More Obscure 2026 Music Deaths-SiriusXM This Week

Tune in Saturday August 29th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West. Phone #: 844-686-5863  If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Bumper Buddies

Felice has a right side problem. And her mirror image twin Monica has a left side problem. Or so they say. As for me... I don't need to park that close to the curb. But Felice? She gets right up close and personal. And as a result, every car she's had...the lower right front bumper is stripped of paint. Now my car sits outside, and has a shi**y paint job to begin with. I'm all about what's under the hood, how the car drives, as for how it looks? Eh, it can be imperfect. But behind the wheel, my car drives as well as it did the day I bought it, which is kind of astounding. Anyway, Felice asked me about getting her bumper repaired. There was just a black stripe at the lower right hand corner of this white car, not even an inch, maybe five or six inches long, I wouldn't do a thing, and that's what I told her, that it wasn't worth touching. But this wasn't satisfactory to her, she likes her automobile in tip-top shape. But then... We were at her brother's house high in the hills above Malibu, it's one of the few structures that survived, and the driveway is a bit wonky, and Felice decided to turn around... This is an issue between us. If it's tight, I'll go back and forth a zillion times. Especially in a rental car, because I don't know the dimensions that well and if you injure it... And the garage in Vail is really tight. One day Andy was backing up and his car stopped with a jolt. And then he pulled forward and away. I didn't know what to say. He'd just hit the car behind, didn't he want to check for damage? So I brought it up quietly and Andy told me no, his car has a feature wherein it automatically stops if it's going to hit something, that he didn't run into the car behind us at all. But I drive a twenty one year old car without this feature. As for a rental car, if it even comes with a manual, good luck figuring it out. As for Felice's car... It will park itself. She got her car off lease. And the person who ordered it originally purchased all the options. My favorite is the bolsters in the seats, which cradle you when you go around corners. And there's the heads-up display. And the parking ability. And massage... But Felice turns most of this stuff off. I dig it, I like all the bells and whistles. But they're not always so easy to figure out. As for the ability to park itself...now that Felice keeps bumping the bumper, she says she's going to try it out. Anyway, so she makes one less back and forth than I would when she's maneuvering to exit her brother's house and CRUNCH!! That didn't sound good. I would have stopped the car and taken a look, but that's not Felice's style. So then when I looked at the bumper thereafter... Now it made sense to fix it. There was a small dent, not quite the size of a baseball, and a bunch of scratches. Who knows what she hit by the side of her brother's driveway, I assume rocks. And, as you probably know, all the bumpers today are plastic. As for fixing them... They just rip them off and replace them. Can you even fix a dent in a plastic bumper? As for plastic bumpers... Starting in 1974 the U.S. law said that bumpers had to sustain a 5 MPH direct hit, or a 3 MPH corner impact. As a result, these big bumpers were tacked on to automobiles and...it was great, you could hit stuff with impunity. But the carmakers didn't like the added cost and weight and the insurers said there was not a concomitant reduction in repair costs, so...they changed the law again, to 2.5 MPH. And we got these new plastic bumpers, which when removed you see are backed up by foam, the kind they use in packaging, and they get scratched and punctured and... I'm sitting in my office and I get a text. Felice asks me what I think of this: https://bumperbuddies.com They'll come to your house and fix your bumper. Reviews on Yelp are stellar. Not for me. I'm against independents and fly by night operators. I take my car to the dealer, because they see my model all day long, they can easily diagnose the problems, and they're going to be there tomorrow and the day after that. As far as body shops go... Unlike on the east coast, in L.A. oftentimes the body shop is not owned by the dealer, but they all have their preferred shops. So, this is where I go. And in truth, body repair is so far superior today compared to yesteryear. Usually, you'd never know the car was in an accident. As for me... If I'm going to spend my money, I want it done right. Especially on something as expensive as a car. I'll pay a little more, I don't want a substandard job. And that's what I told Felice to do. Call the dealer, have them steer you to their body shop and get an estimate. Then compare that price to Bumper Buddies. But Felice was more interested in convenience, after all, Bumper Buddies comes to your house! So she sent in a picture and they gave an estimate and I'm reading it and I say...but they don't seem to know there's a dent, it's not clear in the pic and the estimate doesn't mention it. So who knows if they can even fix the dent, never mind the cost. But Felice proceeded. And on Wednesday Bumper Buddies arrived. I was asleep. But Felice woke me up, she needed guidance. So I go into the garage... Yes, there's a dent. No, they were not aware of it. So, it will cost more to repair it and... How exactly do they expect to do this? And the guy says he's going to go behind, maybe remove the bumper...and now I'm getting all anxious, I mean putting it back together... But he says he may just be able to remove the inner panel. Also, did we want the paint blended or not? If not, you may be able to see where the repair was made. Felice wanted to know what she should do. I said to fix the dent and to blend. I mean if you're going to do something, do it right. Why do only a half-a**ed job? So the guy nods and gets to work. And then it's two hours later and Felice announces the job is done. This can't be, this is impossible. I mean normally when I bring my car in for body repair it sits at least a week. How in the hell can this guy repair the car so fast, must be a shoddy job. So I go out into the garage... And the job is absolutely perfect. I'm astounded. How in the hell did he do it?? As for the dent... He heated up the plastic. I mean I'm marveling, this is too much. Then again, what's it going to look like tomorrow, two months from now, a year or two down the line. So as the technician is walking to his van I ask him, how long is the warranty? THREE YEARS! Well, that's pretty good. That guarantees perfection for three years anyway. But then I'm wondering, why does my car sit in the body shop so long? I mean sometimes they're waiting for parts, but if this guy could fix Felice's bumper so fast...do they just pile up the cars to make sure they always have work to do, so the technicians are not idle? Now this is an expensive car, albeit it not new. I never would have taken the risk. But it appears I was wrong. -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Mailbag

