Friday, July 30, 2004

Alice Cooper Gets It

This is from the notes of Alice Cooper's (he's advanced) iTunes Playlist. He's talking about "Bob Dylan's 155th Dream":

"It speaks for itself. Bob Dylan is definitely weirder than me."

Exactly. Alice Cooper's weirdness was always a bit of a put-on, and he'd be the first to tell you that. He had to drink himself into oblvion to "become" Alice. Now he likes to play golf on VH1, though he still makes Alice-appropriate music. He's sort of like Ozzy Osborne, but on purpose.

He's My Tome Boy

I was sent this bit from the Hollywood Reporter:

Music and entertainment television networks -- from E! to MTV and VH1 -- have become loony for lists, as anyone who has spent an entire Saturday afternoon glued to their TV screen strangely mesmerized by a seemingly endless marathon of countdown shows can attest..... But as those oh-so-preciously edgy, over-designed numbers -- representing who's hottest, coolest and rockingest -- whiz by, music and movie buffs above the age of 13 are usually left dumbfounded by the order in which artists are listed. "That was the major impetus," says Kool Moe Dee on penning his new tome "There's a God on the Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs." "With MTV or BET, their only concern is viewership," adds the seminal rapper behind such early hip-hop hits as "Go See the Doctor," "Wild Wild West" and "How Ya Like Me Now." "Any network -- any business -- they are not trying to be accurate, they're just trying to be popular. I just hated the fact that there's never any criteria set up. BET or MTV, you just go online and put your vote in. We forsake everything for the sake of business now." [I like the way he puts "forsake" and "for the sake" next to each other. -jh]
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Here is a pretty advanced looking picture of KMD. I'm not sure if he really is advanced, but I always love it when musicians write "tomes." It's especially great that he's written a countdown book as a response to all the countdowns around these days. Plus, he's rating artists in a genre that includes him, so I really hope he proclaims himself the number one MC of all time.

I'm guessing LL Cool J will not be on the list.

An update:
He's making a movie too! Read all about Kool Moe Dee here.

Jean Jacket, Crewcut, and Contacts?

What happens to advanced artists if the advanced theory becomes widely known? I guess that, according to the theory, they would have to abandon the traditional advanced ways. But then again, that would be doing the opposite of what is expected of them, so who knows what they'll do? And what of the wannabes? They'll start doing things that fit into the theory, but they will be doing it overtly, so they'll still be overt. Luckily, though, anyway you dress it up, advancement can't be faked. That's why when an advanced artist does something that doesn't quite fit in with the theory, it still "feels" advanced.

New CVB Record Update

Quote from an article at billboard.com:

"It's about the deep gulf between the 'red' and the 'blue' parts of the country. I made it a sci-fi alternate reality so that I could exaggerate the differences."
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The album is described as a "rock opera of sorts." I'm very excited about this one. Full review to come.

Thursday, July 29, 2004

The Bangles and Paul McCartney

This news from MTV was sent to me:

The Bangles will be handed an honorary degree on Friday from the Liverpool Institute of the Performing Arts by none other than Paul McCartney, who helped found the school in 1996. In March 2003, the Bangles took time out from their European tour to conduct a master class at the institute, which was reportedly the highest attended and most popular session the school has ever held. All four Bangles will be inducted as "Companions," an honor reserved for people who have not only achieved greatness within the performing arts, but who have also passed advice and help to LIPA students, and it will be the first time an entire band will receive this honor.
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One of the things that advanced artists do is celebrate artists that are far beneath them. Not that I don't like the Bangles, but I wouldn't exactly say they have "achieved greatness." In fact, it has always depressed me that in one of their videos, a fan holds up a personalized license plate that reads, "Bangles 1." I just can't imagine putting that much energy into my love of a band like the Bangles. But anyway, Paul McCartney thinks they're great, so what do I know?

I do think Paul is advanced by the way, despite what you've read in "Esquire." Britt thinks the Beatles were the "New Kids on the Block" of the '60s, so he would probably say that he is not advanced. I think his bass playing alone qualifies him as great enough to be able to advance. And his guitar solo on "Taxman" is so great, I can hardly believe it.

I'm a part of a very slim minority that believes the Beatles don't get enough credit.

Queen Musical Update

Here is a description of the Queen musical, which opens soon in Las Vegas:

"The story, written by Ben Elton, is set in a homogenized future society where a group of rebels sets out to find out what rock 'n' roll is."

That sounds almost unbearably advanced. Sort of "Mr. Roboto" meets "Battlefield Earth."

Joy Division Goes to Hollywood

According to NME, Jude Law might be playing Ian Curtis in an upcoming movie about Joy Division. Moby is going to be involved in some way as well. Ian Curtis was of course overt, but New Order seems pretty advanced to me. In a nonrock, eurotech sort of way.

In other Joy Division news, the house where Ian Curtis killed himself is up for sale. It is described as "perfect for first-time buyers."

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Dream On

Little something about Aerosmith from Yahoo! LAUNCH:

[Steven] Tyler now has an honorary doctorate in music from Berklee College of Music; [Joe] Perry has his own hot sauce. "Every dream we ever had came true, and then some," Tyler said.
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Interesting dreams they had entering into the music business. I'm reminded of the scene in "The Three Amigos" where the Amigos daydream about what they will do after they get their reward for defeating El Guapo. But in the Aerosmith version, it would be this:

Perry: Hey, man. What's your dream? You know, if we make it as rock stars.
Tyler: I'd like to have an honorary degree from Berklee College of Music. What's yours?
Perry: I want to have my own hot sauce.

It's nice to see that dreams can come true.

VH 1

Van Halen is this week's most popular artist from the RealPlayer Music Store. That struck me as significant for some reason.

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

I CNN No Evil

I just heard a bit of "Marquee Moon" played on CNN as they were going to a commercial after a piece about the Democratic convention. The best part was the announcer said, "Next up: Bono," then the song started playing.

If There Is a God, Give Me a Signed Deposition

From Rolling Stone:

California rockers Dios, whose debut album of the same name was released in March, have changed their name to Dios Malos after a cease-and-desist order was issued by Ronnie James Dio. The singer, who since 1983 has fronted the band Dio, believed the similarity in names would cause confusion among audiences. "It's pretty retarded," Dios' bassist J.P. Cabellaro says. "It seemed like a joke at first." Unfortunately, Dio wasn't kidding. Despite claims from Dio fans that the band purposefully chose a name after the heavy-metal vocalist, Cabellaro says that was never the intent. "When we named our band we were thinking of God," he says. "[Dios] is 'God' in Spanish. That's what it means to hundreds of millions of people all over the world. It didn't really seem like there was going to be any point of confusion. We're up against rainbows and magic. " Dio had no comment by press time.
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It is unbelievably overt to name your band "God" in Spanish. Dio must be acting as an agent of God who didn't want some crappy alt-rock band using his name. And if they really want to name their band "Bad God," it's "Dios Malo," not "Dios Malos." There's no "s."

