Ken Tucker

John Lennon's life and legacy are revisited in a new film and biography. Rock critic Ken Tucker says Albert Goldman's book The Lives of John Lennon is an inelegant hatchet job that portrays the musician in a harsh light; the film Imagine, on the other hand, is little more than treacly hagiography.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews new albums by Etta James, Willie Dixon and Toots. Tucker says it's refreshing that each of these artists continues to record and perform, even after their popularity has peaked.

In his latest album, Randy Newman breaks from his past work, mostly abandoning irony to explore autobiographical themes. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the effort is both refreshing and disappointing.