March 2000

'N Sync -- Linda speaks with J.D. Considine, pop music critic for the Baltimore Sun. Last week, teen sensation band 'N SYNC sold 2.4 million copies of their new CD No Strings Attached, breaking a record for the most sales of an album in a week. The band's popularity is mainly with pre-teenagers and teenagers. J.D. Considine talks about 'N Sync's appeal and the success of their most recent CD. (4:30)

Move Over, Christian Coalition -- Performer Brett Bevel comments on the appeal of having a Buddhist President. Music written by Todd Alan. The CD America Needs a Buddhist President can be purchased by calling 415 567-4038. (1:45)

Susana Baca -- Banning Eyre reviews the new CD Eco de Sombras by Susana Baca. Considered by many to be the latest world music "diva", Baca is from Lima, Peru and her songs come out of a rich Afro-Peruvian music tradition. This is a tradition that has been largely ignored in Peru, and the musicians there who do play this material have had to act almost as archaeologists, locating songs, rebuilding old instruments, recreating a style.

The Joy of Sex -- Dr. Alex Comfort, author of The Joy of Sex, died on Sunday at the age of 80. Robert speaks with David Allyn, historian and author of Make Love, Not War: The Sexual Revolution: An Unfettered History, about the success of the book.

Everything in this Country Must -- Alan Chuese reviews Everything in this Country Must, by Colum McCann. Colum McCann is an Irish writer currently living in New York City, and in his new book of stories he returns to Ireland for his subjects.

Economic Environment -- Robert speaks with Jane Jacobs about her new book The Nature of Economies. The book looks at how nature and economies are governed by the same rules. Jacobs, who is well known for her earlier works about cities, uses conversation between friends over coffee, as the vehicle for her ideas on economies. These chats explore the principles of development by which nature and economies are driven. (8:00)

Talking Heads - Once in a Life Time -- The next installment in the NPR 100. The song comes from the 1980 Talking Heads album, Remain in Light. It marked a change in the way the band worked: jamming in the studio; recording the jams; and creating songs around improvised riffs and grooves that caught the musicians' ears as they listened back to the jams. NPR's Rick Karr talks to the band members and producer Brian Eno. (12:30)

Movie Lines -- Noah talks with author Jim Bainbridge, whose book, Show Me The Money, recounts some memorable lines from dozens of classic movies. They're discussed and we hear clips from films such as A Few Good Men and Dr. Strangelove. {8:00}

Warren Zevon -- David Greenberger reviews Life'll Kill Ya, by Warren Zevon. It's his first CD is 5 years. Greenberger says the arrangements are simple and spare, but the production is rich with details. For instance, Zevon's voice is at times at the very edge of his range, and the microphones capture the squeaks of his guitar strings. (Artemis Records) (4:45)

Harry Gold -- Alan Cheuse reviews the book Harry Gold by novelist and biographer Millicent Dillon. Harry Gold was an American chemist who played a minor role in the Rosenberg-Klaus Fuchs theft of US atomic secrets in the early 1940s. He was the courier who carried documents between Manhattan Project physicist Klaus Fuchs and his Soviet spymasters.

Ragtime Band -- Every Monday we play a selection from the NPR 100 -- one hundred songs of all styles that influenced the musical sensibilities of this century. This week, NPR's Susan Stamberg talks about Alexander's Ragtime Band, the first popular American song. (12:30)

Kila -- Noah talks with Ronan O' Snodaigh, lead vocalist for Kila, an Irish band whose music can be described as "tribal". Ronan sings in the Gaelic language of Ireland, and explains how natural it is to work in this, his native tongue. The band includes traditional Irish instruments: flutes, pipes, fiddles, accordions, but also a wide assortment of African and Middle eastern percussion, which propels the distinctive chanting style vocals of this band. The result is wonderful. (7:30)

Cooney Obit -- Children's book author and illustrator Barbara Cooney who has died at the age of 83. Among her best known books is Miss Rumphius, which won an American Book Award. We hear Cooney's son, Barnaby Porter, comment on his mother's work and her life. (3:00)

