Co-host @soundopinions. Former music critic at Chicago Tribune. Author of 7 books, including "I'll Take You There." Teaching music and democracy at U of C.
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Articles by Greg Kot
‘I have to be the history’: The work still isn’t done for Mavis Staples – Matter News
When I once suggested to Mavis Staples that new generations of her listeners might be unaware of her history as a civil-rights activist, she nodded. “People forget the history or some don’t know it at all,” she said. “That’s why I have to be the history.” That sense of purpose radiates from the singer whenever she takes the stage.
‘I have to be the history’: The work still isn’t done for Mavis Staples – Matter News
When I once suggested to Mavis Staples that new generations of her listeners might be unaware of her history as a civil-rights activist, she nodded. “People forget the history or some don’t know it at all,” she said. “That’s why I have to be the history.” That sense of purpose radiates from the singer whenever she takes the stage.
Kurt Cobain's death: What might have been had he lived? Original
Kurt Cobain's death: What might have been had he lived? By Greg Kot,Features correspondent (Frank Micelotta/Getty) If the legendary rock star Kurt Cobain – who died 30 years ago – had been alive today, he would be 57. His underappreciated characteristics lend some clues about what might have been. When artists get famous quickly, what is the script for the second act? With Kurt Cobain, we'll never know. But he left behind a few clues.
The ongoing evolution of singer and songwriter Lydia Loveless
Lydia Loveless’ latest album, Nothing’s Gonna Stand in My Way Again, traces the arc of a relationship that didn’t work out. It’s a helluva story, both writerly and visceral, brimming with the kind of brutal honesty we’ve come to expect from Loveless.
The ongoing evolution of singer and songwriter Lydia Loveless
Lydia Loveless’ latest album, Nothing’s Gonna Stand in My Way Again, traces the arc of a relationship that didn’t work out. It’s a helluva story, both writerly and visceral, brimming with the kind of brutal honesty we’ve come to expect from Loveless.
Greg Kot
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A Beginners Guide to Investment Properties CHICAGO
Schedule Thu May 18 2023 at 06:30 pm to 08:00 pm UTC-05:00 Location ReBuilding Exchange | Chicago, IL Join local real estate broker, Roshani Sheth, for this informative in person workshop covering steps in home buying and investing. About this Event Join our class on real estate investment property, taught by real estate experts, co-founders Roshani and Rachna Sheth of Real Estate Legacy. This includes opportunity assessment, searching and listing properties, and local property resources.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Summer Series: Facets Tickets, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Chicago, 18 May to 21 May
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) has announced program selections for the final performances of its 45th Anniversary Sapphire Season: Facetsfeaturing two world premieres and acclaimed revivals from the company’s celebrated repertoire including founder Lou Conte’s beloved Georgia. HSDC’s Summer Series will be presented at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (205 E. Randolph St) May 18–21 with two mixed-repertory programs.
Kranky Records, Opinions on Iggy Pop & Ladytron on Apple Podcasts
This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot explore the history of the Chicago indie label Kranky Records, which has been home over the years to artists like Low, Deerhunter and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. They talk with Kranky co-founder and author of the book “You’re with Stupid,” Bruce Adams, about its creation, ethos and more. The hosts also review new music from Iggy Pop and Ladytron. Become a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvc
Greg Kot & Jim DeRogatis of Sound Opinions on Apple Podcasts
"People ask us, 'What's your favorite record?' Our answer is 'The one we're going to hear next week.'" That anecdote on today's show from Greg Kot is why he and his Sound Opinions co-host Jim DeRogatis have inspired legions of music journalists for decades: Between emotional reactions to pop music and intellectual analysis of art-rock, they consistently remain curious.
Women in Country Music, Opinions on Santigold & Sudan Archives on Apple Podcasts
Author Marissa Moss's new book "Her Country" details the challenges the country music industry puts before female artists. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot talk with Moss about three artists who've succeeded in spite of the obstacles. Plus, they review new albums from Santigold and Sudan Archives and hear feedback from listeners. Become a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvc More by WBEZ
Revisiting Yankee Hotel Foxtrot With Wilco on Apple Podcasts
One week after the attack on the World Trade Center, Wilco played songs from their album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" on Sound Opinions. In honor of the album's twentieth anniversary we're revisiting that session and the band's interview with hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot.
Idles’ Joyous Protest
In the documentary “Don’t Go Gentle,” first-time director Mark Archer zeroes in on what makes the British band Idles tick: Its ability to make rage and vulnerability feel compatible, its insistence that blast-furnace rock ‘n’ roll can also be compassionate and consoling, and that earnestness and humor – the more self-deprecating the better – can co-exist. There is nothing abstract about the band’s music. It’s as direct as a fist -- or an embrace.
