Apr 082011
Admit it, Diana Ross haters, “special guest star Larry Hagman” was all you needed to give this television extravaganza a chance.
At this point I’d like to invite all of you on stage for an All-Star Jam. Here’s Duff McKagan with some healing words! What nuggets of wisdom or rock arcana are you packing?
Until she removed the coat she looked like an absurdly stylish Alaskan trapper returning to her cabin with the motherload of dead ermine.
That’s a Comment of the Month contender!
“Oh, you people love me! [sob] You really, really love me!… (Security, keep these assholes in line. Next one who touches my coat gets a high heel in their solar plexus)”
Must I have to learn about this first on Facebook? (Regardless, thanks to Townswoman memememe for the tip.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phBpFVviZBA
I just saw that. A well earned opportunity for Iggy to be seen by people who would otherwise never see him? Or a sign that the concept of musical moral authority or artistic credibility no longer exists?
In my opinion Iggy has sucked, musically, for most of his career. The first two Stooges albums, a couple of songs off Raw Power, and a half dozen songs on The Idiot and that other album from his time imitating Bowie, and that’s about that from the guy. He’s mostly a cool brand, and I see no harm in him selling his wares on American Idol, some ginormous summer festival tour, a cruise-line commercial, or wherever he’s going to get his next paycheck. If it leads to a few kids who are ready to rock stumbling across his great works, more power to him.
Wow. Just Wow. Compared to the Ig, Ozzy, Keith Richards, and Pete Doherty are rank amateurs when it comes to kamikaze psychosis and chemical self-destruction. Yet look who manages to live to a vigorous, rocking old age.
On a totally different subject, let me ask about the Tubes. You don’t mind if I do, right? Ok.
So, what’s going on here?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry1myacv2BE
I enjoy it more if I’m not watching Fee Waybill’s weird mime gestures. Didn’t the guy from the Spin Doctors do that sort of thing too? Do the Tubes belong in the same category as the Spin Doctors? I only know two songs by this band, the other is “She’s A Beauty.” Am I missing anything?
Yeah, I’m pretty much with Mod on this one (though I don’t necessarily feel Iggy mostly sucks; more that his ’80s and onward output is easily ignorable). I love Iggy just enough to enjoy him performing on American Idol, without having to worry about the subpar things about the performance. (That guitar tone — yikes!)
I don’t necessarily disagree about your take on Iggy’s career, although I like Raw Power a lot more than the first album, and I really like Cry For Love despite the horrible production (I think Shawnkilroy has my back here). I have no problem with Iggy doing commercials. He’s a guy who created something really original at one point and he definitely seemed to be walking the walk, so I don’t begrudge him his 401(k) In fact, I thought it was funny that people who were considering a cruise might be further enticed by a guy singing about liquor, drugs and “taking it in the ear”.
But something about American Idol has always rubed me the wrong way. I’ve never seen more than a stray clip but doesn’t it essentially reward people for singing in that overly emotive faux-soul style? I can barely take it when Stevie Wonder does that, I definitely don’t want to hear it from a 22 year old who’s influences are Celene Dion and Mariah Carey.
As always, I’m afraid to revisit The Tubes, but when I get a chance I’ll try to think about them again – and revisit 2000 Man’s fine piece on the band from 2008:
https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/index.php/group-grope-the-tubes/
I hate “She’s a Beauty.” It makes Starship sound like Iggy and the Stooges.
Also, while I realize The Tubes didn’t do “Love is Like Oxygen,” I hold it against them anyway. Unfair, yes, but creatively so, I like to think.
The Tubes started out as an outrageous shock-rock “performance art” band in the ’70s with wonderfully trashy junk-food classics like “White Punks on Dope”, “Mondo Bondage”, and “Don’t Touch Me There”. However, they didn’t make money so they toned themselves down for commercial appeal. The Tubes of “Talk To Ya Later” and “She’s a Beauty” are a pale shadow of what they once were. Here’s a video clip from ’77.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=749id7dcYTI
Ah, that linked thread covers a lot. I like the idea of the “group group” threads, too. I totally get the Sparks comparison, which is a band I’ve come to appreciate, at least, a few of their albums.
I was just watching a video of “White Punks On Dope” on YouTube and one of the commenters there said that his band had opened for the Tubes and that Fee Waybill had gone on to the crowd about how much the opening act sucked! Kinda funny, but moreso, obnoxious.
I’m a little more generous about Iggy’s music. His albums from the late’ 70s to early ’80s have their moments. I’d rather listed to Iggy get arty than Lou Reed at any rate.
