Welcome To Tony Palmeri's Media Rants! I am a professor of Communication Studies at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. I use this blog to try to promote critical thinking about mainstream media, establishment politics, and popular culture.
Like millions of his fans, I am still in shock at the passing of the great Jeff Beck. Especially for baby boomers, Beck was the epitome of the Rock Star; the essence of COOL, kind of like The Fonz of guitar players. Along with his contemporaries Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck defined the classic rock guitar sound and the guitar player image. He had an uncanny ability to adapt his style to a variety of genres including blues, rhythm and blues, rockabilly, jazz, reggae, techno, classical and more. He wrote many influential tunes, but when he chose to cover someone else's music he always found a way to give the song new life.
Below are ten of my personal Beck favorites, organized chronologically:
*Groundbreaking Guitar Style: "Shapes of Things" (1966). Rock historians all agree that The Yardbirds were one of the most important bands of all time, as they laid down the foundation for what became "hard rock." Beck's playing on The Yardbirds' "Shapes of Things." which is one of the earliest examples of the feedback sound that became the trademark of guitar giants like Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page, expanded the possibilities of the instrument for an entire generation.
*Reveling in Ravel: "Beck's Bolero" (1966). One of the most influential instrumental tunes of the classic rock era, an opus that actually has members of the Who (Keith Moon) and what would become half of Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones) playing on it. My guess is that the French composer Joseph Maurice Ravel (died 1937) would have been intrigued by this treatment of his famous score. Maybe he and Beck are discussing it right now in some alternative universe. The version below is from Beck's 1968 album "Truth."
*Jam Master Jeff: "Rice Pudding" (1969). Beck recorded two albums with vocalist Rod Stewart in the late 1960s as the Jeff Beck Group, "Truth" and "Beck-Ola". Stewart claims that this band was actually the biggest influence on what became the wildly successful Led Zeppelin. I think that that is probably true, though ironically the influence is most clearly shown in the sprawling, raucous instrumental "Rice Pudding." The tune is exactly the kind of jam that found an audience largely due to the risk taking and general excellence of early FM radio.
*Wonderful Cover of a Signature Stevie Wonder Tune: "Superstition." (1973). After the break up of the Jeff Beck Group, Beck experimented with a "super group" formation. He recruited drummer/vocalist Carmine Appice and bassist Tim Bogert, both formerly of the legendary Vanilla Fudge, to record an album with him. The resulting "Beck, Bogert, Appice" album is a minor classic, even though Beck had suggested over the years that the album was a bit of a sell out in that he was aiming for commercial success. I think every song on the album is amazing, but the cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" is a rare and intoxicating example of a metal/soul hybrid.
*Not Quite Jazz, Part I: "Freeway Jam" (1975). In the mid-1970s Jeff Beck recorded and released two mostly instrumental albums ("Blow by Blow" in 1975 and "Wired" in 1976) that I think have mistakenly been called "jazz" by generations of music fans and critics. Oh there are certainly jazz elements in each, but there's much more going on. In fact I would argue that these records represent a jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock hybrid that was unprecedented for the time and remains unique.
*Not Quite Jazz, Part II: "Blue Wind" (1976). Beck always had a way of bringing out the best in other musicians. On the album "Wired," he seemed to liberate legendary composers/instrumentalists Jan Hammer and Narada Michael Walden from pure jazz, working with them to create a more soulful version of jazz-rock. I love the live version of "Blue Wind" performed at the Hollywood Bowl in 2016 at a concert celebrating Beck's 50th year in music.
*Spiritualizing MTV: "People Get Ready" (1985). By 1985 Music Television was dominated by Michael Jackson, electro-pop, and misogynistic garbage. Ironically, two old school rockers (Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart) added some spirit to the channel with an amazing version of the Impressions's 1965 Civil Rights era hit "People Get Ready." No one will ever top Curtis Mayfield's original vocals on that track, but Stewart actually comes close. Meanwhile the video introduced a new generation to Jeff Beck's soulful guitar playing.
