Paul McCartney Audio

Novelist J.D. Salinger bowed out of the literary world after achieving massive literary success in the 1950s and early '60s. But in music, the lure of reunion tours and comebacks make it tough to quit. We talk with Spin contributor and Details editor-at-large Jeff Gordinier and author and Slate.com contributor Taylor Clark about creative peaks and retirement. This is an encore edition of Soundcheck.

At many pop concerts, the audience is so busy filming and recording the experience with their cell phones, they forget to pay attention to the music. Today, a "Soundcheck Smackdown" debate over whether cell phones are enhancing or ruining concerts. We're joined by Thor Christensen , pop music critic for the Dallas Morning News, and Eliot Van Buskirk , columnist for Wired.com. Our blog : John Schaefer on cell phones at concerts. Plus, A listener submits a cell phone photo from a concert Tell us : Do you have an opinion about the impact of cell phones on the concert experience? Do you have a story to tell about a cell phone at a concert? Leave a comment .

The style of music we listen to while having a glass of wine dramatically affects our opinion of how it tastes. Test subjects rated the change in taste by up to 60%. Researcher Adrian North of Heriot Watt University in Scotland, made the link between wine and song and he joins us today. Also joining us is Lettie Teague , the executive wine editor of Food & Wine magazine; she’s also the author of several books on wine including Educating Peter. Our blog : John Schaefer on the days of wine and (Guns 'n') Roses Music Recommendations (from Montes Premium Wines in Chile) Cabernet Sauvignon: All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix), Honky Tonk Woman (Rolling Stones), Live And Let Die ( Paul McCartney and Wings), Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who) Chardonnay: Atomic (Blondie), Rock DJ (Robbie Williams), What's Love Got To Do With It (Tina Turner), Spinning Around (Kylie Minogue) Syrah: Nessun Dorma (Puccini), Orinoco Flow (Enya), Chariots Of Fire (Vangelis), Canon (Johann Pachelbel) Merlot: Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding), Easy (Lionel Ritchie), Over The Rainbow (Eva Cassidy), Heartbeats (José González)

The poet and philosopher George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." To ensure that future generations don't forget the triumphs and tragedies of pop music's past, we host another Soundcheck Smackdown over the musical legacies of baby boomers and Generation X. Joining us in studio are Jeff Gordinier , editor at large at Details magazine and author of "X Saves the World," and music critic Anthony DeCurtis , contributing editor at Rolling Stone and author of "In Other Words: Artists Talk About Life and Work." Tell us : Who has the better musical legacy -- baby boomers or generation X? Why?

Rock legend Steve Winwood talks about his time with the bands Traffic, Go, and Blind Faith, as well as his solo career. His new studio album is “Nine Lives.” If you can't see the video click here var so = new SWFObject("http://www.youtube.com/v/sHXBfj2-za8", "mymovie", "390", "321", "7", "#FFFFFF");so.addParam("wmode", "transparent");connect(window, 'onload', function() {so.write("ytcontent");});

Novelist J.D. Salinger bowed out of the literary world after achieving massive literary success in the 1950s and early '60s. But in music, the lure of reunion tours and comebacks make it tough to quit. We talk with Spin contributor and Details editor-at-large Jeff Gordinier and author and Slate.com contributor Taylor Clark about creative peaks and retirement.

Show Summary: Congress stages a walk out; a post writer's strike deal is struck; and the Transportation Security Administration sets up a blog.

LA Times music critic Ann Powers reviews last night's Grammy Awards show, in which Amy Winehouse and Herbie Hancock took home some of the top prizes.

The new owners of EMI Group plan to eliminate up to 2,000 jobs -- more than a third of its workforce -- to offset revenue lost from falling CD sales and the departure of major artists. What does the restructuring mean for the development of new artists? We talk with Gerd Leonhard , co-author of “The Future of Music,” and Jim Fusilli , rock and pop critic of the Wall Street Journal.

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" changed the music industry forever. It broke sales records and stayed at No. 1 on the charts for 37 weeks. And, it changed the way pop music related to African-American performers, music videos, and even dancers. Daily News music critic Jim Farber tells us how Jackson's masterpiece remixed pop culture. And, recording engineer Bruce Swedien shares his firsthand experience in the "Thriller" sessions. Weigh in: What are your memories of Thriller? Are they affected by the Michael Jackson of today?