Articles written by Steven Booth

What is Helium

About me - Steven Booth

I'm a writer who lives in Ventura County. Most of it's about music, but I'll write and have written about other stuff. If it's thought provoking and not some self-help circle jerk, I'm on it.

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Entertainment > Musicians & Bands Comparing U2's old and new material: 1 of 4
U2's best material comes from their middle period, the period between "Achtung Baby" and "Pop". There is no denying the greatness of their early material, with "Joshua Tree" undoubtedly being a classic album. The later material, from "All That You Can't Leave Behind" on, pretty much rides on past glories. The recent "No Line ... More..
Entertainment > Musicians & Bands Who was the better Van Halen lead singer: David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar?: 1 of 4
The question of who is the better Van Halen singer comes down to this: Does one prefer the charisma and showmanship of David Lee Roth, or the more competent, workmanlike Sammy Hagar? While Hagar is undoubtedly the better singer, songwriter and musician, and is probably easier to tolerate, Van Halen was at its best with Roth, ... More..
Entertainment > Music Business Music piracy: Is downloading music ethical?: 18 of 62
Is the unauthorized downloading of music ethical? No. it is not. Anytime an artist creates a song it is his/her property. It is up to them, or whoever controls the rights to the song what they want to do with it. Is it understandable why music piracy is so prevalent? The answer is also yes. The music business is a mess, and h... More..
Entertainment > Musicians & Bands Are aging rock superstars like Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones timeless or too old to perform on stage anymore?: 46 of 150
That is ridiculous. First, the fact that these guys can still sell out arenas says they can still perform. As long as there are people willing to pay money to see them, says they can still perform. Secondly, although it can be argued that they are well beyond their creative and commercial peaks, both of these artists and many... More..
Entertainment > Musicians & Bands Why the Red Hot Chili Peppers are a great band: 2 of 6
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a great band because they have balls, brains and soul. With the LA hardcore scene dying out, they had the audacity to form a funk band with average at best musical chops, then they proceeded to stut around like they were the next coming of George Clinton. They honed their musicianship and writing... More..
Entertainment > Album Reviews Album reviews: Back in Black by AC/DC: 2 of 6
The critics go on and on about smart rock and roll- The great songwriters and musicians who gave intellegence to rock and roll. Too late and too little do they give credit for balls, which is the reason rock and roll succeeded in the first place. AC/DC is one of the finest examples of his, and "Back In Black" is their tour-d... More..
Entertainment > Music Genres, Trends & Scenes Defending heavy metal music: It's not just screaming: 20 of 57
As far as hard-edged guitar music goes, metal is king. The bands and the playing have gotten better, they're better songwriters, and they're doing a much beeter job of incorporating other styles into their music. On the other hand, other genres of guitar rock suck.Punk/hardcore used to be king, but now it is reduced to a mix ... More..
Entertainment > Musicians & Bands Band reviews: Wilco: 4 of 10
Jeff Tweedy is a restless soul. He didn't want to be second fiddle to Jay Farrar, so that helped lead the late and lamented Uncle Tupelo to its demise. He didn't want to be lumped in with the No Depression scene he helped create, so he made music that aside from his molasses-like vocals bears little resemblance to the raw ... More..
Entertainment > Album Reviews Album reviews: Tattoo You, by The Rolling Stones: 2 of 3
Tattoo You is an album of paradoxes by a paradoxical band. One side is one of the most consistent slabs of music the Stones had put out since "Let It Bleed", the second is mostly unfinished and unfocused R& B. Secondly, while it was hailed as return to form by old-school fans, it actually contained very little truly new ... More..
Entertainment > Album Reviews Music reviews: The Joshua Tree, by U2: 2 of 3
U2's The Joshua Tree was the culmination of the first act of their so far three act career. It was the record where the artistic aspirations of Boy hit full flower. It was also their most downbeat and questioning album of their career. Not coincidentally, it was also their strongest, most consistent collection of songs to ... More..