Category Archives: Music History

White Paper: The Complicated History of the Release and Reception of Music from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Posted on October 6, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) occupy a unique and paradoxical place in rock history — as both a symbol of musical harmony and a case study in artistic conflict. Their recordings, both together and apart, trace the … Continue reading →

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White Paper: From Anecdote to Data: Determining the Threshold of Meaningful Evidence

Posted on October 3, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary In policy debates, scientific inquiry, and business decision-making, anecdotal evidence often acts as the seed of inquiry but rarely as the foundation of rigorous conclusions. Yet there is a critical question: at what point does a collection of … Continue reading →

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White Paper: From “Not Reckless II” to Global Arena Rock: What Bryan Adams Has—and Hasn’t—Said About Into the Fire, Waking Up the Neighbours, and 18 ‘Til I Die

Posted on October 2, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Adams has publicly framed Into the Fire (1987) as a purposeful break from the teen-nostalgia/romance formula of Reckless (1984), accepting that some listeners expected a sequel and didn’t get one. He has said he wasn’t fazed by the … Continue reading →

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Set the Night to Music: A Long-Form Essay on Authorship, Interpretation, and Reinvention

Posted on September 30, 2025 by nathanalbright

Introduction In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Diane Warren’s ballads were unavoidable on American and international radio. Her songs were cinematic in scope yet crafted for intimacy, built on broad themes—love, longing, reconciliation—that made them adaptable across genres. Few … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Belated Success of Buckingham Nicks (1973): What It Reveals about Two Troubled Careers—and What Could Come Next

Posted on September 27, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive summary After five decades out of print and absent from digital platforms, Buckingham Nicks was officially remastered and released on September 19, 2025, across streaming, CD, and multiple vinyl editions via Rhino. Early indicators—sell-outs of limited vinyl, retail chart … Continue reading →

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Album Review: Buckingham Nicks

Posted on September 26, 2025 by nathanalbright

Buckingham Nicks, by Buckingham Nicks For as long as I can remember, I have been a fan of Fleetwood Mac. Yet until a few days ago, this particular album was nearly impossible to find, having been out of print for … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Tragedy of the Emotionally Damaged Smooth Operator: Sade’s Archetype and Drake’s Adoption of the Model

Posted on September 25, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary This paper explores the tragic archetype embodied in Sade’s 1984 hit Smooth Operator—a figure of surface charisma concealing inner wounds—and examines the cultural and artistic consequences of Drake adopting this archetype as a model for identity and artistry. … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Celebrity Infrastructure in Dr. Feelgood and Dr. Make You Feel Alright

Posted on September 22, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract Two iconic songs—Mötley Crüe’s Dr. Feelgood (1989) and Prince’s Dr. Make You Feel Alright (from Let’s Go Crazy, 1984)—offer a lens into the infrastructure that surrounds celebrities to cater to their needs, desires, and crises. Though stylistically different, both … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Badfinger’s Lost Revenues and the Exploitation of Artist Rights

Posted on September 12, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Badfinger, one of the most promising bands of the early 1970s, achieved international success with hits such as Come and Get It, No Matter What, Day After Day, Baby Blue, and Without You. Despite their chart performance and … Continue reading →

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Desire, Happiness, and Recognition: The Characteristic Tensions in Natalie Imbruglia’s Songs

Posted on September 11, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract This essay explores the lyrical and thematic tensions in Natalie Imbruglia’s songs, particularly Wrong Impression (2002), Identify (1999), and Want (2009). These songs articulate the difficulties of reconciling three interlocking desires: wanting intimacy, wanting happiness (for self and other), … Continue reading →

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