Margaret Haddad recently moved to Tucson from Los Angeles (though
she still listens to KCRW all day, every day). She writes, produces and
directs documentaries for networks like the History Channel, the Food
Network, PBS and the Discovery Channel. Watching reality shows on
Bravo, reading The New Yorker and applying lip gloss take up
most of her free time.
What was the first concert you ever saw?
It was KISS. I was in agony afterward, because my ears wouldn’t stop
ringing; my father said it “served me right” for having such bad taste
in music.
What CDs are in your changer right now?
Milosh, Meme; The Beatles, Love; Thievery Corporation,
The Richest Man in Babylon; Corinne Bailey Rae, Corinne
Bailey Rae; The Notorious B.I.G., Ready to Die; and The Real
Tuesday Weld, I, Lucifer.
How many total albums do you own (CDs, vinyl, cassettes,
8-tracks)?
I can’t really answer this question, because about two years ago, I
went completely digital.
Do you download music, and if so, legally or illegally?
Yes, I download music (mostly iTunes). I’ve never done it illegally;
I’m actually kind of happy to pay for a song versus the old days, when
I had to buy a whole album, because it had a couple of songs I
liked.
What was the first album you owned?
Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin.
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
The Verve, “Bitter Sweet Symphony.”
Musically speaking, what do you love that your friends don’t know
about? What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?
I don’t keep it a secret, but I’m sure my friends would be shocked
to know just how much I love rap/hip hop.
What band or artist changed your life, and how?
Arlo Guthrie, Alice’s Restaurant. It was in my parents’
record collection, and as a child, I listened to it obsessively. Today,
my politics are progressive. Coincidence? I think not.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all
time?
At the risk of having the Nine Questions police come and lock me up,
I’m going to have to say it’s a soundtrack: The Royal
Tenenbaums.
This article appears in Jul 9-15, 2009.