Jun 152011
Nothing good’s ever come of…
- All-Star Jams on “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”
- Artists updating a hit song and retitling the updated song with the year of update
- Musical opinions centering around a reference to Bobby (as opposed to Bob) Weir
See where I’m going here? Feel free to add to this list.
All-Star Jams on “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”
God, that’s really bad despite the obvious talent on stage. Everyone is stepping on everyone else. What a boring song – three chords repeated endlessly. What a sad ham that Eric is – had he been drinking? I’d have booted him off.
Artists updating a hit song and retitling the updated song with the year of update
The textbook example: Bowie and “Fame 1990”. Totally unnecessary.
Musical opinions centering around a reference to Bobby (as opposed to Bob) Weir
It could be worse – how about Johnny, Paulie, Georgie, and Dickie?
Nothing good has ever come of 60s-70s British artists working with American soul/funk musicians and producers in order to “black up” their material. The only example I can think of here is Elton John working with Philly soul god Thom Bell in the 70s, but I just *know* there are others.
Oh: Eric Burdon and WAR.
David Bowie and Nile Rodgers for Let’s Dance. Definitely mixed results – a couple good songs but the album as a whole was a letdown from before. They teamed up again for Black Tie White Noise, which was also pretty spotty.
I was about to issue a Hall pass for Nile Rodgers, but then really couldn’t think of why I ought to. I do think that there’s a point in Rock’s timeline where emblackening becomes less silly-sounding.
I’ve still never heard the whole album, but Bowie’s “Young Americans” single is amazing!
I won’t argue with you re: Eric Burdon and WAR. Let’s say it’s a Would-Be Black Thing.
But “Young Americans” was produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti. Not an American soul-producer in sight.
Wasn’t it recorded AT Sigma Sound with TSOP musicians? Either way, it’s one of my favorite Bowie singles.
Nothing good’s ever come of…
Rolling Stone magazine in at least 20 years. Really, you can trace their decline to when they moved to New York City in the late ’70s. They put out a disco issue in April 1979, just before the whole disco scene collapsed. How out of touch could you get?
http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/18/1869/2CX8D00Z/posters/king-bill-the-village-people-rolling-stone-no-289-april-1979.jpg
Having a hit with a certain production style, and then applying that sound to everyone you work with. I’m looking at you, Jeff Lynne.
I disagree. Rolling Stone has always gone through phases and right now it’s as good as it’s been as far back as I can remember.
I’ve been an on and off subscriber for years and about 10 years ago I signed up for the 50 years for $50 subscription offer that they had going. I grant you, had I not done that, there have been times over the years where I would have just let my subscription lapse.
But in the last year or so, they’ve had some great articles and interviews. Sure they might have Katy Perry on the cover but inside they have articles about folks like Merle Haggard, Leon Russell and Kris Kristopherson.
They have also have a lot articles on political issues and people. A recent article on Roger Ailes was frightening and fascinating. A lot of people seem to like Matt Tiabbi’s stuff (although personally I find him annoying because I think he dilutes any good points that he has by making snide and sometimes dubious comments).
If you haven’t looked at it in a while you should give it another chance. Sure it’s not the Atlantic or the Nation, but who wants to read those while taking a crap?
I kinda prefer Strutter ’78 to the original…..
Re-recording the greatest hits (Cracker, Moody Blues, Squeeze) for contractural reasons is I guess the only way around it.
Unplugged records where everyone is actually plugged in
In my alternate universe all of my friends are famous “Bobs” or “Roberts” that I call “Bobby”
Duval
Dylan
Weir
Redford
Smith
Plant
DeNiro
Nobody (including said “Bobbys) ever know who I am actually talking about.
I have a Rolling Stone subscription too, mostly because it was really really cheap. The paparazzi celeb photos are enough to make me want to burn most issues, but Matt Taibbi has the guts to tell it like it is. The fact that he has a strong point of view and a sense of outrage suits what he writes about.
I am guilty of still subscribing — CDM is right. It’s not as bad as the covers would suggest. They do some good updates on retro rockers (I would add recent profiles on The Cars and Gregg Allman to his list) and they did some Keef and Sammy Hagar book excerpts. I like Taibbi too. I still read the record reviews as well.
OK, maybe Rolling Stone has improved recently, but I have the 1967-2007 collection on DVD and there was a definite falloff in quality by 1980. Rolling Stone subsequently went through decades where the magazine was barely more than fluff and press releases, plus they were out of touch with the real scenes. Sure, there were occasionally good articles and some good writing, but they were scattered gems in a sea of glop.
There are few things more annoying than anyone who talks about “Bobby” (Dylan), from Joan Baez down to the loser ex-hippies who yell out to “Bobby” to play something at his concerts.
As for Rolling Stone, I think the fallacy is the belief that it was ever particularly good. I am sure the ratio of crap to decent work is pretty consistent throughout its existence.
a past his prime blowhard like Lou Reed teaming up with a past their prime metal band like Metallica to make a record…a cd…a download…whatever they’re called.
From what I understand, if you ever want Robert Fripp to give you the cold shoulder, call him Bobby. Or even Bob.
Rolling Stone did manage to be fairly timely up until the late ’70s plus they seemed to be much more skeptical in attitude towards media-company PR fluff. Then they pulled tricks like putting Frampton and the BeeGees on the cover in a puff piece for the Sgt. Pepper movie, then trashing the film a few months later only when it was safe to do so.
http://i53.tinypic.com/30kblur.jpg
You may not even be allowed to call him Robert. According to Nick Cave, when he worked with Fripp, he referred to himself as “the guitarist.” E.g., “The guitarist would like to hear take 3 again, please.”
I have to see if I still have my old Musician magazine with the Fripp-Joe Strummer interview. I think Strummer got to call him Bob.
Here’s a transcript at Elephant Talk. I don’t see Joe callling Robert “Bob” anywhere.
http://www.elephant-talk.com/wiki/Interview_with_Robert_Fripp_and_Joe_Strummer_in_Musician
By the way, I miss Musician magazine. I remember it as being quite good.
Quite good except for the last 4-5 years. Quite a disappointing decline. I think it changed hands or they got a new editor or something but at the end it got really earnest and technical and boring.
Thanks, tonyola! I loved Musician, but like cdm said, it did take a dip at the end. I wonder if all the music magazines I loved in high school took a dip because the music scene they made their bones covering was running out of steam.
It’s funny, Fripp refers to himself as “Bob.”
I can’t believe that I still remember Fripp’s line at the end about playing and knowing the next notes he was about to play before he planned on playing anything. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on stage and thought of that interview, wondering if I was about to reach that moment. I can’t tell you how many times I failed to reach that state.
hvb, you don’t like “Are You Ready For Love”?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x13ZxRV2cLw