I wanted to hear “Song to Jutta,” so I bought a copy of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s first album. I was surprised to find that the liner notes were written by my friend Ann Moses. I called Ann. “Did ...

Joni Mitchell was onto something. You don't miss liner notes until you don't have them. I admit: Many liner notes leave me cold, for two reasons. First, they're way too detailed, especially in jazz.

Remember liner notes? They used to come with every record, tape, and CD, and detailed every composer, musician, and engineer who worked on an album (what, you think Beyonce does everything herself?).

When he was 32, it was a very good year. That’s when a writer named Stan Cornyn – who later came to be known as “king of the liner notes” -- won his first Grammy. It was for the 1965 Frank Sinatra ...