Reading Is Funktamental - A Pod About Books About Music

Brian Cullman - Memoir of NYC's Rock-N-Roll Zelig

In this episode of Reading Is Funktamental, we discuss the fascinating life of a true NYC music original, Brian Cullman, author of How to Prepare for the Past: Travels in Music & Times. New Yorker Brian Cullman is a true rock ‘n roll Zelig. Like the character from the Woody Allen film of the same name, Cullman has built friendships with a remarkable array of figures central to the past six decades of popular music, from Ed Sullivan, Lester Bangs, and Big Joe Turner to Joe Boyd, Bill Laswell, and the Master Musicians of Jajouka. Cullman’s memories and adventures with this cast of noteworthy and often outlandish characters form the core of his entertaining new memoir, How to Prepare for the Past: Travels in Music & Time (Ze Books). [https://www.zebooks.com/books/how-to-prepare-for-the-past] Cullman’s meetings with these names are presented in 37 concise, vivid vignettes over just 250 pages. I quickly devoured these highly readable snippets of life, music, and travel within about 48 hours. For more details, see the review I penned for NYSMusic.com [http://NYSMusic.com] https://nysmusic.com/2026/04/06/brian-cullmans-memoir-of-a-rock-n-roll-zelig/ [https://nysmusic.com/2026/04/06/brian-cullmans-memoir-of-a-rock-n-roll-zelig/] "Reading is Funktamental" is a monthly one-hour podcast and radio show about great books written about music and music-makers. In each episode, host Sal Cataldi speaks to the authors of some of the best reads about rock, jazz, punk, world, experimental music, and much more. From time to time, the host and authors will be joined by notable musicians, writers, and artists who are die-hard fans of the subject matter covered. Expect lively conversation and a playlist of great music to go with it. "Reading Is Funktamental" can be heard the second Wednesday of every month from 10 – 11 AM on Wave Farm: WGXC 90.7 FM and online at wavefarm.org [http://wavefarm.org]. It can also be found as a podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other platforms. Sal Cataldi is a musician and writer based in Saugerties. He is best known for his work with his genre-leaping solo project, Spaghetti Eastern Music, and is also a member of the ambient guitar duo, Guitars A Go Go, the poetry and music duo, Vapor Vespers, and the quartet, Spaceheater. His writing on music, books, and film has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, PopMatters, Seattle Times, Huffington Post, Inside+Out Upstate NY, and NYSMusic.com [http://NYSMusic.com], where he is the book reviewer.

Focus - Dutch Masters of Prog Rock with author Peet Johnson

In this episode of Reading Is Funktamental, we turn our attention to one of the great prog bands of all time, the Dutch Masters, Focus. Our guest is Peet Johnson. He is the author of "Hocus Pocus - The Strife & Times of Rock's Dutch Masters," a comprehensive, 300+ page book documenting the history of the legendary Dutch progressive rock band. Best remembered for their proto-guitar shred and yodel-skat chart smash "Hocus Pocus," Dutch progressive rock band Focus was formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by vocalist/keyboardist/flutist Thijs van Leer, bassist Martin Dresden, drummer Hans Cleuver, and acclaimed guitarist Jan Akkerman. The group was known for its instrumental virtuosity and its compositional approach, which leaned heavily on classical influences like Bach and Bartok, jazz, and heavy rock. Focus issued its debut LP, In and Out of Focus, in 1970, earning a European cult following thanks to the single "House of the King." Dresden and Cleuver were replaced by bassist Cyril Havermanns and drummer Pierre Van der Linden for the English-language follow-up, Moving Waves; the record generated the hit "Hocus Pocus," a hallucinatory epic distinguished by Akkerman's guitar pyrotechnics and van Leer's demented yodeling. Their third album, Focus III, yielded the minor hit "Sylvia." In the wake of 1974's Hamburger Concert, the band streamlined the classical aspirations of earlier efforts, pursuing a more pop-oriented approach on records like Ship of Memories and Mother Focus. Though roster changes regularly plagued Focus throughout the period, none was more pivotal than Akkerman's 1976 exit. This podcast focuses exclusively on the first chapter of the band's history. "Reading is Funktamental" is a monthly one-hour podcast and radio show about great books written about music and music-makers. In each episode, host Sal Cataldi speaks to the authors of some of the best reads about rock, jazz, punk, world, experimental music, and much more. From time to time, the host and authors will be joined by notable musicians, writers, and artists who are die-hard fans of the subject matter covered. Expect lively conversation and a playlist of great music to go with it. "Reading Is Funktamental" can be heard the second Wednesday of every month from 10 – 11 AM on Wave Farm: WGXC 90.7 FM and online at wavefarm.org [http://wavefarm.org]. It can also be found as a podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other platforms. Sal Cataldi is a musician and writer based in Saugerties. He is best known for his work with his genre-leaping solo project, Spaghetti Eastern Music, and is also a member of the ambient guitar duo, Guitars A Go Go, the poetry and music duo, Vapor Vespers, and the quartet, Spaceheater. His writing on music, books, and film has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, PopMatters, Seattle Times, Huffington Post, Inside+Out Upstate NY, and NYSMusic.com [http://NYSMusic.com], where he is the book reviewer.

