Mr. Moderator

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

Let’s Phantom Tollbooth an Album!

Feb 092007

Townsman kpdexter submits the following:

In 2003, Robert Pollard released an album on Off Records called Beard of Lightning. What’s interesting about this album, besides the fact that it features some of the most intense, challenging, and exciting music of his career, as well as incredible melodies and lyrics, is the concept behind it.

Bob was given the master tapes to Phantom Tollbooth’s 1988 album, Power Toy (released on Homestead), and allowed to recreate it, wiping the original vocals and replacing them with his own vocals and lyrics, in effect creating a brand new lp. With the band’s blessing, he set about reshaping the album, laboring over it for months, trying to get it just right. Continue reading »

Spotlight On: Acceptance Speeches at the GRAMMYS

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 082007

To set the tone, Townswoman Crystal puts the spotlight on GRAMMYS acceptance speeches. This is just one of many keys we will offer to enable you to experience maximum enjoyment of this otherwise obligatory event.

“Wu Tang is for the Children,” ODB once said as he interrupted Shawn Colvin’s “Sonny Came Home” acceptance speech. It was probably the most exciting thing said during the 1998 GRAMMYS. In doing research for the exciting GRAMMY speech, they all tend to be the same. It’s about God or their Mom. There are tons of tears and “Oh, I didn’t except this.” There is little mention on the web of speeches pre-1987. I guess artists weren’t allowed to talk or there are no transcripts. I’m dying to get a hold of one for Barbara Streisand’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Continue reading »

KISS Army Reunion Update!

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 082007

We’ve gotten a lot of interest in the KISS Army Reunion planned for next Thursday, February 15! It should be hot! Regulars as well as some notable visitors to the Halls of Rock will be in attendance. Reports are also mounting of a counter-reunion in the parking lot. If all goes well, this could start out lovely and then get ugly!

Don’t forget, tomorrow begins Rock Town Hall’s weekend-long GRAMMYS Bash. Quick: Did KISS ever win a GRAMMY?

Rare Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake Outtake/Promo Film Uncovered!

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 072007

Free Agent Veteran “Second-Option” Singers Available for Rebuilding Bands

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 072007

Let’s play Rock ‘n Roll General Manager, shall we? You are the GM of a band that has just lost its lead singer to mental breakdown/rehab (think Shane McGowan suddenly leaving The Pogues). The style of this band is whatever you want it to be. The band is in need of a veteran lead singer with optional songwriting skills to quickly fill the gap in time for recording a new album and going on tour.

Long-term, it’s possible that the original lead singer will come to his or her senses and rejoin the band, or another established member of the band may step forward and pick up the reins, but today the band needs a new frontman who will fit your band’s chemistry.

This year the free agent pool of vocalists is especially rich in “second-option” singers, that is, those singers of 2 to 3 songs per their band’s album – the singers you wish, in your deepest rock ‘n roll fantasies would take over the lead vocal role from their regular band’s once-cool, now-cocky or cheesy singer. So, you’ve got the pick of the following litter at the specified point in their career. Who would you pick, and by what criteria would you base your choice? If none of these choices fits your criteria, please list another second-option singer you might look to pry loose via trade.

Mick Jones (Clash version, circa London Calling)
Pete Townshend circa Who’s Next
Keith Richards, hot off Exile
Art Garfunkel, hot off “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
George Harrison, circa All Things Must Pass
Ronnie Lane, circa Faces’ Long Player
Joe Jack Talcum, circa “Punk Rock Girl”
Ron Wood, circa interrupted New Barbarians’ tour
Colin Moulding or Colin Newman

I look forward to your responses.

Dirty Mac and the Glory of Yoko

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 062007

Inspired by Tuesday’s poll, Townsman General Slocum submitted the following thoughts:

Yoko was the tongue in the sallow cheek of that “band.” I always get a kick out of Mitch Mitchell, and Clapton and Lennon could easily have let me down less than they did in this setting, but like every high-school let’s-play-the-blues-and-make-the-worst-guitarist-play-bass outfit I’ve ever heard, there’s not much humor in there. And if Yoko’s sack-dance and catterwauling don’t tickle you, then wait till she gets into sodomized kitty range, and then look at John: the neutral, unaffected eyes of true love, hearing not a thing wrong with the dulcet warblings of his sweetie. There’s a lot going on there that is more entertaining than hearing the White Men’s Blues Society hammer that five on the turnaround as though they’d finally actually heard a black cat moan!

Does Hair Make the Heir?

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 062007

The thread that will not die! Do your part to keep this thread alive! Then, continue the healing by helping Rock Town Hall bridge The Great Divide!

Sometimes a provocative post in a given day’s All-Star Jam area needs to be broken out for more focused discussion on the Main Stage. Today we have just such a post. Check out something Townsman Rick wrote regarding Prince’s appearance in the Super Bowl Halftime Extravaganza:

But really, of all the people anywhere near the level of Super Bowl-halftime-eligible, Prince is the closest thing we’ve got to an heir to James Brown.

I say: What’s that actually mean? I know that musically he’s learned a lot from JB, but what exactly has Prince added to it? JB was down with The People. Prince has spent most of his career sitting high above The People, high on a Purple Cloud. The rightful heir to JB was Public Enemy. They made powerful, gritty message music. JB never posed naked with an orchid covering his manhood.

We can agree to disagree, but first I think we need to see what it is we’re disagreeing about. Then, perhaps, the healing reconcilliation will follow. Please feel free to jump in, Townspeople. We’re nowhere near closure on this Prince issue.

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