What’s right and what’s wrong about this live-in-studio New Order clip? For instance, I would say Bernard Sumner‘s angrily ripping off the windscreen is RIGHT, while his shorts are totally WRONG.
Mar 092011
Mar 082011
There’s been a lot of talk about oversaturation in the rock bio market so let’s just cut right to the chase here. Once and for all…what is the Greatest Rock Biography? It can be based on any criteria you wish (insight into the artist’s psyche or creative process, the arc of the rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-redemption story, snorting a line of ants or the “Mud Shark Incident”) but no matter what your basis is, please show your work.
Mar 072011
Now or never?
You’ll have to excuse me for raising this odious question, but in the interest of complete honesty and for the good of rock ‘n roll, here goes: Continue reading »
Mar 072011
Stay hungry, my friends.
Mar 072011
While watching a bit of American Idol the other night (not a regular occurrence in my house, but we do flip by) Brett Loewenstern did a very, um, interesting cover of The Doors’ “Light My Fire.” (Note: the actual singing begins around the 0:30 mark.)
For the rest of the evening, I kept mulling over other Doors tunes that could be done gay cabaret style. “People Are Strange” and “Backdoor Man,” obviously. You could reverse the Oedipal drama of the “The End” and, although I’m not sure how the rest of the song would work, The Gay Doors could go all Freddy Mercury dramatic on the Mr. Mojo Risin part of “LA Woman.” “LA Dragqueen,” anyone?
There are a few other examples of bands playing covers in an unlikely style. Dread Zeppelin and Lez Zeppelin as well as that group that re-records classic albums like Dark Side of the Moon and Sgt Pepper as reggae records. This is not always done as a joke, as in Seu Jorge’s Brazillian-flavored Bowie songs, featured in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zazou. He has more recently done a nice cover of Michael Jackson‘s “Rock With You.”
Can you think of any other bands ripe for this treatment? Or even a more complete setlist for The Gay Doors?
Mar 072011
Blah blah blah...
For god knows what reason a recent issue of Rolling Stone has a cobbled together piece on The Clash. I love The Clash and for years read everything I could on them, but there came a point when I could no longer stomach another hashed-over exercise in myth-making. Tell me something I don’t know already, maybe even some details on how particular records were made. Instead, as this Rolling Stone article does, it’s more of the same-old, same-old: band members from broken homes, The 101’ers, Keith Levene and the London SS, the dawn of Thatcherism, idealism of The Clash contrasted with the nihilism of the Sex Pistols, Bernie Rhodes, the sprawling blah blah blah of London Calling, etc. Enough! The same goes for another one of my favorite bands, The Beatles.
I’m finishing a biography of Elvis Presley, written by one of his Memphis Mafia cronies. I think this is the first Memphis Mafia memoir I’ve read. His close personal friends shed new light on the man. Last night I read about the time he smoked pot. For me, at least, there may be plenty more to learn about the King. I feel the same way about Bob Dylan. Until I see a police report and photos from his motorcycle accident, I hold out hope for learning new details about this great artist.
For what favorite artist would you like to see a moratorium placed on new biographies? Is there anything new you may learn about one of these artists? Perhaps a fellow Townsperson can revive your interest in reading a new biography on said artist. For instance, if anyone can tell me a single new thing about The Clash that I don’t know already, I’ll promise to finish reading this boring Rolling Stone article.
Mar 052011
Sounds of the Hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!
In this week’s edition of Saturday Night Shut-In Mr. Moderator goes on location at Urges, Atlantic City, New Jersey’s newest hotspot for our first-ever dance party. Tune in and join the good times—or better yet, if you’re in the area, drop in and bust a move with your fellow Townspeople!
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/RTH-Saturday-Night-Shut-In-18.mp3|titles=RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 18]
[Note: The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player. In fact, you can even set your iTunes to search for an automatic download of each week’s podcast.]
