I offer this video to anyone who happens to be a drummer and dentist and celebrating a birthday today. Why? The fantastic bass drum playing this guy does over his head! And the cameraperson’s strange fixation on Bob Seger’s dental hygiene for most of the video. Seger slinging a thunderbird?
Nine things I like. Do you have a tenth?
You’re sent to the proverbial deserted island, except on this lousy island, you’re not allowed to bring your 10 favorite albums or artists. There are only four bands’ records available here, and there’s a waiting list. You get to choose from among these four bands: U2, REM, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Pearl Jam. What order do you put those bands in when you send them to the island quartermaster? Most desired to least desired. I will share my order, but I’m curious about the wisdom and tastes of the Hall.
While reading about the surprising success of the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates, I noticed that the columnist referred to the team with the familiar insider’s nickname of the “Buccos” a few times. That reminded me of how the Montreal Canadiens were sometimes called the “Habs” instead. It’s odd because a team name is a nickname already. Why would you need an insider’s nickname to the nickname?
A band’s name is a nickname too, but sometimes the hippest of the hipsters need to prove their deeper band loyalty by referring to their favorites by their second-level nickname. Are there a lot of these? Ask your friends Whitey and Lumpy for the band nicknames that can only be associated with a single band and must be obviously recognized as that band’s nickname. Easy one: Everyone knows your talking about The Beatles when you say the Fab Four.
Missing friend of the Hall Raggers had a great faux rock band name called Annoyer. His idea was that it was a heavy metal band along the lines of Destroyer. Since it never materialized, I’m going to steal his name and apply it differently.
If you were forming a band comprised of the most annoying personalities in rock and roll, who would get invited? This is not a call for musicians that make annoying music. This is meant to gather the most annoying personalities in rock. You may even like the music they play, but know that their personalities are so objectionable that there would be multiple homicides even before the tour bus pulled out of the parking lot.
A couple of names I’d put on the roster would be Stewart Copeland on drums and Ted Nugent on lead guitar. I’m basing their inclusion on Copeland’s interview on Costello’s Spectacle and on everything I’ve ever seen Nugent say or do. Offer a replacement if you have someone even more annoying than those two. Who else gets the call to fill out the band?
John, how many songs should George get?
I’m a 2per. So is George Harrison, and so is John Entwistle, and so is Dave Davies. That’s the term I’m slapping on a person in a band with a dominant songwriter who typically gets two of his songs included on each album among the principal songwriter’s songs. When I brought up the concept to E. Pluribus Gergley of RTH discussing who the best 2per is, he responded in his typically open-minded way that there’s nothing to discuss. It’s George Harrison. So I sat on the topic until I thought of a different angle on it.
Your headline, please.
Last night Bruce Springsteen invited Paul McCartney to join him on stage for his show’s fantastic finale in Hyde Park in London. Despite the enormity of this musical event, representatives from City Council pulled the plug while Bruce, Paul, and the band were still playing because it was getting too late! It’s like a soundman giving Jesus the “2 more minutes” sign while he’s delivering the Sermon on the Mount.
What’s the appropriate use of a lyric, album title, etc. to create the Daily Mail’s morning headline for the story? I’m going with ‘Because the Night’ ends at 10:30. Others?
