Can you handle the truth? In honor of the Roger Clemens-Brian McNamee showdown on Capitol Hill, today’s burning questions require not only your gut answers but your honest answers. There’s no need to swear, though – nor is there a need to work blue! Just tell it like it is.
Have you ever trashed an album – literally – that you didn’t like rather than traded it in or offered it to a friend?
What supporting musician – past or present – who’s never gone solo or started his or her own band, to date, do you feel is best equipped to make such a move?
What’s the last band or album you pretended to like – at least just a little – to a) keep peace in a social or business situation among non-rock nerds, b) impress a potential romantic partner, or c) stay in character for an acting role?
What cover version of a Bob Dylan song do you like much better than the Dylan original – and considering you might have more than one answer, if you had to choose one beloved cover version of a Bob Dylan song, which one would you choose above all others? Honestly.
Pere Ubu fans: Which of that band’s many distinctive members over the years do you most miss? Which one now-departed band members, I should clarify. Be both selective and honest!
What’s the most memorable song you ever dropped a quarter in the jukebox to play? NOTE: What made this experience memorable could be the song itself, the time and place, the ass you kicked in the parking lot shortly thereafter, etc.
That Nico album you once took the plunge and paid import prices for – honestly – when’s the last time you spun it?
What band leader – past or present – who’s never gone solo to date do you feel is least equipped for leaving his or her band and striking out on his or her own?
I look forward to your responses.
any time i come across a Fugazi record, I throw it in the trash, wether it’s mine or not.
I’ll bet a Mike Mills album could be ok.
I pretended not to hate The Hold Steady long enough to get a ride home from Jersey.
In My Time of Dying by Led Zep
Don’t know shit about Ubu.
I was having drinks with my friend Kate, an exotic dancer, at Doobies, in Philadelphia. While perusing the jukebox, she ran up to me and vehemently encouraged me to play only long songs. I therefore played Marquee Moon by Television. Apparently, the “All in the Family” lounge, where she worked, required the dancers to jukebox their own songs. So, as far as she was concerned, length = $$$$$.
4 years.
Bono.
Have you ever trashed an album – literally – that you didn’t like rather than traded it in or offered it to a friend?
Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell. I got three of them one xmas. That’s a lot of people that didn’t know me at all.
What supporting musician – past or present – who’s never gone solo or started his or her own band, to date, do you feel is best equipped to make such a move?
Walter Becker’s Beard.
What’s the last band or album you pretended to like – at least just a little – to a) keep peace in a social or business situation among non-rock nerds, b) impress a potential romantic partner, or c) stay in character for an acting role?
I will let the In Laws discuss Led Zeppelin without telling them how wrong they are every chance I get. I just smile and nod.
What cover version of a Bob Dylan song do you like much better than the Dylan original – and considering you might have more than one answer, if you had to choose one beloved cover version of a Bob Dylan song, which one would you choose above all others? Honestly.
Father of Night by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band.
Pere Ubu fans: Which of that band’s many distinctive members over the years do you most miss? Which one now-departed band members, I should clarify. Be both selective and honest!
Even being a Clevelander I’m not a huge fan. I bought the Rocket From the Tombs Rocket Redux album from one of their old drummers (he was the cashier). He said I was making a bad decision and that I was just buying Dave’s “same old shit.” He was pretty wrong. That’s an awesome slab of Rock.
What’s the most memorable song you ever dropped a quarter in the jukebox to play? NOTE: What made this experience memorable could be the song itself, the time and place, the ass you kicked in the parking lot shortly thereafter, etc.
I played only B-Sides at a KOA Kampground when I was about 13. So it was probably two hits from the summer of 75 and a bunch of cutouts and oldies. There was some really horrid stuff that came on.
That Nico album you once took the plunge and paid import prices for – honestly – when’s the last time you spun it?
I bought a Curved Air album instead. It’s been a very long time, easily years, but I still like it and I’m keeping it.
What band leader – past or present – who’s never gone solo to date do you feel is least equipped for leaving his or her band and striking out on his or her own?
