This Has to Be Awesome

I was reading a review of the new movie about Ray Charles on cnn.com, and came across this:

"And I have a soft spot for the 1983 comedy "Get Crazy," a fictionalized take on concert promotion, with a hilarious Lou Reed as a Dylan-like character named Auden."

According to imdb.com, the movie is also known as "Flip Out." I've never seen it, but that will have to change.

I Want to Boogie With You

I am really falling in love with "The Bells," the Lou Reed album. Today's selection is "I Want to Boogie With You," which is pretty astounding. I've got "Berlin," "The Bells," "Rock and Roll Animal," "New York," and "Magic and Loss" in my playist right now. Unsurprisingly I like "New York" a lot more now than I did when it came out. I just know I'm going to love "The Raven" in about 15 years.

Ach, I'm Standing Right Here

I noticed that the scotsman.com has a weekly Sunday download on the site. It's called "Aye Tunes," which is, as they say, magic.

I Would Have Chosen "Spanish Caravan"

From billboard.com:

Snoop [Dogg] has remixed the Doors' classic "Riders on the Storm" for the in-game soundtrack to "Need for Speed Underground 2," which hits stores Nov. 15 via Electronic Arts. He will also perform the track on the Nov. 6 Spike TV special "Need for Speed."

Needless to say, I'll be watching Spike TV for the first time on November 6.

Voices Vary

I'm listening to "With You" from Lou Reed's "The Bells," which showcases one of the many voices he has used over the years. I think having lots of different singing styles is a feature of Advanced Artists. Bob Dylan is another obvious example. My favorite Dylan voice is the "Lay Lady Lay" voice because I have no idea where it came from. Lou Reed used to sing very well, now he does something that is barely traditional singing. David Bowie has lots of different voices as well.

Anyway, the voice from "The Bells" is pretty hilarious.

R Kelly: Over 40 Billion Sold

According to this, R Kelly has a new gig:

R Kelly has been spotted moonlighting - as a McDonald's sales assistant. The singer, who last year topped the UK singles' chart with Ignition, spent three hours working at the drive-through window of McDonald's just hours after coming offstage in St. Louis, Missouri. Kelly "chatted up the manger of the McDonald's and wound up working the drive-through window for three hours," reported the New York Post. A rep for the singer, currently on tour with rapper Jay-Z, confirmed the story. The Post reports that earlier in the evening Kelly stormed off stage screaming at the sound engineer for "screwing things up."

This is amazing. My alternate headline was "I Believe I Can Fry."

Yar's Revenge

According to nme.com, Keith Richards is going to be in the sequel to "Pirates of the Carribean." He is said "to have accepted the role of main character Jack Sparrow’s father in the film. Johnny Depp, who plays Sparrow, is said to have convinced him to accept the role after basing the character on Richards in the original film."

Fantastic!

The Mystical Powers of Rod Stewart

This just in from billboard.com:

The third time is the charm for Rod Stewart, who with his latest collection of standards sits at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 for the first time in more than 25 years. The artist's new J Records release, "Stardust...The Great American Songbook, Vol. 3," opened with first-week sales of 240,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Best of all for me is how much the public loves these albums, but I cannot deny that being No. 1 has put a big smile on my face and a twinkle in my eye," Stewart says in a statement released today (Oct. 27). "I feel boundlessly grateful that these miraculous songs continue to thrill, and tip my hat to the great talents who wrote the songs that have become the 'Great American Songbook.'"
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I feel like I have a fairly decent understanding of what makes musicians successful. And with the Advanced Theory, I've sought to explain why successful musicians' failures are actually successes. But I cannot understand Rod Stewart's career at all. I appreciate that he did some fairly good stuff back in the day, and I've always thought he was an okay guy (in that "I think I would like him even though I only know his public image" kind of way). However, I don't know how he has managed to remain so successful all these years. This whole "Great American Songbook" business is really mystifying. But rather than be angered by it all, I've decided that Rod Stewart is great and should be praised. I'm not going to say that he is Advanced, but he definitely knows something that I don't.

