Mr. Moderator

When not blogging Mr. Moderator enjoys baseball, cooking, and falconry.

Setting the Parameters for an Objective Appraisal of The Smiths

Jan 192010

In a recent thread seeking consensus over a single song for a variety of polarizing bands, Townsman Oats dismissed one subthread as follows:

The Smiths are a band that will never, ever get an objective appraisal here, so I don’t even know why we’re talking about them.

Oats – and fellow Townspeople – I am curious to konw what the parameters might be for an objective appraisal of The Smiths. Can you help us identify these parameters so that we might be able to prove our friend Oats wrong? Might this key piece from our archives help us in our preparation for this challenging task? Thank you.

Consult the Orockle: Can’t We All Just Agree On One Song by Any of a Handful of Polarizing Bands?

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 182010

The wisdom of The Hall continues to amaze me. For as many knowledgeable individuals who dazzle with their rock knowledge, it is the collective wisdom of our participants that I find most dazzling.

It is in this spirit that I want to allow for further amazement—not only for the people but by the people. I was going to try to turn this into my own original post, in an attempt to display my deluded sense of having a unique brand of insight and humor, but then I thought better of it. Instead, I’d like to pose this question to the collective wisdom of The Orockle: Can’t we all just agree on one song by any of a handful of polarizing bands?

For instance, Pink Floyd‘s “Wish You Were Here” just came on the radio, and I was reminded of all the times I’d been in the presence of Floyd haters like my wife, who get that faraway look in their eyes whenever that Floyd song comes on the radio. Like a few other friends I know, my wife doesn’t like Pink Floyd even a little, but she digs that song. Can’t we all just agree on that one?

As always, when any of us consult The Orockle, the opportunity exists for folks to ask similar questions and receive similar advice. The topic shouldn’t necessarily focus just on Pink Floyd. Please feel free to suggest the one song by another polarizing band that we all agree is worth listening to when it comes on the radio.

I look forward to your responses.

Crafting a Serious Rock Look

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 182010

I wanted to post something socially relevant that would show that Rock Town Hall cares about today’s Martin Luther King Day celebration – and believe me, we do – but then I got distracted by Dion‘s Look in this 1968 performance of “Abraham, Martin, and John.” I started thinking about artists who’ve crafted a new Look specifically to support a new, more serious and introspective direction. Unplugged-era Clapton came to mind. What other artists have crafted a new Look specifically to support a deeper artistic direction?

Bad Luck Streak Comes to an End: Teddy Pendergrass Dies

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 142010

Now here’s a recently deceased musician who meant a lot to me growing up. To tell the truth, I thought Sound of Philadelphia singer and sex symbol extraordinaire Teddy Pendergrass was dead already. The guy suffered more bad breaks than most, such as the car accident that paralyzed him at the height of his popularity. I guess it was his diagnosis of the cancer that finally did him in that got misfiled in my mind.

As lead vocalist for Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, Pendergrass first came fully into focus for me through the group’s hit song “Wake Up Everybody.” This is still my favorite TSOP recording. I dig the way the arrangement slowly swings and builds. I dig the guitar fills. I dig the idealistic lyrics, which always made me feel better during generally bad times. I dig the long, shuffling fadeout. I dig the contrast between the horns and the strings. I dig the slow burn of Pendergrass’ husky vocal and the harmony on the choruses. Like a lot of the best hits by The O’Jays and other TSOP groups, the magic’s in the fadeout. Finally, this may not be something I should share, but I dig what he represented to me, a white boy, as a black man in the mid-’70s.
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Jay Reatard Dies

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 132010

I won’t pretend that the death of Jay Reatard rattles me to my core, but wow, this was a rare “new” musician whose work I found interesting and full of life.

A couple of years ago Townsman kpdexter directed me toward his music, thinking it may appeal to the Buzzcocks and tuneful Guided By Voices side of my tastes. Sure enough the collection of singles I bought sounded like the Buzzcocks through the tuneful side of GBV! At times the “in your faceness” of his delivery wore me out, but whenever those songs pop up on my iPod I feel like there’s still hope for raw nerves to energize rock ‘n roll music.

I checked out Reatard’s latest album and didn’t find it as exciting, but I meant to take some time to read up on the guy and see what made him tick. Now it won’t be the same. My condolences to his friends and family.

McCartney: Canseco Not Fully Forthcoming

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 132010

A Beatle-on-Brothers bashing.

Paul McCartney has added fuel to the raging fire that has followed Mark McGwire‘s admission Monday to using steroids during his career.

In response to McGwire’s admission, Jose Canseco, Big Mac’s “Bash Brother” from their days together in Oakland, contended that the disgraced slugger was not being entirely forthcoming about the matter. Meanwhile, the former Beatle has stepped forward to contend that Canseco was not being entirely forthcoming about his claims of having injected McGwire with PEDs.

“It may be true that Jose injected Mark,” said McCartney, interviewed briefly by The Independent following a chance encounter at a London vegan clothing boutique, “but I could have injected injected him first.”
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Signs That You’ve Retained Too Much Rock Minutia

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 132010

I was watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain‘s travel-food show No Reservations last night that took place across the United States Southwest. The episode began with our MC5 and Stooges-raised host visiting Alice Cooper‘s restaurant and ended with him spending quality time with Ted Nugent on his Texas ranch/compound.

I noted to my wife, rock nerd style, that it was funny that he traveled through the Southwest to hang with two Detroit rockers. Then, the Nuge takes Bourdain to his favorite Texas BBQ brisket joint and the men are seen swigging beer to wash down their tasty cuts of beef. Seconds after catching mysef and acknowledging that it would be too nerdy to say to my wife, That’s funny, I thought Nugent was straight edge, deciding instead to write Townsman Hrrundivbakshi (a Nuge expert) on this matter as soon as the episide ended, Ted says to Tony, “I think this is the third beer I’ve ever drank in my life!” All was right in the world, and at that moment it was clear I’ve retained too much rock minutia over the years.

What’s a sign that you’ve retained too much rock minutia over the years?

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