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May 22, 2013

John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman

John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl

Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide
Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet

Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang

May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting

May 13, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation

David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church

Emily Alpert: Recession dragged down birth rates for less-educated women
Morgan Housel: The deep downside of home ownership

Peter Teffer: Will Dutch police soon be stalking cybercriminals on your computer?

Heidi McIndoo, M.S., R.D.: Meatless 'meat' can have its own set of problems

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate! This must-try appetizer is delicate yet has depth of flavor: Corn-Leek Cakes with Caviar, Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche

May 10, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be

Caroline B. Glick: The dirty little secret about Israel's Arabs

Mona Charen: Hawking's Moral Calculus: The man and the movement he embraces
Morgan Housel: The biggest retirement myth ever told

Sandi Doughton: Eyes may provide new insight into brain problems

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : The Great Gatsby's Jewish Ties; Jews in the "Time 100 list" List; People's Most Beautiful Women

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: A sweet-hot meal: Pear salsa spices up salmon

May 8, 2013

Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas

Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate

Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
Amanda Paulson: Study reveals sad truths about community colleges

Harvard Health Letters: Evidence weak that zinc, echinacea are beneficial

The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility

May 6, 2013

Edmund Sanders and Patrick J. McDonnell: Think Israel's objective in Syria is to weaken Assad or embolden the rebels? Think again

Brian Bennett: Israeli airstrikes may show weakness in Syrian defense

Michael Ollove: Millions of ex-felons, parolees and those on probation are about to be entitled to tax-payer paid health coverage
Karen Kaplan: Most men can skip PSA test for prostate cancer, urologists say

Kimberly Lankford: How to track down a lost life insurance policy

Dream of Mars exploration achievable, experts say

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan M. Selasky: EGGPLANT WRAPS are an easy, sumptuous and scrumptious meal

May 3, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Human Courage and the Unavoidable, Disturbing Text

Steven Emerson: Attorney General Fights CAIR in Court, Lauds it in Public

Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study
Harvard Health Letters: When to be screened for a hearing problem

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Iron Man's Jewish Connections; Marc Maron's New TV Show; Martin Landau Grows Up with Israel; Shalom, Allan Arbus

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: A sweet surprise for Mother's Day dessert

May 1, 2013

Jonathan Rosenblum: An Improbable Journey to Orthodoxy

Jonathan Tobin: Blame Obama, Not Israel for Syria Push

Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Halena M. Gazelka, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: What you need to know about implanted pain relief devices

Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine

Jessica Shugart: When it comes to math, MRIs may be better than IQs

The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The celebrated chef on how high-maintenance ASPARAGUS RISOTTO need not be

April 29, 2013

Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust

Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?

Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Morgan Housel: He's rich, smart and old: Listen to him

Thomas Salinas, D.D.S.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: The safety of amalgam fillings

Harvard Health Letters: Tomatoes and stroke protection

Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Swing into spring with lemon cream pie

April 26, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The world is a mirror

Caroline B. Glick: Time to confront Obama

Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Kimberly Lankford: New strategies ease pain of paying for long-term care insurance

Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Too much ibuprofen?

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Major Leaguers, 2013; New Movies and Comedy Show; Shalom, 'Lumpy' (Leave it to Beaver)

The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : A bright and cheerful salad to herald the warmer months ahead

April 24, 2013

Steven Emerson: Boston Bomber Exposes Islamist Secret

Morgan Housel Admit it: No one has any idea what's going on
Harvard Health Letters: Can you get headaches from headache medication?

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to easily get more Omega-3s in your diet

Melissa Healy: Pot in a pill: All the pain relief without the smoke

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan Russo: Chipotle Chili Butternut Squash Soup is bold, zesty, hot

April 22, 2013

Ken Dilanian: Counterterrorism's future is unclear

US man departing country arrested on terror charges
Barbara Williams: An unorthodox but growing treatment in a 9-year-old's battle against cancer

P.J. Skerrett, M.D.: How to recognize a good whole grain product

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Teen actor Jonah Bobo in New Flick: Hunky James Wolk on Mad Men; Erich Segal's Daughter Writes Prize-Winning Jewish Novel


Jewish World Review August 3, 2012/ 15 Menachem-Av, 5772

Two Rock and Roll Miracles

By Greg Crosby



http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | In a world of short attention spans, 24 hour news cycles, and celebrities who are lucky to get even 15 minutes of fame, it is remarkable that two rock and roll bands have not only withstood the test of time but in fact continue to record and perform in today's ever more fickle, cutthroat music industry for more than 50 years. The bands are The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones.