Tuesday Afternoon

Not much going on in the advanced world today. In fact, it's been slow for a while now. I need an intern to look up rates of advanced activity by season. Husker Du reunited sort of (without their Geraldo lookalike) for a benefit. That was nice. I was sad to see John Peel died. I heard a lot of good things about him. Will we ever have another influential DJ in the traditional sense? There's yet another Ramones movie coming out, and it is called, I believe, "Raw." It is a bunch of home movies made by one of the fake Ramones and edited together with narration by one of the now dearly departed Ramones. It is a bit more sunny, they say. Prince has stirred up controversy with a video that portrays a girl blowing up a building or something like that. Big whoop, I say. Did I ever mention that finding religion is advanced? It is. So is being outed as a heterosexual. The newest R.E.M. album is a dull affair, but it's possible I'll like it eventually. I think by staying together, the members of R.E.M. have prevented themselves from becoming advanced. Bill Berry is probably the most advanced of them all. (Doesn't everyone wish they could be a gentlemen farmer?) I'm beginning to think that it is impossible to be advanced as long as you are in the band that made you famous. Going solo, trashing your former band, then reuniting for cash seems to be the only way to do it. Or be a solo performer all along, like Bob Dylan.

Let's hope things pick up in November.

The Knack

Today I decided to listen to the Knack's "Frustrated," and I was struck by how much it sounds like those bands you're always hearing about, especially the Strokes and that band on the iPod commercial (not U2). I read something about the Knack recently, but I don't hear them mentioned that often in discussions about this recent rock movement that has been going on the last few years. I wonder if that is because the Knack were derivative at the time or if people think of the Knack as one-hit wonders. Whatever the case, they were pretty good for a while there. For my money, at least.

Little Sister Don't You Do...

Poor Ashlee Simpson.

Liza, Damned Liza and Fishbone

This is pretty interesting:

"Liza Minnelli reportedly gave a drunken, incoherent, meandering speech in the middle of a party for OutKast's upcoming movie musical in Wilmington, N.C., and had to be bailed out midsentence by the members of Fishbone. A local paper commented that it was 'not Miss Minnelli's finest moment' "

What I find interesting is not that she gave "drunken, incoherent, meandering speech" but that she did it at a party for OutKast's upcoming movie musical! In Wilmington!! And she was bailed out by members of Fishbone!!!

Salt-N-Pepa

According to rollingstone.com, Salt-n-Pepa are currently developing a sitcom based on the lives of their lives. Count me in.

Frank Ozzy

The third disc of Ozzy Osbourne's upcoming four-disc boxed set includes "Born To Be Wild," which he sings with Miss Piggy.

Vibrating Again

From nme.com:

"BRIAN WILSON is set to release the legendary ’GOOD VIBRATIONS’ as a single next month."

I don't believe that Brian Wilson is advanced, but this is certainly a good move. I really can't think of anything more pointless than releasing this song as the first single from the new version of "Smile." So, of course, I applaud it.

Frank Black: The Salon Interview

There is a good interview with Frank Black at salon.com where he says, among other things, that he has a fantasy about being Lou Reed and being interviewed by Lester Bangs. I don't know a whole lot about Lester Bangs, but I get the feeling that he would have appreciated the Advanced Theory.

To read the interview, you have to get the day pass, which means looking at a short commercial. It's worth it, I think.

What Ever Happened to the Transylvania Twist?

According to billboard.com, Bobby "Boris" Pickett has redone "Monster Mash" to protest President Bush's environmental policies. The new effort is called "Monster Slash," and it goes a little something like this:

"We were hiking in the forest late one night / When our eyes beheld an eerie sight / Our president appeared and began to frown / Then he and his friends cut the forest down / (He did the slash) They did the forest slash / (He did the slash) It was brutally brash / (He did the slash) / Public opinion was mashed / (He did the slash) They did it for the cash."

Go here to see the "Flash-animated challenge to the administrations's plan to permit commercial exploitation of federal forests.

Pickett believes that Bush has "the worst environmental record in the history of our great nation." I can't argue with a man who played with Leon Russel.

Ozzy, King Crimson, and Ian Hunter

According to this, Ozzy Osbourne has a new boxed set coming out. It will include four CDs, one with covers. The choices are inspired. They include: "Sympathy For The Devil" (Rolling Stones), "In My Life" (Beatles), "21st Century Schizoid Man" (King Crimson), "Mississippi Queen" (Mountain), "Fire" (Arthur Brown), and "All The Young Dudes" (Mott the Hoople), with Ian Hunter sharing vocals. A lesser artist would cover Moby and have Rob Thomas as a guest star. But Ozzy he prefers King Crimson and Ian Hunter, who are almost completely irrelevant these days. Truly amazing.

