I began playing the bass at eighteen. When I was thirty, I became a music journalist, a job I held for ten years. My brother Pat Wictor is a professional folk singer. From 2002 until 2012 I didn’t listen to music because it was too painful, representing the loss of all that I loved. Still,…
No pain at all
March 9, 2024
Recently a very angry, quite insane person demanded to know how I could write so much, since I have arthritis in both hands. Well, here’s a news bulletin: It hurts. But my alternatives are limited. I could try this, I suppose. Or this. When it comes to the electric bass, though, I’m without options. I…
Watch for patterns
February 20, 2024
In Ghosts and Ballyhoo, one of the Lessons Learned is “Watch for Patterns,” pages 273-274. Watch for the patterns. They might help you perceive your destiny, make the right decisions, dodge a lot of grief, and endure that which you thought you couldn’t. A month ago, my cardiologist told me that I’d lost all the…
The best concert I ever saw
February 10, 2024
I can’t count the number of concerts, live shows, or performances I’ve seen. The most professional was David Lee Roth in Tokyo, with Steve Vai on guitar, Gregg Bissonette on drums, and Matt Bissonette on bass. There was literally not a single wasted second. I’ve never seen a band work harder for its money. After…
Mike Albee is a proven fraud
February 4, 2024
Well, I was wrong. Earlier I said PayPal doesn’t get involved in disputes over services. From July 5, 2013, to January 7, 2014, Mike Albee and Lura Dold of Sandpiper Publicity defrauded me of $40,000 by exploiting my mental-health issues and the suicides of my parents. Today, PayPal refunded me $9000. I provided PayPal with…
Gratitude for Mister Thunes
February 1, 2024
Scott Thunes is in the hospital. He has a preliminary diagnosis of unstable angina, a treatable condition. After he comes home, he’ll have to make some changes. People rarely discuss the healing power of gratitude. I understand why: It’s not emphasized in our culture. We’re taught to say, “Thank you,” but as we grow up,…
You are quite safe here
January 26, 2024
The first time I heard “Paranoimia,” by Art of Noise, I was in a cafe in Tokyo. There was a video jukebox by the door. Since I loved the band, I chose this unknown song, curious to see what it was like. I was floored. It wasn’t just the brilliant musicianship or the imagery; the…
Time to embarrass Scott Thunes
January 22, 2024
Well, it’s time to embarrass Scott Thunes. I’ve written two books that are mostly about him, In Cold Sweat and Ghosts and Ballyhoo. I’ve interviewed him several times. Requiem for a Heavyweight? Scott Thunes: Unghosted. Scott Thunes on the Ghosts and Ballyhoo Album. Although it’s blasphemy to say so, I listen only to the Zappa…
I’ll tell you why everyone is getting naked
January 6, 2024
I just read a piece titled, “Why is Everyone Getting Naked? Rashida Jones on the Pornification of Everything.” In it, actress, writer, producer, and jewelry designer Rashida Jones expresses bewilderment and dismay over what she calls the “Year of the Very Visible Vagina.” This fall I was hanging out with my sisters, catching up on…