Oh, man, I love when Iggy goes shirtless!
But seriously, I am mostly with Mod on this, though like cdm I think Raw Power kicks the ass of the first Stooges record. After Raw Power, to say that his output is spotty would be generous.
I confess that I was a big fan of Completion Backwards Principle when it came out (contains Talk to You Later) and liked some of the earlier “outrageous” stuff. In retrospect, I really have no idea what they were doing.
I appreciate the you and Oats are “mostly” with me. That’s all I ask from anyone who wants to be my friend.
NP – “Lust for Life”!!! Lunch will have to wait a few more minutes.
http://www.covermesongs.com/2011/04/watch-paul-simon-covers-his-inspiration-for-mother-and-child-reunion.html
I love Jimmy Cliff’s “Vietnam” and this is actually a really good cover version.
On a sad note today, Dwight Twilley just tweeted (yes, I am one of dozens following him) that long time band mate Bill Pitcock IV has died. He joins Phil Seymour in power pop heaven. Here’s Dwight, Phil, Tom Petty, and Bill doing what they did on American Bandstand many years ago.
http://youtu.be/tZ2E33KutIA
I always thought it was odd that Phil sang lead on this song, Twilley Don’t Mind — from an album that was perpetually in the cut-outs where I grew up.
That’s good stuff, Oats. Thanks. chickenfrank needs to check out that bass ukelele. Also, it’s good seeing the “Tom Heyman in 10 Years’ Time” guitarist is still playing with Simon.
I saw that last night and just stopped whatever I was doing to watch that mess. I don’t think that is going to turn any of the kids onto “rock”. I think it was “rock night” meaning American Idol considers “rock” as a sub-catagory of music like “standards” or “sanjaya”.
Simon has such a great band. That’s South African bassist Bakithi Kumalo, and his instrument caught my eye too. Is it the least pointy bass ever? I did a little research, and this is what it is:
http://www.kalaukulele.com/UBASS.asp
Sounded pretty cool.
Our other guitarist (and other Jim), the one who can actually play the guitar, owns one of these things! It sounds amazing. I just saw him tonight. I forgot to mention this clip, thinking the instrument he owned was similar. Thanks for confirming that.
Wow, I don’t even remember that! I still think The Tubes are (well, were) a blast. My friend pulled out What Do You Want From Live the other day and played it while I was over. We both saw them, so the extended parts with no vocals or weird talking and explosions and stuff didn’t bore us, but we both agreed that had you not been there and only heard that live album, they’d have sounded like the shittiest jam band that ever happened. Fee does have a bad look, but he’s got something going on – it’s hard to take you eyes off him.
Then again, maybe it’s always hard to take your eyes off the 8 ft tall guy in a silver thong!
Rock Town Hall Council of Elders, if you didn’t catch this on the Latest Coments page, enjoy:
https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/index.php/inventor-of-the-dreaded-ovation-roundback-guitar-dies/#comment-53518
That was great. On a related? note, I’m sure you have already submitted your contest entry for this, but just in case:
http://on.fb.me/dU2Op1
(I don’t really know Melissa Etheridge’s music beyond her hits, but I do respect the way she actually rocks out even with the Ovation. And extra credit for that Six Pack or Shotgun documentary video covering SPoS subject Juliette Lewis.)
A new book about Nicky Hopkins:
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2011/04/06/piano-nicky-hopkins
I’m a piano player and I’d love to have anything close to Hopkins’ ability and taste. He was once offered a full membership in the Rolling Stones, but he had to turn it down due to his chronic health problems.
COOL LINK DEPT.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cgstopgo/sets/72157623910604943/with/5584000606/
Sorry, here’s a better version:
http://motherjones.com/media/2011/04/rock-albums-book-covers
Interesting: there’s an “It’s Fun for You” Xfinity ad that I keep seeing/hearing that always makes me think someone was trying to write a jingle that sounded like a Mike Love composition as sung by Joe Jack Talcum of Dead Milkmen. Turns out it’s by the same guy who wrote the Free Credit Report ads:
http://quirkyfusion.com/2011/03/its-fun-for-you-where-have-all-the-jingles-gone/
Coming on the heels of the Iggy Pop appearance on American Idol and the “Iggy hasn’t found his shirt” poll question, check this out:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10999954
Maybe he could be fitted for a Ken doll’s shirt?
Well, there’s my Creepy Moment of the Day!
That’s hilarious! If I come across one, I’m buying it!
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