Ken Bigger is a writer based in the Midwest. He co-founded Murder Ballad Monday in 2012.
 Adrian Roye  In our travels through the murder ballad genre, we go into a few kinds of terrain with some regularity. Sometimes, itâs a deep dive into an âold countryâ of traditional, if not ancient, murder ballads. These … Continue reading →
Prineâs stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs. I remember when Kris Kristofferson first brought him on the scene. All that stuff about âSam Stoneâ the soldier junky daddy and âDonald … Continue reading →
Alternate UK album cover photo for Strange Little Girls (2001).This is the photo for âI Donât Like Mondaysâ in the liner notes This is the second in a pair of posts about Bob Geldofâs song âI Donât Like Mondays.â Read the first … Continue reading →
Bob Geldof (well before becoming Sir Bob Geldof, K.B.E.) Tell me why! Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â I donât like Mondays! Tell me why! Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â … Continue reading →
Tom Waits, our honorary gatekeeper for this post Today we wrap up our second year of blogging at Murder Ballad Monday, heading toward our regularly scheduled December holiday. This is our 239th post, and with it, we will click over … Continue reading →
Carla Bozulich We noted in the previous installments (1 and 2) how Willie Nelsonâs 1975 album Red Headed Stranger (Spotify) represents the realization of a distinctive artistic vision. It challenged the conventional wisdom of the recording industry when it was released. One … Continue reading →
This is our second post on Nelsonâs classic murder ballad concept album Red Headed Stranger. Read the first one here. Now the preaching is over and the lessonâs begun As I hope was clear from the previous post, Willie Nelsonâs creative enhancements … Continue reading →
Album cover for Red Headed Stranger (1975) Introduction Taking up Willie Nelsonâs iconic 1975 album Red Headed Stranger is a prospect both daunting and straightforward. It is the landmark murder ballad concept album, and launched Nelson into superstardom. Despite thematic and stylistic … Continue reading →
Old West saloon Iâm halfway tempted to try a few stiff shots of tequila before writing this post. OK, perhaps more than halfway tempted. I havenât yet gotten to the point of the having the first, but perhaps youâll be … Continue reading →
This is the third post in a series on Bruce Springsteenâs âAmerican Skin (41 Shots)â and related songs. Read the first post here, and the second one here. âWe donât want to bring our politics to yaâŚâ Remember that quote … Continue reading →