Alice Coltrane - Her Cosmic Music & Life with Biographer Andy Beta

In this episode of Reading Is Funktamental, we discuss the life and music of Alice Coltrane with Andy Beta, author of Cosmic Music: The Life, Art and Transcendence of Alice Coltrane. Beta’s book is the first full biography of this remarkable, groundbreaking artist, and is an elegant, deeply researched corrective to the historical—and critical—record. It elevates Alice Coltrane to her proper place, both alongside her husband as one of the greatest musical visionaries of the 20th century, and also as a singular artist in Western music, one who became a spiritual leader in her lifetime. Alice Coltrane (1937-2007) was one of the most misunderstood artists of the last sixty years. For most of her life—and even in the decades since her passing—she was primarily known as the widow of the late John Coltrane. John Coltrane is widely seen as being one of the greatest tenor saxophonists and composers of the 20th century, with a fervor and devotion approaching sainthood. Yet ever so slowly, that level of love and appreciation is also being bestowed upon pianist, organist, harpist, and composer Alice Coltrane. In the years since her passing, she has become a great influence on a new generation of musicians, especially women, people of color, and artists who seek to combine jazz with other musical forms, be it modern classical, electronic, Indian music, and more. Cosmic Music also unearths previously unknown connections between Alice Coltrane and other generational icons, from Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, and Nina Simone to Mother Teresa and Doja Cat. For more, read my review of the book at https://www.popmatters.com/alice-coltrane-cosmic-music-beta [https://www.popmatters.com/alice-coltrane-cosmic-music-beta] "Reading is Funktamental" is a monthly one-hour podcast and radio show about great books written about music and music-makers. In each episode, host Sal Cataldi speaks to the authors of some of the best reads about rock, jazz, punk, world, experimental music, and much more. From time to time, the host and authors will be joined by notable musicians, writers, and artists who are die-hard fans of the subject matter covered. Expect lively conversation and a playlist of great music to go with it. "Reading Is Fundamental" can be heard on the second Wednesday of every month from 10 – 11 AM on Wave Farm: WGXC 90.7 FM and online at wavefarm.org [http://wavefarm.org]. It is also available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms. Sal Cataldi is a musician and writer based in Saugerties. He is best known for his work with his genre-leaping solo project, Spaghetti Eastern Music, and is also a member of the ambient guitar duo Guitars A Go Go, the poetry-and-music duo Vapor Vespers, and the quartet Spaceheater. His writing on music, books, and film has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, PopMatters, Seattle Times, Huffington Post, Inside+Out Upstate NY, and NYSMusic.com [http://NYSMusic.com], where he is the book reviewer.

