Mark's "Friday Morning Listen" column is a must-read each week. Some weeks you get a precise and technical analysis of the music on the CD and other weeks it is a bit more personal. It's always well written and if you're not careful it might even cost you money. I have already bought one CD based on his recommendation. He was right. Belladonna by Daniel Lanois is exquisite.
When asked to provide some biographical info for this profile, Mark submitted the following:
What I was like as a kid:If you've ever seen the movie Dazed and Confused, I was one of the three nerdy types driving around in the station wagon. Introverted. I thought too much, read too much and, oh yeah, I listened to too much music.
What I'm like as an adult:
Pretty much the same as above, except that my record collection is bigger.
BC's publisher, Eric Olsen, summed him up perfectly when he said, "Mark Saleski writes about music with the enthusiasm of a lifelong fan, the nuts-and-bolts insight of a musician, the range of a musicologist, and the familiarity of a great friend."
Q & A (The Serious Stuff)
BC: I didn't take the time to count them up, but out of your 536 (as of this writing) posts on Blogcritics, a huge preponderance of them are musically oriented. One thing that becomes quite obvious is the breadth of your musical taste — you've covered just about every genre imaginable. Is there anything you don't listen to? Where did this voracious appetite come from? Are you a musician?
Mark: Every once in a while, I like to steal this phrase from a good friend of mine: "It's a big 'ole world out there." We say that when referring to a peculiar occurence/person. Remove the "odd" connotation, and it fits with music, too. It is a big musical world out there. So many genres. So many recordings. Sometimes it feels like there's too much. What do I listen to next?!
What makes it seem like I listen to everything is that I tend to look for the positive in every record. There are a lot of CDs that come my way that never make it into the review pile. Negative reviews, especially the ones where the writer has always disliked the artist and/or genre, are a waste of time. They're pathetic exercises that do nothing but call attention to the reviewer.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Joanie
Damn that Mark! I thought I'd paid him to say I was his favorite Blogcritic. (Note to self: stop payment on check to Saleski.)
Lisa, did you bother to find out if the man has a single brother who might be interested in work as a cabana boy?
2 - Eric Olsen
Splendiferous - thanks Lisa and congrats Mark! We're certainly glad you read Dawn four years ago - thanks for being such a core of the site all this time Mark - we wouldn't be what we are without you!!
3 - DJRadiohead
I'm with Joanie. That's the last nice thing I say about Saleski. My revenge shall be terrible.
Great job, Lisa!
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
I now realize that everyone else appreciates music on a much deeper level than me. Maybe that's for the best.
I think the greatest tribute would be for the word "Saleski" to become a verb here at Blogcritics. Any nominations on what it should mean? And please use examples.
5 - Mary K. Williams
Joanie - I'm with ya.
Known this dude for a while, and all I got so far was some damn coffee.
Seriously -
This is beyond cool Mark, you cranky bastage you.
6 - Eric Berlin
Outstandingness -- great to see the Great Saleski behind the curtain, and a photo no less !
7 - Aaron Fleming
Hurrah! Mucho kudos your direction!
8 - El Bicho
Congrats, Mark. Now when are you going to get the collected "FML" published as a book?
Great job again, Lisa. I'm already looking forward to next month.
For those BCers who feel slighted at being left off Mark's favorites, I suggest you get him in trouble with TheWife by pointing out that on the desert island he wants a picture of TheWife and not TheWife.
9 - Mary K. Williams
For those BCers who feel slighted at being left off Mark's favorites, I suggest you get him in trouble with TheWife by pointing out that on the desert island he wants a picture of TheWife and not TheWife
I am SO dialing that number right now - "Hello Linda...?"
: )~
10 - Mark Saleski
how quickly they turn on you...
sheesh!!!
11 - Mark Saleski
hey, at least i didn't say "a picture of katherine heigl"
12 - Mary K. Williams
Well, must be that head cold, you're off your game.
13 - Bennett
Nothing that wasn't overdue, and Lisa did a fantastic job. Keep up the good work Sir Saleski!
14 - Mark Sahm
Saleski: Even if I don't know 75% of the musical references you make in your posts, the 25% that I do know are always tactfully written and enjoyable. The BOTM nod is well deserved. Cheers.
15 - Dawn
I am a Mark Saleski lover from WAY back in the day - glad the world has caught up to my excellent taste!
Cheers to Mark!
16 - Dawn
BC: What do you think you'd learn if you could swap to the opposite sex?
Mark: It might be nice to know, once and for all, if size really matters.
I can answer that for you, size does matter.
But only in the brain, everywhere else it's subjective.
Seriously, Lisa, great job, great subject, great read!!!
17 - Lisa McKay
I'd like to thank everyone for their comments on this piece. These are a huge amount of fun for me to do, and as nice as it is to take credit for it, most of the actual work gets done by the honoree, so it's an easy gig :-)
A great side benefit of doing this (for me personally) is to get to know each writer a bit better as we go through the process of putting it together. Thanks to everyone for reading and enjoying!
18 - Glen Boyd
Conrats Mark.
I still want IN on that Seeger Sessions pow-wow you and Lisa and DJ Radiohead have planned though.
Pretty please?
Glen
19 - Glen Boyd
oops..
That was "Congrats Mark", not "conrats"...LOL
Damned butter fingers.
20 - Phillip Winn
Mark Saleski is a giant among giants, and his Friday Morning Listen should be on everybody's weekly schedule.
Thanks, Mark, for being awesome!
21 - Jackie
You rock, Mark! Congratulations on a well-deserved honor!
22 - Mat Brewster
I'll add my congrats here. FML rules the school! We need a book then a movie starring George Wendt as Saleski and John Ratzenburger as DJradiohead.
23 - DJRadiohead
And Woody Harrelson playing Brewster?
24 - jmp
congrat,mark you are super
25 - Mary K. Williams
Sounds like a good movie! Friday Morning Listen: You Won't Know Any of These Obscure Artists' Names - But After Hearing Them, You Just Might Want To!
Kinda long title though.