It would be unusual for ANY performer to remain popular and relevant for over five decades, let alone two rock bands. The punishing physicality of rock and roll concert performances, the mental stress, and the free-flowing drugs and party atmosphere so prevalent in the recording business just about guarantees a shorter than normal life expectancy for rockers. In fact that has often been the case with so many, which makes the longevity of The Beach Boys and Rolling Stones such a miracle.

The Beach Boys were formed in Hawthorn, California in 1961 and I was the perfect age when "Surfin'" and then "Surfin' Safari" became hits on the radio the following year. As a 13 year-old Southern California kid the whole surfing music wave (pardon the pun) washed over me (sorry, I can't help myself). Like almost every other young teenage boy in my junior high school I started wearing plaid Pendelton board shirts, white Levis, and huarache sandals, imitating the Beach Boys look.

But it was the sound of The Beach Boys that really got me. Yes, they had the rock beat but it was their strong melodies and terrific vocal harmonies that pulled me in. The sound of The Beach Boys became my favorite kind of rock and roll music, it still is. Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Dennis Wilson, and Al Jardine were the seminal five, with David Marks, Bruce Johnston and even Glenn Campbell filling in at various times.

The up and down story of the group is well known. The Wilson Boys' abusive father, Brian's nervous breakdowns, the early deaths of Dennis and Carl, the fragmenting of the group and the court battles that lasted for years make up the dark side of The Beach Boys. But the amazing part is that with all the tumult, all the tragedies, the depression, the drugs, the lawsuits, and the infighting, The Beach Boys survive. They have come together again. Now in their seventies they have recorded a new best selling album, they are on tour performing for fans both old and new, and what's really great is that on stage and in interviews they smile at each other, they laugh, and you get the impression that they really care for each other. Summer is not over yet and The Beach Boys are still showing us how to have fun in the sun.

The Rolling Stones are something else again. They always seemed to me to be the dark side of the moon, The Beatles being the light side. The Stones were formed in London in 1962 with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Dick Taylor, and Tony Chapman. A bit later Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts came on board. The story goes that Stewart was kicked out of the band by manager Andrew Loog Oldham because he didn't have the same skinny long-haired look of the other guys.

It's surprising that any of The Rolling Stones are still alive given all we've been told of their abusive drug usage and crazy lifestyles. My personal theory on that is that a lot of what we've been lead to believe is simply an exaggeration. Not to say that these guys didn't do drugs or play hard, only that maybe they didn't do it as much as we may think. Just as Frank Sinatra didn't really smoke and drink as much as we thought. From what I've learned, Sinatra never inhaled the smoke from those cigarettes he always lit and he would nurse a drink to last all evening. For Sinatra it was all about the image.

The Rolling Stones never influenced my life as did The Beach Boys. I was never a fan of their music or their stage persona; they always seemed too raunchy, too loud, and too ugly for my taste. But then again I wasn't the typical teenager. I liked Dixieland Jazz, Big Band, Jolson, Crosby, Ella, Nat, and Perry. Melody, harmony, and uplifting, foot-tapping music were usually my choice. I never liked the screamers.

Nevertheless, The Rolling Stones have lasted for over 50 years. They never spoke to me, but they certainly have been saying something to an awful lot of people for a long time. The Beach Boys did speak to me, however, and have stayed with me to this very day. I bought their latest album and that's not all. I even bought myself a brand new Pendelton Board shirt!

Surf's up, dude.

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JWR contributor Greg Crosby, former creative head for Walt Disney publications, has written thousands of comics, hundreds of children's books, dozens of essays, and a letter to his congressman. A freelance writer in Southern California, you may contact him by clicking here.

Greg Crosby Archives

© 2008, Greg Crosby

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