As a young punk, when they emerged on the scene, I was never a fan of Van Halen. I thought Eddie Van Halen was a particularly evil force in terms of the downward spiral of popular aesthetics. Over time, however, I came to appreciate the band Van Halen, for their craftsmanship, for David Lee Roth’s comic swagger, and for the song “Jump,” the one Van Halen hit that barely features Eddie’s guitar wankery.
That said, I was sadder than I could have imagined when I saw the news that Eddie Van Halen died last night, at 65. He was a fierce adversary in my imagination. To be the best, we’ve got to beat the best. He was among the best in his field of practice, and I respect – and now miss – that.
I became a diehard fan of the Kinks in the late ‘60s, around the time of Arthur. I loved that album, played it constantly, loved every song, everything about it. I went back from there and continued forward with them for quite a while, long past the time I should have bailed. They were the headliners at my first rock & roll concert, in Philly in 1971, with local Philly band Good God opening and Edgar Winter’s White Trash second billed. That was the first of my disappointments with The Kinks. Was there ever a more disappointing live band?
I still love Arthur but have to ask myself, how could I ever have liked “She’s Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina”? My only defense it that I was 13 years old and in love with the album and like the early days of love you may be a little blinded.
Here’s the worst of two worlds: “She’s Bought A Hat Like Princess Marina” live. Yes, that’s right, they released it twice –
I’m sure I could look back on a lot of albums from my first decade or so of buying records and there will likely be a lot of Princess Marinas but that one in particular sticks out in my mind.
I think of a song like “Honey Pie” from The White Album. I loved it then, probably for similar reasons to “Princess Marina,” but despite recognizing intellectually that it is a way minor song in the Beatles canon, I still love it. It’s part of the Beatles, part of my DNA, and intellect be damned, I still love it
But “Princess Marina”, sorry, no.
Does anyone else feel like confessing up to a similar lack in taste, an album you loved then, still love, but has this glaring “What was the matter with me” song in it?
Where do I start? I haven’t attempted to throw the gauntlet down like this in ages, and I’m pretty sure I’ve made this argument ages ago: Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On album is overrated, especially by white folks who are trying to make an easy play for Blackredibility, for wokeness.
My list starts with David Thomas of Pere Ubu. Anti-global health activist Van Morrison and Ray Davies would also give me pause, as much as I love their music.
To be honest, David looks like he’s in a great mood on this day.
Theme Time Radio was a SiriusXM show that Bob Dylan had for 100 episodes, from May 2006 through April 2009. Themes ranged all over the place – mothers to weather to baseball and a whole lot more. Another episode coming later this month was recently announced with the theme of Whiskey. (We will see if Dylan, the reluctant marketer, mentions his line of Heaven’s Door whiskeys.)
I don’t know if it’s too late to influence the song selections but who better than Rock Town Hall to help in the endeavor. I don’t know what restrictions Bob will put on the theme but let’s stick to hard liquor, no beer or wine served here, and it has to be in the title.