*Techno Vibe: "What Mama Said."(1999). In 1999 Beck released his first album of original music in ten years, "Who Else!" On it he collaborated with the great Jennifer Batten, a superior guitarist in her own right who played on Michael Jackson's world tours in the 1980s. The album calls to mind "Blow by Blow" and "Wired," but it has a techno edge to it not found in those earlier records.
*Showin' 'Em How It's Done: "Behind the Veil" (2007). The Crossroads Guitar Festival was founded by Eric Clapton to provide a space for showcasing the greatest guitar players in the world. Jeff Beck's 2007 appearance featuring bassist Tal Wilkenfeld remains as one of the most mesmerizing performances in the history of the festival.
*Getting Back to the Roots: ""Live in the Dark" (2016). In 2016 Beck recorded an energetic, socially conscious set of tunes with indie British rockers Rosie Bones and Carmen Vandenburg. The album "Loud Hailer" is actually one of his greatest accomplishments, showing truly how you are never too old to rock and roll.
This post was just a small taste of Jeff Beck. Search his catalogue and you will not be disappointed. Thanks for the memories and inspiration Jeff, and rest in peace.
Welcome to the 2022 Tony Awards for excellence in media. Just as I was finishing up this post, the news reported on the death of the legendary Barbara Walters. While she was a bit too establisment friendly for my taste, there is no doubt that she helped shatter the glass ceiling for women broadcast journalists. She always seemed fully engaged with her interviewees, a quality that influenced me greatly over the years when I've had the opportunity to interview people on television, radio, podcasts, and even in this blog. I'd like to dedicate this year's Tony Awards to the late Barbara Walters.
Barbara Walters' 1977 interview of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin featured the engaged style that has impacted generations of journalists.
People often ask me how I decide what media to recognize for Tony awards. The answer is that I operate from no strict set of criteria, but I am generally drawn to:
insightful works that shed light on some important public issue.
creative works that deserve a wider audience.
informative works that provide eye-opening education on a difficult topic.
courageous works that speak truth to power OR that speak truth to the powerless.
humorous works that skillfully provoke laughter and thought at the same time.
local works that promote community and civic engagement.
It's important to recognize excellence in media for a few reasons. First, recognition helps increase the chances that those honored will produce even more. Media producers are human, and like all of us they respond to positive reinforcement.
Second, it's become too easy to trash modern media in an overly simplistic, vulgar fashion that makes it sound like EVERYTHING is now nothing more than clickbait or hyperpartisan trash or otherwise compromised. Wallowing in that negativity makes it easier to justify not supporting ANY media, which is unfortunate because most of the great work being done today will not survive without grassroots support.
Finally and most important, it's no secret that our society is in a civic crisis that is the result--at least in part--of the population being chronically underinformed, misinformed, and/or disinformed. By recognizing and sharing quality works, we are doing at least SOMETHING to help rectify the civic crisis.
And now without any further adieu, here are the 2022 Tony Award recipients for excellence in media.
*Song of the Year: Neil Young and Crazy Horse, "Love Earth." At the age of 77, Neil Young shows no signs of slowing down as a singer/songwriter or activist. Early in the year Young got into a well publicized spat with Spotify over the company's choice to platform Covid misinformation, so he left the streaming service. Late in the year he released a new album with Crazy Horse called "World Record." Produced by the legendary Rick Rubin, the album is classic Young and Crazy Horse, filled with provocative doses of personal and planetary insights, whistle worthy melodies, and an occasional soaring guitar.
The song "Love Earth" pretty much sums up Young's philosophy of life:
Love Earth, we can bring the seasons back Love Earth, a place where all the children can live Love Earth, can you imagine that? Love Earth, your love comes back to you So I’m calling out, I’m calling out to you
One YouTube viewer/listener left this comment: "In everyone's lifetime, there are maybe 4 or 5 songs that feel like an invisible hand reaching into their body and caressing their soul. This is one of them." I'm not sure I would go that far, but compared to what wins Grammy, MTV and VMA awards these days, the song rates very high.