My suggestion would have been "Grupo Malo."

Don't Call It a Tam O'Shanter

From a source: LL Cool J will now be designing hats for New Era clothing.

Cale Is Better When Cooked Properly

Here is a little something about John Cale's "new" album in Rolling Stone. I think he has stayed overt throughout his career, but here are a couple of things that interested me:

"The pace for recording a song was so fleet that one song, 'Things,' appears in two markedly different versions, though both have the same slightly humorous root. Cale snatched the key line, 'things to do in Denver when you're dead' from the 1995 neo-noir film, not knowing that the film had pinched the title from a Warren Zevon tune from four years earlier. 'I found about Zevon's song to my embarrassment about a year later,' Cale says.... I guess I should've realized that that title itself was so Warren Zevon-esque. But I didn't pick up on it. But hey, what's good enough for the master is good enough for the man."
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Is Warren Zevon the master in this scenario? That would probably surprise a lot of the overt folks in the world. Cale might be more advanced than I thought.

And here's something about a band I like:

"I was looking at an old picture of the VU the other day," Cale says. "We were standing around at the opening of the Paraphernalia store, where Andy [Warhol] sort of gave us our first gig. I called somebody and asked, 'Where was the PA system on that gig?' And this friend said, 'There was no PA on that gig.' He told me that the voices and guitars all came out of the guitar amps and there were only three of those. I thought, 'Man, we must've sounded like shit.' There's still this level of lo-fi that seems to be inspired by that era. I guess the depths have yet to be plummeted on that one."
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They probably did sound terrible. But there is nothing quite as exciting as seeing a band that you know will develop into something really interesting before they've gotten their sound together. Anyway, I like that he describes the lo-fit movement as exploring depths. I think that a lot of overt bands try the lo-fi sound to mask their inadequacies (Guided by Voices is an exception). It is not as hard to do innovative things when you are limited by technology or budget as it is when you can do anything you want. If you've got a day in the studio to record and mix 14 songs, of course you're going to be innovative. You've got no choice. But you can't fully realize your intentions, so we're left with the promise of what could have been--like that band before they get their sound together--which is almost always better than what actually happens when bands get the time and money they need to make the music the way it's "supposed" to sound (with a string section, of course). But advanced artists have all the time and money they need to do whatever they want and still come out with something interesting and bizarre. Lou Reed is famous for looking for the perfect clean sound, and I think that is an effort not to hide behind anything. VU was great at making loud noises and the noises you could just barely hear, but what made them great was that Lou Reed could write real songs that didn't rely on being lo-fi to be interesting. That's why he's the advanced artist he is today.

I hope all that makes sense.

Monday, July 26, 2004

Oh Yoko, Oh Linda, Oh Jerry, Oh Iman

John Lennon's marrying Yoko was advanced, though probably not for the reason you think. He loved her because she was interesting, not because she was beautiful (though he found her attractive). Same goes with Paul McCartney and Linda. These guys could have any woman they wanted but they didn't choose movie stars or models. The overt artist will always go for the trophy girlfriend or wife (if he's a man). So what of Mick Jagger and David Bowie's marriage? Well, I think Jerry Hall was more than just your average model, but there is still a certain amount of overtness in that choice. But marrying Iman is not overt for David Bowie. Why? Because she's Iman.

I'll probably talk more about how choice of mate relates to overtness/advancement in the future.

This Belongs Here (Somehow)

Joan Jett was spotted at a recent Bow Wow Wow show.

Are We Not Advanced?

Devo played at Central Park the Devo is advanced in their own special way. They're sort of reverse-advanced because they're overtness always had a sense of advancement. And now they're performing in their old suits and flowerpots at a corporate-sponsored event at Central Park. The reviewer at the New York Times seemed to enjoy. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs were part of the bill (Devo is advanced to allow themselves to be seen with such overtness), and, predictably, the reviewer didn't think much of the music but mentioned the singer's outfit.

Oh yeah, and "THe Rugrats."

Saturday, July 24, 2004

Bloom, Bloom, Bloom, Let's Go Back to My Room

Here are a few remarks from Harold Bloom about "Don Quixote" that should be interesting to all who follow the advanced theory:

"Cervantes is always out ahead of us, and we can never quite catch up."

"Here are two characters [Don Quixote and Hamlet]...who seem always to know what they are doing, though they baffle us whenever we try to share their knowledge."

"We cannot know the object of Don Quixote's quest unless we ourselves are Quixotic (note the capital Q)." -parentheses by the author

Bloom has provided the perfect summary of the theory: The advanced artists are always ahead of us, they know what they are doing even though we are baffled, and we can't understand them unless we ourselves are advanced.

So there you go.

Friday, July 23, 2004

Oh Well, Whatever, Write a Book

According to billboard.com, Krist Novoselic is publishing a book called "Of Grunge and Government: Let's Fix This Broken Democracy!" Pretty advanced title. It is "part memoir, part platform." The accompanying picture is fascinating as well. Apparently Krist is now fronting Canned Heat.

New Jack Pedicure

A reliable source spotted Ice T getting a pedicure and reading a magazine with the aid of glasses. Pimpin' ain't easy indeed. I'm pretty sure Ice T is advanced.

Thursday, July 22, 2004

Fans Ask Lou Questions

There's a nice little Q&A at the Independent. Some sample questions and answers:

Q: Some people might be surprised that you've allowed Dab Hands to remix "Satellite of Love". Why did you?
Leo Baker, London

A: Why would they be surprised? Would they think I wanted to keep it sacred? In fact, I really like a lot of what's out there. I get sent a lot of remixes. For some reason a lot of them are from the UK - I don't know why. One time, this band called Medicine 8 sent me a new version of a track that only a Velvet Underground aficionado would know existed. They did it so much better than I did and I love when that happens. What some of these younger people are doing with computers and with the sound is really amazing. I love that stuff.

Q: A lot of the younger bands are drawing on the sound pioneered by the Velvet Underground and other Sixties groups for their inspiration. How difficult is it to find new things to say in rock music?
Katrina Stewart, Dublin

A: How difficult is it to find new things to say in a novel or a painting? It's the same question. There are a billion subjects you can set to music, don't you think? But I don't know if current bands are stuck in a rut. How should I know? I'm not a critic. In any case, there's always someone breaking new ground. At the moment, I think the production in hip-hop and dance is at the forefront of that. The drum sound that Missy Elliot gets. I mean, how did they do that? That's amazing. Some of that technology is so fabulous, so powerful.


