May 292007
 


Townsman Shawnkilroy brought forth the following topic he’d like to see hashed out in the Halls of Rock:

How about a discussion of the effects of L.A. on English people. Like The Moody Blues, LED ZEP, Billy Idol, etc. I’m sure there are more good examples, but you notice how awful it makes them. Like Golum’s precious, it gives ’em something, but it kinda takes something away too!

I’m game! To add to that list, there’s Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, although perhaps all those “nothing from nothing”-type quotes in rock might apply there. Graham Nash* is worth studying as well. And not exactly rock, but hasn’t Eric Idle settled into an LA groove over the years? There’s something about aging British rockers with sagging skin, awkward tans, and bleach blond hair that stick in my mind. Add a blond mustache for added West Coast vibes.

*A couple of notes about this video: 1) Townsman Chickenfrank, dig the “H” note Nash sings with 34 seconds left. 2) Townsman Epluribus, with 28 seconds left, there’s a key moment that I hope you will appreciate and recognize for what it is.

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  23 Responses to “An English Rocker in L.A.”

  1. saturnismine

    How about John’s lost weekend?

    shawn, i dunno: you could probably substitute the phrase “massive success” for “LA” the way you’ve worded the question above, and get the same answers.

    are you asking what it does to their tunes? their wardrobe? their hair? their production values….?

    hmmm…is there a common thread between all the artists named?

    the more they GET sucked, the more they all start to suck?

    the hotel balcony becomes a really important focal point of activity: TV dropping, declarations of “golden god” status.

    you say it “gives” them something while it takes something away.

    i’m wondering, what does it give them?

  2. BigSteve

    I think he’s moved now, but Morrissey lived in L.A. for a number of years. What a concept!

  3. well i think it gives them something like a gloss finish.
    the reason i thought of this was the fact that i couldn’t even name a song by Generation X. Yet there are a bunch of catchy Billy Idol hits. The defining factor seemed to be his L.A.ness. Then I thought of the whole Coffee and Cigarettes bit with Steve Coogan and Alfred Molina.
    L.A. also seems to give them all a sort of immunity from their Englishness; a chance to be a yank if they dare.

  4. hrrundivbakshi

    Andy and Colin couldn’t wait to get out of town when XTC recorded “Oranges and Lemons” in L.A. I think that’s pretty revealing somehow.

  5. Mr. Moderator

    Hrrundi wrote:

    Andy and Colin couldn’t wait to get out of town when XTC recorded “Oranges and Lemons” in L.A. I think that’s pretty revealing somehow.

    Maybe they had to get away from hearing the work they’d been doing on that album or maybe they just missed the comfort of their respective bungholes, where the sun never shines.

  6. I have nothing to back this up, but I feel in my gut that Rod Stewart must have a major L.A. problem.

  7. Big Steve sez:

    I think he’s moved now, but Morrissey lived in L.A. for a number of years. What a concept!

    Funny you should mention that, I just started watching the documentary about Arthur “Killer” Kane from the Sundance channel, called New York Doll. It’s pretty interesting. In the docu, they talk about Moz’s digs in LA. I had no idea!

  8. I thought that movie was fucking incredible. What a journey. Did you see the whole thing yet Sally? I was moved.

  9. Regarding the moment with 28 seconds left: Planned or unplanned? The unrequited “Hey, isn’t it cool that I did this?” smile after the first post-:28 line tells me “unplanned and unwelcome,” which is a pretty good description of the perpetrator now that I think of it.

    Or is this what you’ve been talking about all along?

  10. They just got done their concert at the Meltdown part, and yeah, it is a really cool documentary, an old friend of mine went to go see them in NY recently, I think I’ll try and catch them in Asbury in July if I can. Arthur seems like such a gentle giant kind of guy, kind of messed up, but sensitive to everything. I’m really enjoying this though – anyone else see it yet? I’m watching it for free on On Demand…

  11. Wow. I can’t believe that he went that fast with his Leukemia. My aunt passed away from that over 10 years ago now, and it was very hard on our entire family, and he is really very lucky to have done so much before he passed away, and to have done so much not even knowing that he was ill… I mean, barring a marrow transplant (which is such a slim ratio to even have it match) it’s hard to come back from it. I hope that doesn’t sound callous of me to have been glad that he passed quickly or that he didn’t know, it’s all very blue – what an incredible and touching documentary on his interesting life.

