Bjork's Got a Fever of 103

I read something interesting in the print edition of Rolling Stone (I'm home sick today, so I don't have my usual sources). When Bjork is asked if she has any guilty pleasures, she mentions "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner. But where she gets advanced is when she says about the song, "...that's not a guilty pleasure, that's just a good tune." That is an advanced point of view. There should be no such thing as a guilty pleasure in an advanced person's life. If you like something, you like something, and you don't have to distance yourself from your true feelings by pretending that you feel guilty about them. So good for Bjork!

But she's still overt.

Advanced Musicals, Pixies Edition

From billboard:

Plans are moving forward on "Teenager of the Year," a musical centering on the Pixies. Creator Josh Frank recently told PixiesMusic.com he expects workshopping to begin on the project in the next few months.

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Advanced.

The Advanced Man Down the Road

I read in Rolling Stone that John Fogerty has a new album coming out. It's called "Deja Vu All Over Again," which is an advanced title. Here's what he had to say:

"If I felt the need right now, I could probably write 'Fortunate Son' again... I'm almost in awe of the whole process. I'm really happy when stuff is working--in the same way [Red Sox Pitcher] Pedro Martinez is happy when he's got all his stuff."

He also claims that the opening lyric of the title track, which draws parallels between Vietnam and Iraq, came to him like an "unstoppable force." As I have said before, sports references are a big part of the advanced artist. "Centerfield" is very advanced, and you may have seen him play that song on his guitar that is shaped like a baseball bat, which is off-the-charts advanced. The other thing is that when an advanced artist puts an album out, he or she will describe it in almost mystical terms, even though to most people the music sounds the same as most of the artist's previous work.

I just love that he compares his songwriting process to Pedro Martinez's pitching.

Advanced Overtness and Dime-Store Weirdos

According to this, the Cramps are going on tour. There are certain bands, like the Cramps, that are unflinchingly overt for so long that they become advanced in a way. They aren't fully advanced, of course, but they are not simply overt. That doesn't mean that staying overt for a long time makes you advanced overt. Patti Smith is still overt, for instance, but not advanced overt. This is tricky territory, and I'm trying to sort it out myself. It might just come down to the fact that the Cramps are fun, and Patti Smith is not so fun. Robert Pollard fits into the advanced-overt category, I think. I hear that he is quite the rocker onstage, complete with leg kicks. His music is pretty overt, but does he really belong in the same category as, say, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs?

This seems like a good time to introduce a new term into the advanced lexicon: the dime-store weirdo, also known as the put-on. The people in this category have nothing to offer at all. They are overt, but they are also untalented and unoriginal. Say what you will about the Cramps or Guided By Voices, but they are certainly not dime-store weridos.

How Many Umlauts in "Bjork"?

Bjork is incredibly overt. Read how she pretends not to know how to be interviewed (from MSNBC):

LORRAINE ALI: I have to admit when I first listened to "Medulla," I didn't notice it was instrument-free. There's so much going on—from guttural bass noises to choral arrangements—it's hard to tell it's pure a cappella.

BJORK: Is this my turn to speak? I'm just learning this new game, where you review and I answer. So now it's my turn?

LA: Yes.

B:Here I go then. I think I'll take your comment as a compliment. It's good you don't feel anything is missing. You shouldn't be listening to just a great idea, you should be listening to music. A lot of the bottom end—like the bass and drums—is just these crazy guys who make insane noises. It's the wonders of the human voice at the end of the day.
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Apparently the record is made up mostly of voices, including "Rahzel the human beat box, an Inuit throat singer and Gregorian chanters." Sounds real weird.

Lou Reed as Morrissey

I didn't hear about this because it was on my wedding day. But here is a great news item from NME:

LOU REED saved the day at BENICASSIM today (August 7) following MORRISSEY’s shock no-show.

Fans who had travelled miles to see the former Smiths frontman’s first ever Spanish performance had been downheartened as the evening went on. But with a little help from Belle And Sebastian, the former Velvet Underground star more than made up for the loss with a set packed with favourites.

Opening with ‘Turn To Me’, the set took in ‘Sweet Jane’, ‘Jesus’, and a version of ‘Venus In Furs’ that opened out into a breathtaking cello solo. Ravers on-site may have been disappointed that his rendition ’Satellite Of Love’ was not the new dance version.