Q: How big a kick was it to feature on the cover of Kung Fu magazine in the States last year?
Pat George, Boston

A: That was a terrific thrill. I earned the right to be on that cover. I've done martial arts for 20 years - I study with the Chen Tai Chi Master, Ren Guang-Yi, in New York. It means everything to me.

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I'm particularly excited about the Kung Fu business because I'm looking into Elvis's advancement. Of course Lou Reed would say Missy Elliot is geat because most advanced musicians point to hip-hop as the most interesting music. There's also some good stuff about allowing your music to be used in commercials.

Anyway, kind of interesting.

Most Advanced Name

Whenever an advanced artist wants to name a character, the name chosen most often is Johnny.

Brown-Eyed Advancement Man

Chuck Berry is advanced:

1. "My Ding a Ling" (his first gold record)
2. For many years, his backup band has been whatever terrible band happened to be in the area.
3. His signature riff was stolen from his piano player, and he admits it.
4. Sings a lot about rock'n'roll.
5. Many of his songs sound exactly the same.
6. He flies to gigs in commercial planes and checks his guitar.
7. His guitar is hardly ever in tune.
8. Most advanced people worship him.
9. He refused to release albums for many years.
10. He had problems with the I.R.S. (see Willie Nelson)
11. He made Keith Richards look sane.
12. Here's what Robert Quine has to say about "Waves of Fear" from Lou Reed's 1982 album "The Blue Mask": "The first time I heard it, I knew exactly what I would do. Got out the Fernandes, the Memory Man, the little Peavey Bandit, got that scary chorus sound, and did these Chuck Berry things up and down the neck. It just fell into place."
13. Infuriates everyone who loves him.
14. He has released countless "Greatest Hits" with the same songs on them.
15. "Hail, Hail Rock'n'Roll"

There's a lot more, I'm sure, but you get the picture.

Shaq Advanced?

He thinks so:

"I don't have a cell phone. People that I'm connected with ... all you got to do is think -- I call you. I don't have a cell phone and that's the problem with Diesel -- I'm technologically more advanced than you are. My thought process begins where the regular human apex is at."

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Looks I might need to give "Kazaam" another look.

The Star System

(this has nothing to do with advancement, really)

In case you didn't know, when something is reviewed and is given stars (one star bad, four stars great, etc.), the stars are usually given by the editor, not the writer (I hope I don't get into trouble here). If a popular and powerful artist gets a bad review, the editor often gives more stars than the writer thinks the record or movie deserves. Of course, if that same popular and powerful artist is no longer popular and powerful, then an editor will feel free to give their work the amount of stars it really deserves (I'm talking to you, Courtney Love!). With this in mind, I'd like to give you a little sample from a couple of movie reviews from Rolling Stone:

"Extraordinary in every way, from the pitch-perfect performances to the delicate handling of explosive subject matter, 'The Door in the Floor' is also a model of page-to-screen adaptation." (Three and half stars)

"Will Ferrell is the go-to guy if you want to laugh your-self silly. He could read your mom's Rolodex and get you giggling. Sadly, your mom's Rolodex would provide richer comic material than "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.'" (Three stars)

So the difference between a movie that is "extraordinary in every way" and one that would have been funnier had it used your mother's Rolodex (my mom has a PDA, and it is hilarious!) as source material is half a star.

The whole star business is completely worthless. (two and a half stars)

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

The Curious Case of Sting

Sting has to be advanced, but somehow I just can't embrace him as an advanced artist. He's done it all: played the Super Bowl halftime show, gone solo, taken all the credit for his former band's music, explored world music, starred in movies, let his music be used in commercials, infuriated Police fans, and don't forget that remake of "Don't Stand So Close to Me." But I just can't bring myself to call him advanced. I have a theory that maybe Sting was always terrible, but Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland somehow got him to write good songs. I cannot recognize what Sting does today as in any way related to what he did with the Police. Ordinarily I would say that's a nice advanced move, but his music is incredibly lifeless.

When I was in Berlin a few years ago, I signed up for what I thought would be a modern-dance class. Turns out what's known as "modern" in New York is known as "New Dance" in Berlin, and what's known as "modern" in Berlin is known as "jazz" in New York. Anyway, I realized during the warm-up that the class was going to be jazz, not modern. But I didn't want to be rude, so I stayed until the end. Adding to my misery, the music we were dancing to was really generic, like a step below smooth jazz. After about 20 minutes of torture, I realized that the awful music we had been listening to was Sting. I was astonished.

So what happened? Was he terrible and saved by his bandmates? Is he so advanced that I can't see it? If you believe in the advanced theory as I do, Sting should be advanced. Now I know how Stephen Hawking must have felt trying to figure out what happens to information in black holes. If you can prove to me that Sting is advanced, I'll give you a rock'n'roll encyclopedia.

I Like Mine With Lettuce and Tomatoes

Jimmy Buffet, who I suspect is advanced, has his first number-one album, "License to Chill." I'd like to draw your attention to some other titles Jimmy has put out, courtesy of a fan's website (check out the covers as well):

"A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean"
"Living and Dying in 3/4 Time"
"Last Mango in Paris"
"Off to the See the Lizard"
"Barometer Soup"
"Banana Wind"
"Beach House on the Moon"

Promising Camper Van Beethoven News

So Camper Van Beethoven is coming out with a new
album. David Lowery says that the record is "something between a rock opera and a concept record." Sound like potential advancement to me.

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Spot Check

I've realized over the years that it takes many conversations to fully explain the advanced theory. I've tried to re-create for you the process that my friends who understand the theory went through. People new to the theory usually ask if something is advanced, I tell them that is or it isn't and why, then that person goes away to think about it. This is repeated over and over until finally they get it. Since we can't really go through this process together, I'll attempt to anticipate your questions and answer them. I'll also give you examples that have nothing to do with music, but everything to do with the theory. For instance:

If you have a spotted dog and you name him Spot, this could be advanced or overt. It would be overt if you did it to be ironic or funny. If you did it because you like the name Spot or had a dog named Spot when you were a child, that would be advanced. Even though people might think that you are being funny or that you aren't creative, you named your dog Spot to please yourself. If you have a dog with no spots and you name him Spot, that is overt, no matter what.

Where Have You Gone, Marky Mark?