Craig Fox of The Greenhornes. I sure would like to see them again.
1. Blue Cheer, Vicebus Eruptum. I’m not buying the revisionism; it really sucked.
2. Colin Moulding.
3. I’m afraid I’m a really bad actor. My face betrays me every time.
4. Fairport Convention, I’ll Keep It With Mine.
5. I liked the era when Jim Jones was on guitar. He now runs the Ubu mail order operation. I had some casual dealings with him over an order, and he seemed like a very nice guy. He retired from the road because of back trouble, so I can relate.
6. I remember day camp one summer long ago when Johnny Horton’s The Battle of New Orleans was the constant soundtrack. Also there’s a bar I used to go to and play Alabama’s She & I, which is a terrific record. I even bought their Greatest Hits, which proved that it was their only even passably decent record.
7. Fortunately I had friends who splurged on Nico albums, saving me the consequences. Her Deutschland Uber Alles was amusing, but after one listen I was done.
8. I was going to say Bono too, but I’ll say Michael Stipe now.
Have you ever trashed an album – literally – that you didn’t like rather than traded it in or offered it to a friend?
Vanilla Fudge’s first album. I played that an extra time just to get angrier. That, and Massimo had a fun loathing for Carmine Appice which could be enflamed.
What supporting musician – past or present – who’s never gone solo or started his or her own band, to date, do you feel is best equipped to make such a move?
How many more Golden Minus bands are necessary for you Mr. Mod? Who really doesn’t scratch this itch anymore? Has Dusty Hill done a solo bass album? I bet THAT would be funny.
What’s the last band or album you pretended to like – at least just a little – to a) keep peace in a social or business situation among non-rock nerds, b) impress a potential romantic partner, or c) stay in character for an acting role?
-a)I can pretend to like entire genres if a if someone hands me a good beer. Then after six of those, I will let them in on the secret and ruin it all. I pretend the low-volume flaccid rock and euroshite they play at this one bar I go to isn’t even on, so I can read a book.
b)I don’t know how many times I have to embarass myself with that Styx story when I was a freshman in high school, but I did row a canoe over the fell river that is that band, when I got to the other side, I didn’t really want to be there. However, the shame was instructive.
c) After realizing they weren’t going to play anything I liked at some college event, I may have pretended to like a song or two of Prince’s or something so I could dance with a certain girl, playing the “role” of a dancer which I certainly am not. Luckily, the actual song has been left on the editing floor of my memory.
What cover version of a Bob Dylan song do you like much better than the Dylan original – and considering you might have more than one answer, if you had to choose one beloved cover version of a Bob Dylan song, which one would you choose above all others? Honestly.
-All Along The Watchtower by Hendrix. That feckin’ solo! Closely edges out several Byrds songs, like My Back Pages.
Pere Ubu fans: Which of that band’s many distinctive members over the years do you most miss? Which one now-departed band members, I should clarify. Be both selective and honest!
-Not a fan. Can I prented to like them? Sure, but no one ever asks.
What’s the most memorable song you ever dropped a quarter in the jukebox to play? NOTE: What made this experience memorable could be the song itself, the time and place, the ass you kicked in the parking lot shortly thereafter, etc.
-I guess Joan Jett didn’t hang out anywhere I’ve been. Luckily, Foreinger didn’t either.
I honestly can’t think of anything that wasn’t a negative choice to irritate people, like playing an entire album of something really bad, so they’ll unplug the damned thing so I can just drink. Nowadays, someone just spends the extra coin to push me down in the queue and so by the time the song comes on I’ll have forgotten what I picked.
That Nico album you once took the plunge and paid import prices for – honestly – when’s the last time you spun it?
-Eh? I suppose I don’t listen to the Beatles Vs The Third Reich anymore, but it’s funny to have it on the record shelf.
What band leader – past or present – who’s never gone solo to date do you feel is least equipped for leaving his or her band and striking out on his or her own?
-I’m pretty sure Ira Kaplan would need to get divorced to start another band, right?
1. Jeremy Enigk – Return of the frog queen. I found it to be tedious, and unlistenable. I enjoyed playing frisbee with it.
