Mr. Hollywood, Jr.

A brilliant album filled with baroque pop classics, and the genius level songwriter who left indie rock for Hollywood.

By the time Michael Penn released his brilliant long-player, Mr. Hollywood, Jr. 1947, the concept of the album was already beginning to atrophy. Nascent digital delivery systems and rampant file sharing were breaking apart not only the music industry, but also the way music was consumed. Listeners were no longer required to buy a a full record, or make any purchase - even a single - to get access to the tracks they loved.

Albums had officially been eschewed by a new generation, and the necessity of delivering an album of songs though a physical format like vinyl or CD became less and less necessary. Today, the full album as physical product is most common in the form of expensive vinyl pressings that serve much more as a luxury item than a necessity for getting a particular record in your ears.

Nonetheless, as the curve bent ever more toward the arc…