Broadway Ain't Noise Pollution

There is an article at billboard.com about a movie that features Beatles music. Here's a little bit from that article:

"All You Need Is Love," a film that will utilize the songs of the Beatles to propel its romantic plot, will be brought to the big screen by Revolution Studios. Veteran British writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, whose credits include the hit musical "The Commitments," will write the screenplay.

"Love" is a love story about a British boy and an American girl set against the backdrop of the social upheaval of the 1960s. Although not about the Fab Four, the musical will use their songs to drive the narrative, with the actors singing and dancing to the classic tunes. The filmmakers are in negotiations to secure re-recording rights for the project, set to feature 17-18 Beatles songs.

"We are basically doing what 'Mamma Mia' did with ABBA -- re-recording with different artists," says producer Matthew Gross. "It's a wonderful project, and there seems to be a resurgence of interest in the Beatles. [Clement and La Frenais] knew George [Harrison] and Ringo [Starr] personally and have come up with a great story. We wanted to create a story that stood entirely on its own merits. Even without the music, their story is dramatic, moving and powerful. That being said, no matter what we wanted to convey in a scene, there was always a Beatles song available to help us push the narrative and emotional beats forward."

Clement and La Frenais, who first teamed in the '60s on such swingin' London titles as "The Jokers" and "Otley," have written dozens of movies, including two films for Harrison, whose Handmade Films produced 1985's "Water" and 1983's "Bullshot," both of which Clement directed."

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But wait, that isn't the best part. This is toward the end of the article:

"Clement and La Frenais are also collaborating with AC/DC's Brian Johnson on a Broadway musical."
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That sounds amazing.

Writin' Emails to Each Other Blues, Part 7

There is a conversation going on at slate.com about Bob Dylan's book. They both agree that it is great because it isn't a straight autobiography. They like that he skips around and leaves out parts of his life that people want to know about, like the motorcycle crash. I have a feeling that part two will start like this: "I was in a motorcycle crash and stayed in the hospital. The first day..." Of course, it's impossible to predict what the ultra-advanced Bob Dylan will do, which is why I consider him ultra-advanced.

Dresden Dolls

I caught the Dresden Dolls playing in a parking lot in Little Five Points in Atlanta this weekend. The singer/keyboardist painted her face like someone in "Cabaret," and the drummer paints his face like a mime and acts like one too. While seriously overt, I was surprised how much I enjoyed them. She writes pretty interesting songs, and the drummer is fantastic, despite the miming. They covered a Black Sabbath song, which is the oldest trick in the book, but the drummer kept me interested even during that. All in all, I enjoyed them and almost bought a CD, which is very rare for me. I have no idea what they sound like on record, but I'd be interested to find out. Though probably not interested enough to go out and buy something.

Going up the Country

Well, I'm not actually going up the country, I'm going to Atlanta, so there won't be any posts until Monday.

Have a good weekend.

Move Over Siegfried and Roy, Here Come the Beatles

It was only a matter of time: According to billboard.com, the surviving Beatles are teaming up with Cirque de Soleil for a show that will replace Siegfried and Roy's show at the Las Vegas Mirage. Some details:

"The surviving members of the group, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, will help shape the production but will not appear in it. Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, respective widows of late members John Lennon and George Harrison, also will collaborate. The deal for the joint venture was reached this week between Cirque du Soleil, Apple and the Mirage, said Bill McBeath, the hotel-casino's president and chief operating officer. The as-yet-untitled show is expected to cost more than $100 million and should be ready in about 20 months, he said."

The White Stripes and Dolly Parton

From nme.com:

"THE WHITE STRIPES have announced that they will release 'JOLENE LIVE UNDER BLACKPOOL LIGHTS' as their next single on November 15. The cover of the Dolly Parton classic was recorded at The Empress Ballroom in Blackpool in January 2004."

Normally I'd say this is an overt move, but I'm not so sure with the White Stripes. I'm keeping an eye on them. Loretta Lynn's opinion must mean something, after all.

If a Tree Fell in the Woods, Would It Be Advanced?