Reed closed with a triumphant version of ‘Walk On The Wild Side’.

At a press conference before the show, the star gave a few hints about his future plans: “I’m a big fan of a lot of the dance music in the clubs. I’m thinking about doing something and merging it with rock, I’m thinking about that. I’m working on some music that I’m gonna put on the website, that’s not for a big record company. It’ll be music to meditate to.”
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I like the idea that Lou Reed is somehow a substitute for Morrissey. But what's most exciting to me is that bit about his "merging" dance music and rock. (Why didn't I think of that?) Needless to say, whatever that music sounds like it, it's going to be advanced. Oh, and please note the song his set closed with. Good ol' one-hit-wonder Lou Reed!

An Aside About "The West Wing"

Here's a little off-message TV news from Reuters:

Actor Jimmy Smits, best known for his turns as a lawyer on "L.A. Law" and a cop on "NYPD Blue," will join the cast of "The West Wing" as a Houston congressman with presidential aspirations, NBC said on Friday.
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No word yet who will play the shark Smits will jump.

Bruce Springsteen or Benedict Arnold?

From MTV:

Alice Cooper made a few comments to the media about the Vote for Change Tour being "treason" during a Canadian stop of his tour, and is now saying that his remarks were misinterpreted. "When I said that rock stars doing concerts for presidential candidates were guilty of treason, I clearly said treason against rock and roll, meaning against the spirit of rock and roll, not against the president or the government or the U.S.A.," Cooper said in a statement Thursday.
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Treason against rock and roll. Is there any doubt that Alice Cooper is advanced?

The Filth and the Flarn

I finally saw the Sex Pistols documentary, "The Filth and the Fury." Whenever I see old footage of them or the Ramones, I always think, "Maybe I should start a punk band." But then I realize that would be very silly. I think the most advanced member of the band early on was Glen Matlock. According to Johnny Rotten, Matlock wanted to make music like the Beatles and be on "Top of the Pops." He was also dismayed that I'm tempted to say that Malcolm McClaren is advanced, but I think he's just a fake. Billy Idol is most likely advanced, but Siouxsie Sioux is most likely not. I do think that Johnny Rotten/Lydon is advanced. It was particularly advanced of the band to have Matlock play their reunion shows. Sid Vicious was just depressing, stupid, and horribly overt, just like heroin. I don't think he ever would have advanced, but, sadly, we'll never know.

Lou Spotting

Occasionally I'll see Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson on my way to work. This morning I saw them having coffee and sitting with their dog. Lou was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and had a little gray stubble. They looked like cute grandparents, especially her.

Bad Try, Slow Day

Nothing is happening in the advanced world! Prince got food delivered from his favorite New York City restaurant to the three gigs he played in Philadelphia. Everybody wants a bigger boat at the MTV award show in Miami. The RIAA is suing people. Maybe something good will happen in the next couple of hours.

Nice Try, Green Day

From NME:

"[Green Day's new album] is a self-confessed rock opera which ‘details the alienation and disillusionment of the American citizen under Bush’s post-War On Terror administration.’"
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Green Day is just not capable of being advanced. Some of their songs are okay, but they just don't meet the standard. But I applaud their effort.

How Many Umlauts in "Reality"?

Well, Tommy Lee is going to be on a reality show where he goes to college. This is a coincidence because I have been thinking a lot about whether Motley Crue is an advanced band. I have specifically wondered about Tommy Lee, especially with that rock-rap band he put together a while back. Now that he is going to be on this reality show, I have my verdict: not advanced. That might surprise you, but I think that doing a reality TV show has become an overt thing to do. Now if Bob Dylan were to do a reality show, that would be advanced because he has a lot invested in keeping himself mysterious, making the show risky. Plus, people are actually interested in what makes Bob Dylan tick. However, Tommy Lee is currently pretty much off the radar as a musician, and no one really cares what he's doing these days. Basically, the show is a bit desperate, and that is overt. I like the idea of a musician like Tommy Lee going to college, but it is much more advanced to do it quietly like Duff McKagan, who got a degree in finance without alerting the media. I know Vince Neil was on a reality show, but I don't think that makes Tommy Lee's new show any more advanced or overt.

The Ayatollah Is a Rock-N-Rolla

According to NME, an album of Queen's greatest hits was released in Iran. This is pretty unusual for Iran, where "Western music is subject to strict censorship rules." Freddie Mercury had Iranian ancestry, so that must have had something to do with it. Plus Queen rocks pretty hard, Allah be praised.

