I SUMMON HOMEFRONTRADIO!
Quick: Name an album that you were familiar with in its original form that benefitted greatly from remixed or remastered reissue! What new qualities arose in the grooves?
Jan 082009
Mr. Moderator
Jan 082009
Feel free to suggest your own typical publicity shot poses, but the ones that first come to mind for me are as follows:
Johnny Rotten’s psycho stare
Prince’s come hither doe eyes
I’ve always been pulled in by Rotten’s sinister stare no matter how much of a put-on it’s been. On the other hand, Prince’s doe-eyed Look is no more promising for me than the same Look Susanna Hoffs abused. Wonder if her mom ever said, “Susanna, your eyes are going to stick that way if you keep it up!”
(I have two friends who ran out on their own to see the Philadelphia debut of her movie, The Allnighter, only to see each other, sitting alone, in the nearly empty theater.)
The following publicity shot pose, however, is the one that has the greatest effect on me:
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Jan 072009
Unsoiled?
The knowledgeable, opinionated Townspeople of Rock Town Hall have a gift (and sometimes curse) for finding fault with the greatest of the greats in rock ‘n roll. We were the first to cite Keith Richards’ dearth of memorable guitar solos. We were the first to point out that Lennon’s contributions to Rubber Soul dragged the otherwise landmark Beatles’ album down a notch. And who else but Rock Town Hall was going to bring the Charlie Watts hoax to light? OK, you none of you stooped to those depths, but let he who hasn’t picked nits around here at some point feel superior – and perhaps inferior, in our rock-snob eyes.
As a way of confirming that even we can appreciate talent and good taste when it’s there for the taking, let’s conduct a most likely fruitless exercise in nitpicking.
Last night, loaded up on 50 mg of prednisone, I watched a 1972 Roy Orbison concert from Australia. it occurred to me that, beside his genetically compromised Look, there may be very little to find worth criticizing in the man’s work. Orbison’s not among my Top 10 faves or anything, but he had a great voice; sang strong, narrative, dynamic songs; and could rock when he wanted to. Plus he made great use of shades.
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Jan 062009
Recently I heard Eddie Money’s “Two Tickets to Paradise” on Classic Rock radio 2 days in a row. It’s not close to the worst song ever, but it has no business ever being broadcast on the public airwaves again. It doesn’t add anything to our lives that Money’s first single, “Baby Hold On,” didn’t deliver. It’s not even a song we can take pleasure in disliking. It’s just there, like a piece of dried gum on a crowded city sidewalk. If some station’s got to play Eddie Money, isn’t “Baby Hold On” a slightly less relevant song? I hereby move that the record industry melt the master tapes of “Two Tickets to Paradise” and recall all vinyl and digital copies in circulation. There’s no point in anyone needing to hear that song again.
What do you say? What completely irrelevant song would you move to have deleted from public airplay – and recalled from private collections?
Jan 062009
December’s Comment of the Month comes courtesy of Townman dbuskirk, who tracked down Todd Rundgren to confirm an oft-told tale from a former classmate. Poor Joe Epperson. Clcik here to review. Nice work, db.
Jan 052009
Lou with Mike Patton and John Zorn…and a headless guitar!
Jan 042009
Since the topic of make-out music came up in a recent thread, I think this is as good a time as any for us to share memories of our earliest make-out music experiences.
I recall my first make-out session in the basement of an eighth grade classmate being accompanied by some form of slow-dancing/groping to Led Zeppelin‘s “Stairway to Heaven” leading into actual making out alongside a wood-paneled wall to Fleetwood Mac‘s “Dreams.” It was pretty cool. Sadly, times and music tastes would change drastically before my next meaningful make-out session.
I look forward to your tales of formative make-out tunes. For those of you who choose not to share, I promise not to assume that you’re still waiting for that first make-out session.