2. Was going to say Colin Moulding, but since that’s taken… Jerry Dammers. I think The Special AKA “In The Studio” is an oddball, overlooked album.
3. To keep the peace, I would say most recently it’s been Rufus Wainwright’s “Release The Stars”. It’s not a bad album, but it’s a bit bloated and his albums are starting to feel like “more of the same syndrome”. My wife adores him. Saw him live, and in a stripped down setting, it was much, much better.
4. Bob Dylan cover… I dunnno… Johnny Cash, “it aint me”, maybe?
5. Pere Ubu – can’t answer this one…
6. There was a pizza place across the street from my college dorm, and I made a habit of playing James Brown’s “Night Train” every time I was in there. One night, to be a PITA, I played it literally ten times in a row.
7. Nico: n/a!
8. Least equipped band leader… Eddie Van Halen.
TREMENDOUS answers so far, Townspeople! Your votes, if not yet cast, matter. I’m especially impressed by the honesty in your responses. I knew we could do this withouth throwing around oaths.
Have you ever trashed an album – literally – that you didn’t like rather than traded it in or offered it to a friend?
Nope
What supporting musician – past or present – who’s never gone solo or started his or her own band, to date, do you feel is best equipped to make such a move?
John Deacon maybe. He wrote some decent songs for Queen that were usually ruined by excess glitter.
What’s the last band or album you pretended to like – at least just a little – to a) keep peace in a social or business situation among non-rock nerds, b) impress a potential romantic partner, or c) stay in character for an acting role?
That’s hard to say… I can think of times I pretened to hate a record. (usually anything progressive among my ‘hipper’ freinds).
What cover version of a Bob Dylan song do you like much better than the Dylan original – and considering you might have more than one answer, if you had to choose one beloved cover version of a Bob Dylan song, which one would you choose above all others? Honestly.
I’m not too familiar with Bob Dylan or coverss. So Jimi Hendrix’s All Along the Watch Tower then?
Pere Ubu fans: Which of that band’s many distinctive members over the years do you most miss? Which one now-departed band members, I should clarify. Be both selective and honest!
That I can’t answer
What’s the most memorable song you ever dropped a quarter in the jukebox to play? NOTE: What made this experience memorable could be the song itself, the time and place, the ass you kicked in the parking lot shortly thereafter, etc.
I’ve never used a jukebox
That Nico album you once took the plunge and paid import prices for – honestly – when’s the last time you spun it?
N/A
What band leader – past or present – who’s never gone solo to date do you feel is least equipped for leaving his or her band and striking out on his or her own?
I would say Mike Love, but he has tried, so I think I’ll go with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips. Steven Drozd is the real creative force behind the band and Wayne by himself would have a lot of trouble coming up with an album worth of songs (especially now that he can’t just use a lot of weird noise to cover up the bad melodies).
Have you ever trashed an album – literally –
I bought the Philip Glass song-cycle album with Suzanne Vega and all those people, and also the Sabbath comp “Sold Our Souls For Rock and Roll” in the bin at Sound of Market in the late eighties or so. I wrote a letter to Philip Glass explaining this, and that I *kept* the Sabbath album. On trying to find an address to send his record back to, I gave up and threw it away. In high school, my brother took my sisters’ copy of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack out back and shot it with a twelve gage. It blew into tiny dusty particles. By the time we got into the house, another copy was on the turntable.
What supporting musician – past or present – who’s never gone solo
Ian Underwood.
What’s the last band or album you pretended to like –
I loaned a guy I worked with some Coltrane, and he came back and said he was into jazz, too, and loaned me a CD of the then-unknown Kenny G. I brought it back to him and told him it wasn’t my cup of tea, but I didn’t want to come down on him with my true horrified cringeful mockery.
What cover version of a Bob Dylan song do you like much better than the Dylan original
I rarely like them better, but an even par is Nico’s “I’ll Keep It With Mine.”
Pere Ubu fans: Which of that band’s many distinctive members over the years do you most miss?