From: Peter Noone Subject: Re: Tickets Not Streams Date: August 21, 2026 at 4:47:30 PM PDT As one of the oldest readers of your fascinating daily reveille I should say all of today's letter appealed to me in that it was almost a description of the old music business where the groups of teenagers like me and me 'ermits did music for fun never realizing that the label were grinning behind their hand$. After we grew up I personally have shared 100 million dollars of road oldies but goodies, we old geezers still have legs! Thank you for a great share ___________________________________ From: Marty Walsh Subject: Re: Dolly Parton Date: August 27, 2026 at 3:07:20 AM PDT Dolly Parton. One of the "real" true artists. I had the good fortune to play on 9 to 5 and her follow up album Burlap and Satin. Dolly would hang with the band on the breaks. She was quite funny and genuine. The "genuine" really stood out. She seemed so unaffected by the fame. That's what I remember about her. A true artist who was just real people. I'm so grateful to have been able to be in her presence. Rest in peace Dolly. Martè ___________________________________ From: Jon Tiven Subject: RE: Re-Dolly Parton Date: August 26, 2026 at 6:44:12 PM PDT 1975, I'm sitting in the lobby of RCA Records in New York City, waiting to play Alex Chilton's SINGER NOT THE SONG album (which I produced) for an a&r man who would subsequently show no appreciation. In walks Dolly Parton, sans hair and makeup escorted by four RCA suits. Her eyes catch mine, and I said say a friendly hello, instantly the suits spring into action to whisk her through risking no interaction with this 20 year old nobody. The lady pauses and says "No, I want to stop and say hi to this nice young man." Dolly took her time and showed me what counts, that the people who are really responsible for whatever greatness The Music Business has custody of have better manners than those in charge. R.I.P. Dolly, you lived it like you showed it and made a big impression on everyone you met, even if that interaction only lasted for a moment. Thank you. ___________________________________ From: R. Emmett McAuliffe Subject: RE: Dolly Parton Date: August 27, 2026 at 8:20:50 AM PDT Bob One of the funniest radio station stunts I ever saw was KSHE-95 in St. Louis, which was the self-branded "Real Rock Station" and was *the* station for hard rock-loving dudes in the 70s and 80s, where Country music was anathema. The station had a listener contest for tickets to see Dolly Parton to a lucky winner and the ticket package included a pair of ear plugs and a set of binoculars! I disagreed with KSHE's aesthetic judgment, but I thought the stunt was so wonderfully unselfconscious. I still know a few boomers today who will go on rock cruises and go to any legacy rock concert in town, but will walk out if any country is played. Even after the majority of white boomers have migrated to Country. “This is simply who I am, take it or leave it”. ___________________________________ From: Larry LeBlanc Subject: LeBlanc BTS and Grammy Date: July 31, 2026 at 5:58:08 PM MDT Years ago Celine Dion went through a similar experience in the mostly French speaking province of Quebec when Francophones were discouraged about recording in English. But Celine, already the province’s biggest francophone artist, had signed with a recorded her first English album “Unison” with CBS Cananda and It contained her international breakthrough 1990 hit “Where Does My Heart Beat Now.” For the annual province ADISQ awards that year it was announced there was to be new Felix Award category of a French artist performing in English under the heading Anglophone Artist of the Year. A narrow field at the time when few Quebec Francophones were brave enough to record in English. Celine and her husband took it as a slap and indicated she would not accept the award. She did win and she refused to take the stage but did attend the national Juno awards hosting the national most English event in 1983 in Toronto. A rather rebellious career move. Still she has continued to record both English and French albums.  ___________________________________ From: Chris Adelmann Subject: Re: Yummy Yummy Yummy Date: August 2, 2026 at 3:00:11 PM MDT nice piece on charts from years ago, including Yummy, Yummy, Yummy-as you noted very very catchy!. Joey Levine was one of the co-writers (and lead singers) and in the 70s he moved  on to to be a huge NYC jingle writer, including NBC Proud as a Peacock and Budweisers This Buds for you. He sang on all the jingles and used the top NYC session guys including  Steve Gadd, Rick Marotta, Will Lee, Marcus Miller, Leon Pendarivs, Chris Palmaro (his Music director), David Spinoza, and many others. ___________________________________ From: Colleen Wainwright Subject: Re: Yummy Yummy Yummy Date: August 2, 2026 at 4:35:10 PM MDT Back in the '80s, Joey Levine was on heavy rotation with the music producers at the agency I worked for in NYC. We wrote a lot of ads with jingles or needing hook-y tracks, and some of my happiest times were spent in that crazy rabbit warren of studios they occupied at Crushing Music, or at other studios around town where we recorded. Insanely talented all-around musicians, the entire bunch of them—Joey knew how to spot a fellow magician, boy howdy. ___________________________________ From: Leanne Ungar Subject: Re: Yummy Yummy Yummy Date: August 3, 2026 at 9:56:32 AM MDT Joey Levine was Archie in The Archies, and sang and wrote many jingles, notably “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t" ___________________________________ From: Gary Helsinger Subject: Re: Ritchie Blackmore Returns Date: August 13, 2026 at 2:22:22 AM PDT I was one of the (3) singers in the comedy rock band Green Jellÿ . I also signed myself/us. I’m here to tell you that our worldwide smash song, “The Three Little Pigs” IS “Smoke on the Water.” THAT is how we wrote it in the first place. We were messing around after rehearsal playing covers as we usually did, and while jamming “Smoke on the Water,” Bill started making up lyrics about cliché rockers who “move to Hollywood to become a star.” It’s funny that we got sued by everybody from Toys “R” Us to famously Jell-O for originally being named Green Jellö as well as Metallica, who sued us and won… But the one real infringement that didn’t happen, was stealing that riff of Smoke on the Water.  