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Say anything you want. Follow where your mind goes.
I love this song! Sue me.
I’m Gerry Todd and I approved this All-Star Jam.
Aug 242008
Aug 232008
I’ve been waiting for somebody to rip and post the SCTV remake of “A Star Is Born” on Youtube — and a Crystal Gayle fan finally went and did it. While he or she showed extremely poor judgement by excising Kris Kristofferson’s TV performance from the skit, they did leave in the one scene that always — ALWAYS — makes me laugh out loud. Skip ahead to 4:00 in this clip to see the funniest rock and roll “bit” ever shown on TV.
HVB
Aug 222008
Another FRIDAY FLASHBACK! based on my own upcoming road trip. It’s off to Seattle, where I plan on visiting Experience Music Project, the Seattle-centric rock museum that Townsman BigSteve chronicled in one of our earliest Rock Town Hall blog posts. I’d hoped that a monthy Trippin’ series would develop, in which Townspeople would report on their own rock-related road trips, but to date I think this is the only rock road trip report. Hrrundivbakshi did report on a curiously named record store he found somewhere in Japan, I believe, so I’m holding out hope that this series will catch fire yet. Should I make it to EMP this weekend, I’ll be sure to share my thoughts. Now let’s revisit a very cool post!
This post initially appeared 1/23/07.
BigSteve, our Townsman in New Orleans, files the following report from Seattle.
I went to the Experience Music Project yesterday. I thought it was definitely worth the visit, and there was more than enough to keep me occupied for 3 hours. There’s actually not that much exhibit space, and one of the, presumably temporary, exhibits was a commercial for Disney musical product that gagged me. The history of rap exhibit was more interesting, but at least the Disney shit helped keep the busloads of kids away from the interesting stuff. The other useless parts of the museum were the interactive areas – you pay extra, go into a “studio” and `make your own CD by playing with a few computer stations. There’s also something where you pay and end up with a DVD of yourself onstage playing with other people in a band. I don’t know how it works, and I wasn’t interested enough to find out.
There’s a very nice exhibit, I assume permanent, on the history of music from the Pacific Northwest. From the Fleetwoods through the Ventures and Raiders and Sonics to grunge and punk. Lots of posters, artifacts, instruments, video – not enough time to look at it all.
The Hendrix exhibit is pretty amazing. I mean, they have the white Strat that he played at Woodstock, the guitar he was most often seen playing. They have pieces of many smashed guitars. Really I could have spent all day looking at this exhibit alone. They had lots of video of him playing, and then they had many of the outfits he was seen wearing in the videos, and you know how important fashion is to me.
Continue reading »
Aug 212008
You may recall in late June the stunning announcement of the coming of a new Paul Weller album, 22 Dreams. As planned, the album hit on July 22, and I was all over it! How could I not have been primed for this release after the press release announced this momentous occasion?
”After As Is Now I thought the time was right to make the sort of record I wanted to make,” says Paul Weller of the creative process which led to his striking ninth solo album 22 Dreams. ”Instead of worrying about anyone else, I wanted to really push the boat out. I think the result is going to surprise a few people.” Surprises have always been part of the artistic vernacular for the man who changed rock forever with The Jam, explored a host of eclectic influences with The Style Council and cemented his position as the patriarch of Brit pop with his legendary solo work. 22 Dreams is the latest chapter in a creative journey spanning 30 years, with material spanning the full breadth of popular music rock to classical, avant garde to funk and spoken word to experimental. In addition to a cast of Weller s frequent collaborators including Steve Cradock and producer Simon Dine, 22 Dreams also features some of the largest beneficiaries of Weller’s incalculable musical influence. Noel Gallagher and Gem from Oasis lend their talents to “Echoes Around the Sun”, a writing collaboration between Weller and Gallagher. Ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon appears on “Black River”. The spirit of collaboration and an in-the-moment creative approach have resulted in one of Weller s most spirited works and one that is sure to expand the artistic canon of the one and only Modfather.
To give Weller’s dream album adequate time for digestion, I’ve waited until now to share my thoughts. I’ll share a few other tracks from this album as you read along, but first, why don’t you listen to the lead-off track, “Light Nights”?
Paul Weller, “Light Nights”
I think you will agree this is the way Weller would want you to begin thinking about his new album.
Aug 212008
AP: Olympic Rock News
By STEPHANIE ZACHAREK
Published: August 22, 2008
In was announced earlier this morning that the International Olympic Committee will investigate whether the Chinese women’s gymnastics team that won the gold medal had underage athletes. IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said “There certainly seems to be a lot of scantily clad pre-teen Chinese girls strutting around the Bird’s Nest these days.”
Within seemingly minutes Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page announced that he will be playing The Olympic Closing Ceremony in the Bird’s Nest on Sunday. A publicist for Gary Glitter said that Gary is “distressed” that he won’t be able to participate due to a prior booking.
More here.
Aug 212008
Aug 212008
Simple question: What band leaders have been least equipped to face the world as solo artists? In other words, what once-mighty rock visionaries have most struggled with creating meaningful, distinctive music outside their original (or any) band setting? You are encouraged to discuss Why.
Artists like David Lee Roth, who were clearly co-visionaries of a distinctive band, may not be up to the level of discussion that I seek. (If the Stones were to dissolve, the same would go for, say, Mick Jagger or Keef as solo artists.)