  12. Wasn’t Costello’s “Mightly Like A Turd” album recorded in LA? Enuff Said!

  13. Mr. Moderator

    I think you’re right about Mighty Like a Turd! Costello went for the beard during that phase rather than the blond highlights.

  14. hrrundivbakshi

    Ahhh… I can always count on RTH to stick a godawful Sting song in my head. For those of you who haven’t sotten stung yet:

    “I’m an alien, I’m an illegal alien, I’m an alien in New York… Ohhhh… I’m an alien…”

  15. that’s “legal” but maybe he was “illegal” at the time;) i used to love that video, sting with an umbrella… so romantic!;) i was pretty partial to dream of the blue turtles, actually – the concert bandana from that tour was my favourite! a present from my aunt and uncle, tying my hair back with a sting bandana. Oh yeah. So stylish, I am in pain thinking about it.

  16. BigSteve

    In old Hollywood there was a ‘British colony’ — Ronald Colman, David Niven, Cary Grant, people like that. But I think they were supposed to retain their Britishness and not ‘go Hollywood.’ Nowadays I guess that means getting soccer games on your satellite dish.

    I guess it’s cooler to be an expatriate in New York. Ray Davies used to live in New Orleans much of the time. Have any famous British rockers relocated to Philadelphia?

  17. Mr. Moderator

    BigSteve asked:

    Have any famous British rockers relocated to Philadelphia?

    Were Flock of Seagulls British? The lead singer lived in Philly for a stretch after his hair and career collapsed. I believe The Buzzcocks’ original bassist, Steve Garvey, still lives in the Philly area. And, of course, Bowie did his time in the City of Brotherly Love.

  18. I’m thinking Al Stewart lives in the area. Also, The girl from Renaissance. they were English, Right?

  19. Mr. Moderator

    Dave Mason also lives around Philly, or did recently. Yes, and the Renaissance woman was once married to or partnered with Roy Wood. Don’t know that Wood ever got to these parts.

  20. BigSteve

    e said

    The very idea that a foreign artist believes he/she can communicate best via the popular culture of the United States or England is nauseating.

    So, taking you argument to its logical conclusion, I guess the Rolling Stones should have never tried to play American R&B.

  21. Mr. Moderator

    E Pluribus did lump US and English natives into one bag. I would think he meant, broadly, English-speaking, very long-ago colonized nations (ruling out India, for instance). We are in agreement on this point. I think there’s something about the English language, the native roots of rock ‘n roll, and our shared culture that work together to make the genre what it is. I’m not saying it’s impossible for rock ‘n roll to work in another language, but it’s difficult. The rhythm of the language matches the rhythm of the music. All those Scandanavians do better than most with the genre because they either sing in English or they use their native tongue, which is also harsh enough to meet the needs of the big beat. Germans can sometimes pull off the genre in their language for the same reason. Rock ‘n roll sung in any Romance language is immediately compromised. Add to all that, the essential “cool” of rock ‘n roll is something that’s mostly natural to Americans and Brits/Aussies. Travel abroad and it’s so easy to see who has and who doesn’t have the certain understated “cool” that’s a part of our tradition. As meat-headed as all this might read, I have trouble not believing it.

  22. Yes, supposedly A Flock of Seagulls all lived in Philadelphia at one time. A few years ago while on a visit to Liverpool, England (home of some rather well-known musicians), I stoped into a place called “Frank’s” for some stamps and directions. I found myself talking with the proprietor Frank, who upon hearing my American accent asked where I was from. I told him that I was from “near Philadelphia” and he proceeded to tell me how he and his old band once spent some time living in our fair city and played residencies at some local clubs. I asked him his band’s name and he dryly replied “A Flock of Seagulls”. No kidding – turns out that “Frank” was Frank Maudsley, bassist, and now shop-owner. That was a fun sidebar to my trip.

  23. My memory of the Flock of Seagulls edition of Bands Reunited is that it turned out that Frank Maudsley was a very cool, funny guy with a good philosophical grounding about his period of fame and a lot of good stories.

    How he managed being in a band all those years with that wanker Mike Score I have no idea.

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