Just read that David Bowie died. Just this Saturday I was watching the Ziggy Stardust concert film and marveling at how fiercely his fans connected with him. I have spent years poking at the fact that, although I acknowledge his music is great and I love much of it, that I still couldn’t embrace Bowie. On New Year’s Eve this came up with old friends. I was reminded of the fan club insert that came with my copy of ChangesOne, one of the 3 greatest greatest hits albums in rock His fashion/mime thing never appealed to me and explained every gross misstep I would spot in a mostly excellent catalog. I used to wish he could just play music and stop making proto-Zoolander faces. What I’ve learned in just the last few years is that his entire Bowie thing wasn’t for my benefit – and that was OK. I finally realized how beautiful his thing was for the people he served. Beyond his excellent catalog, I’m glad to have him as a guide for people near and dear to me, and even as a guide for my own alien self.
And so this is Christmas…or, should I say, the Christmas season. For the last 2 years, Townsman Al has requested that we run a 16-song tournament via the old Rock Town Hall poll. For the last 2 years I’ve been tormented that the poll has been fucked up and stuck on some stupid question regarding Steve Miller Band and The Doobie Brothers. The poll is just one of a handful of features that I hope we (and by “we” I mean The Back Office) get to tune up before technology moves us any further into the future and people start telepathically communicating 18-character affirmations to a network of loosely connected music fans who somehow all seem to enjoy having Joe Jackson tunes streamed through their smartphones.
But enough of my yapping… Al wants to know if Rock Town Hall has ever…once and for all,,,picked the Best Rock ‘n Roll Christmas Song Ever. I don’t think we have.
Rather than me continue to gripe about the broken-down RTH poll feature and continue suspicions that I have joined the War Against Christmas, how about we keep it simple and make a case for any one of the songs compiled from our past rock ‘n roll Christmas song compilations or another song that did not come up in the past, perhaps because you were not yet a member of Rock Town Hall. Al has compiled some contenders…after the jump. If we’re ever going to settle…once and for all…The Best Rock ‘n Roll Christmas Song we need your vote/rationale. Don’t be a smartypants and simply list out a half dozen obscure numbers you are not willing to get behind. Choose one of the following or suggest a winner of your own devise. Thanks.
I’ve already exhausted this topic with my close, personal Facebook friends, but since some of you are not part of that hallowed crowd (and some of you don’t even use Facebook), let me re-post it here. (For those of you not on Facebook, this was posted in response to a rash of musicians listing 30 cool bands they’ve shared a stage with.)
I’ll break down and join in on a self-serving 30 Bands I’ve Shared a Stage With post, grouping bands thematically and in alphabetical order. (Apologies to any artists I’ve sincerely forgotten.)
10 Local/”Cousin” Bands I’ve Thoroughly Enjoyed My Band Sharing a Stage With Numerous Times:
Following a fascinating little interview, in which Lou expresses his love for the production of Frankie Goes to Hollywood records, our hero demonstrates “a perfect example of my kind of song.”
Football Sunday ain’t all it’s cracked up to be when there’s an hour-long concert from the Prakish John-era of Lou Reed to watch. Let this All-Star Jam stir up whatever rock insights are on your mind, whether they are related to this performance or not.
