Retro, revivalist, purist, 2nd wave… I’ve got a hang-up regarding bands that cross the line between “heavily influenced” and Rupert Pupkin. The problem is, I don’t feel that my hang-up is justified.
I wondered once in a comment awhile back about psychedelic music and if it is a “genre” or an “era” or what? The gist being, can there be a psychedelic band who’s members’ first taste of psilocybin was residual from nursing their mother’s unwashed teat at a Mungo Jerry concert? (If even they’ve ever tasted it at all!) Continue reading »
From former Parliament/Funkadelic, Lou Reed, and Alice Cooper bassist Prakash John, whose thoughts on the influence of Rock ‘n Roll Animal-era guitar tandem Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter I came across while reflecting on the death of Boston lead vocalist Brad Delp:
Wagner and Hunter – I remember this clearly – all these guys that came after Wagner and Hunter in ’73, all these guys in that band Aerosmith, and a band called Boston, they’d have those dueling guitar things, you know… leads, harmonizing – they got that all from Wagner and Hunter. These guys use to come and follow us all over the place – New York, Boston, wherever we were playing with Lou Reed. Next thing I know, I listen to their albums, and it sounds like Wagner and Hunter. And good for them, but people should acknowledge that Wagner and Hunter were the originators. They’re the guys who made that sound. If you hear that live album, Rock N Roll Animal, play the intro to “Sweet Jane.”
What: HOT, LIVE BLOGGING ACTION during the 2007 Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies When: Monday, March 12, 2007, beginning at 8:30 pm EST Where: VH1 Classic and your computer
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I’m a little surprised R.E.M. doesn’t seem to get its props from the general RTH community. They have (well, had) a driving, melodic rhythm section; a wankery-eschewing guitarist with (judging from interviews) an encyclopedic knowledge of rock; and an eccentric lead singer who pushed them into new territory. They’re kinda like XTC in that regard.
Sure, their brand of jangly college rock became a cul de sac thanks to lesser lights. And yes, their preachy brand of political gesture sure can grate. But – of their early work — I submit that Murmur is a still-intriguing bit of mystery with genuninely innovative production, and Reckoning shows that they dial down production quirks and still make interesting music.
So what’s the deal? Their sound has aged much better than most of their ‘80s-era brethren. Is it Michael Stipe’s androgyny? Isn’t that taking RTH’s pro-wrestling inclinations a little too far?
At the very least, please watch the above clip and tell me that’s not a great performance of a great song!
So: REM is set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. There have been a number of laughably inane choices made by… well, by whoever does the choosing over there — but this one causes an especially bitter bile to rise in my gullet. I mean, really — why REM? Okay, so that first album was a breath of fresh air with a good four or five songs on it, worth listening to more than once. And you might get me to admit that you could make a decent C-30 mix tape of their better material from across their career, but — I mean, come on! What good did their existence bring us? Who’s next? The B-52s?
Anyhow, as much as I find REM’s music boring, repetitive, and just plain irritating, I’m not going to waste any of your valuable time trying to explain just how much they suck. And I’m certainly not going to do so in the context of a spurious discussion of whether they “deserve” to be in the RRHOF. (In truth, I suppose they’re perfect for the Hall. Just don’t put ’em anywhere near the Seeg, or the Zeez.)
No, instead, I thought I’d just riff on a central component of that band’s utter lame-assedness: their front man, Michael Stipe. Continue reading »