Writing a Book About Myself Blues, Part One

This is CNN:

"The famously private Bob Dylan, whose background and music are the stuff of legend, will shed light on his life and four-decade career as a singer-songwriter in a memoir to be published this autumn, his publisher said on Tuesday. Dylan's 'Chronicles: Volume One' (Simon & Schuster), the first of a planned three-book series, is a first-person narrative from the 63-year-old music icon, who rose to fame in the early 1960s and whose musical style ranged from folk and blues to rock, country and gospel."
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I can't wait to get my hands on that one.

Awoo, Pete Yorn in London

According to billboard.com, Jackson Browne, Pete Yorn, Bob Dylan, the Pixies and others are recording Warren Zevon songs for an unpcoming tribute album called "Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon." First, that is an extremely advanced name for the album. Second, there has been some discussion at the Advancement Foundation about whether Mr. Zevon is advanced. I'm beginning to think he is. John Cale called him a master, the Pixies and Bob Dylan seem to like him, and he's had some good album titles, such as "Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School," "Life'll Kill Ya," and
"Mr. Bad Example." Plus, he is loved by the critics, even though I really don't know that I've heard a song by him on the radio other than "Werewolves in London." (A side note: I once heard a DJ call him Warren "The Man" Zevon. I've never heard him called "The Man" in my life.)

Here's some more stuff I learned abou thim at allmusic.com:

He composed advertising jingles ealry in his career and played piano for the Everly Brothers. He made a concept record "inspired by science fiction's cyberpunk movement." David Letterman appeared on his album "My Ride's Here."

I think he must have been advanced, but I have to listen to more of his music. If anyone has anything to add to this discussion, I'd love to hear it.

It's Gotta Be the Shoes

Something from Yahoo UK/Ireland:

"John Lennon's lyrics and artwork have inspired a new shoe. The first Chuck Taylor All Star Peace Collection comprises a limited-edition canvas baseball boot with a Lennon self-portrait sketch in place of the famous logo on the side."

New York Dolls Get Over Their Grief

According to NME.com, the New York Dolls are releasing a live album and DVD, as well as playing shows this weekend. I'm sure it's what their late bassist, Arthur Kane, would have wanted.

Advanced Mop Tops

By "mop tops," of course, I'm referring to Swiffers. You may have noticed recently that the makers of Swiffer are using "Whip It" (with different lyrics) in commercials promoting the product. If you thought that the imitation of Mark Mothersbaugh's singing was perfect, you were wrong. It actually was Mark Mothersbaugh singing: "When you've got a dirty floor/ You need Swiffer " and "With Swiffer—place looks great! It's not too late! Swiffer's good!"

This is somewhat old news (see here for Slate's take on it), and I'd almost forgotten about it. But I saw the commercial the other night, so I had to mention it.

Burt Up

Another interesting Burt Reynolds cameo: He appears in "Without a Paddle," which, according to this, is a "stylistically schizophrenic comedy about three buddies (Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, and Dax Shepard) celebrating the end of their 20s with a harebrained excursion into the Oregon wilderness blends toilet humor and male bonding." The New York Times calls it "loathsome." That may be, but I call Burt Reynolds "advanced."

Dee Dee, I Hardly Knew Ye

"End of the Century," the movie about the Ramones, is out now, and I've been reading a few of the reviews. I plan to watch the movie, but plans can fall through, etc. But I've learned one thing just by reading the reviews: Dee Dee left the Ramones to become a rapper. (So much for my status as a rock historian.) This was exciting news to me because embracing rap is one of the most important things an advanced artist can do. This shows that at least one member of the Ramones did advance beyond the original, already advanced band.

I also learned from an old CNN.com obituary that Dee Dee "formed a Ramones cover band and became a painter." Both of those things are advanced.

Making the Band

Different advanced artists assemble their bands in different ways, but there is a classic lineup: a fancy drummer (like Steve Gadd), a saxophonist or full horn section, a hotshot nobody on guitar, someone "of color" or a woman on bass, and a group of professional backup singers, usually African-American (think "Take a Walk on the Wild Side"). Sometimes an entire gospel choir is necessary. It is also good to have an extra percussionist who seems to have almost no function onstage at all. Usually there is also a nondescript guy on keyboards to round everything out. The main thing is to have as many people on the stage as possible. Sometimes all these people create a sound that would seem to require only a quartet, but the most advanced choice is to use a band like this to reinterpret songs that were spare when originally written.