I think the statute of limitations is long past on that one, but if not, I quit in 1997 so it’s no skin off my nose…or the hair of my chinny, chin, chin! ___________________________________ From: Alan Stewart Subject: Re: The Sunset Marquis Movie Date: August 11, 2026 at 8:03:40 AM PDT Caveat: I haven’t seen the movie yet. I always stay at the Sunset Marquis when in LA. I had a band playing the Greek Theater in Berkely the night after the LA trip and Tres Cool was on the side of the stage watching. We starting chatting and I mentioned that I was at the Marquis the night before and he stepped back, took off his jacket and showed me this amazing tattoo of him throwing the TV off the balcony at the Sunset Marquis. Imagine the stories those guys have! ___________________________________ From: Hank Neuberger Subject: In the Lobby at the Sunset Marquis Date: August 10, 2026 at 6:14:02 PM MDT June 2, 1978. Darkness on the Edge of Town had been released that day. Steve Goodman and I had been mixing his album in Chicago (High and Outside) when Steve decided he needed some overdubs from some LA friends. On the way to O’Hare that day we heard "Adam Raised a Cain” for the first time on WXRT. Steve loved it right away and on the flight asked me tons of questions about Bruce’s relationship with his father, which Bruce had talked about in his shows.  We got to the Marquis at midnight and were checking in when the front door flung open. There was Bruce. Jeans, white tee with both sleeves rolled up high. A beautiful brunette on one arm. A supermarket bag in the other arm with a loaf of Wonder Bread and bottles of Coke sticking out. Stevie walked right over. “Bruce, I’m Steve Goodman, and I’ve been digging your song today "Adam Raised a Cain.” Bruce looked right at him and said. "Stevie Goodman.  Steve Goodman.  Steve Goodman. Your song “My Old Man.”   Now that’s a great f*ckin’ song.” And he was gone. ___________________________________ From: Jeff Andrews Subject: Re: Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More Date: August 7, 2026 at 6:53:43 PM MDT I have my unique, potentially bittersweet story to share. I grew up in a very small town in Ohio. Steely Dan, among a few others, were one of my main musical addictions. Loved everything they put out and Katy Lied is my favorite because every song is a pop gem. Anyway, I moved to NYC after college and was working on the Upper West Side. One day I was sitting on a bench eating my lunch and who walked by? Donald Fagen reading a newspaper while walking. Somewhat tall, lanky, bell bottom jeans and long sleeve T-shirt. I so wanted to open a conversation by saying Where did you get those shoes? (you serious fans will identify). Alas, I didnt and Ive regretted it ever since. To be 20 years old, newly in New York City, and to meet one of my musical heroes, wouldve been the best!! ___________________________________ From: Jay Landers Subject: Re: Bob Cavallo interview Date: July 30, 2026 at 5:27:21 PM MDT Hope you’re well.  Your recent interview with the legendary Bob Cavallo was terrific. I had the privilege of working for Bob during his Disney years, and your conversation with him reminded me what a delightful, insightful raconteur he was—and clearly still is. Hearing Bob's voice again brought back memories of his truly unique personality: equal parts confident, shrewd and humble to a fault. He embodies that increasingly rare, old-school blend of pure "show" and real "business." As head of Hollywood Records and Disney Records, Bob was unfailingly supportive of his staff. He gave A&R executives like me the freedom to flourish without hovering over every decision—a management style that inspired confidence, creativity, and fierce loyalty. Your interview reminded me of story that still makes me smile. When Bob first hired me in 1999 to run A&R for Walt Disney Records, the label had benefited for years from the extraordinary legacy of its catalog. But the classic soundtracks—from Snow White through The Lion King—had been reissued countless times and had basically run their course. We desperately needed fresh music that reflected Disney's timeless values while feeling contemporary enough to connect with a new generation of kids. But who was visiting the theme parks? Who was watching the films? Who was buying the music? In true corporate fashion, Disney had commissioned a marketing research team to validate what seemed rather obvious.   The findings were sobering. Disney's iconic characters—Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto—simply weren't connecting with younger audiences the way they once had. The challenge for each division was to find ways to make these beloved characters feel contemporary without compromising their status as treasured ambassadors of the Disney brand. Obviously, music could contribute to that mission. Now here's an example of the circuitous thinking that sometimes informs my A&R decisions. At the time, Latin pop had recently become the world's musical obsession. Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, and others dominated radio, television, and the charts. As a kid, I'd always loved those classic "live" albums like The Beach Boys Party! and Johnny Rivers Live at the Whisky à Go Go. Of course, technically speaking they weren't really "live in concert" at all—they were largely studio recordings sweetened with applause, laughter, and party chatter to create the illusion of one big celebration. Those albums became my inspiration. Why not create a festive "live" album starring Mickey and pals, performing family-friendly versions of Latin hits?  It would instantly place this zany group into the current zeitgeist.  I hired the official Disney sanctioned voice-actors and we made an album called La Vida Mickey, featuring playful adaptations of songs like Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca," Richie Valens' "La Bamba," Miami Sound Machine's "Conga," and Lou Bega's "Mambo No. 5." To produce it, I hired the gifted Marco Marinangeli, one of those rare behind-the-scenes players who could convincingly recreate virtually any musical style. His arrangements were authentic, energetic, and joyful. Mickey and friends sounded as if they were throwing the world's biggest quinceañera.  Confident we'd created something special, and with Bob’s endorsement, I leaned into Disney's legendary culture of synergy. Advance copies went to virtually every division of the company—the domestic and international theme parks, the cruise line, Disney Imagineering, ABC TV, the Disney Channel, consumer products, ESPN, the Disney Stores, and the film studio. The response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Everyone wanted to incorporate this upbeat music into their own corner of the Disney universe. Then things took an unexpected turn. One afternoon I received an urgent message: "Mr. Disney would like to see you as soon as possible." At first I was excited. I'd never met Roy Disney, Jr., nor had I even seen him around the lot. The fact that he actually knew my name was rather astonishing. In my mind, he was almost a mythical figure—the company's living connection to Walt Disney himself. Naturally, I assumed he wanted to congratulate me. Surely the excitement about La Vida Mickey, and all the other successful projects I’d been working on, had filtered back to him via the highest levels of the company. Instead, I walked into one of the more unusal meetings of my career. Roy's impressive office was filled with Disney history. On one table sat a magnificent scale model of his famous racing yacht, Pyewacket, surrounded by other priceless memorabilia, including a sterling-framed photo of the studio's founder. But what struck me most was Roy himself. The resemblance to his Uncle Walt was uncanny—so much so that it was almost unsettling. He warmly insisted I call him Roy and began by saying he'd heard many wonderful things about me from around the company. He told me I had a bright future at Disney. I relaxed. Then he slowly reached into a drawer and placed a copy of La Vida Mickey on the desk between us.   