I think I only know the original band?
What’s the most memorable song you ever dropped a quarter in the jukebox to play?
Those Hungarian tunes on the juke at the old W&J. And if we were really lit, the old recording of “Happy Birthday to You” where the chorus of white people leave a blank after “dear” so you can insert your name.
That Nico album you once took the plunge and paid import prices for – honestly – when’s the last time you spun it?
See above, wise ass. I love Nico, and she is in rotation at our house. My wife even likes it. (Though her version of “The End” is no longer welcome.)
What band leader – past or present – who’s never gone solo to date do you feel is least equipped for leaving his or her band and striking out on his or her own?
Boy, there are so many. Was Grace Slick a leader? I guess a lot of front person types aren’t band-leaders in that sense. Some here would make a case for Lou Reed! (Though he’s tried.)
Have you ever trashed an album – literally – that you didn’t like rather than traded it in or offered it to a friend?
One of the liberating things about spending 99 cents on an album (see: Thrifty Music series) is that you can just throw away all the stuff you think sucks. So, yes, I’ve done it many times. I also remember gleefully breaking David Hasselhoff’s “Night Rocker” album in college. I suspect Townsman Massimo was there for that one.
What supporting musician – past or present – who’s never gone solo or started his or her own band, to date, do you feel is best equipped to make such a move?
I dunno. I’d pay a few bucks to hear a Martin Barre solo album. That guy was the king of the Les Paul/Orange amp tone combination.
What’s the last band or album you pretended to like – at least just a little – to a) keep peace in a social or business situation among non-rock nerds, b) impress a potential romantic partner, or c) stay in character for an acting role?
I try to find things to like in other people’s music all the time; it’s my job. Not sure that’s quite the same as pretending. My ex used to love James Taylor wannabe David Wilcox, who I thought was a little twerp. I pretended to like a lot of his stuff. Guster, I just told her sucked.
What cover version of a Bob Dylan song do you like much better than the Dylan original – and considering you might have more than one answer, if you had to choose one beloved cover version of a Bob Dylan song, which one would you choose above all others? Honestly.
I’d probably go with “Behind That Locked Door” off of “All Things Must Pass.”
Pere Ubu fans: Which of that band’s many distinctive members over the years do you most miss? Which one now-departed band members, I should clarify. Be both selective and honest!
Don’t care.
What’s the most memorable song you ever dropped a quarter in the jukebox to play? NOTE: What made this experience memorable could be the song itself, the time and place, the ass you kicked in the parking lot shortly thereafter, etc.
I used to play Deep Purple’s “Hush” at the embassy pool jukebox *constantly* when I was a little tyke. I’m happy that it turns out the song actually *does* kick ass, and isn’t just a happy summer/pool/BBQ memory.
That Nico album you once took the plunge and paid import prices for – honestly – when’s the last time you spun it?
N/A
What band leader – past or present – who’s never gone solo to date do you feel is least equipped for leaving his or her band and striking out on his or her own?
Probably Martin Barre.
I’ll play along now…
Yes, a couple of times. I’ve gotten some promos over the years that just aren’t worth the effort of giving to someone. I gave Chickenfrank Costello’s All This Useless Beauty and asked him to throw it out when he was done trying to find a reason to keep it, but that doesn’t count. There was a Matthew Sweet album – Blue Sky something or other that I simply tossed. I may have also tossed Sweet’s Altered Beast, or maybe I gave that one to Andyr, which is about the same thing.
Tough question! Someone said Mike Mills, which was a great answer. I’ll second that one.
Jam-lite bands like Dave Matthews come up frequently enough in work situations and non-rocking circles of neighborhood friends that I find myself grasping desparately at the thought of the 4-measure instrumental passage in a particular song that will enable me to lie and say things like, “Yeah, they’ve got some good stuff.”
Fairport Convention’s “I’ll Keep it With Mine” (another second for that version and the third mention of that song, if I’m keeping count accurately).
