Paul Zollo

Robert Hilburn's U2 piece, "Where Craft Ends and Spirit Begins" [Aug. 8], was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was inspirational, informative and great. Good work. Paul Zollo North Hollywood Paul Zollo was the managing editor of Performing Songwriter magazine, has written for Musician and Acoustic Guitar, and is the author of "Songwriters on Songwriting."

Re "The goal: A foot-friendly city," Aug. 10 I hope these efforts lead other cities, especially Hollywood, to focus on the needs of those on foot. Presently, it is impossible to walk through the Cahuenga Pass between Hollywood and the Valley without risking death or injury, because there is no sidewalk. The pass is a providential gateway through which men have crossed -- on foot, horseback, wagon train and bicycle -- for centuries. But when the Hollywood Freeway was constructed, its builders failed to provide any path by which humans could walk into our historic and beloved city of stars.

A slight correction to your Sept. 26 story on city squares named for various luminaries: Raymond Chandler Square in Hollywood was placed at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga not so much for the nearby hotels where Chandler sometimes lived, but because the fictional office of his fictional hero, Philip Marlowe, was in the former Security Pacific Bank building there at 6381 Hollywood Boulevard, which Chandler dubbed "The Cahuenga Building."...

IT was disheartening to read so much denigration of Amy Winehouse's performance at the Grammys [various articles, Feb. 11]. This is an artist of authentic and incomparable talent, and unlike almost all of the other great ladies who performed at the show, she's the writer as well as the singer of her songs. It's comforting, however, to recall that countless classic musical artists, including Billie Holiday, Judy Garland and Janis Joplin, were severely lambasted by the writers of their time for being distinctive.

IT was disheartening to read so much denigration of Amy Winehouse's performance at the Grammys [various articles, Feb. 11]. This is an artist of authentic and incomparable talent, and unlike almost all of the other great ladies who performed at the show, she's the writer as well as the singer of her songs. It's comforting, however, to recall that countless classic musical artists, including Billie Holiday, Judy Garland and Janis Joplin, were severely lambasted by the writers of their time for being distinctive.

I was saddened and aggravated by Paul Brownfield's story about the comedy shows at Hollywood's Killer Burger ("No Celebs, No Scouts, No Problem," Dec. 17). The writer describes the beloved neighborhood that surrounds this establishment as "seedy" and a place where you won't be able to "leave your Range Rover with the valet. . . ." Why is there an assumption that all readers of The Times drive SUVs, require valet service and are afraid of areas as benign as central Hollywood? After all, the beautifully renovated Egyptian Theater is less than a block from this spot.

Re "The goal: A foot-friendly city," Aug. 10 I hope these efforts lead other cities, especially Hollywood, to focus on the needs of those on foot. Presently, it is impossible to walk through the Cahuenga Pass between Hollywood and the Valley without risking death or injury, because there is no sidewalk. The pass is a providential gateway through which men have crossed -- on foot, horseback, wagon train and bicycle -- for centuries. But when the Hollywood Freeway was constructed, its builders failed to provide any path by which humans could walk into our historic and beloved city of stars.

JIMMY IOVINE'S assertion that he found the perfect Tom Petty song -- "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" -- for Stevie Nicks to record as a duet with Tom is not entirely accurate ["The Music Titans," Nov. 26]. Both Stevie and Jimmy individually encouraged Tom to write a song for Stevie, but the song he wrote was the beautiful "Insider," which he and Stevie did record as a duet. When Tom heard how powerful it sounded, however, he regretted giving it away and kept it for himself. To recompense Stevie, he gave her the unreleased but already recorded "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," which she happily accepted.

Re "MTA OKs $568 Million for Projects--With a Big 'If,' " July 30: It is hard to find civilized words with which to respond to the uncivilized actions of MTA officials. They have fought a federal decree to buy more buses because they say they are unaffordable. Yet they are announcing that they will spend in excess of $500 million in roadway improvements, with the understanding that the bus system will have to suffer to do so. Such ongoing dishonesty and callousness on the part of the MTA should be tolerated no longer.

Glen Ballard, producer of No Doubt's new album, co-wrote the Michael Jackson hit "Man in the Mirror" with Siedah Garrett, not with Jackson ("New Doubt," by Randy Lewis, April 13). Also, I must quarrel with Robert Hilburn's contention that Whitney Houston "will always be known as [Clive] Davis' most important signing" ("On Davis' Night, All Eyes on Whitney," April 12). This is an opinion, not a fact. And it's my opinion that other artists signed by Clive, such as Laura Nyro, Patti Smith and Janis Joplin, will be considered in years to come as having made more significant contributions to American popular music than Houston.

JIMMY IOVINE'S assertion that he found the perfect Tom Petty song -- "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" -- for Stevie Nicks to record as a duet with Tom is not entirely accurate ["The Music Titans," Nov. 26]. Both Stevie and Jimmy individually encouraged Tom to write a song for Stevie, but the song he wrote was the beautiful "Insider," which he and Stevie did record as a duet. When Tom heard how powerful it sounded, however, he regretted giving it away and kept it for himself. To recompense Stevie, he gave her the unreleased but already recorded "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," which she happily accepted.

Robert Hilburn's U2 piece, "Where Craft Ends and Spirit Begins" [Aug. 8], was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was inspirational, informative and great. Good work. Paul Zollo North Hollywood Paul Zollo was the managing editor of Performing Songwriter magazine, has written for Musician and Acoustic Guitar, and is the author of "Songwriters on Songwriting."

I was saddened and aggravated by Paul Brownfield's story about the comedy shows at Hollywood's Killer Burger ("No Celebs, No Scouts, No Problem," Dec. 17). The writer describes the beloved neighborhood that surrounds this establishment as "seedy" and a place where you won't be able to "leave your Range Rover with the valet. . . ." Why is there an assumption that all readers of The Times drive SUVs, require valet service and are afraid of areas as benign as central Hollywood? After all, the beautifully renovated Egyptian Theater is less than a block from this spot.

A slight correction to your Sept. 26 story on city squares named for various luminaries: Raymond Chandler Square in Hollywood was placed at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga not so much for the nearby hotels where Chandler sometimes lived, but because the fictional office of his fictional hero, Philip Marlowe, was in the former Security Pacific Bank building there at 6381 Hollywood Boulevard, which Chandler dubbed "The Cahuenga Building."...

P.F. Sloan, the hit songwriter of the '60s who's been absent from the pop scene for much of the last two decades, will be honored at a 30th anniversary tribute concert Monday night at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Half the program will consist of classic Sloan-penned hits like "Eve of Destruction" and "Secret Agent Man" performed by artists such as Howard Kaylan of the Turtles, Jan Berry of Jan & Dean and Johnny Rivers.

While it was much appreciated that you printed a positive review April 13 of the recent "Monsters of Folk" show at McCabe's, featuring the legendary Rambling Jack Elliott among others, why must you persist in placing folk reviews under the heading "pop"? You certainly never put a jazz or classical music review under such a heading. Why is it that folk music, despite the undeniable influence of folk writers such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger on contemporary songwriting, doesn't deserve to be accurately distinguished?