Sometimes people ask me what "overtness" is. Well, here is a good example of overtness from Cat Power, courtesy of billboard.com:

"Singer/songwriter Chan Marshall, better known as Cat Power, is the subject of the upcoming documentary 'Speaking for Trees: A Film by Mark Borthwick.' Due Oct. 26 as a CD/DVD package via Matador, the project is largely made up of a two-hour Cat Power solo performance in the middle of a forest, capturing all the ambient sounds of the outdoor setting."

When we speak of someone being overt, it means they are desperately (and obviously) trying to show how weird or interesting they are. Advanced people don't need to make overt gestures like playing in a forest. They might do it, but they don't need to do it, if you get the distinction.

Yearning for Advancement

There a good little article in filter.com written by a guy who really seems to want to be Advanced, though he isn't there yet. Here's a sample:

"Learning to love Lou Reed is a daunting task. Owning and loving all four Velvet Underground albums is one of those things every music fan knows they are obligated to at least consider. But for far too long Lou Reed’s solo records have been ignored for being uneven and crippled by Reed’s personal problems. Okay, some of the criticism is true: does anyone ever need to actually listen to two discs of multi-layered feedback on Metal Machine Music? And if anyone actually bought The Raven, you have my sympathy."

He goes on to talk about how good "Berlin" is, which is a step in the right direction. I imagine in about 15 years or so the writer will finally understand "The Raven."

Joe Cocker and R.E.M.

Joe Cocker covers "Everybody Hurts" (and a bunch of John Lennon and Paul McCartney songs) on his new album. I've never quite understood Joe Cocker, but my idea of him as the male Shirley Bassey is starting to make more and more sense.

The Case Against Sting

I think I can prove that Sting is not Advanced and that it was the other members of the Police who protected him from himself. I realized while running on the treadmill that Sting has never made a truly great solo record. His first couple were okay, but not great. On the other hand, Lou Reed made several great solo records over a long period of time. "Transformer," "Berlin," "The Blue Mask," and, to a lesser extent, "New York" and "Magic and Loss" are all widely considered to be great albums. But what has Sting ever done since going solo? He's made a bunch of jazz-backward, soporific blah-fests. The verdict: Sting is not Advanced.

More "Beautiful Dreamer"

Go here for a review of the "Smile" documentary. The review says basically what I said in the previous post, but it says it better.

"Smile," for the Camera

I saw something called "Beautiful Dreamer" (I think) on Showtime this weekend. It was about Brian Wilson and his reworking of "Smile." It was entertaining, and it made me respect his talent a little bit more, but still I think he is highly overrated. The show had lots of interviews with people praising him for his genius and explaining away the effect drugs had on him. They of course suggested that Mike Love was awful for making Van Dyke Parks explain what a nonsensical lyric meant. (I think it is totally legitimate for someone who is singing a song to ask what it means.)

What really struck me was how Wilson was surrounded by all these second-rate people who were telling him how great he was. They all gushed about the tent he set up for meetings (smoking hash, that is) or the sandbox he built in the living room. What they saw as inspired madness was just madness, and I think Brian Wilson would be the first one to admit it. Of course, when the Beach Boys got back from touring and heard "Smile," they questioned him and he folded faster than the hash tent.

I feel very sorry for Brian Wilson. He was abused by his father, enabled by his friends, and brainwashed by a quack. Now he is surrounded by people who pretend like everything he says is brilliant and treat him like a mentally handicapped kid. He's a lot like Ozzy Osbourne, in that his wife seems to be running things and he is only asked to be "Brian Wilson." He seemed totally disengaged from the process of rehearsing for the first live performance of "Smile," but everyone kept saying how wonderful he was (even while expressing frustration). His role seemed to be a lot like Wesley Willis's must have been in his band.

Of course, when he was young he was responsible for a lot of great stuff. George Martin sung his praises as a producer, so that's good enough for me. That's what makes what happened to him that much sadder. I think he could have achieved a lot more if there were someone around to say, "Brian, you didn't burn down that warehouse. The tent is a dumb idea. If you want to feel the sand between your toes, go to the beach. And don't worry so much about the whole 'teenage symphony to God' business, just make a good pop record." Like Elvis, he was surrounded by people but completely isolated, and that seems to be a disastrous combination.

Carl Lewis

If you want to see something amazing, go here.

Carl Lewis was an amazing athlete, but that doesn't qualify him for advancement. But this video is truly unbelievable.