His expression turned serious as he evaluated the cover art, featuring Mickey standing behind a DJ turntable, sporting a glittering white glove worthy of Michael Jackson. Roy began to explain — make that lecture — that Disney's characters were sacred. They represented ideals. They were never to be diminished, trivialized, or associated with anything that might tarnish their image. I nodded in agreement.  Then he looked directly at me and said: "I don't want Mickey fraternizing with hoodlums who steal hubcaps and slash automobile tires." I had the distinct feeling he wasn't describing anyone from his yacht club. In an instant, my cheerful little Latin party album had become something else entirely. My mind was racing. Was I about to be fired?  Needless to say, I wanted to continue succeeding at the company. Frankly, I couldn’t afford not to! Should I challenge what sounded to me like an unfair stereotype, or should I simply find an off-ramp before this conversation veered completely off the rails? It was one of those surreal moments where time seems to slow down, and you're frantically searching for exactly the right thing to say. How did my little project, created to celebrate music, culture, and fun land me in the middle of a conversation about racial profiling? Somehow, I managed to unscramble my brain and calibrate my tone before saying, "Mr. Disney—I mean, Roy—the last time I visited Disneyland, I saw a lot of Latino families patiently standing in long lines, enjoying the rides, buying the merchandise...and paying a small fortune for overpriced, undercooked, cafeteria-style burritos and tacos.” Leaning in, I added, “Hardworking people who’d saved up enough money to bring their families to the park…and I didn't see anyone flashing a switchblade." Then, throwing caution completely to the wind, I added, "And when you watch TV commercials these days—from McDonald's to Coca-Cola…the brands that Disneyland works with—they all seem to feature Latin kids dancing through the aisles like junior Ricky Martin's. So I think it would behoove Disney to embrace this incredible culture with its own vibrant Latin-styled music." As a PGA announcer might say, a hush fell over the crowd. Roy tapped his fingernails on his desk like a speed typist. Finally, with a dead-eyed stare, he said, "Well...just be careful. We're a family company." And that was it. Had the storm passed? Or were there consequences waiting around the corner? Was Roy about to call Bob Cavallo and have me escorted off the lot? I managed to eke out some unconvincing utterance before making a hasty exit. Imagine Dorthy, the Scarecrow the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion departing their audience with the great and powerful Oz. Simmering, I walked straight from Roy's office to Bob's, passing the Michael Eisner Building with its towering terra-cotta Seven Dwarfs statues supporting the roof. Looking up at the building, I thought about how much I'd always loved Disney music. Before officially joining the company, my friend, the gifted Disney executive, Chris Montan, and I had worked together on several Oscar- and Grammy-winning Disney end-title songs, including "Beauty and the Beast" and Aladdin's "A Whole New World." But I'd never drunk the corporate Kool-Aid the way some other Disney "cast members” I’d met had, including one upper management exec who always wore his red shoes, a red belt and red watchband to work.   As I made my way to the Hollywood Records office, I took stock of the situation. I’m usually a pretty unflappable guy…but seriously...who needed this sh*t? Still running on adrenaline, I charged into Bob's office. Thankfully, he had an open-door policy. He looked up from his desk and asked, "What's up?”  His tone did not suggest I was bothering him. Rather, he was open to hearing whatever I had to say. I gave him a quick blow-by-blow account of the meeting. In the scheme of things, I knew we were only talking about another little Disney record, but to me it had become a matter of principle. Or was I overreacting to the misguided ramblings of a legendary—but now largely toothless-tiger from a bygone era? Bob had managed many of my musical hero's like Earth, Wind & Fire, Prince, and my childhood faves, the Lovin' Spoonful. From the fantastic stories he’d shared with me, I knew they were all challenging clients. I also knew he’d seen and heard everything the business could throw at him, and had somehow managed to navigate every twist and turn. So, even though my blood was boiling, I valued his thoughts. Bob had this quirky little habit of quietly inhaling and then pursing his lips before he spoke. He looked at me, smiled slightly, and in the calmest voice possible said, “Oh, just forget about it kid…you’re doin’ great." Then, after a beat, he asked, “Did he really say they steal hubcaps…like Disneyland’s turning into West Side Story or something?  Unbelievable!" "So what should I do?" I asked. Without missing a beat, Bob said, "Just put the record out and see what happens. If it's successful, nobody's going to complain...and everyone's going to take credit for it. And if it’s a bomb, nobody's even going to remember it." It was one of the most pragmatic pieces of advice I'd ever received—and exactly why I remember Bob Cavallo today with such affection. Trusting his own instincts, sharpened over decades, he’d instantly evaluated every possible outcome…he knew how the game would play out…and then he dispensed this advice in his typically direct and avuncular manner.  And here's the P.S. As Mickey Mouse sang to generations of young fans, "Hey there, hi there, ho there...you're as welcome as can be!" Thanks to Bob Cavallo, somewhere in my seldom-visited storage vault, sits a gold album plaque for La Vida Mickey.   