I've been searching in vain for any interviews where Lou Reed talks about how much he likes the cover of "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" that Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch did a long time ago. I remember his liking it or even that the new version was beter than his, but I can't find any evidence. I did find an interview with Roger Waters who says that the Marky Mark version turns his stomach but it doesn't seem to bother Lou Reed. That's because Roger Waters is overt.

If anyone can find a good article proving that Lou Reed loved Marky Mark's version of "Take a Walk on the Wild Side," be sure to let me know.

Monday, July 19, 2004

The Eternal Sunshine of the Internal Abscess in Mike Watt's Perineum

As you get older, terrible things happen to your body. Mike Watt seems like an incredibly decent person. People who love the bass, as opposed to those who play guitar but play bass in a band because they chose the shortest straw, always seem to be special. One of my favorite songs ever is the Minutemen song where D. Boon sings about playing guitars with Mike Watt. It's the most beautiful song about writing music that I know. Now I'm bummed out. I guess terrible things happen to your body even when you're young.

This post doesn't have much to do with advancement, so let's lighten the mood: I wonder if Mike Watt ever got tired of D. Boon's jazzy solos?

About the Theory pt. 2

(check out the June archive for pt. 1)
Britt and I had a conversation today about the advanced theory and how angry it makes people. The problem, I think, is that it is easy to get caught up in the possiblities of the theory and neglect its essence. Britt said something that I think is important: All the theory says is that certain artists reject traditional rock'n'roll with the idea that they are somehow about it. Then, as they get older, they embrace the things they used to reject. I'm paraphrasing--Britt put it more elegantly. Hopefully he'll write more about that idea. My take is that overtness is rejecting something without understanding it, while being advanced is understanding something and recognizing that there is no need to reject it. As always, there's so much more to say.

Holy Cow

More from billboard.com:

Journey was honored at Chicago's Wrigley Field during last night's (July 15) Cubs game as part of "Classic Rock Night." Guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain performed a Journey-fied instrumental version of the National Anthem before Cain threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Later, Cain joined singer Steve Augeri to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," during the seventh-inning stretch. The performance by a celebrity is a Cubs tradition begun after the death of longtime Cubs announcer Harry Caray, whose enthusiastic renditions of the song were a hallmark of his broadcasts and the experience of catching a game at Wrigley.

Since his death, movie stars, politicians, local sports figures and musical guests such as Shania Twain, Eddie Vedder and long-times Cubs fan Billy Corgan have all taken part. Journey added a little bit of its hit "Wheel in the Sky," before leading the stadium-wide sing-along.
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Though Journey rocks, they aren't really advanced (even though they tour with some guy who sounds like Steve Perry). But I just love that they wove a little bit of "Wheel in the Sky" into "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Would Harry be the wheel in the sky?

Long Live the Queen

According to billboard.com Queen is releasing another batch of greatest hits (their third I think), this time with a couple of live tracks. It's very advanced to release the same songs over and over. Lou Reed is the absolute master of this. The record is coming out to coincide with the new Queen musical.

Friday, July 16, 2004

CSN and Sometimes Y

A long time ago, a friend destroyed my love for Crosby, Stills and Nash. But I'm here to tell you that I've been liberated by my iPod once again. I've started to listen without a playlist, just letting whatever happen happen. The song "Helplessly Hoping" just came on, and I realized that they really do sound great together. Plus, David Crosby loves guns, which I find strange for an old, peace-loving hippie.

Little Q and A

The officical Keith Richards website has an "Ask Keith" feature where regular people ask Keith regular questions and he gives advanced answers. There's one that I enjoy where a guy says that he is a beginner guitarist and has trouble keeping time. Here are parts of Keith's answer:

"I don't know who you're palying with. If you're playing to a metronome, I'd be lousy to [sic], y'know. I think it's a matter of--don't be too afraid of like counting an [sic] all that." He goes on: "...I'm blessed with being playing all of my professional life with Charlie Watts, Steve Jordans and, you know, Georgie Rocellis and Zigaboo Melodistas [sic]...what's your drummer like?"

I'm guessing that this beginning guitarist's drummer is not much like Zigaboo Melodiste.

U2 Ripped Off

According to cnn.com, someone has stolen a rough cut of U2's new album. I don't see what the big deal is. Radiohead has been stealing U2's music for years.

Thursday, July 15, 2004

Knock on Wood

According to this, Ron Wood will be appearing on ITV1's "long-running cop series 'The Bill.'" In the article, Wood is described as a "one-time alcoholic." He never seems to get respect. As I understand it, he was just a salaried employee of the Rolling Stones for many years, forcing him to do other things to make money. I think he's now an actual member of the Rolling Stones, but that arrangement was truly advanced. My guess is that it was Mick Jagger's idea.

Burger Meister

I wanted to see what David Lee Roth was up to, so I went to davidleeroth.com. There are pictures of him performing, a woman in an overcoat, and a lot of cheeseburgers.

I'd really like to know what the cheeseburgers have to do with anything.

Go Lou, Go Lou, Go Lou

According to billboard.com, a remix of "Satellite of Love" done by Dab Hands will be released in the UK. It will be called "Satellite of Love 2004," which is an advanced title. The remix is already out in the clubs, where it is gaining popularity. Advanced artists always approve of their songs being remixed, but Lou Reed will also promote the single himself.

Acting Like Myself Blues #4

A little about "Hearts of Fire" starring Bob Dylan (From Britt, courtesy of the Advancement Foundation):

"Good lord it puts me in an advanced state of mind. My wife's grandfather was a famous actor and acting teacher. Anyway, they lived across the street from Bob Dylan--Bob called Jeff one day and said he had been offered some acting part and needed help. Jeff told him to come over and maybe he could help him. Bob arrived a little bit later on his bicycle (he lives directly across the street) in some ridiculous getup that included a gigantic straw hat. He told Jeff that he thought his biggest hurdle was going to be that he had no idea how one went about not acting like themselves-a funny comment considering who it was. I think 'Hearts of Fire' may prove he never overcame this. Anyhow, Jeff--who had taught James Dean, Jack Nicholson and a whole host of other great actors--tried to dissuade him from pursuing acting."

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Advanced rockers do love to appear in movies. I think Tom Petty, whose advancement might be questioned because people like most of his stuff, should be applauded for appearing in "The Postman" starring Kevin Costner. That was the movie that was like "Water World," but about mail delivery.

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Prince at the Garden

Check out the review of his show in the NY Times. I couldn't be there myself, so that will have to do. In case you haven't heard, Prince is now Christian. Bob Dylan pioneered this advanced move.

Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Metallica: The Verdict

From CNN.com:

"Therapy saved us. That's very unmetal," guitarist Kirk Hammett said.
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Metallica is not advanced. The advanced thing would have been to say that going to therapy is as metal as it gets or something like that.

George Jones Sells Bottled Water

From georgejones.com:

Make way, Emeril Lagasse. Paul Newman, watch your back.

Nashville country artists are looking for shelf space.... Celebrity-branded foods include George Jones' product line, which is expanding into bacon and bottled water....Jones used to watch his singles climb the radio charts. Now he follows the supermarket trades to see what grocery stores are adding his line of sausage, biscuits and condiments.

''It's like in the old days when you hear that 100 radio stations just added your single,'' said Evelyn Shriver, president of his label, Bandit Records. ''George is now caught up in the food chart.'' For Jones, 72, getting involved in the food business provided a new outlet for his energy. Contemporary country radio isn't friendly to his new singles, but he apparently still has marketing power in the grocery business: a 600-store chain in Illinois recently agreed to carry his products, all made in Tennessee.

''George just loves hearing (stuff) like that,'' Shriver said. ''He spends a lot of time checking on product. He goes to the supermarket all the time now, like he used to go to record stores. He still wants to participate.'' New products this spring include microwaveable bacon, sausage links and a line of bottled water from a Hohenwald spring called ''White Lightning,'' named after his first No. 1 record, in 1959.

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I always thought "White Lightning" was about bottled water.

Dead Kennedys Lawsuit Dropped

From cnn.com:

Former Dead Kennedys lead singer Jello Biafra has dropped his remaining lawsuit against members of his band.... [A judge decided that] the band's creative output, including songs "Holiday in Cambodia" and "Kill the Poor," belongs to a partnership formed among the four band members.... "Personally and professionally, I just want to put this entire chapter behind us and concentrate on making music again," bassist Klaus Flouride said. The San Francisco-based punk band performed together from 1978 to 1986. The band re-formed without Biafra and has been playing as the Dead Kennedys, according to its publicist, Josh Mills.

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I've always been a fan of Jello Biafra's lawsuit because I find it really advanced for someone like him to sue his fellow bandmates over royalties, among other things. And I also approve of the band's touring without him but still calling themselves Dead Kennedys. Kudos to them all.

A little background from a fan site:

The Dead Kennedys formed in San Francisco in 1978 and quickly developed a reputation for shocking and satiric lyrics. The band separated in 1986. Their legal problems arose in 1998, when three former band members sued lead singer Jello Biafra, whose real name is Eric Reed Boucher. The three band members claimed that Biafra didn't properly promote the group's albums and wrongfully exploited their collective intellectual property through his own record label. Biafra answered that he had exclusive rights to the catalog. He also cross-complained, seeking the dissolution of Decay Music, a general partnership the four band members formed in 1981 to publish records, retain rights to the music and collect income from royalties.

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I can almost guarantee a reunion tour within five years.

Wine and Song

According to billboard.com (scroll down, past the Judy Collins/Leonard Cohen story), Bob Dylan is getting into the wine business. He's put his signature on an Italian red wine produced by Fattoria Le Terrazze. About the wine:

"The 2002 vintage is a blend of 75% Montepulciano and 25% Merlot grapes grown on the winery's vineyards in Italy's Marche region. It follows Visions of J, a Fattoria Le Terrazze wine that its owner, Antonia Terni, named after the Dylan song 'Visions of Johanna,' prior to any association with the artist."

Sounds good. And advanced.

Monday, July 12, 2004

Share and Share Alike

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David Lee Roth Is Advanced

A member of the Advanced Think Tank wrote recently:

"Diamond Dave's No Holds Bar-Be-Que" was advanced to the point of being unwatchable. It alternated scenes of Dave doing martial arts with fantasy scenes set in his house, where he tried to make two women look like a bevy thereof. His cover of "Baker Street" was the background music during one martial arts scene.

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Just to let all of you know, David Lee Roth is advanced. You don't have to look any further than "Just a Gigolo" as far as I'm concerned. But I've found some very interesting things about him that I'd like to share with you. From an interview at nudeasthenews.com:

NATN: What other jobs have you done?
DLR: I worked in surgery for two years out of junior college. I was a surgical assist and what they call a nuclear janitor. Nuclear medicine was just coming in-- MRIs and CAT scans were just barely starting and you had to have a nuclear designation on your union card. And you know, you had to go through all kinds of stuff and training and so forth. And I worked at all state hospitals, burn wards and so forth and I worked night shift in the barrio. I've got expertise in interesting areas, I guess.

NATN: Can you use that on stage?
DLR:I've actually used it on a few people! I've actually run into some serious accidents along the way. Rock and roll is pretty predictable -- it's the other 38 stamps in my passport that I spent the money on. Don't ask me how to spell New Guinea but I've got the pictures of both of us there (laughs)!

NATN: OK, so you're touring and you've got a new album (Diamond Dave). Is it deja vu? ?
DLR: No, it's not deja vu. It's only deja vu if you're doing the same show and the same routine over and over again. There are some bands that are extraordinary at that. The Rolling Stones have been playing the same song over and over and over again for, what do you think, 25, 30 years? I like the song though! AC/DC has been playing the same song, album by album for 30 years but we dig the song. I do believe, however, that mankind was destined for change. There are only two things that really look exactly the same from the moment you first see them to the moment they are dead and they are a sea anemone and Neil Young (laughs).

NATN: Neil Young? There's no way he came out like that.
DLR: Oh, absolutely, I'm convinced.

NATN: Soooo.. what was this video shoot thing I read about?
DLR: Oh! Three days of fun and music. No, that was Woodstock. What I was doing was the VH1 Classic "Diamond Dave's No-Holds Barbeque and Christmas Special." Is that what you're referring to? 'Cause if you weren't, you should be.

NATN: Fourth of July? Christmas?
DLR: I just finished 70 spots of my own creation -- completely of my own creation -- with all the guest characters that I served you up in "Gigilo" and "California Girls," which I wrote and directed. In this we have the Dom triplets from Playboy, as pregnant white chain smoking trash and I know you're thinking, 'Diamond Dave, you don't have to be white to be pregnant chain smoking trash,' and I'll tell you, 'sweetheart, it sure helps.' Why can't they be heroes too, goddamn it (pause for laugh)? I have a low-rider donkey -- don't ask, just watch -- I have the security guy from the circus, Jumbo Jimmy. My hallucinations are what your reality caused me to have after happy hour. Ridicule and sarcasm were refined arts in my family and I have a black belt (laughs). I came out of the Roth family history with the scars and the bars (laughs). Stars and the scars.

