Sep 242009
Has Townsman 2000 Man been away from the Halls of Rock for longer than usual, or have I been so busy myself that I haven’t noticed his always-welcome presence? I hope all is well with 2K and that he’s resting on some faraway beach. In the meantime, some disgusting excerpts from a forthcoming tell-all by Milner‘s jailbait shotgun passenger, Mackenzie Phillips, reminded me of the following delivery by 2K, in response to an earlier thread he posted. These solo Papa John tracks creeped people out too. Enjoy!
This post initially appeared 1/23/08.
You asked for it!
By request. I can’t believe you guys don’t think this is as bad as I do. I’m gonna take a shower now.
John Phillips, “Zulu Warrior”
Now I see where Keef got his ideas for the X-Pensive Winos. My wish is my nightmare, eh?
I really didn’t find any of the Phillips recordings appalling (not on the level of that ACDC beach photo anyway). Lacking in direction, sure, but hearing the Stones not be the Stones was actually quite interesting. Once you’ve heard Stones-lite, it makes you appreciate the real thing. From what I’ve read about those sessions, it’s amazing they got any music down on tape at all.
(Ok, maybe the Zulu Warrior lyrics were pretty appalling.)
I’m actually astonished that anybody would describe Zulu Warrior as “appaling”! Its far from appaling IMO. Its a great passionate expression of human spirit. I can hear nothing wrong with the lyrics whatsoever. When you believe in your own instincts and talent, and sing from the heart, you cant go wrong.
Nothing John Phillips ever did was appaling. There were 3 categories; good, great, and mind-blowing.
Well, its just my subjective opinion, but I think he’s the most under-appreciated song-writer of the 20th century (which was mainly his own fault, sadly).
Really?
Because I find his body of work to be of three other categories: Cloying, Annoying and California Dreaming. Did he write Me and My Uncle? If so, I’m okay with that one too. Great autobiography though.
I think lots of people “believe in [their] own instincts and talent, and sing from the heart” and go horribly wrong.
And now here it is, fall 2009, and we know more about John Phillips heart, not to mention the rest of him, than any of us ever wanted to.
Not to go all People Magazine on you all, but I think Michelle Phillips said it best when she cautioned against taking anything her daughter said seriously, noting “she spent the last 28 years with a needle stuck in her arm.” It *is* a pretty good rule of thumb to never trust a junkie.
PINCE NEZ!!! She’s Michelle’s Step daughter.
Thanks for the Pince Nez, cdm. This explains why Mackenzie, at her relative peak riding shotgun in Milner’s piss-green pickup truck, had nothing more than a homely-cute appeal.
I suppose we can’t rule out that this new autobio is a way to squeeze some more dollars out of one’s own disaster. Either way, “my father screwed me for nearly ten years,” or whatever she’s actually saying, is pretty much a new low.
Don’t understand why anyone would be critical of Mackenzie at this point.
This latest revelation may be true (and come on, did any of us think for a second that this was something beyond John Phillips? Disgusting, but not shocking when his name appears),or a delusion. Either way, she is totally a victim here. She was not raised in a healthy environment, and has only ever turned her abuse inward (as opposed to Michael Jackson).
Why is anyone attacking her? Because she put it in a book, and is talking about it? I don’t get it. Are you saying, “Too bad for you! You shouldn’t be talking about it on TV!”
By the use of the term “disgusting” I didn’t mean to attack “Mackie.” However, I did a mini-rant to my someone yesterday (or maybe to no one – I can’t recall, and that’s sad) about the fact that I think it’s unwise and a sign of celebrity attention-deficit disorder when a person is a year into yet another attempt at sobriety (this is at least her second go-round, if People magazine memory serves) and feel the need to immediately put out a tell-all book and do the talk-show circuit with Ellen, Oprah, and the like, if all works out as I imagine she and her publicist hope it will. As a minor celebrity, I always liked Mackenzie Phillips thanks to American Graffiti and One Day at a Time. Despite liking his musical contributions with the Mamas & Papas, I’ve always DISliked her father as a self-absorbed blowhard. I simply wish the woman would take a little more time to get her own life together before presuming to use her story to save anyone else’s life.
It’s the “I’m telling my story only to help others in the same situation” excuse that irks me. Yes, she’s a victim, but the lurid details would be more appropriately worked through with her therapist instead of being hyped for maximum profit in a celebrity tell-all book.
Yes. A cautionary tale to joung women not to go on a ten-year coke binge with their depraved fathers. It could save millions from tragedy.
The superior judgmental nature of some of these words disappoint me. Is she offering an “excuse” anywhere? The kid was a pre-teen force fed alcohol and drug addict who was pimped out by her dad. I guess that was her own fault. Sure wish she knew how to act more appropriately now.
I think the rules of decorum was the lesson Papa was going to give after his lesson on how to shoot a speedball. Too bad she missed that lesson.
I didn’t know one could appear on Oprah twice in 1 week!
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/25/chynna.phillips.mackenzie.oprah/
This is the first story I’ve actually read on the subject. What I find most alarming is that Chynna (the hot third of Wilson Phillips, right?) is now in the service of the Lord. Is she the one who was/is also married to the Born Again Baldwin? Do I really need to be thinking about all these D-list celebrities? Now, Chickenfrank, do you understand why, like Michelle Phillips, we wish Mackenzie would have swept these ugly secrets under the rug? I’m afraid it will take a reality show to work this out.
I wish I were on a beach! I’ve just been working really hard, and I don’t mean to sound whiny about it, but it is what it is. Thanks for noticing my absence.
I feel bad for Mackenzie Phillips. her old man was a complete piece of crap, and I don’t blame her for hiding from her life in drugs. As far as her book is concerned, that’s the way her family deals with everything, so she isn’t doing anything she wasn’t brought up to think was the way to do it.
Those songs still suck balls, too.
I know what you mean about working hard, 2K! Good to know you’re hanging in there, and thanks for giving this revived thread some proper perspective.
Seems like awhile since post-of-the-month prize was awarded but I think Geo’s here is a contenda.
And is there a family tree somewhere that could clarify the relationship among the various Phillips?
I don’t know about this drunken mess of a record. I understand that it showed up in a few budget cut outs. Had I seen it, I probably would have picked it up.
I do have a copy of John’s solo record called The Wolf King of L.A. I like this record fairly well. It’s not a mind blower, but it’s pretty decent.
TB
You’re right, Al, I’ve got to bring back the Comment of the Month award. There have been a lot of keepers lately.