It's easy (hey!) to dismiss NWA as cartoon-ish, too braggadocious to take seriously. But that certainly was not the case at the time. You didn't look up at the TV to see who was making this music and see some sci-fi horror thing like KISS or whatever. You saw the guys from every big city's poor black neighborhoods.…

Ah, the show did this so much. They would lure us in by showing Tony's humanity and compassion to the point where you think he's going to let someone off the hook or even (before I better understood the show) leave the life altogether. And then Tony would be Tony and completely let you down. Towards the end I'm sure…

Ah, the show did this so much. They would lure us in by showing Tony's humanity and compassion to the point where you think he's going to let someone off the hook or even (before I better understood the show) leave the life altogether. And then Tony would be Tony and completely let you down. Towards the end I'm sure…

No he didn't.

No he didn't.

Huh? It doesn't end; it goes ooon and ooon and oono and oo-oo-oon!

Huh? It doesn't end; it goes ooon and ooon and oono and oo-oo-oon!

True, cigarette trucks still get stolen in StL fairly frequently.

True, cigarette trucks still get stolen in StL fairly frequently.

" Tony and Carmela strike me as political barometers, voting whichever way they feel their neighbors are. That is, if they vote."

" Tony and Carmela strike me as political barometers, voting whichever way they feel their neighbors are. That is, if they vote."

" This value system that says Jonny Greenwood is more valuable than Ritchie Blackmore. Not in the world I grew up in, buddy. Not in the world I grew up in."

" This value system that says Jonny Greenwood is more valuable than Ritchie Blackmore. Not in the world I grew up in, buddy. Not in the world I grew up in."

I don't know who these people are.

I don't know who these people are.

Two of the new songs are available live on youtube. One sounds like Sugar, the other like Husker Du. I don't think this is a bad thing.

Two of the new songs are available live on youtube. One sounds like Sugar, the other like Husker Du. I don't think this is a bad thing.

I don't know what that means!

I don't know what that means!

Exactly. And part of the reason they fell behind the U2s (and Radioheads and Coldplays) was because thry quit brining it to…your…city!