Song:

“The Ballad of El Goodo” (1972) by Big Star 

Arriving the same year as The Raspberries’ debut album and Todd Rundgren’s “Something/Anything?,” Big Star’s “#1 Record” helped usher in the commercially unpopular (at the time) yet highly influential sound of power pop. 

“The Ballad of El Goodo” is the best song on that album and one of the finest ever put to vinyl. It’s all here: immaculately recorded acoustic guitars, heavenly harmonies and backing vox, Jody Stephens’s massive drum fills, a wondrous bridge, and lyrics from deep in the soul delivered passionately by Alex Chilton. Big Star kicked open the door for later bands like R.E.M., Cheap Trick, The Replacements, and The Lemonheads.

 

Book:

“Free to Choose: A Personal Statement” (1980) by Milton and Rose Friedman

I graduated high school without taking a course on economics. I then graduated college without taking a course on economics. Once I entered the professional world, I quickly realized how little I knew about the subject and set about the task of self-education. “Free to Choose” is where I started. 

I was captivated by Friedman’s clear and direct writing on economics, freedom, and the relationship between the two. So many chapters have continued relevance today, including sections on incentives, the welfare state, school choice, the role of government agencies, and inflation. It’s not the same as sitting in a classroom with Dr. Wolfram, I’m sure, but it was exactly what I was looking for at the time.

 

Movie:

Broadcast News (1987) dir. by James L. Brooks 

James L. Brooks directed, wrote, and produced this romantic comedy-drama, which also doubles as among the best films ever made about journalism. 

Brooks spent the better part of two years researching the industry and talking to people who worked inside of it, so he’s able to get many small details right, particularly the personality quirks of those attracted to the job. It’s a perfect movie, front-to-back, with three flawless leads (William Hurt, Holly Hunter, and Albert Brooks) and an impeccable supporting cast. I notice something new to love each time I see it. Albert Brooks missing out on the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor was a travesty.