Is this performance:
A) A savagely raw performance by a rock icon clawing his way back to relevance;
OR
B) A sad attempt at seeming “with it”—and a collaboration with cheesy session players to boot?
I know which side some Townspeople are on, but I’d like to get a better sense of how the RTH community on the whole feels. I will post my own feelings soon.
I look forward to your responses.
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The Associated Press
DETROIT – A community prayer vigil has been held in Detroit for Aretha Franklin, a day before organizers say the singing legend is to undergo a medical procedure. – Read more.
Hope all goes well with whatever is up with Aretha.
A longtime lurking Townswoman posted the following question on her Facebook page, which she said we could hash out in all our nerdy glory here:
Why does Yoko get such a bad rap, and no one gives Linda shit for letting Paul write the screenplay and star in Give My Regards to Broad Street? She could have put a stop to this nonsense!
In our offlist chat, she added, “Just because you used to be a Beatle doesn’t make you infallible!”
This raises a plethora of RTH-worthy questions, among them, Does Linda deserve shit for not blowing the whistle on Paul’s worst musical tendencies? and Do Beatles fans deserve shit for not calling bullshit on Linda re: Paul as they did on Yoko re: John?
I think Linda was not held in as negative a regard as Yoko because Paul didn’t need Linda to “bring him down” in any way. He was perfectly capable of sucking without her “help.” This is not to suggest that Yoko really made Lennon turn out a good deal of solo crap on his own, but John gave off a strong sense of dependency on Yoko, while Paul seemed to simply enjoy Linda’s company. Also playing a role, I would think, is the fact that Yoko was an artist in her own right, while Linda, photography career ignored, was considered little more than the “cook of the house.” Yoko and John presented themselves as equals and collaborators, whereas Paul and Linda presented themselves as more of a traditional “married team,” in the 1950s sense.
I also found it interesting that another longtime lurking Townswoman responding to this Facebook post brought up unfair criticisms Linda received for her perceived lack of Paul-worthy beauty. I always thought she was pretty good looking and never felt like Paul should have chosen me or a woman I would have picked out for him, but since it was mentioned I do now recall Beatles fans having that hang-up.
One of these guys is not like the other
A simple challenge: Name another pair of popular musicians—with the same last name—more *un*-alike than Joe Perry and Lee “Scratch” Perry.
I look forward to your responses.
HVB
For the month of November we followed Townsman shawnkilroy‘s nomination for the following suggestion from Townsman alexmagic. The context was a thread on songs by well-known artists given away to other artists to turn into smash hits:
Oats and I were discussing recently that there could have been a beneficial work arrangement if Lou Reed had written a few more songs for Bowie and his band to improve, allowing Bowie to donate a few more songs for Mott the Hoople to nail, and Ian Hunter could have, in turn, saved a few quality songs for someone else to do. Let’s say Def Leppard?
The assist goes to Townsman Oats.
"Helter Skelter" in Nixonian True Stereo
The search for the complete version of The Beatles‘ “Helter Skelter” continues. It’s as if the Nixon administration got to the 12 or so minutes that no one but White Album participants has ever heard. As our occasional series continues, what rock ‘n roll holy grail has most recently been on your mind?
To tide you over, here’s the complete, unedited version of “It’s All Too Much,” a song I’d be happy hearing if it went on for 3 hours.
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/06-Its-All-Too-Much-complete-long-uncut-version.mp3|titles=06 It’s All Too Much (complete long uncut version)]How often have you had that experience of thinking the album/disc/tape was over and then out of laziness or inattention just didn’t turn it off. Your distraction ended up with pay dirt: that secret, unlisted track that emerges when you least expect it. It feels like no one else in the world knows about it but you (and the producer). Tonight, the secret track showed up while I was washing dishes and listening to Gonjasufi‘s A Sufi and A Killer. And Mr. Royale has regaled me with the exquisite joy he felt when he discovered”Train in Vain” on The Clash‘s London Calling.
What are other secret tracks that you have discovered? Should there be an appropriate vocabulary word for this secret world?