NATN: You deserve it, I guess.
DLR: I don't base what I do in the eyes of others. [In French accent] What was it, Sartre? He said the most famous single sentence in all of philosophy study, um, [in French] 'hell is in the others.' You may have heard it. They teach you that within the first 30 days of any philosophy class at any university and what it means is, if you are looking to find yourself reflected in the eyes of the others or you are judging your performance or whatever it is you do by how others see it, you will be in hell. Somebody may say, 'well Dave, what about those hardcore Van Halen fans,' and I said, 'they grew up and stopped buying records.' I never really considered what 40-somethings think about music, any more than what 20-somethings think about it. For everyone reading this right now, I think I know what's best for everybody. That's where we're going.

...[touring] is like living on a submarine. You know, there's long, long periods of absolutely nothing followed by brief intense panic. And whatever happens after the show, well, what I do before the show in preparation: the video, the interview, the recording process and so forth is kind of a combination of Groucho Marx and Kurosawa. What I do onstage is somewhere between, I don't know, Bruce Lee and the scarecrow from "The Wizard Of Oz" and what I do after the show is somewhere between Errol Flynn and that other basketball player (laughs).
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The statement "I think I know what's best for everybody" is very advanced considering the moves he's made over the years. His reflections on Satre and hardcore Van Halen fans is also brilliant. Plus, he gets in a reference to basketball. I also looked a bit at his website, where you can use the Sammy Hagar Random Insult Generator or read one of Dave's Zen poems. Or check out his experience as an EMT.

You just don't get any more advanced than David Lee Roth. According to Britt (and I agree) DLR is in Mick Jagger territory. He just makes up his own rules of advancement and we are left to marvel.

By the Time I Get to Phoenix, I'll Be Drunk Driving

According to CNN, Glen Campbell played a concert for his fellow prisoners while he was in jail for DUI. What particularly amused me was this:

He pleaded guilty in May to extreme DUI and leaving the scene of an accident, then began his jail term on July 1 with his final eight days set up as work-release. Campbell was allowed to leave the jail, where he had a indoor private cell, during the day to handle business affairs, returning overnight. "It's been an eye-opener, that's for sure," Campbell said of his time behind bars.
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That does sound like an eye opener. Also, I like that it was "extreme DUI." Regular DUI wasn't good enough. Just once, I'd like to hang out with George Jones and Glen Campbell. I can only imagine how weird those two guys are.

Three Nights of Advancement

There was a good article about Elvis Costello in the NY times this weekend. Here are some good parts:

Listeners and critics who expect performers to stay in their niches have repeatedly dismissed and then grudgingly rediscovered him, a cycle that clearly rankles Mr. Costello. "Sometimes the accusations of vanity about working in other areas are just so stupid," he said. "And a lot of it is down to the fact that you do something over a long period of time or you do something that's very heartfelt. Sometimes you want to grab somebody by the throat and say, `This is real life.' You get defensive about things you love."

Mr. Costello will turn 50 on Aug. 25, and he had originally booked a date at Carnegie Hall to celebrate the birthday. Then came a better offer: three nights at the Lincoln Center Festival this week, with three different ensembles and more than five dozen songs to learn, among them at least half a dozen that Mr. Costello has never recorded. On Tuesday, he is to sing with the Metropole Orkest, a 52-member jazz orchestra from the Netherlands that combines a big band with a string section. The concert will include arrangements by the guitarist Bill Frisell, by Mr. Costello's longtime pianist Steve Nieve and by Sy Johnson, who has done arrangements for the Mingus Orchestra.

On Thursday, it's back to rock. Mr. Costello is to perform with the Imposters, who include Mr. Nieve and the drummer Pete Thomas, both from his longtime rock band the Attractions, plus a bass player, Davey Faragher, who joined them in 2001. They have just completed an album at Sweet Tea Studios in Oxford, Miss., "The Delivery Man," that is due for release in September, and they are likely to perform some new songs. On Saturday the Brooklyn Philharmonic is to perform "Il Sogno," an orchestral score Mr. Costello wrote for an Italian dance company's adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and to accompany Mr. Costello in full orchestral arrangements of his songs. A recording of "Il Sogno" conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas is also due for release in September.

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I'm most excited about the score he has done for the Italian dance company. That's pretty advanced. A little more:

"The Delivery Man" [a new album] revs up the already ferocious attack the Imposters showed on "When I Was Cruel." While the songs were written before Mr. Costello arrived in Mississippi, the album is steeped in Southern Americana: the gospel-rooted grooves of Memphis soul, touches of pedal steel guitar, Southern-rooted guest singers including Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams and the storytelling that Southern soul shares with country music.

Initially, Mr. Costello had planned "The Delivery Man" as an album that told a story, along the lines of Willie Nelson's "Red-Headed Stranger." The setting is a small town, perhaps in the South; the main characters are three women. "It's an imaginary place but so is everything these days," he said. "But they are three particular types of person. One who imagines herself wilder and more dangerous than she is. Another who is very restrained and pious. And a young woman, a young girl really, a teenage girl who hasn't decided which way she wants to go in life. And they all in different ways look for something that they don't have in this guy who just passes through their life."
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It's always advanced for a British guy to go record in the American South. "Gospel-rooted grooves" and "Memphis soul" just scream advancement. Also, using Willie Nelson (an advanced country musician) as an inspiration is beautiful. One more thing:

[about his new album] "It's the kind of rock and roll music that a man of my years can play without embarrassment. It doesn't sound processed. It's some guys playing in the room. I hate that expression good old rock and roll. When did it become good and when did it become old?"
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It always comes back to rock'n'roll.

Hot for Advancement

This weekend, I found out that a very advanced (and well-known) artist wanted to know if his next project would be advanced (I have to protect my sources). This artist is extremely advanced, and nothing he could do would be considered otherwise. But it got me to thinking: Now that the theory has been made public, what effect will it have on advanced artists? How will advanced artists react now that their "secret" is out? Since they typically do the unexpected, I guess I have no idea, since I'm not as advanced as they are. Also, there was some discussion in the advanced community about whether it is overt to ask someone if what you are doing is advanced. I think in some cases yes, but only if the person is someone who is striving to become advanced rather than already advanced. It will certainly be interesting to see how the theory's becoming public knowledge will alter the advanced landscape.