Robot Accents

I'm listening to "We Are the Robots" right now, and I'm finding the rolled "R" in "robots" very amusing. I always thought that it was funny in "The Terminator" series that the cyborg from the future spoke with an Austrian accent. Now I know that James Cameron was just a big fan of Kraftwerk.

Nothing to do with Advancement, but so what?

Quoth Frank Black

Here's Frank Black about his new project:

"Sometime back in 1986 I think, the producer for what would become the Pixies first record, Gary Smith, asked me to drop by his apartment in the Allston section of Boston, just down the street from the building I was born in, to play some songs into his cassette walkman. He and the band were scheduled to go into Gary’s studio, the original Fort Apache in the Roxbury section of Boston, the following day to record "Come On Pilgrim", although it did not have a title at that time. Gary wanted to have some audio notes on the songs for the session. We were both excited about the session, to take place over three days; my father had given me the 1000.00 dollars to pay for it. One of the cd’s in this package is that tape. A few years ago a couple of record companies had expressed interest in releasing the tape, kind of a time capsule thing, and I signed some papers.

The project sat around for a couple of years, mostly because my manager, Ken Goes, and I always felt a little uncomfortable about releasing only that tape to the buying public, as it was not a planned performance, a little casual, and very bootleg in sonic quality. Sure, the uberfans would be happy enough about the content, but we both felt that a potential new fan might feel a bit ripped-off. Ken suggested I re-record some of the old repertoire in some new way, especially a well recorded way, so as to balance this product out a bit. I realize some fans or critics might feel like I’m messing with the gospel here, but really these are the reasons for all these recordings here and now.

I first met the Two Pale Boys, Andy and Keith, at a gig some years ago in West Hollywood, the trumpet and guitar members of that trio formed with David Thomas. When David asked me to perform at UCLA as part of his Mirror Man improv-opera in early 2003, Andy and Keith were in the band again, and I asked them to come down on their one day off to record with the Catholics on Show Me Your Tears. The two pale fellows from England offered their studio and input on some undefined project in the undefined future. In the hot summer of 2003, July I think, I went down to the Hackney section of London and belted out the numbers and let the boys do their thing. Those sessions represent the other cd. I enjoy their work, with me or with others. I like these guys a lot. Sure, we’ve messed with the gospel, but I am satisfied with it. "
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Messing with the gospel (and calling it gospel) is very advanced. As always, Lou Reed is the master of this. Performing at an improv-opera is also advanced--if you're Frank Black. Oh, and double CDs are advanced.

(thank you to a reader for calling this to my attention)

Chris Gaines Sighting

I understand that Garth Brooks was recently invited up on stage at a Billy Joel concert. He climbed onto the piano on all fours and pretended to urinate on Billy Joel. Then he did the same to the crowd. I don't know if Garth can really be eligible for advancement, but he is a really great SNL host. Plus, the whole Chris Gaines thing was amazing.

When Who Is 64?

According to the nytimes.com, Yoko Ono is having an exhibition of drawings by John Lennon. The occasion is his turning 64, and it is called "When I'm Sixty-Four." This hilarious for a lot of reasons, but the funniest is how Paul McCartney is always begging her to let him put his name first in the songwriting credits on songs he wrote by himself (Lennon would still get credit, he would just be second), and she refuses. I wonder how many younger people will think that Lennon wrote "When I'm Sixty-Four" now? I'm generally pro-Paul and not necessarily anti-Yoko, but score one for Yoko on this one.

Joe Cocker and U2

I have a friend who saw Joe Cocker covering "One" by U2 on German television. That is really advanced. One of the best things I've ever seen is Shirley Bassey doing "I Want to Know What Love Is." What an epic.

Nobel Prize in Advancement

According to this, Bob Dylan has been nominated for a Nobel Prize in literature. It's not the first time: The unbelievably overt Allen Ginsberg nominated him in 1996. He wrote:

"Dylan is a major American bard and minstrel of the 20th century" who deserves the award for his "mighty and universal powers."

I don't think he'll win the prize.

The Walk Continues

Saw this today:

Robin Williams, Paul Simon and a host of other entertainers took the stage in New York at a benefit for the American Civil Liberties Union, which forfeited money from a federal fund drive because it refused to screen its employees against a suspected terrorist “watch list.”