The flipside would be to do songs that you performed in a band by yourself with just a guitar. Sting loves to do this, but I'm just not sure if Sting is advanced or just terrible.

Hey! Ho! Pete Yorn!

According to AP, the Ramones are having a 30th-anniversary party in Hollywood. Joining the remaining members (CJ and Marky Ramone) onstage will be Eddie Vedder, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Pete Yorn, among others. Rob Zombie will act as "host." Proceeds from the concert will go to the Lymphoma Research Foundation and the Cedars Sinai Prostate Cancer Center.

I don't really have anything to add to this, but the story caught my eye, so I thought I'd mention it.

A Little More Pixies

From USAToday.com:

And instead of working up new material, they are focusing on selling tickets, T-shirts and CDs mass-produced on site at the venues.... "It's a revenue stream," [Frank Black] said.
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He also says that he was never a big believer in albums, which to an overt artist is heresy. I have always found Frank Black amusing, and he has often wandered into the Advanced Irritant category. I think with the reunion he has become full-on advanced.

Burt Reynolds

According to CNN.com, Adam Sandler is appearing in a remake of "The Longest Yard." Burt Reynolds plays a coach in the new version. Here's a little more information:

Reynolds admires how Sandler works with his own core group of people because Reynolds operated like that when he was riding high back in the 1970s. One of Reynolds' regulars was Albert Ruddy, who produced the original "Yard" as well as Reynolds' "Cannonball Run" movies. The two just finished "Cloud Nine" two weeks ago. In that film, Reynolds plays the coach of a women's volleyball team composed of strippers.
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I try to limit my posts to music-related news, but "Cloud Nine" sounds incredibly advanced.

Boys Will Be Boys

I'd like for you all to take a moment and think about the collaboration between the Fat Boys and the Beach Boys that produced "Wipeout." What I love about it is that the Beach Boys were not involved in the original "Wipeout" and the song was pretty much an instrumental. I've thought a lot about the Beach Boys and have decided that they have one advanced memeber: Mike Love.

I hope to write more about Mike Love in the future because he really fascinates me.

Black Gold

From billboard.com:

[Frank] Black has told the Associated Press that neither fans – nor former record label 4AD – should hold their breath: "Record companies, schmecord companies – who needs ‘em? That’s not where the money is."
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An overt person would say, "Record companies don't pay enough attention to art." An advanced person says, "Schmecord companies don't pay enough."

Blue Suede vs. Blue Velvet

So I've been doing a little research on Elvis, and I came across this quote from Roy Orbison in "Last Train to Memphis":

"[Elvis's] energy was incredible, his instinct was just amazing....Actually it affected me exactly the same way as when I first saw that David Lynch film ["Blue Velvet"]."

Only an advanced person would see this connection. The advanced just see the world differently.

Tangled Up in Twyla

Well, I'm back from my honeymoon. Thanks to my guest bloggers who had me reaching for my dictionary and a kleenex.

So here's this from the NY Post:

TWYLA Tharp, who scored a triumph last season with "Movin' Out," that great contemporary ballet set to the music of Billy Joel, has been meeting with another fabled songwriter — Bob Dylan — about fashioning a musical from his catalogue of standards. Details are sketchy, since the project is supposed to be "top secret," says a source. But Dylan is said to have approached Tharp after seeing "Movin' Out." The two have met a handful of times, and Tharp has brought the project to the Nederlanders, who produced "Movin' Out." Tharp, sources say, is giving the Nederlanders a preview of the show at her apartment next week. The Nederlanders declined to comment on the Tharp-Dylan project.

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That Bob Dylan approached her and not the other way around is pretty advanced. If Dylan was that excited about "Movin' Out," I might have to rethink my position on Billy Joel.

Rock The Vote

From a fundraiser for Kerry, Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo said: "It's always been our goal to share a stage with Eliot Spitzer."

Color Me Bob

As Jason and "his lady" are away on their honeymoon frolic, I (Bob) have been invited to weigh in on Things Advanced. And now the week's half over... so let's boogie!