Adia Victoria, Goodbye Ronnie Spector, Plus Opinions on Earl Sweatshirt and FKA twigs on Apple Podcasts
49 min Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot interview singer and songwriter Adia Victoria about her stunning 2021 album "A Southern Gothic." They also review some new music from Earl Sweatshirt and FKA twigs, plus they bid farewell to the late Ronnie Spector of The Ronettes.
The Top Singles of 2021 & Greg's Mixtape on Apple Podcasts
51 min Some songs can define our memory of a year when we look back. Host Jim DeRogatis and production staff share the songs that defined 2021 for them. Plus, host Greg Kot shares his 2021 mixtape and pays tribute to musicians who died in 2021.
Sound Opinions Holiday Spectacular with Andy Cirzan on Apple Podcasts
50 min It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Andy Cirzan has a bag full of fresh festive tunes for everyone to enjoy. The Sound Opinions Holiday Spectacular is back with vintage Korean psych rock, rare old school Caribbean vinyl and even some modern indie artists.
Metallica at 40: A Story of Innovation, Reinvention and Resilience
Back when homemade cassette tapes of new bands were traded like highly coveted contraband, a friend of a friend handed me a copy of a copy of “No Life ‘Til Leather” by a group calling itself Metallica. Despite the less-than-pristine sound quality, we heard something close to perfection: metal riffing, punk velocity, rage and ruin with guitars and drums. Little did we know that this was just a short, sharp glimpse of the future.
The Best Albums of 2021 on Apple Podcasts
50 min It's time for one of the most anticipated shows of the year, the Best Albums of 2021! Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot share their favorite records of the year that they keep returning to again and again. They also hear favorite albums by the production staff.
The inside story behind the Industrial music revolution
The story of Wax Trax! Records, the independent Chicago label and record store that pioneered industrial music, is now more robust than ever. The original documentary on The Coda Collection, “Industrial Accident,” expands in a new companion film, “Accidents and Outtakes,” with in-depth interviews and anecdotes about the legendary label. - Curated by Greg Kot Accidents, Outtakes and Insights Enjoy two must-see Wax Trax! films plus exclusive thoughts from owners Mark Skillicorn and Julia Nash.
Lennon Reinvents Himself After ‘The Beatles: Get Back’
In 1969-72, John Lennon remade his life and career, as he transitioned out of the Beatles into a solo career and married Yoko Ono. Three films on The Coda Collection document this crucial era in the legendary artist’s journey: “24 Hours: The World of John and Yoko,” “Imagine” and “Gimme Some Truth.” - Curated by Greg Kot
The Who's Amazing Journey
A quartet of mismatched personalities somehow coalesced into one of the great rock bands of all time. How did Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon manage to turn chaos into transformative music? “Amazing Journey” and “Six Quick Ones” provide some answers. - Curated by Greg Kot Insights and Exclusives Must-see moments from Roger Daltrey and “Amazing Journey.” Watch now.
The R. Kelly Conviction with dream hampton and Jim DeRogatis & Reviews of Adia Victoria and Little Simz on Apple Podcasts
51 min As the two journalists who had the biggest roles in bringing R. Kelly to justice, dream hampton, director of "Surviving R. Kelly" and Jim DeRogatis reflect on the news this week that the R&B superstar was convicted of federal charges. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot also review new albums from Adia Victoria and Little Simz.
Reviews of Low, Kacey Musgraves, Lil Nas X & More, Plus Guest Desert Island Jukebox on Apple Podcasts
51 min As we move into fall, there's an abundance of new music to review. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot do a review roundup, sharing their thoughts on new music from artists like Kacey Musgraves, Lil Nas X, Low and Amyl and the Sniffers. Plus, we'll hear from past Sound Opinions guests about the desert island jukebox songs that can't live without.
How the Stooges Finally Reunited
Guitarist Ron Asheton and his brother, drummer Scott Asheton, had been to musical hell and back with Iggy Pop in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Their quartet, the Stooges, shook up the foundations of business as usual in an increasingly trend-conscious, corporate-leaning music industry, and it cost them their band and very nearly their livelihoods.
What Music To Listen to Now Based On What Music You Liked in the Past
Nothing makes a man feel older than cranking up a classic from high school on the car stereo, only to hear one’s teenagers complain about having to listen to “oldies.” Oldies? Oldies! Are their minds not melted by the buzzsaws of Sonic Youth, their souls not stirred by the plaintive wails of R.E.M., their revolutionary spirit not touched by the angry calls to arms of NWA? Are they not entertained? Well, no, they’re not.
In The Studio with John Lennon
What was it like to be in a recording studio the size of a cozy living room while John Lennon and Yoko Ono were making the “Imagine” album with producer Phil Spector? Bassist Klaus Voormann and drummer Alan White were not only eyewitnesses to the sessions at the couple’s Tittenhurst estate in the English countryside during 1971, they were key participants.