Emily Whitfield, a spokeswoman for the ACLU, said the event raised over $300,000.

The benefit was produced by composer Philip Glass and featured about two dozen performers, including Richard Gere, Sarah Jones, Tony Kushner, Jake Gyllenhaal and his sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Simon played “America” and a gospel song, and Lou Reed played “Walk on the Wild Side.”
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Of course he did. Good ol' one-hit-wonder Lou Reed.

The Times They Are A'Reviewin'

There is a review of Bob Dylan’s book at the nytimes.com. I really look forward to readint it when I get a chance because it seems like it will reveal a lot the Advanced man’s mind. I’m particularly interested in how Dylan was fighting against fame by trying to repel his audience. This admission is proof to me that the Advanced Theory is correct. Theses geniuses don’t suddenly suck or stop caring, they are just sick of the limelight and what it does to their art.

Nothing to See Here

Not much going on in the world of the Advanced so far today. Charlie Watts has beaten cancer it seems, which is great news. My favorite story about Charlie Watts is this: The Rolling Stones had just finished one of their tours (I'm not sure which one), and a reporter asked Watts how much money they made. His response: "Thousands." That is the best answer you could give to that question if you are the drummer for the Rolling Stones.

I saw the world's worst busker singing Radiohead's "Creep" this morning. He's an African American guy who has a very flat voice and always plays stuff by Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. Still, he's out there every morning in his sunglasses and all-black outfits at 6:30 in the morning, so I applaud his efforts. In fact, I now look forward to hearing him and kind of enjoy his singing. It's only a matter of time until I get to the advanced state of mind and think he is amazing. It reminds me of one summer in the late '80s I spent trying to like everything I saw on MTV. It didn't take very long before I loved everything, especially the Bobby Brown song from "Ghostbusters II."

Christian Science Monitor and The Elder

There is a good article about the comeback of concept albums in the Christian Science Monitor. They credit the Kiss concept record, "The Elder," with helping to kill off the genre in the early 1980s. Of course, Lou Reed collaborated with Kiss on "The Elder," so apparently this effort was so advanced that we're trying to figure it out 20 years later. That is typical of Lou Reed's efforts in the 1980s, which is perhaps his most advanced period, or, at least, the hardest to understand. I'm sure he's more advanced now and I don't understand what he's doing now any better than what he dide in the 80s, but we'll have to wait and see. Anyway, here's a description of "The Elder" from allmusic.com:

By the end of 1980, Kiss knew that their next album had to be a strong one -- a glorious return to hard rock a la their classic Destroyer. New drummer Eric Carr had refueled the band's desire to rock, and the quartet began working on a straight-ahead rock album in early 1981. Midway through, the band felt that they were rewriting past songs, and the sessions were aborted. Simmons and Stanley then came up with the idea of recording a concept album, based on a mythical original story by Simmons. Destroyer producer Bob Ezrin was back, and encouraged the band's concept album idea (against both Frehley and Carr's wishes). Simmons and Stanley had high hopes for The Elder (such as a movie, an elaborate tour, a follow-up record, etc.), but it completely bombed upon release. The reason? The music is totally uncharacteristic of Kiss -- it resembles heavy prog-rock for the most part. Some of the songs could have been classics if the pompous and/or hard-to-decipher lyrics were replaced, such as "The Oath," "Only You," "I," and "Just a Boy." Only two tracks resemble the Kiss of old (Frehley's "Dark Light" and the instrumental "Escape From the Island"), while the rest is downright embarrassing ("Odyssey," "A World Without Heroes," "Under the Rose"). The Elder was the final straw for Frehley, who would leave the band in 1982.

Overheard Overtness

While I ate lunch today, I had the misfortune of sitting next to a bunch of guys who seemed to be in the music PR business. One referred to "London Calling" as "seminal" about eight times and kept saying that a certain label was the "tastiest" and "classiest." He thinks Rhino isn't cool and that Rykodisc is cool, but "way underground." He is also convinced that everyone else is retarded. And he was a very loud talker. The whole time he was talking, I was thinking how nice it would be to hear an REO Speedwagon song.

That Makes One of Us

According to nme.com, Billy Corgan is excited about his solo album. He is very overt, but he'd like to be advanced. A good example of this is that he hired John Cougar's drummer but made him dress in a space suit.