Bob was 100% right. With La Vida Mickey, and its successful sequel album, both topping the kids charts, no-one uttered a word about my having corrupted Disney’s sterling image! Speaking as a graduate of Disney-U, in my opinion, the company should erect a statue of Bob right outside the entrance to the music division he so expertly guided. With best regards,  Jay Landers ___________________________________ From: John Hartmann Subject: Re: Dark Star Date: August 19, 2026 at 6:10:49 PM PDT Hi Bob, The CSN album didn't just fall off the truck. It was the product of a half dozen phone calls and some record biz hardball. Hartmann & Goodman had finally broken through with Poco's fourteenth album, 'Legend'. America had also joined our roster, and we turned around their faltering album 'Holiday' after Warner Bros. dropped the ball. Then the phone rang. "Hartmann," I said. "This is The Croz," David replied. In those days, there was an abiding hiss on long-distance lines. "Is this the call?" I asked. "It is," David said. "Should I get on a plane?" "Meet me at the Holiday Inn in Albany, New York tomorrow afternoon," he asserted. "I'll be there," I promised. I was standing under the Holiday Inn portico when a long black limousine arrived, and David and Graham jumped out. We exchanged the appropriate kisses, hugs and happy slaps before adjourning to David's room. "What are we doing here?" I asked. "We are playing a gig in Hyannis Port tomorrow night," Graham informed me. "There's no venue in Hyannis Port," I ventured. "Where are you playing?" "The Hockey Rink," he whispered with a bit of a blush. "Why?" I asked. "We're doing a benefit concert for Teddy Kennedy; he's running for the Senate." "Let me get this straight," I asserted. "You're doing a benefit for one of the richest guys in the world, who is running for a race he couldn't lose if he tried. Boy, do you need management!" "That's why we called." We put on the show in the ice rink and were hosted by Mother Rose and Caroline. Teddy never made it. We left for New York City after the gig, where Crosby & Nash sold out two nights at Wollman Rink in Central Park. Walter Yetnikoff, the Columbia Records chieftain, and his number two man, Bruce Lundvall, showed up both nights. It was obvious Yetnikoff hoped to sign David and Graham to Columbia. He already had Stephen Stills as a solo artist, so it didn't take a genius to see what he was coveting. After a couple of days of bickering over the deal, they joined Hartmann & Goodman as our third client. They were scheduled to leave for a two-week European tour, so I went along. It was a near disaster, but we made it through and landed back in L.A. exhausted but client-rich. My first call was to Michael John Bowen, the ex-Green Beret manager of Stills. "Guess what we've got?" I asked. "What?" he said. "Crosby, Stills & Nash," I boasted. "You've got the guys?" he asked, somewhat incredulously. "We do. Are you coming to town?" "Tomorrow," he promised. The third call was to Ahmet Ertegun, the legendary head of Atlantic Records, CSN's longtime label. I had read their recording contract, and it sucked. I told Ahmet we need to renegotiate the deal. He refused. "They still owe me six albums that I'll never get," he quipped. "Your deal is ten years old and has expired," I said with maximum conviction. " "What are you talking about?" "Personal service contracts in California cannot exceed seven years," I said. "Bullsh*t! No new deal," he said and hung up. Stephen had a quiver full of new tunes and with Graham and David's songs we had enough for a first rate album. We booked sessions at Criterion Studios in Miami and engaged the Aplert Brothers to produce. We leaked it to Atlantic that CSN was in the studio and somebody called and requested purchase orders. "No Thanks, the guys are recording on their own dime," we informed. This was a consummate cage rattling, for sure. The album was done very quickly considering the perfectionist rio's meticulous nature. It was time to call Walter Yetnikoff. "Do you want to hear the new Crosby, Stills & Nash album?" I dangled. "Of course! When?" he asked. "As soon as you can get down to Miami," He commandeered the CBS jet and we flew down for a listening party. Walter was delighted. "What do I have to do to get it?" he asked. " Give us a million dollar advance, and you have to indemnify us against Ahmet's eventual lawsuit, the rest you can pound out with our lawyers." I said. "I'll get back to you," he promised. I leaked it to Atlantic that Walter had heard the record. The next call was from Ahmet.  The mad Turk was furious. He threatened a lawsuit. But I had an ace in the hole, and I blackmailed him into a renegotiation, not just for the new Album, but the new terms applied to the entire, CSN, CSNY and CN catalogs. Since Ahmet paid off, I won't say what I had on him that he feared I would expose. After all, a deal is a deal. When the album came out, "Just A Song Before I Go" was a smash hit single and the LP went multi platinum. The ensuing reunion tour was a total sell out with nary an empty seat anywhere in the country. Walter had demurred but it was the catalyst we needed to bring  Atlantic to the line. That was the last call. Best regards, John Hartmann ___________________________________ From: Rob Whittaker Subject: Re: Tickets Not Streams Date: August 23, 2026 at 3:19:49 AM PDT About live music, I play keys in Big Racket. We are a live party/cover band. In fact, people have said 'They're like a real band!'.  Stu Robb is our excellent frontman who makes every show a very cool party. Graeme Hartlan on bass and YouTubes Jimi Wolf Solos on guitar.  We sell a lot of beer.    We play mostly at Drums'N'Flats in Toronto, an excellent venue for live rock’n’roll. I think the occupancy is about 150, but it feels like we get 200 in there because the place gets rammed. It's always on fire by the second set.   Interestingly, Michael McCarty, our unflappable drummer (you may know him) is a music industry veteran. He gets some very cool cats to come out and play with us. Sometimes we get Neil Sanderson of Three Days Grace to play Johnny B. Goode. Paul Shaffer. Andy Kim. Alan Frew might sing some Tragically Hip covers. Paquin Entertainments - and the band Harlequin - Ralph James plays bass when we cover his ‘80s synth-rock hit Innocence. We had the boys from Sum 41 join us a couple of months ago.   They all say the same thing: it's awesome to play a small room with off-the-hook energy, because that's rock'n'roll.   The star power is crazy fun for us. We get to meet and play music with our heroes. But the best part is that these guys enjoy playing in a bar again. It's not reminiscence; it's real. Like the guy said, we're 'like a real band,' even for people who are used to much taller stages and larger crowds. They all enjoy the rootsy, back-to-basics experience. And we can play, so it's easy for them to feel safe. They know it's not going to be a train wreck.    The guests always have some nervous energy because they're people too. It's incredibly humanizing. And sometimes we don't stick the ending, or we miss the break, but that moment when you’ve come through it and everyone had a great time - it's like nothing else.   That's when I look up and thank my mom for the piano lessons back in grade 6. ___________________________________ From: Willie Nile Subject: Re: Willie Nile Date: July 28, 2026 at 8:36:26 PM MDT Hi Bob, Thanks for asking. Yes, my father passed away 3 weeks ago. He was 108 1/2 years old, the 16th oldest man in the U.S.. Joe Biden called him in November to wish him a Happy 108th Birthday.  He took no medication, which is crazy, and he wasn't ill. His organs just began to shut down. He was such a good and humble man, the kind, one hopes, America, at it's best, is made of. He lived at home and was still mentally sound and doing crossword puzzles, reading books and having a Happy Hour every day. One of my brothers has been living with him for the past 8 years and watching over him. His sense of humor was intact until the very end. He was of Irish Catholic origin and went to mass every day for over 83 years. Who does that!  And he used to wake every night for over 43 years and do a Holy Hour. He'd wake at random hours in the night to use the bathroom and then sit in a chair and pray for people for an hour. Who does that! It's a blessing that he no longer has to deal with the sufferings of life here on earth and all of us in the family know how lucky we were to have him for as long as we did. I'm doing ok. It's a big loss for all of us but I know it's best for him. He always said he was ready to go whenever the time for him came. He can now rest in peace and is hopefully dancing somewhere in paradise with Mom.  Here's to a good man who led by example and showed us how to live and how to leave with courage and grace.  Willie -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Adam Weiner-This Week's Podcast