*American Glasnost Award For Outstanding Historical Reporting: "More Than 1,800 Congressman Once Enslaved Black People. This is Who They Were, and How They Shaped the Nation" by Julie Zauzmer Weil, Adrian Blanco, and Leo Dominguez in the Washington Post. "Glasnost" was the Mikhail Gorbachev era policy in the former Soviet Union that encouraged openness and transparency about the historical wrongs of the government. The United States has never had an offical Glasnost; in fact attempts to tell the truth about our past usually get met with fierce pushback, including attempts to prevent school children from hearing the truth.
The first woman to serve in the United States Senate, Rebecca Felton of Georgia, was appointed to the position by the governor in 1922 after the unexpected death of incumbent Thomas Watson. Felton was an outspoken white supremacist who with her husband owned slaves before the Civil War. The Washington Post report is filled with stories like Felton's that need to be more widely taught in schools.
The Washington Post investigative report (registration required) on the extent to which members of Congress exploited and profited from slavery is must reading. The report destroys the myth that Congressional slave holders were only from the south. As the report notes, "enslavers in Congressrepresented 40 states, including not just the South butevery state in New England, much of the Midwest, and many Western states."
*Best Coverage of Donald Trump's 2024 Campaign Annoucement: "Trump, Who as President Fomented an Insurrection, Says He is Running Again" by Isaac Arnsdorf and Michael Scherer in the Washington Post. If political journalism in America had any collective integrity, then literally EVERY report on the Trump '24 campaign would paraphrase Arnsdorf and Scherer's introductory and concluding paragraphs in their November 15th, 2022 story on Trump's announcement.
Introductory Paragraph:
Donald Trump, the twice-impeached former president who refused to concede defeat and inspired a failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election culminating in a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, officially declared . . . that he is running to retake the White House in 2024.
*Best Revival: Creem Magazine.If you came of age in the 1960s or 1970s and were a rock and roll fan, then most likely Creem Magazine took up space in your head. Based in Detroit, the original magazine circulated from 1969-1980, with its high point the early 1970s when legendary music critic Lester Bangs served as editor. The magazine was known for its irreverence, humor, and celebration of this thing called "rock culture."
In 2022 JJ Kramer, the son of Creem founder Barry Kramer, relaunced the magazine with a website, oversized print edition (released quarterly), and weekly newsletter. I subscribed to the oversized print edition, and was impressed at the attempt to rekindle the old energy. The print edition includes lots of great photography, information about old and new bands, and stories for all generations of rock fans.
I keep my print edition of the new Creem Magazine with my Beatles' Yellow Submarine lunch box. I mean where else would you keep it?
Will the print edition of Creem survive the digital era? Probably not, but I plan to enjoy it while it's around.
*Twitter Thread of the Year: Michael Harriot on the Jerry Jones Photo. Jerry Jones is the billionaire owner of the Dallas Cowboys football team. In 2022 the Washington Post unearthed a photo of the young Jerry Jones, taken on September 9, 1957. In the photo, the 14-year-old Jones is part of a group of white students trying to prevent six Black students from trying to enter North Little Rock High School. Jones and his buddies prevented the Black students from reaching the top of the stairs.
Jones admitted that it was in fact him in the photo, but claimed ignorance of what it portrays. And while the national press did not sweep the photo and its implications under the rug, the attention given to it--and the consequences for Jones personally--was minimal compared to what happens whenever an athlete of color does or says something controversial. (think Colin Kaepernick or Kyrie Irving).
Michael Harriot showed one of the good uses of Twitter: using it as a space to challenge mainstream media minimizing of the bad acts of certain powerful people.
Michael Harriot, senior writer for theroot.com, got tired watching mainstream pundits find ways to rationalize Jones' actions and came with an insightful thread that got to the root (no pun intended) of the problem. Here are some excerpts:
The point is not that Jerry Jones was a violent segregationist. The point is that he can watch something like this and never MENTION IT FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. The point is not that Jones has never hired a Black head coach . . .