Thursday, July 08, 2004

Off to Seattle

I'm going to Seattle, so there won't be any posts for a while, unless I spend some time at an Apple store or think of something good to write in the next hour or so. Seattle is a wonderful town, though most of the bands that I know from there are/were overt (I'm not much of an expert). I think Kurt Cobain might have ended up advanced had he stuck around, but I'm not all that crazy about Nirvana. I think they had some great songs, but I never sit down and listen to a whole Nirvana album. It gets kind of tiring listening to his solos that were basically the vocal melody played on guitar, and his lyrics just don't move me. And I always hated the name Nirvana (you know, heaven for cool people). In any case, they were certainly overt because he was still using heroin, the world's most overt drug for rock stars. Many advanced artists rode the horse, but they had the good sense to get off before they got to the ranch. Uh-huh.

I don't know if I even need to say this, but Eddie Vedder could never be advanced. I can get rocked by a few of Pearl Jam's songs, however.

Wednesday, July 07, 2004

God Gave Rock'n'Roll to Lou

from an old interview:

Because I never cared for trends, that never bothered me. Music was what bothered me, what interested me. I always believed that I have something important to say and I said it. That's why I survived because I still believe I've got something to say. My God is rock'n'roll. It's an obscure power that can change your life. The most important part of my religion is to play guitar.

The Cure vs. Timbuk 3

from spin.com:

S: You must have been witness to the gamut of devotion over the years from fans basically pledging themselves to you. Through all the albums, all the sort of changes in style, the creative evolution, what is the constant that holds people to your music?

R: I think it's that people believe I'm not going to say yes to something I really think I should say no to. It's as simple as that.

S: So it's a matter of personal integrity?

R: That's why I agonized about the Hewlett-Packard ad that used "Pictures of You." I was backed into a corner with that and I still feel really bad about it.

S: I heard the [Cult Hero song] "I Dig You" song in an ad.

R: That's not my song.

S: But the old fans know that you played on it. Somebody licensed it to somebody to sell something.

R: I agreed to that, fuck yeah, because I still know Frank The Postman, and he's running a garage, so it's like pay day money. But it's different. There's no real emotional investment in Cult Hero. That was me at like nineteen, but it's not the Cure. "Pictures of You" is a huge song in the Cure cannon. It means a lot.

S: That whole record?

R: Yeah, and it means a lot to a lot of people. I mean I despair at the use of Hendrix, in particular, to sell cars in the UK.

S: To sell everything.

R: It's fucking awful. [When I licensed the song] I was out of contract I had nothing left as leverage, except to basically give Universal an advert in exchange for remastering the albums. Otherwise they wouldn't do it.

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I like the Cure, but Robert Smith is not advanced. I don't think that there's any shame in licensing a song for a commercial, but you have to admit you did it for the money (if that's the reason). Saying "I was backed into a corner" is pretty lame. If he was worried about his integrity or his fans, he would have turned down the licensing deal, no matter what. After all, anyone can refuse an offer if they don't need the money. Timbuk 3 has refused to license "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" (a very advanced title, now that I think of it) even though Pat MacDonald has fallen on hard times, according to this bob seger website:

Pat MacDonald, a singer/songwriter best known as the leader of the band Timbuk 3, which had a hit in 1986 with the single "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades." Since that release, MacDonald has fallen on hard times: He divorced his wife (the other member of Timbuk 3), began a critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful solo career and now lives in Spain.

When he's in the United States, MacDonald lives above his parents' bar in Fish Creek, Wis., and conducts his business from a Pizza Hut pay phone in nearby Sturgeon Bay. "I think Pat's the world's greatest lyricist - I really do," says Miles Copeland, the CEO of Ark 21 records, which released one of MacDonald's solo albums. "But he doesn't have two nickels to rub together." It doesn't have to be that way. MacDonald has been offered millions of dollars for the rights to several of his songs. He's received overtures from McDonald's for "Future's So Bright ..." and Clairol for "Hairstyles and Attitudes," among others. He has refused every proposal.

"I just vowed a long time ago that I'd never do that," MacDonald says from his parents' bar, the Bayside Tavern. "You give up a piece of yourself. It's hard to explain to people the feelings involved. It would make me feel dirty." MacDonald traces his disdain for advertising money back to a mid-1980s Honda scooter ad featuring Lou Reed. "I never had the same respect for him after that," MacDonald says. "To me, rock music was always about being contrary to the system. It didn't fit in - that's what I liked about it."

Copeland respects MacDonald for his firm convictions, but says that devotion to integrity has a price. "I'm now the receiving end of this integrity," explains Copeland, who says he's lent MacDonald more than $200,000 over the last several years. "I love Pat, but he calls me and he's literally, literally begging for money - to save his integrity. "Now I'm thinking, what kind of integrity is that?" Copeland continues. "When you see a beggar on the street with a sign saying 'Give me five cents,' do you look at this guy and say, 'Now there's a man of integrity'? No, you say, 'There's a beggar.' "

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Obviously MacDonald has the kind of integrity that Robert Smith wishes he had, but look how silly it is that he won't license his music. He lives above his parents' bar and begs Miles Copeland for money. Meanwhile, Lou Reed made the scooter commercial and sips tea in the West Village with Laurie Anderson, happy and advanced.

Robert Smith could learn a lot from Lou Reed. Of course, we all could.

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson, like Dolly Parton, is among the advanced artists who seem to be loved no matter what they do. He started out playing more or less straight country in Nashville, which he didn't care for. His career since then has been pretty odd: He's done jazz, performed a duet with Julio Iglesias, starred in a movie based on one of his albums, done a cameo in a movie about getting high, made a record to pay off his taxes (and described it as such), and made a "reggae" record. Oh, and in August he'll be playing with Bob Dylan on a 22-date tour of minor league baseball stadiums. Most people can't get away with this kind of behavior, but somehow he can. Everybody loves Willie Nelson, no matter what. This is some form of advancement, but I haven't figured out what the name should be.

Sold My Soul to Rock'n'Roll, LLC

I heard a lot of people wondering why Bob Dylan would do that Victoria's Secret commercial. They were dismayed that an artist of his stature would "sell out." I don't see much difference in selling one's image to an underwear company and selling one's music to a record company. Either way, you're making a deal with the devil. And Victoria never asks, "Where's the single?"

The Ramones Musical Down Under

from rollingstone.com:

A producer in Perth, Australia...is putting together a musical based on the music of Da Bruddas. According to Michael Herrmann, who wrote the libretto, Gabba Gabba Hey is "a touching love story with colorful Lower East Side characters" set to the music of Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy (the last of whom has signed on as musical director)

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The Australian producer is most likely not advanced. But it is advanced for a Ramone to be involved. It would have been much more advanced if it were Joey or Dee Dee acting as musical director, which is impossible now (sadly). Of course it just may be that Tommy was the most advanced of them all. Hard to say.

