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Ed Ward Ed Ward is the rock-and-roll historian on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross.
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Ed Ward

Louie And The Lovers: The Slow 'Rise' Of A Lost Treasure

Bear Family has just released Louie and the Lovers: The Complete Recordings, the band's long-rumored second album. Bear Family hide caption

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Bear Family

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Music Reviews

Louie And The Lovers: The Slow 'Rise' Of A Lost Treasure

Fresh Air

The name Louie Ortega doesn't spring to mind when Mexican-American contributions to rock 'n' roll history come up. But at least for some people, he's a legend based on a band he put together in Prunedale, Calif., in the late 1960s. Critic Ed Ward, who has been a fan since he first heard the band, celebrates the release of its long-rumored second album.

Louie And The Lovers: The Slow 'Rise' Of A Lost Treasure

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Jimmy Donley: A 'Born Loser' Finally Gets His Due

Fresh Air

The release of a new collection of Jimmy Donley songs, The Shape You Left Me In, suggests that there was more to Donley than his tormented biography indicates. Critic Ed Ward explains.

Jimmy Donley: A 'Born Loser' Finally Gets His Due

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'Funky Midnight Mover': The Songs Of Wilson Pickett

Fresh Air

Wilson Pickett helped define 1960s soul, along with Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding and James Brown. Critic Ed Ward reviews Funky Midnight Mover, a new six-disc compilation of Pickett's recordings, released by Rhino Handmade.

'Funky Midnight Mover': The Songs Of Wilson Pickett

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At Pepper's Hideout, A South Side Party To Remember

Fresh Air

In 1975, Michael Abramson decided to photograph the blues clubs of Chicago. The pictures Abramson took in Pepper's Hideout, among other venues, have been released in a set called Light on the South Side. Jazz critic Ed Ward takes a listen to Pepper's Jukebox, the CD released along with the photographs.

At Pepper's Hideout, A South Side Party To Remember

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Big Star: The Unluckiest Band In America

Big Star acquired a cult following in the 1980s, when other groups started sampling their songs. Rhino Records hide caption

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Rhino Records

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Big Star: The Unluckiest Band In America

Fresh Air

The '70s Memphis-based rock band Big Star won rave reviews for their albums and influenced countless followers, but never managed to become stars. Rock and Roll historian Ed Ward says a new box set and a collection of recordings by founding member Chris Bell offer a chance to look back on the band's troubled life.

Big Star: The Unluckiest Band In America

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The Original Or The Remake? 'You Heard It Here First'

Fresh Air

Dobie Gray, in his hit "The In Crowd," famously said, "The original is still the greatest." But is it? Ace Records in London has put out a CD called You Heard It Here First!, with 26 original versions of hit songs. Rock historian Ed Ward takes a look.

The Original Or The Remake? 'You Heard It Here First'

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New Box Set Shows 'Where The Action' Really Was

Fresh Air

The volatile and eclectic music scene of 1960s Los Angeles comes together in a new box set issued by Rhino Records. Critic Ed Ward gives it a listen.

New Box Set Shows 'Where The Action' Really Was

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Remastering, And Re-Appreciating, The Beatles

Fresh Air

The Beatles Remasters promises a clearer sound and truer look at the group's music catalog. Rock historian Ed Ward takes another listen to the iconic British band and finds that there's always more to discover.

Remastering, And Re-Appreciating, The Beatles

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New Lost City Ramblers Look Back At 50 Years

Fresh Air

Few groups get to achieve a 50th anniversary, but the pioneering American folk trio the got to do just that this year. The release of a three-disc commemorative set by the New Lost City Ramblers was darkened, though, but the death of co-founder Mike Seeger.

New Lost City Ramblers Look Back At 50 Years

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For Richard Thompson's 60th, A Musical Gift

Fresh Air

A founding member of the Fairport Convention and a legendarily accomplished guitar player and songwriter, he's celebrated in a new four-disc career overview from the Shout Factory label.

For Richard Thompson's 60th, A Musical Gift

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The Monks: A 'Transatlantic' Gambit Gone Awry

Fresh Air

The Translantic Feedback, a documentary about an oddball band of American ex-GIs dressed up like monks and singing bitter songs, is out on DVD at last. Ed Ward explains the appeal of The Monks.

The Monks: A 'Transatlantic' Gambit Gone Awry

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A Treasure Trove From A Harmonica Master

Fresh Air

Walter Jacobs, aka "Little Walter," was a harmonica virtuoso whose life was consumed by blues music. A new five-disc Hip-O Select re-release of Walter's complete recordings for the record label Chess is on shelves now.

A Treasure Trove From A Harmonica Master

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Music Interviews

Trident And The San Francisco Rock Scene

Fresh Air

The rise of the San Francisco rock scene in the mid-1960s is a well-known story, but one which might have taken an entirely different direction if Frank Werber's fortunes had played out differently.

Trident And The San Francisco Rock Scene

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