It's about how people can rationalize racism with fantastical excuses that have no basis in logic or reality.
Jones not knowing what was going on that day is as unbelievable as the CEO of a company with an 80% Black workforce saying "I can't find a qualified shift leader."
And the crazy thing is, PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE IT . . .
But this isn't about 1 day 65 years ago.
It's about NOW. It's about WHY this inequality persists.
But I truly understand why some people ALWAYS seem to land on the side of defending whiteness: I even understand WHY some people will stand and watch and do nothing.
We are all just trying to reach the top of that stairs.
*Best Elon Must Explainer: Alan Macleod's "Elon Musk is Not a Renegade Outsider--He's a Massive Pentagon Contractor" in Mint Press News. Speaking of Twitter, one of the most depressing stories of 2022 was the purchase of the platform by a billionaire who appeared to be most interested in using it to work out his midlife crisis before an audience of billions. That billionaire, Elon Musk, presents himself in public as some kind of Deep State critic. He would have us believe that he is somehow standing up for the right of little guys and little gals to exercise unlimited free speech without fear of cancellation. His hypocrisy on the free speech front has been exposed.
If Mr. Musk actually follows through on the directive from his unscientific poll, that will only give him more time to do what he does best: figure out ways to get money from taxpayers.
While most people are now aware of Mr. Musk's hypocrisy and managerial incomptence, his actual participation in the swamp culture that he decries remains largely unknown. That's why Alan Macleod's reporting deserves wider exposure. He shows how Musk's public image is largely a fraud; the tech "genius" has received billions of dollars in government contracts, tax breaks and subsidies. According to Macleod, Musk "is not a crusading rebel challenging the establisment: he is an integral part of it."
*Best Political Substack: Heather Cox Richardson's "Letters From an American." Heather Cox Richardson is a Professor of History at Boston College. She's an excellent example of how scholars can use the independent publishing Substack platform to communicate with engaged citizens in a scholarly yet accessible manner. Letters From An American is one of the most useful sources I consult, as Professor Cox Richardson writes about history in a way that helps make sense of current events. That's something I've tried to do on occasion with this blog, but without nearly the amound of wisdom and eloquence found in Letters From an American. Her piece on the Biden Administration and Congress' actions in response to the dispute between raiload workers and management is a great example of how she elucidates current public policy by expertly linking it to policy decisions made in the past.
Professor Heather Cox Richardson is a public intellectual in the best sense: she explains the historical forces impacting current events in a way that is engaging and accessible.
The remaining awards go to Wisconsin based media.
*Wisconsin Focused Investigative Report of the Year: Natalie Eilbert's "As Domestic Violence in Wisconsin Surges, Shelters Unable to Keep Up With Need." Ms. Eilbert writes for the Green Bay Press Gazette, which is part of the USA Today Network (Gannett) in Wisconsin. The article (unfortunately hidden behind a paywall) compiles and interprets data from a number of sources to reach a disturbing concludsion: "What is clear is that Wisconsin has a domestic violence problem unlike just about anywhere in the country." Disturbing data from the story:
--Wisconsin was ranked No. 8 in women killed by men in 2020.
--Wisconsin had 17% of all domestic violence deaths in 2021.
--Not since the Great recession have domestic violence cases been so high, which may indicate economic strains in one of the root causes.
Poet and journalist Natalie Eilbert: "What is clear is that Wisconsin has a domestic violence problem unlike just about anywhere in the country."
The story also reveals a shockingly high number of domestic violence deaths in the state are the result of gun violence, in part due to the "boyfriend loophole" which keeps guns in the hands of physically abusive, threatening partners because they are not married to their victims.
Stories like this should create a sense of urgency in the state government to do something to address the problem. Don't hold your breath waiting for the most gerrymandered legislature in the nation to do anything.