‘Magnolia’ and More Single-Artist Soundtracks
Paul Thomas Anderson credits Aimee Mann’s music with inspiring his acclaimed 1999 movie “Magnolia.” Little wonder that Mann’s music dominates the film’s soundtrack, so much so that she receives title billing on the album (it also features tracks by Gabrielle, Supertramp and Jon Brion, a longtime Mann collaborator). One of the tracks Mann wrote for the film, “Save Me,” was nominated for an Oscar.
Paying tribute to the kindest Assassin known to the music world on Apple Podcasts
6 min In this bonus podcast, Greg adds a song to the Desert Island Jukebox in tribute to Joe Cassidy of the band Assassins among other projects, who died suddenly at 51. Become a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvc 6 min Top Podcasts In Music More by WBEZ
Woodstock '99 & Guests' Desert Island Jukebox Picks on Apple Podcasts
51 min This week, we hear what songs some of our past guests like Todd Rundgren and Tune-Yards would want with them on a desert island.
Radiohead Reinvents
Let’s face it: For many bands the standard for concert performance is to essentially replicate the album they’ve just made. Not so for Radiohead. Indeed, not only has the quintet tasked itself lately with reinventing its studio creations for the stage, it has frequently made a compelling case to reassess the original work. Albums that were initially deemed “insular,” “claustrophobic,” “chilly” or “brittle” at first listen took on new colors in concert.
Filling the ‘black hole’ of Music Television
Though hardly an ideal medium for presenting live music, television nonetheless once presented the most expedient means for bands to present a fuller picture of what they could do for a large audience.
Godrich on New Radiohead Side Project: ‘It’s not a rock record’
Besides his long-standing relationship with Radiohead, producer Nigel Godrich has been enlisted by other artists to helm albums, including Paul McCartney, Beck, Gnarls Barkley, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Air. In addition, he’s produced and played on Thom Yorke side projects including the solo album “Eraser,” Atoms for Peace (with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea) and the new group Smile that also includes Jonny Greenwood and British jazz drummer Thomas Skinner.
Comedian Chris Gethard on Apple Podcasts
34 min In this bonus podcast producer Andrew Gill interviews comedian Chris Gethard about his new stand up special "Half My Life" and the connections between music and comedy. Become a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvc 34 min Top Podcasts In Music More by WBEZ
Why the Punks Loved The Who
Simon Townshend — brother of The Who’s Pete Townshend — is flipping the bird. In the film “The Who: Six Quick Ones,” he’s demonstrating on an acoustic guitar how his sibling voices chords by “taking out the pretty part.” As he works the frets, the middle finger on his left hand pops up. The rude gesture isn’t intentional, but it’s nonetheless an apt means of expressing how The Who’s music must have sounded when it came blasting out of the U.K. in the mid-‘60s. The “pretty parts” often got smashed.
The Cure in Concert, without Compromise
Of all the bands that emerged from the late ‘70s post-punk scene in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Cure hardly seemed like the one most likely to endure for four decades, let alone be headlining festivals. But with the exception of U2, the Cure has somehow outlasted or outdone most of its generational peers, a band that can fill stadiums even as it maintains an almost pathological aversion to anything resembling compromise. Hits?
Steve Miller’s Long Journey to the Top
As the disco era was taking off and punk was bubbling up from the underground, Steve Miller was in his mid-30s, a time when many rock guitarists from the ‘60s were struggling to stay relevant. Yet instead of fading away, Miller enjoyed his greatest success with back-to-back albums, “Fly Like an Eagle” (1976) and “Book of Dreams” (1977), that sold more than 7 million copies combined.
Street Fighting Men
It was just another night-gone-haywire on the Rolling Stones’ 1972 tour of North America. On this particular evening, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Marshall Chess (the president of Rolling Stones Records) were handcuffed and stuffed into a paddy wagon, driven to a police station in Rhode Island, ordered to remove ties, shoes and belts, and then confined to a jail cell. “There they sit. Criminals. Desperados. This is where the road had brought them. Where is the party Marshall went looking for? Where?
#802 Buried Treasures & SXSW 2021 on Apple Podcasts
50 min Looking for new music that's out of the mainstream? Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot uncover some buried treasures: recent releases that you need to hear! Plus we find out how SXSW moved their festival online this year. Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3rozD7u Become a member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions Make a donation via PayPal: https://bit.ly/36zIhZK Record a Voice Memo: https://bit.ly/2PaahgL 50 min
#801 Merry Clayton & "The Final Revival of Opal & Nev" author Dawnie Walton on Apple Podcasts
50 min Black women haven't been celebrated enough in rock music. Author Dawnie Walton talks with hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot about how that inspired her debut novel, The Final Revival of Opal and Nev, a fantasy rock history about a fierce black singer in the 1970s. Plus Jim and Greg talk with Merry Clayton, whose iconic performance on "Gimme Shelter" still didn't make her a household name.
