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…
Improvement is not always conscious
December 23, 2013
Those of you who’ve read Ghosts and Ballyhoo may have noticed that I make only one mention of Tony Levin, on pages 42-43. This was not deliberate. My friend Steiv Dixon and Carmen were Levinites, as they called themselves. They introduced me to Tony Levin’s best work. As a result he became one of my…
One of these dreams again
October 12, 2013
I had these dreams almost every night for years. This one’s different in terms of the emotional ambiance. Back in San Francisco, I went to Lola’s row house to spend the night. She wasn’t home, but I let myself in and stretched out on the sofa where I slept when I visited her. Dark outside,…