sweaty, steaming, swaying, Amen-spouting, throw your head back, toss your arms skyward, and praise Jesus in your Sunday best gospel. You know; the kind born in the cotton fields, nurtured by Baptist choirs across the South, introduced to northeast factory towns, and then made fundamental, if not essential to the God-fearing, African American experience in this country; a brand of gospel that pulses and throbs and repeats over and over, and each time with greater and greater intensity until, somehow, spirits take flight and souls soar. And it is from this constant, pounding repetition of a single phrase that black gospel draws its unique ability to lift, and sometimes even levitate the spirit – while inviting anyone within earshot to savor a taste of God’s kingdom and the glorious hereafter. |
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He even worked pretty high up at ESPN. From his bio:
In 1998, at the behest of CTAM board member, George Bodenheimer, who would eventually become president of ESPN, Antil joined the sports media giant as director of corporate communications. Working out of the ABC offices in Manhattan, he served as a liaison between the Disney-owned network and the business media that covered it. His particular area of focus was ESPN’s financial dealings, including its brand extensions, ratings, strategic partnerships, and affiliate rates.
Eventually Antil grew tired of corporate life and on July 11, 2001 (two months to the day before the attack on the World Trade Center) he left ESPN to strike out on his own.
He's like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Not THE god, but A god. I'm more in awe, and you might have noticed that I do not impress easily.
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