Natalie Eilbert is an award-winning poet and journalist. Her forthcoming book of poetry and reporting called Overland elaborates on the theme of violence against women and a number of other imperative topics.
*Local Television Feature of the Year: Small Towns With Jeff Alexander. Finally, FINALLY, a media depiction of small town folks that does not portray them all as gun obsessed, liberal hating Trump toadies. WBAY-TV reporter Jeff Alexander and videojournalist Michael Bergman spent the year profiling small town residents who display inspiring humanity. My favorite feature in the series was the story of Iraq War veteran James Overesch, whose nature photography is not only spectacular for us to look at, but for him is a way of healing the scars of war. James' website can be found here.
Small Towns with Jeff Alexander is a rare example of mainstream media covering small town folks in a way that defies the conventional stereotypes.
*Best New Wisconsin Substack: Mike McCabe's "More Verb Than Noun." I've been a fan of Mike McCabe since his days of leading the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Post-WDC he's been involved in a number of grassroots organizations, ran a spirited campaign for governor in 2018, and published two books. Whenever I am in doubt about how to frame an issue facing the state, I look to see how Mike is framing it and that usually guides me in the right direction. Here is Mike's rationale for More Verb Than Noun:
The blog is named for what its author has been saying for years . . . that democracy is more verb than noun, which is to say deeds we do more so than a possession we have. If we don’t do it, we won’t have it. Same goes for morality. It’s been said that God is shorthand for good. More an act of doing and a way of living than a person, place or thing. Love is like that too. It’s not something we can keep as a pet or store in the attic, it’s a way of being treated and treating others. Again, more verb than noun.
Mike McCabe's "More Verb Than Noun" substack explores issues related to how we do this thing called democracy.
*Watchdog of the Year: Wisconsin Watch. Wisconsin Watch is the news outlet of the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. Journalists with Wisconsin Watch published 60 stories in 2022, every single one of which upheld the organization's mission to "Protect the vulnerable. Expose wrongdoing. Explore solutions." My favorite was probably "Democracy on the Ballot," a multi part series showing the real threats to democracy in Wisconsin. To see all 60 stories, click here.
Dee Hall is Managing Editor of Wisconsin Watch. One of Wisconsin's premier investigative journalists, Hall has helped make Wisconsin Watch into a key player in the effort to hold the powerful accountable.
*Best Midterm Election Coverage: Dan Shafer's The Recombobulation Area. Dan Shafer is an award-winning Milwaukee based journalist. His "Recombobulation Area" substack is chock full of well researched reporting and opinion on all things political in Wisconsin. I found his coverage of the midterm elections to be an invaluable source of information that helped me see through the hyperpartisan crap I was seeing in the mainstream news.
Shafer sent out 97 newsletters in 2022, which is pretty amazing even for someone who dedicates full-time hours to the task. Check out Dan's summary of 2022 and please consider subsribing.
Dan Shafer "recombobulates" Wisconsin news in a way that's refereshing for anyone trying to get a grasp of what is truly going on in the state.
*Best Oshkosh News Site: Miles Maguire's Oshkosh Examiner. This is Miles' 6th consecutive Tony award for excellence in journalism. There simply is no news source in Oshkosh that covers local news with as much depth and clarity as The Oshkosh Examiner. In 2022 Miles added "The Other Side," an engaging debate on difficult, divisive issues between retired UW Oshkosh professors Tom Herzing and Barry Perlman. I'm sure in the future he will provide space for even more voices.
Miles Maguire continues to produce some of the most in-depth reporting on local reporting in the city of Oshkosh.
A subscription to the Oshkosh Examiner is only $5 per month. It's hard to see how Miles can continue to produce the volume of material he does without more support from the community. To subscribe, go here.
Be sure to check out the Oshkosh Examiner to get Miles Maguire's take on the top stories of 2022.
There you have it: another year of Tony Award winners. Disagree with any of my choices? Cool. Write up your own!
Congratulations to all recipients and Happy New Year to all!