Malcolm Young: AC/DC’s Giant in the Shadows
AC/DC’s Malcolm Young stood barely 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighed little more than 100 pounds, but he was a giant figure in rock ‘n’ roll and the driving force of AC/DC. He not only founded the band and recruited his brother Angus Young and vocalist Bon Scott to become its focal points, he cowrote the songs and provided its vision.
Despite Inspiring Some Forgettable Duds, 'Easy Rider' Transcends Its Era
“Rainbow Bridge” never had a chance. It was ostensibly inspired by the 1969 movie “Easy Rider,” but the notion of somehow recapturing that pop-culture moment would prove to be an insurmountable task for countless directors and producers hoping to make their own version of a low-budget independent movie that turned into a $60 million franchise.
How ‘The Wicked Pickett’ Galvanized Ghana
When Wilson Pickett arrived at the airport in Accra to headline the Soul to Soul festival, he was greeted by a sea of Ghanaians loudly chanting his name. As his fans flocked to him, the singer was offered a swig of the local corn-made gin, took a sip, then reeled backward and pretended to collapse amid raucous laughter. Several days before the concert, the man known as the “Wicked Pickett” for his combustible performances on and off stage was already putting on a show.
How Bob Dylan Rebelled Against the Rebels
“ His songs question authority, confront institutional thinking with skepticism, mock the all-knowing. ” If I had to distill Bob Dylan’s “message” to a single sentence, it would be this: Think for yourself. His songs could be characterized as an instructional manual in critical thinking, except he’d cringe at the idea that he is anybody’s teacher, let alone their savior, as he was once called. His songs question authority, confront institutional thinking with skepticism, mock the all-knowing.
Prince on Seeing Mavis Staples in 'Soul to Soul': 'I thought, this is my mother'
“Soul to Soul” is the documentary that keeps on giving. A generation after the 1971 movie was shown in theaters, it had a transforming effect on Prince. In 1987, LaBelle singer Nona Hendryx recorded one of Prince’s songs, “Baby Go-Go.” The backing vocals in particular made Prince’s ears dance. “That’s Mavis Staples? Wow!” he thought. He wasn’t unfamiliar with the Staple Singers, but they’d been off the radar for a decade.
The Soul Gathering That Resonated Across Nations
The DC-8 bound for West Africa carried a company of American soul, gospel, rock and jazz greats, including Wilson Pickett, Ike and Tina Turner, Santana, Roberta Flack, the Staple Singers, Eddie Harris and Les McCann. A Hammond B3 organ and a Leslie amplifier were packed into first-class because the luggage hold was at capacity.
Best Albums of 2020 Continued! on Apple Podcasts
42 min For the first time in Sound Opinions history, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot round out their top 10 lists of the Best Albums of 2020 in this bonus, podcast-only exclusive. Become a member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions Make a donation via PayPal: https://bit.ly/36zIhZK Record a Voice Memo and email it to interact@soundopinions.org 42 min
#784 Radiohead's Kid A & the Story of Sex Pistols' Manager Malcolm McLaren on Apple Podcasts
50 min Following up the guitar masterpiece of OK Computer, Radiohead threw the music world for a loop with Kid A. Twenty years after it's release hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot talk with author Steven Hyden about how the album was made and its lasting impact. They also discuss the life and career of the Sex Pistols and New York Dolls manager Malcolm McLaren. Become a member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions Make a donation via PayPal: https://bit.ly/36zIhZK 50 min
Was Jimi Hendrix born a genius?
Was Jimi Hendrix born a genius? Few guitarists are treated with as much reverence as Jimi Hendrix. But myths about his talent do him a disservice, argues Greg Kot. A All Is by My Side, the John Ridley-directed, loosely biographical movie about Jimi Hendrix’s early life, opens in the US and UK this week. It claims to tell the story of the guitarist and musical shape-shifter as he was on the cusp of becoming an international star.
The Story of The Replacements & Mission of Burma in the Studio
Hosts Jim and Greg talk with journalist Bob Mehr about his book Trouble Boys, which is all about the Minneapolis rock band The Replacements. While they never had a huge commercial hit, The Replacements have a devoted fanbase and a fascinating backstory. Mehr shares details about the band’s fear of success, self-sabotage and more. And then Jim and Greg revisit their 2006 interview with post-punk pioneers Mission of Burma.
The New Analog and the Latest from Neil Young
In his book “The New Analog”, musician Damon Krukowski makes the case for the value of analog. We revisit our interview with Damon from a few years back. He talks with Jim and Greg about the necessity of analog “noise” in music and our everyday life. Then, Jim and Greg review the latest release from Neil Young. Homegrown was recorded about 45 years ago but has just been released. Plus, they review the new record from the group Sault.
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