Oh, and I don't think I need to remind you all of the outfits the Ramones wore.

Sunday, July 04, 2004

I Told You Prince Is Advanced

from CNN:

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Anniversaries often bring reunions.

And to mark the 20th anniversary of "Purple Rain," Prince reunited with some of the players in his musical past -- Morris Day and The Time, guitarist Wendy Melvoin and former protege Sheila E....

The show started out on a bizarre note -- Prince, onstage in a disguise of a straight-haired wig, hat and beard, playing the guitar on inline stakes as relatively unknown performers danced or sang around him.

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Any questions?

Sweet

I'm listening to "Rock'n'Roll Animal" right now. I'm enjoying the daylights out of it.

Happy birthday, America.

Friday, July 02, 2004

Sonic Blues

Yesterday, my iPod selected at random "Winner's Blues" by Sonic Youth. It is close to being advanced, but no. They just had to record the vocals with a weird effect and include a strange noise in the end! It's sort of like when Pavement had to throw in the Billy Squire lick at the end of "Range Life," just so we'll all know that Pavement knows the song is a bit sweet sounding. Oh well.

Prague Rock

Prague is an overt city (you know in your heart it's true), but I came across something interesting that happened during the Clinton years that I didn't know about:

(Reuters) -- Hillary Rodham Clinton and Vice President Al Gore were among those spotted moving to the music at a state dinner for Czech President Vaclav Havel and his wife Dagmar. It was Havel's idea to have Reed appear as the entertainer for the dinner held in the White House East Room. Said President Clinton: "If you had as much fun as I did just now, you should give President Havel the credit because he said, 'I want Lou Reed to play tonight." The evening provided a welcome respite for a White House shaken by a continuing sex scandal. The Brooklyn-born Reed and his band played some of his classics, including "Sweet Jane."

After Reed played several songs, the Clintons and Havels appeared on stage with him and Havel had Reed sign a book of his songs that was recently published in Prague.

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Apparently Havel told Lou Reed "I was president because of you." I didn't know much about the Velvet Revolution, so I did a little research and found this quote here:

In 1968 a rare copy of the Velvet Underground’s first record somehow found its way to Prague. It became a sensation in music circles and beyond, eventually inspiring the Czech name for their bloodless 1989 overthrow of Communist rule, "the Velvet Revolution." The Plastic People, then a newly formed troupe that borrowed heavily from Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, quickly added a half-dozen songs from The Velvet Underground & Nico to their repertoire. The group was banned not long after the Prague Spring concluded but continued to play at weddings and secret shows.

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I don't know why I haven't heard of this before.

Do the Math

While on the treadmill today, I was thinking about how an advanced artist's career is a lot like mathematics. We all can understand basic math, and everyone uses it in daily life. Then math starts to become more complicated and abstract (algebra, for instance) and it's harder to understand and seems less useful. Many people start to abandon math at this point, but most are still on board. Then calculus is forced on high school students, and that is the end of the road. Yet there are some people who are thrilled by calculus and go deeper and deeper into theoretical mathematics. It might seem to an outsider that it is a waste of time to devote one's life to the obscure corners of mathematics, but that is because the deeper you go into math, the harder it is to understand. But people who do understand theoretical mathematics find a lot of beauty and meaning in it. Plus, they appreciate basic math more fully. And so it goes with the advanced artist's music. It starts out easy to understand, but it becomes more difficult as the artist advances. This alienates a lot of people, but those who stick around are rewarded by the beauty and meaning they discover in advanced music.

The Interview

I did my interview with Radio City, a station in Ecuador. They were extremely nice, and it was an interesting experience. There were two interviewers who asked me questions in English, then they translated my answer, then discussed it. It was slightly disconcerting, but I think I did a fair job of explaining the theory. Of course, the theory is pretty complicated, so I left a lot of stuff out. All in all, though, it was a positive experience. No word on whether I'll be able to provide audio. Of course, most of it is in Spanish, so I'm not sure how much good it would do.

Thursday, July 01, 2004

Metallica

I don't know my metal well enough to say anything definitively, but I believe Metallica might just be an advanced heavy-metal band. I think that "Master of Puppets" is really good, and a lot of people I know are very enthusiastic about their earlier stuff. However, with stuff like "Enter Sandman," they moved into the category of "world's most evil pop band" (thanks, Britt). Of course, being a metal band, they had to have short hair, rather than long hair, to show that they had advanced. Could it be that their decision to file suits against file sharers was an advanced move? I think they also sued someone who named a rose metallica, which was based on it's latin description (or something like that) and had nothing at all to do with the band. And now they've done a documentary about themselves, including rehab and therapy sessions (not very metal), which seems pretty advanced. But were they good enough in the beginning to qualify?

Something to think about.

Put STP in Your Engine

I wrote earlier about listening to albums by people that you loved in the past but stopped liking. Now I'd like to say a few things about music that you thought you never could like. I remember thinking when Stone Temple Pilots first appeared that they were the worst band in the world. They seemed embarrassingly derivative, and "Weiland" appeared to be a total fraud pretending to be weird—the worst kind of overtness. But when "Plush" came on the radio, I didn't change the station, and, in fact, I was secretly rocked by it. I realized one day that I had stopped listening to it to hate it and started genuinely enjoying it. After sheepishly admitting to a few friends that I liked the song, it turned out that they all liked it as well. I realize now that I was being an overt listener. Luckily for me, radio stations play popular songs twice an hour, so I got to a place where I enjoyed "Plush" (and a lot of other STP stuff, too).

The point is that being an advanced listener is about defying what you expect of yourself. You'd be surprised what you're capable of liking.

Advanced in Ecuador

I got a call from a very nice producer of Radio City, which is apparently the radio station associated with the BBC of London and "El Universo," the "biggest newspaper in Ecuador." She asked me to do an interview on a show based on "high profile interviews about art, culture, entertainment, music, life styles and more with information and interviews from around the world." I'm doing the interview tonight at 7:15, but I don't know if it will air live. Hopefully I will be able to provide a clip later.

Duty Calls

I'm going to be occupied most of the day, but I'll try to write later this afternoon. I've been thinking a lot about the optimistic aspects of being advanced, what it means to be an advanced fan, Metallica, rock criticism, and many other things. Hopefully I'll be getting to all that in the coming days.

An Easy One

Prince is advanced.

Musician, Rock Thyself

A lot of advanced artists are accused of being self-indulgent. But who should Bob Dylan be indulging? You?