When Rock Went Big! The Concept Album with Author Bill Kopp

In this episode, we discuss the history and appeal of concept albums with Bill Kopp, author of What's the Big Idea: 30 Great Concept Albums (HoZac Books). Music has always been a vehicle for telling stories – of love and heartbreak, of history and fantasy, and much more. Sometimes the stories can be related in a tuneful single lasting under three minutes. In other cases, beginning in the late ‘60s, these stories could unfold across a dozen interconnected songs, an audio movie or novel on four or more sides of vinyl. In time, these bodacious pieces would become a genre unto themselves – Concept Albums -- some beloved, some the object of seemingly endless ridicule. Kopp's book chronicles a wide range, from early entries like Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick and The Turtle Battle of the Bands to William Shatner's Ponder the Mystery and Drive-By Trucker's Southern Rock Opera. More info can be found in my earlier review here: https://nysmusic.com/2025/12/31/musics-big-idea-the-concept-album-chronicled-in-new-book/ [https://nysmusic.com/2025/12/31/musics-big-idea-the-concept-album-chronicled-in-new-book/] "Reading is Funktamental" is a monthly one-hour show about great books written about music and music-makers. In each episode, host Sal Cataldi speaks to the authors of some of the best reads about rock, jazz, punk, world, experimental music, and much more. Occasionally, the host is joined by notable musicians who have written about their careers. Recent guests have included eccentric British singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock, Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera, Traffic co-founder Dave Mason, and Moon Zappa. Expect a great conversation and a playlist of great music to go with it. Sal Cataldi is a musician and writer based in Saugerties. He is best known for his work with his genre-leaping solo project, Spaghetti Eastern Music, and is also a member of the ambient guitar duo, Guitars A Go Go, the poetry and music duo, Vapor Vespers, the jazz ensemble Hari Karaoke Trio of Doom and the quartet, Spaceheater. His writing [https://muckrack.com/sal-cataldi] on music, books and film has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, PopMatters, Seattle Times, Huffington Post, Inside+Out Upstate NY, and NYSMusic.com [http://NYSMusic.com], where he is the book reviewer.

The Cars' Ric Ocasek with Author Peter Aaron

In this episode of Reading Is Funktamental, we discuss the life and music of Ric Ocasek, the driving force of one of New Wave’s most successful bands, the hitmaking machine, The Cars, with Peter Aaron, the author of the first in-depth biography of the musician. The sounds of new wave pop music and the early days of MTV were defined by the work of a handful of iconic musicians, and few stood taller in that era than Ric Ocasek, frontman and primary songwriter for the Cars. The band charted 13 Top 40 singles in the U.S. from 1978 to 1987, the music video for their song “You Might Think” won MTV's first-ever Video of the Year award, and their biggest hit, “Drive,” became a Top 10 hit worldwide. They would ultimately be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Following the band's breakup in 1988, Ocasek continued to lead a lively professional and personal life, dating supermodels, publishing poetry, and appearing in movies. He enjoyed enormous success as a producer, working with such bands as Weezer, No Doubt, Guided by Voices, and the Bad Brains. Moving in Stereo: The Life of Ric Ocasek, the Driving Force of the Cars, serves as an in-depth guide to Ocasek's life and career as a musician. Drawing on interviews, personal reminiscences, and the journalistic coverage he so reliably inspired, it gives a memorable portrait of one of the most essential voices in pop music during the MTV era and beyond. For more, read my review at NYSMusic.com [http://NYSMusic.com] https://nysmusic.com/2025/11/24/ric-ocasek-the-cars-driving-force-profiled-in-new-biography/ [https://nysmusic.com/2025/11/24/ric-ocasek-the-cars-driving-force-profiled-in-new-biography/] "Reading is Funktamental" is a monthly one-hour podcast and radio show about great books written about music and music-makers. In each episode, host Sal Cataldi speaks to the authors of some of the best reads about rock, jazz, punk, world, experimental music, and much more. From time to time, the host and authors will be joined by notable musicians, writers, and artists who are die-hard fans of the subject matter covered. Expect lively conversation and a playlist of great music to go with it. "Reading Is Funktamental" can be heard the second Wednesday of every month from 10 – 11 AM on Wave Farm: WGXC 90.7 FM and online at wavefarm.org [http://wavefarm.org]. It can also be found as a podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other platforms. Sal Cataldi is a musician and writer based in Saugerties. He is best known for his work with his genre-leaping solo project, Spaghetti Eastern Music, and is also a member of the ambient guitar duo, Guitars A Go Go, the poetry and music duo, Vapor Vespers, and the quartet, Spaceheater. His writing on music, books, and film has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, PopMatters, Seattle Times, Huffington Post, Inside+Out Upstate NY, and NYSMusic.com [http://NYSMusic.com], where he is the book reviewer.