Adam Weiner is the creative force behind Low Cut Connie. Listen to how he's achieved success completely independently. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adam-weiner/id1316200737?i=1000786257342 https://open.spotify.com/episode/0svP4ztSKyFnDVwzOJQYHC?si=nwrEuf26SguSwlJrCum97g https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/adam-weiner-342474182 https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/eb6eba86-b25b-463a-b008-87d3d6056850/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-adam-weiner -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Dolly Parton

1 What you've got to know is she WROTE those songs! So it's October 1973. I'm driving with the top down on my 1963 Chevy Impala trying to get something on the radio. This was before cassette decks. Sure, you could buy an aftermarket 8-track, but they sat under the dash and were notorious for getting stolen. Furthermore, the 8-track format itself was wonky. With the movement of the heads from track to track...tapes wore out quickly and thus were a bad investment. Which is all to say when you were in the hinterlands, long before the days of Bluetooth, never mind satellite radio, you'd drive down the highway with your right hand on the radio dial, trying to pull in a listenable station. Now this was in the hinterlands of Vermont. Needless to say, this '63 convertible didn't have FM, not that there was a station broadcasting in the backwoods. But AM signals travel further and... What you notoriously got was rural news, the farm report, and country music. In an era where no proud rocker followed what was going on in Nashville. Sure, Ringo made a record in Tennessee. But most of us in the north had never even been south of the Mason-Dixon Line, unless it was the hop, skip and a jump to Florida. We wrote off the south, that's where you went with your long hair and got attacked by rednecks. Now don't confuse today's country music with yesteryear's. Today's country is the rock of the seventies. Back then, it was people with high hair singing twangy songs... Sure, there was a TV show, "Hee Haw." But this was long before the average fan of the Fab Four gave props to Roy Clark for his picking ability. As for Buck Owens...we couldn't find Bakersfield on a map, never mind name a single song of his. Sure, we knew Roger Miller from the AM radio of the sixties. "Trailers for sale or rent..." This was what we endured to get to the Beatles. But I'm in a pensive mood, wondering how I'm going to endure another year of college, it's a brisk day and I stumble on to a station and what comes out is "Jolene." It was not only the first time I heard the song, it was the first time I'd ever heard Dolly Parton. She hadn't crossed over, she wasn't featured on Top 40 radio in the metropolis. But rather than continuing to mosey down the dial, looking for some rock, I listened. "Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene" This was rootsy. Not that different from those Bonnie Raitt albums I was enamored of. This was not drippy drama, songs to sleep to. I could relate. And I never forgot it. 2 Now we knew who Dolly Parton was. I mean how could you not? With that hair and those boobs? But the real breakthrough into the mainstream was "9 to 5." Back when Jane Fonda could open a movie and a flick like this could garner an audience. "9 to 5" was a staple. Everybody saw it. And what they saw in Dolly Parton was someone who didn't deny her roots, but was in on the joke. That was the thing about Dolly Parton, she had a sense of humor, she could make fun of herself. Not to mention writing the title song, which went all the way to number one and earned her an Oscar nomination. Dolly Parton was now part of the firmament. From the holler, but never lumped into the same bucket as Loretta Lynn and George Jones, no matter how talented they might have been. Dolly Parton was now mainstream, when those other acts were not. They were still inhabitants of the country ghetto, Parton had transcended that. And she maintained this status for the next half century. To this day! Most people have ups and downs, their careers wax and wane. People change their opinions on them. But not Dolly Parton. Somehow by being aw shucks and exhibiting all that talent, she was embraced. And, once again, she was in on the joke. She'd go on late night TV and play the role. You'd think she was ditzy, almost a bimbo, and then she'd let out a zinger showing that she was as sharp as you and me and to underestimate her was a mistake. 3 But Parton's crossover appeal, the cementing of her credibility amongst those who were not country fans, was the 1987 "Trio" album, which she made with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. I bought that album, played it too. It was a natural extension of the country rock that began with "Sweetheart of the Rodeo," which always had a place in the firmament, it never died. Now the funny thing is the true star, the person who could make it happen, was Linda Ronstadt, who was a superstar in the seventies and then broadened her purview to the stage with "Pirates of Penzance" and then cut three albums of standards with Nelson Riddle. If Ronstadt's name was on it, it sold. And in truth, Linda had much more broad-based musical success than Dolly, more hit albums, but now, nearly forty years later... Linda's star in the public firmament has faded, yet Dolly's shines as bright as ever. Because Dolly wrote. That's what makes it so you're remembered. The songs. And Dolly's songs were personal. And her story from there to here was one of lifting herself up by her own bootstraps. Gloria Steinem may have gotten all the ink, but Dolly was just as much of a role model for women's liberation, if not more. Dolly wrote for herself. And the personal is universal, when you do it right. And she was so damn likable. Without being syrupy sweet, without shaving off all of her rough edges. She played the game with a wink. And those who play and can beat the odds doing it their way...we cotton to them. 4 And then there was the whole kerfuffle with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Unlike the desperate with a chip on their shoulder, looking for the accolade as a victory lap they can