Jim Beviglia

1 week ago | americansongwriter.com | Jim Beviglia

Bob Dylan came out of the gate writing with certainty and fervor about the issues of the day. The authority that he wielded in his songs caused his diehard fans to start hanging on his every word. Some accepted them as absolute truth without questioning them. But Dylan refused to fall for his own hype. He eventually started to hedge his bets, realizing that even some of his former songs could have been more righteous than exactly right. It’s with that spirit he wrote his classic song “My Back Pages”.

1 week ago | americansongwriter.com | Jim Beviglia

Technically, “Everything You Want” by Vertical Horizon made most of its chart impact in 2000. But it was released in 1999, and it certainly has more in common with the angsty music of the 90s than with the poppier inclinations of the following decade. The song came from a songwriter who knew what he was singing, as he pretty much lived through the story behind the tune. That kind of authenticity explains why “Everything You Want” continues to hit home as a downbeat sing-along.

1 week ago | americansongwriter.com | Jim Beviglia

Like many of the finest musical artists of all time, Marvin Gaye’s career spanned several different stylistic eras. He shined in the 60s as Motown’s smoothest vocalist. In the early 70s, he reinvented himself as a social warrior. Late in his career, he reigned as the ultimate seducer and lover man. The amazing thing is he reigned on the pop charts during every one of those periods of time. With that in mind, let’s take a look back at Marvin Gaye’s five biggest US hits.

1 week ago | americansongwriter.com | Jim Beviglia

You never know which direction a song is going to take when you’re writing it. When it does take an unexpected twist, you should prepare to follow it instead of forcing down a road it doesn’t want to go. Donnie Iris followed that advice when writing songs for his first album as a lead artist. He ended up with a surprise Top 40 hit in “Ah! Leah!” as a result.

1 week ago | americansongwriter.com | Jim Beviglia

They gained a reputation as the ultimate studio perfectionists, toiling endlessly at their creations. Why would Steely Dan worry if they could recreate their compositions on stage since they didn’t want to play live anyway? Truth be told, the Dan once did the whole touring thing just like all other bands. Then came 1975, when Donald Fagen and Walter Becker decided to drop all pretense that they were like their other rocking peers. Steely Dan would become a studio band exclusively.