Man, this one required a lot of thought. First, Allen Ravenstine came to mind. No one used a synth the way he did. Then I thought of their original, rock-solid drummer, Scott Kraus, but the younger guy I’ve seen play with them since Kraus left isn’t bad. Bassist Tony Maimone is my final answer, though. He brought a certain dynamic to the band’s music that transcended his already excellent musical contributions.
I wish I could clearly remember one song that rocked a bar. I do recall the jukebox at Doobies carrying a single by our band years ago, and I have to say it was pretty cool – if incredibly geeky – to drop a quarter in the jukebox and hear our own songs play.
I never got around to buying it, but I did download a few songs from the first album, including her version of “I’ll Keep it With Mine”, that I like and used to spin frequently a few years ago. I think spins began to diminish after I rented that Wes Anderson movie that used those songs to accompany the one character’s thumb-sucking scenes.
Andy Partridge (I’m not counting his album with Harold Budd)
1)Yeah – you gave me “Blue Sky On Mars”. I don’t think I trashed any albums on purpose, but as Mr Mod cryptically alluded to, I was always pretty rough on my albums anyway.
2) Mick Jones
3)This past year, On a rare New Year’s eve where I didn’t spend it with my NH crew, I had to listen to some euro/indie folk music that I don’t know the name of. When asked, I managed to compliment the percussion
4) “If You Gotta Go, Go Now” – Manfred Mann
5) The drummer or bassist
6) Definitely plopping down quarters to listen to myself at Doobies
7) pass
8) Angus Young
You might be able to send your detritus to Philip Glass via his recording studio:
http://www.glassnyc.com/
And why is Andy Partridge least equipped to do a solo album? The man churns out tons of polished demos. I suspect he is difficult to work with, and may be his own worst enemy when it comes to production decisions, but it seems to me that he should be quite capable of making a good solo album – and I wish he would.
Cherguevara wrote:
I agree with all the fine reasons you list that Partridge should be a natural for making solo albums, but the fact that he hasn’t, instead allowing 9 years between XTC releases (as XTC’s band members dwindle to a number less than the amount of letters in the band’s name) and then releasing box sets of his fine home demos… It seems he’s psychologically incapable of going solo – or at least highly unwilling to do so. At this point, I definitely wish he would. I’d much rather get an album every other year from him then absolutely nothing until he finally twists Moulding’s arm into contributing 2 songs and concurrently unloads another 9 years of constipated home demos. Let it go, Andy!
1) What’s the last band or album you pretended to like – at least just a little – to a) keep peace in a social or business situation among non-rock nerds, b) impress a potential romantic partner, or c) stay in character for an acting role?
I’m sure it’s happened but it’s been so long since I was able to keep my mouth shut about this stuff that I can’t recall. I’m much more likely to not say anything at all or deflect the subject.
2) What cover version of a Bob Dylan song do you like much better than the Dylan original – and considering you might have more than one answer, if you had to choose one beloved cover version of a Bob Dylan song, which one would you choose above all others? Honestly.
I’ll agree with those who said Watchtower
3) What’s the most memorable song you ever dropped a quarter in the jukebox to play? NOTE: What made this experience memorable could be the song itself, the time and place, the ass you kicked in the parking lot shortly thereafter, etc.
The night that I arrived in San Francisco for what turned out to be a 4 year stay, I went to the Gold Cane (which also turned out to be a 4 year stay). The jukebox was 3 plays for a dollar and they had Built for Comfort by Howlin’ Wolf, Honky Tonk Blues by Hank, and a Billie Holiday song whose name escapes me right now. Also, Bud longnecks were $1.50. That was a great 4 years.
4) That Nico album you once took the plunge and paid import prices for – honestly – when’s the last time you spun it?
I don’t even like Nico on the Velvet’s first album.
5) What band leader – past or present – who’s never gone solo to date do you feel is least equipped for leaving his or her band and striking out on his or her own?
Jim Slade
6) What supporting musician – past or present – who’s never gone solo or started his or her own band, to date, do you feel is best equipped to make such a move?
Mike Frank
The answers to this one have me wondering whether I’d find a Bono or Steven Tyler solo album more unbearable.