The '90s Files: Pearl Jam Vs. Critics
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/the-90s-files-pearl-jam-vs-critics
Published: July 24, 2026 12:33
How one band took on its detractors, pre-social media. I have the shirt to prove it.
🦜 The DBrief | David Browne | Substack
@brownebag.substack.com@rss-parrot.net
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Journalist, music historian, author ("Talkin' Greenwich Village," bios of CSNY, the Dead, Jeff Buckley, Sonic Youth), Rolling Stone contributor. Click to read The DBrief, by David Browne, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.
Site URL: brownebag.substack.com
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Posts: 19
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Southern Rock Is Once Again Free as as Bird
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/southern-rock-is-once-again-free
Published: July 21, 2026 13:31
From the World Cup to cruise-ship ads, the proudly raucous and never hip genre is making an unexpected comeback. How did that happen?
Phil Collins Was Not Always Revered. Trust Me.
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/phil-collins-was-not-always-revered
Published: July 17, 2026 13:01
Looking back at the time when mainstream prog wasn't cool, and reviews could leave a mark.
One Reason to Commend the Swift-Kelce Wedding: The Venue Name
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/one-reason-to-commend-the-swift-kelce
Published: July 14, 2026 13:00
Remember when arenas and stadiums weren't reminders of your local bank or insurance company? And what does the Guess Who tour have to do with this?
Six Confessions about Madonna's "Confessions II"
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/six-confessions-about-madonnas-confessions
Published: July 10, 2026 14:56
She's back, and back in the groove. Is that enough?
Vinyl Is Back. Are Cut-out Bins Next?
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/vinyl-is-back-are-cutout-bins-next
Published: July 7, 2026 12:49
During the first LP era, those sections of record stores were home to real bargains. Do they have a future in the music biz?
Bob Weir Saw the Rock-Health Crisis Coming: The Lost Interview
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/bob-weir-saw-the-rock-health-crisis
Published: July 3, 2026 13:10
In a 2009 convo published for the first time, the late Dead founder talked about issues that would come to haunt his generation, especially this summer
Are Pop Heydays Only Seven Years? Case Study: Lizzo
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/are-pop-heydays-only-seven-years
Published: June 30, 2026 13:30
Her new album is a flop. Is it the quality of the music, her recent bad PR—or a mysterious pattern in pop music?
The Allman Brother Who Wasn't Thrilled to See Me (Not at First, Anyway)
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/the-allman-brother-who-wasnt-thrilled
Published: June 26, 2026 13:23
With a new Gregg Allman doc in theaters, a look back at my meeting with the late Butch Trucks, who (bless him) wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind
Clive Davis, Kelly Clarkson ... and Me
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/clive-davis-kelly-clarkson-and-me
Published: June 23, 2026 15:00
Recalling my interactions with the late record mogul, including my real peek into the ways of the music business
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" Is Back, and Just in Time
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/bridge-over-troubled-water-is-back
Published: June 19, 2026 14:01
Paul Simon's 56-year-old pop-gospel masterstroke might be an even better fit for these times
Rock Veterans, Their Voices Now and Us
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/rock-veterans-their-voices-now-and
Published: June 16, 2026 13:03
Why we're suddenly arguing over how heritage artist sound now, in their eighties
Taylor Swift Talks Ukulele: The Lost Interview
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/taylor-swift-talks-ukulele-the-lost
Published: June 11, 2026 16:53
About 15 years ago, Swift joined the pack of uke stans. Here's my largely unpublished conversation with her about it, just in time for her country return.
The '90s Files: Fine Backstage Dining at Lollapalooza
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/the-90s-files-fine-backstage-dining
Published: June 9, 2026 13:00
In my first lookback at that decade: what a vintage notebook reveals about the rise of indie/alt rock
My Day at the East Wing ... with the Government's Secret Vinyl Collection
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/my-day-at-the-east-wing-with-the
Published: June 5, 2026 12:55
Pristine and certified-cool LPs were once in the White House. Here's the proof.
Where Have All the Protest Songs Gone?
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/where-have-all-the-protest-songs
Published: June 2, 2026 12:42
This would seem the perfect moment for topical tunes. So why aren't they everywhere?
Who or What Killed the "Greatest Hits" Album?
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/who-or-what-killed-the-greatest-hits
Published: May 29, 2026 12:59
In which I mourn the dearth of anthologies that shaped my tastes, and maybe yours too.
Prince in the 2010s: The Lost Story
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/prince-in-the-2010s-the-lost-story
Published: May 26, 2026 12:41
A few years before Prince's death, I dug into his mysterioso life and world. Here's what I found, published for the first time.
Here We Go: 'Stacks, Drums and Rock and Roll
https://brownebag.substack.com/p/here-we-go-stacks-drums-and-rock
Published: May 22, 2026 15:56
A newsletter for anyone who loves music past, present and future—and backstage tales, critical takes and music-head deep dives.