put on their résumé, Dolly thought she didn't deserve induction, because she wasn't really a rock artist. But if you're going to induct Whitney Houston... And, of course, Dolly wrote Whitney's signature song, "I Will Always Love You." An outstanding performance, but it's the song that will live on, not Whitney Houston. Look at history, rarely are interpreters remembered, but writing, when done right, is forever. So Dolly Parton, of all people, is calling the Hall on its B.S. Ironically, she's standing up for the leather jacketed crowd pissed that pop, never mind hip-hop, is now part of the Hall. She was more interested in the integrity of the institution than the award. But when Dolly finally acceded, she took the stage, played the guitar and ROCKED! I was there. You couldn't watch it without a smile on your face. If this was the Rock Hall, she was going to deliver, and she did! 5 Now if you want to know every facet of Dolly's career, there are plenty of obituaries to fill that need. You can go on Spotify and listen to her catalog. I'm no expert. I'm just like so many of you. Country music of the sixties and seventies was not my bag (Although I did love Charlie Rich's "The Most Beautiful Girl"... Then again, do youngsters even know that classic? I don't see any of them covering it. But young acts continue to cover "Jolene" and other Dolly Parton songs.), but Dolly Parton was an exception. We all knew her, she was embedded in our hearts and minds. As much as she appeared, she was never overexposed, we were always glad to see her. She was like someone from down the street, dropping by for a cup of coffee, gossiping with relish. She was more than a performer, she was a person! I know you know what I'm talking about. Which is why there's a national, international outcry over her passing. Old rockers? They're dropping like flies. Then again, when they're not on the road...out of sight, out of mind. But Dolly Parton never left the news. And she's left a hole that cannot be filled, because she was sui generis, there was only one Dolly Parton. And there will never be one again. Just like the Beatles were a product of post-war Liverpool... Dolly Parton was a product of a rural America that has expired with modernity. Sure, there's still poverty, but there's also flat screen TVs and smartphones and the internet... Actually, all you can really do is marvel. At what Dolly achieved, and she never rested on her laurels, she continued to march forward. Wow. -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Time-Season One

BritBox trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaX4oy36bHk We may never get to season two, I could barely get Felice to finish season one, that's how intense, gritty and realistic this prison drama is. I mean I'm watching it thinking this is the best prison show I've ever seen. I mean there've been tons of movies and I did enjoy "Oz," but plot does not supersede the vibe, the drudgery and pressure inside the walls is primary in "Time." What we've got here is Sean Bean as Mark Cobden, a white collar person in a blue collar jail. Cobden had an alcohol problem and killed a man and... You'd think he'd go to a special prison, somewhere with people like himself. But no, he's thrown in with the general population. Cobden was a teacher, and he's recognized as such in the prison. He thinks he can keep his head down and just sleepwalk through the four years of his sentence. But then he starts to be bullied. He's a man who works with his mind, not his fists. And this goes on and on until the mastermind says Cobden must fight back. The intellectual mastermind, the one who looks out of place in prison, keeps a low profile but is really in charge of contraband and... All I could think about was Trump and Carney. There comes a time when you've got to say no más, when you've got to stand up. And the funny thing is when you're on the side of right, your constituency will support you. The tariffs may hurt the population of Canada, but they're willing to stand up for what's right, if only Americans felt the same way. So how does Cobden survive? Well, with the help of the chaplain, Siobhan Finneran, who is a staple of British television. If this were an American show, they'd end up getting it on, but that's not a feature in real life. But the true star of the show is Stephen Graham, as Eric McNally, the prison officer in charge of Cobden. Graham is a superstar. You know him from "Adolescence." Graham conveys his inner thoughts better than any actor out there, even Meryl Streep, and he's more believable in his character than she ever is. Once again, if this were an American production, Graham would cozy up to the inmates, end up becoming friends. But that's not what happens. He is not unduly violent, but he's not overly compassionate either. And he's not touchy-feely like today's supposed parents. He can't hug his son. And what is more important, his job or his family? So what we've got here is a constant owing of favors. That's the nature of life, but it's enforced more rigidly in prison. There's always something you want, but you're going to have to pay for it, even though the ask may be far in the future. And you expect Cobden's wife to rise to the occasion, be supportive... There are no caricatures here. Everybody is an individual. But really, you feel the walls of the prison closing in on Cobden, and you feel it yourself. You cannot watch this show without putting yourself in it. Could you survive in the general prison population? You might think you're special, can stay at arm's length, just quietly do your time, but this is untrue. As for your date of exit... Is it only a matter of time before you do something to add to your sentence, if you survive at all? It's kind of like the police, the thin blue line. It's a gang, with a hierarchy, and you've got to play to survive, to keep your job. Also, this one show is the best anti-drive while drinking advertisement I've ever seen. They don't hammer the point, but if you get behind the wheel telling yourself you're sober enough to drive... In truth, you shouldn't get behind the wheel at all. This show will school you. And like the best art, you're completely involved, not on the outside. It's a nail-biter. But if you're up to this kind of thing... This is what I live for, I don't want no stinkin' fantasy, give me real life. People are people, we're all in it together, don't tell yourself otherwise. P.S. Just for the record, the second season is a different story, with women this time. P.P.S. This is not a huge time commitment, there are only three episodes, the cost is mostly emotional. -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Furious

