Almanac Music: You Wear it Well – Songs about Clothes

Today, KD’s piece on popular music themes concerns songs about clothes. As usual, readers are warmly encouraged to contribute song choices of their own in the ‘Comments’ section.

Almanac Poetry: Death 101

One of the twentieth century’s best poets is Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), according to Kevin Densley. In this poem, he reflects upon her late work, much of which seems to point to her tragic end.

Almanac Poetry: Elsternwick Gothic

This Monday’s poem from Kevin Densley is set in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick, where the skies can suddenly turn strange and other-worldly.

Almanac Poetry: John Keats Was Right

In this week’s offering, Kevin Densley takes as his inspiration a line from ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’, an iconic poem by one of the greatest poets in the English language, John Keats. [You should see what was left out of this excerpt – Ed]

Almanac Music: Songs About Mail

In his ongoing series about popular music themes, KD writes about songs involving mail – letters, posties, mail in general…

Almanac Poetry: Manly Ferry in Thunderstorm

This week’s poem from Kevin Densley is drawn from a frightening experience he had when last in Sydney, in 1997.

Almanac Book Review: The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present by Paul McCartney

With Paul McCartney touring locally (for possibly the last time) Kevin Densley’s review of the music man’s monumental, two-volume boxed set, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present is being reprised. Get Back to the words behind the songs before Macca and friends become a Band on the Run home.

Almanac Music: You Go To My Head – Songs Involving the Mind

This week’s music piece from KD concerns songs involving the mind as a central aspect. As usual, readers’ choices and comments are warmly encouraged.

Almanac Poetry: Painterly

In this poem, Kevin Densley writes about the beautiful colour that the sky sometimes turns after a thunderstorm.

Almanac Poetry: Two Portraits

This week’s poem by Kevin Densley was inspired by two photos on a wall in a mate’s house, as well as by lines from the Joni Mitchell song, ‘Woodstock’.

Almanac Music: Songs about Trains

In this Friday’s music piece, KD discusses songs about trains and, as usual, warmly welcomes reader contributions.

Almanac Poetry: In the Manner of C. P. E. Bach

Kevin Densley’s poem today is about getting Bach to basics; Johann Sebastian Bach had twenty children from two wives. A number of his sons also became famous musicians, of those this mentions three.

Almanac Poetry: Beautiful Submerged Things

Women, painting, literature, theatre and drowning make for a heady waterlogged mix in this week’s poem by Kevin Densley.

Almanac Music: Songs about Roads

This week’s music piece from KD concerns songs that mention roads in the title, whether they be specifically highways, streets, avenues, boulevards, esplanades or similar infrastructure.

Almanac Poetry: Love Me Tonight

For this week’s poem, Kevin Densley has delved into his archives and found one in which, to use his own words, he ‘channels someone like Sir Les Patterson’. [Contains mature themes]

Almanac Music: Extraordinary Musical Moments – Ozzy Osbourne Sings John Lennon’s ‘How?’

KD brings back his ‘Extraordinary Musical Moments’ series to discuss Ozzy Osbourne’s version of John Lennon’s ‘How?’, from the latter’s classic Imagine album.

Almanac Poetry: Not Really ‘In Memoriam’

This week’s poem by Kevin Densley concerns the ‘In Memoriam’ genre. He has delved into his archives to find a poem that suggests the question: do we always need to praise the dead? Is sincerity more important than an imitation of flattery?

Almanac Music: Churches, Chapels and Cathedrals

In this Friday’s piece, part of his ongoing series on popular song, KD deals with the theme of ‘churches, chapels and cathedrals’. As usual, readers are encouraged to contribute their own choices and comments.

Almanac Poetry: Fiona, Me, and the Moon

Jerry Seinfeld may have said the following about this week’s poem from Kevin Densley: ‘Hey, what’s the deal with the moon? What’s it doing up there?’

Almanac Memoir: Uncle Colin

Kevin Densley has written a short memoir about his Uncle Colin, a tough man who grew up in ‘God’s Country’.