Daniel Barenboim -- The year 2,000 marks the 50th anniversary of the performing career of Daniel Barenboim. David Rabin looks at his contributions as a pianist, conductor, and political activist. Barenboim is celebrating at Carnegie Hall with a talk on political matters, and concerts with Palestinian and Israeli kids whom he's brought together to play. He's just performed a piano concerto as well. (7:30)

Adagio for Strings -- Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings is one of the selections for the "NPR 100" -- 100 of the most important pieces of American music of the 20th century, picked in a poll of thousands of NPR listeners. Barber wrote the classical piece for string quartet, and it was first performed in 1938. Now it's a standard short piece for orchestra, and Barber's best known work. Part of the reason for its enduring popularity can be found in its presence in two well-known films -- Platoon and The Elephant Man. Noah talks with the directors of both films, Oliver Stone and David Lynch, about why they chose Barber's music for their movies. (9:00)

The Gate -- Charles de Ledesma reviews The Gate, the debut CD from Joji Hirota. He is a Japanese musician -- he is a percussionist, composer, flautist, and singer. He has played for world music festivals for years, but finally he has released his first CD. (4:00)

Angels Go Naked -- Alan Cheuse reviews a novel by Cornelia Nixon, called Angels Go Naked. It's the story of a Berkeley microbiologist and a Chicago symphony violinist who fall in love, get married, and find themselves at odds over whether to have children. (1:45)

Krishna Das -- Noah talks with Krishna Das about his new double CD Live on Earth: For a Limited Time Only. Krishna Das is originally from Long Island, but went to India, seeking enlightenment, back in the late 60s. He became deeply involved in the tradition of "kirtan", which is devotional chanting. He brings a somewhat modern touch to this ancient music form, admitting that the soul and doowop that he grew up with can't help but be part of his musical expression. The result has caught on, especialy in American yoga centers. (6:45) (Listeners interested in purchasing Live on Earth, For a Limited Time Only by Krishna Das can contact Triloka Records at 310- 265-7969. The CD's ASIN number is 092 410 505-2.)

Body and Soul -- In 1939 jazz saxophonist Coleman Hawkins recorded the song Body and Soul. It became one of the most influential jazz performances ever. Tom Moon, a music writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, has an appreciation of the piece, which is on the NPR 100 -- a list of the most important American musical works of the 20th century. (12:00)

Choirboy Obit -- Linda talks with Robin Lough about his father, Ernest Lough, who died last month at the age of 88. As a boy in 1927, Ernest Lough was a choirboy, and recorded O, for the Wings of a Dove and Hear My Prayer, one of the first electric recordings, made in a church rather than a studio. The recording sold 650,000 copies in the first 6 months. (4:00)

Akhenaten, Dweller In Truth -- Alan Cheuse reviews the latest novel by Pulitzer Prize winning Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz to be translated from Arabic to English. The book -- a work of historical fiction about an Egyptian pharoah -- is Akhenaten, Dweller In Truth. (2:30)

Akhenaten, Dweller In Truth, is due for publication later this month by Anchor Books.

William Orbit -- Charles de Ledesma reviews Pieces in a Modern Style, by William Orbit. It's the latest from Orbit, best known for his techno-ambient music, and for producing hit albums for Madonna, Seal, and Prince. This new CD is somewhat of a departure for Orbit, because it features Orbit's interpretation of 11 CLASSICAL pieces of music, spanning several centuries, including Vivaldi, Beethoven, Satie, and Gorecki. The music has Orbit's trademark sound: moody electronic keyboards, ambient soundscapes, and computer-programmed rhythms, but it's not dance music, it's more meditative. The CD is racing up the charts in Britain, and has just been released in the US. (4:15)

The CD, "Pieces in a Modern Style", by William Orbit, is from Maverick Recording Company, copyright 2000, Warner Music.

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