Hulu/Disney+ trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBSqPDxmNZs This is why the streamers' lunch is being eaten by YouTube. So it's Friday night, I've had a busy week, not that I'm complaining, and I come home from an evening hike to finish my favorite new show, "Furious." There are two episodes left and just enough time to watch them. BUT THEY'RE UNAVAILABLE! Chalk this up to the old guard still being in control. It's not only Congress, it's in every walk of life. The Boomers still rule and think they know better, to the detriment of the companies they own. They somehow think that by dripping shows out week by week they're building momentum, via water cooler moments...the only problem is there are no water coolers and no one wants to go to the office anyway. Hell, you consume water from your own bottle, everything is personalized, one to one, but the anti-internet oldsters still want to cram you into a paradigm that expired years ago. We want it all and we want it now. NOW! The record business is the canary in the coal mine when it comes to digital disruption. Remember when the companies were pissed about pre-release date leaks? How they messed with their marketing set-up? How quaint. The issue now is getting ANY attention. If you don't make it easy...there are just too many other options in the marketplace. Certainly when it comes to visual entertainment. There's a reason Netflix rules. It's run by veritable youngsters. Who know that to be inured to the old ways is a recipe for death. All of Hollywood is up in arms over the Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery merger when in truth, those are both also-ran companies combining to survive. Makes me crazy, the wealthy only thought those who worked with their hands could lose their jobs with impunity. These two entities are merging because they missed the moment, and are trying to survive. We live in a capitalist society, with no guaranteed employment. But when it comes to the denizens of Hollywood... No wonder so many have contempt for the entertainment industry, it's out of touch. But it does connect occasionally. Now in truth, the best television is made overseas. Israel/Denmark/Korea. That's the trifecta. But then there's "Ethos" from Turkey... Now if you're on the social media the Boomers abhor, you'll encounter self-described experts telling you what to watch on television. And I know who to ignore by the fact that they never mention a foreign series. Then Friday, I encountered Max & Tyler: https://www.tiktok.com/@ohhelloentertainment/video/7676917961592016141 I was stunned because they got it right. And I'd seen every show they listed in this clip, stunned that they mentioned "Spiral" and "The Bureau," other than "Time," and I pulled that up when the last two episodes of "Furious" were unavailable. Some lessons are immutable. We learned this in record retail. If the album is not available when the customer walks in to buy it, chances are they'll purchase something else, or walk out without buying anything, and the odds of them returning for the original disc are extremely low. I wouldn't have watched "Time" if "Furious" was available. And if "Furious" wasn't so damn good, I wouldn't go back to it. But "Furious" is GREAT! I found it via research. I ask everybody what they're watching. And when they come up with the usual suspects, my eyes roll into the back of my head and I shut up, because nothing I say will resonate with them, because they haven't seen anything I have. And not one single person has contacted me about "Furious." Never has a show so good generated so little scuttlebutt. Now what we've got in "Furious" is a serial killer. (I'm not going to cough up much here, but if you want to go in completely fresh, you can stop reading now.) The main character in that half of the show is Lola Petticrew." An Irish actor you will recognize from "Say Nothing," a series about the Troubles that is a must-see. But Petticrew plays a different role, a different character here, she's got range, like too many of the pretty faces we see in American productions. But this is an American production. And on the other half of the series, the cop side... We've got Emmy Rossum. Whose name I know but could not pick out of a lineup. Emmy as Alice Black has left her job with the NYPD to work for the FBI. She's trying to get away from her abusive boyfriend. Emmy/Alice wants to jump straight in, but is constantly held back. The NYPD clears cases, the FBI investigates. And when Emmy/Alice is stunned by the wisdom of Quincy Tyler Bernstine as Nora, who heads the FBI's sex crimes unit, Nora responds: "I'm not a former cop. I went to a fancy school, and I'm very smart." This is so brilliant, so right. Too many people judge others by the color of their skin. Alice thinks she's equal to Nora, but in truth, Nora is not only intelligent, but educated. Yup, she went to a highfalutin' school, even though she's Black and working in the basement. Petticrew and Bernstine are the highlights of the show. Petticrew is a tiny little thing who uses her feminine wiles to her advantage. Bernstine is world-weary, but is willing to do the right thing, even at a cost to herself. Watching them alone makes the show. But Emmy/Alice is three-dimensional. Not only with flashbacks and fears from the physical abuse of her cop boyfriend, but a need for rough sex and... Her ex is Jake Lacy, the beefy silent type who normally has no backbone, but here...he's a grenade ready to explode. All the while trying to get Emmy/Alice to change her story so he can advance up the ladder. You know Rob Delaney from "Catastrophe," or maybe another show, he's been in many. He always plays a light type, yet here he's a He-Man of the Universe who thinks he can always bend things to his advantage, but can he? And then there's Scoot McNairy, who was so good playing Walt Breslin in "Narcos: Mexico." The cast is first rate. But the plotting is too. Predictability is kept to a minimum. You're on the edge of your seat, wondering what is next. They say that "Furious" is loosely inspired by the 1987 film "Black Widow." You remember that one, right? The Bob Rafelson film featuring Theresa Russell, Debra Winger and Dennis Hopper? This was still when we went to the theatre, what was exhibited there could not be found on TV. And what intrigued us was the auteurs, the holdovers from the sixties and seventies like Rafelson. Before the industry flipped to summer blockbusters like "Jaws" and "Star Wars" and evolved into extravaganzas like the Marvel movies. As for Theresa Russell... She hasn't been seen in years. And all you really have to know about her, in terms of her magnetism and desirability, is that Pete Townshend hit on her and when he was rejected wrote "Athena" about her. Yup. But now we follow series instead of flicks. There's great stuff there if you know how to dig, if you skip over the low hanging fruit. This is not the television of yesteryear. And, in truth, "Furious" is better than "Black Widow," more fleshed-out, grittier and a bit more believable. I highly recommend it. But know if you get hooked, the final episode won't air until August 31st. So either you get started now and binge, which is what will happen, because you'll be entranced, and get frustrated that you can't finish. Or wait until it's complete before you start... But by that time there will be something new to watch. And you may never go back. That's the truth. -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25