One of the difficulties of Advancement Theory can be understanding the important concept of "overtness". Novices often will identify someone or something as advanced, wherein it's actually overt. There is a rational hermeneutic behind these ideas, which can be delineated with Hegelian rigor. But such is not my "way". No, I seem to be the "zen" guy in the Foundation. I am blessed/cursed with satori-like insights into the nature of Advancement. It's a gift.

Still, an intriguing aspect of Advancement Theory are those gray areas, where what at first seems obvious soon results in a quagmire.... Case in point: Is it advanced to release a cd with one of those extra cardboard covers surrounding the jewel box? The Lou Reed (aka "the rosetta stone") magnum opus "THE RAVEN" has such packaging, which in itself would seemingly setttle the issue. But wait: Wilco's last two albums have the cardboard (everything on the Nonesuch label does - Can a company be advanced?), and for my money, Mr. Tweedy and gang are the current standard bearers of the "hip overt".

Ultimately, such packaging seems clearly overt to me. It signifies an "important work of art". And look at Nonesuch, or even better, the jazz label ECM. One knows EXACTLY what an album on these labels is going to sound like, even before clawing the goddamn cardboard off....

Which brings us back to Lou Reed. Lou could play a cardboard guitar and he'd remain the ne plus ultra of Advancement. It's a gift.

Hits and Mrs.

I'm getting married this Saturday, and the festivities begin tonight. I'll be away on honeymoon after that, so this will be the last post from me until I get back. I've asked a couple of members of the Advancement Foundation to guest blog at their leisure, so hopefully you can get your fill of advancement while I'm gone. I've bought "Last Train to Memphis" because I've been wanting to research Elvis's role in advancement. So you should expect a lot about Elvis when I get back. And with that, I'm off.

Keith Richards vs. Hitler: This Time It's Personal

Keith Richards takes a strong stance against Hitler on his website:

"I mean that Adolph, what a piece of work, you know?"
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Apparently, Keith's house was bombed by the Germans when he was a baby, so he took a personal dislike to Hitler. London, according to Keith, was in black in white during the Battle of Britain. He says rock'n'roll brought the world into the Technocolor age. Even still, he likes black and white.

He suggests that people watch the History Channel if they want to learn more about World War II.

Start Shaving Those Eyebrows

According to this, they're bringing "The Wall" to Broadway. Tommy Mottola is attached, and I don't have to say any more than that. I'm hoping that one of the guys from "Wings" will play Pink.

I Can't Resist Meat Loaf

So I lied about taking a break.

According to billboard.com:

"Meat Loaf's Feb 20 and 22 performances in Melbourne are the basis for the upcoming live CD 'Bat Out of Hell Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra' and the DVD 'Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.' "

I cannot think of anything more unnecessary than a live performance of "Bat Out of Hell" with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. I also cannot think of many things more advanced. I think Jim Steinman might actually be the advanced puppet master pulling Meat Loaf's strings, but I don't know how they work.

Meat Loaf appeared in the Spice Girls' movie.

Dear Reader

I had my bachelor party--salads and beers--last night, so I'm not feeling very bloggy today. And there doesn't seem to be anything new in the advanced world, either. So we'll just take a little break today and hope tomorrow will be filled with advanced things.

Tom Waits: Second-Stage Advanced Weirdo

I haven't talked about Tom Waits yet because I think it's important that people understand the theory before we enter into the category that he fits into: second-stage advanced weirdo. Britt and I have considered his case carefully, and our conclusion is that he must have started out advanced and became overt. How can this be? Well, he must have been overt before he released any music. That is the only way I can see his going from singing duets with Crystal Gayle to "Bone Machine." I like Crystal Gayle fine, but I think you know what I'm talking about. How does he go from "Looks like I'm up shit creek again" to

A murder of silhouette crows I saw
And the tears on my face
And the skates on the pond
They spell Alice

I watched an old (very old) SNL recently, and Bette Midler performed one of his songs. She introduced it as a song written by her very good friend, Tom Waits. At that stage in their careers, they were pretty much the same (though she had her mermaids and he his lampposts) but she took the traditional route of advancement and he didn't. Of course, she was much more overt than he was, so she had to become less overt as she advanced. He had already advanced so the only path left was to become overt. If we're lucky, he'll stick around enough to be a third-stage advanced weirdo. I don't what that would sound like, but I'm guessing it probably would be something like "Likes Like I'm Up Shit Creek Again (Again)."

Talking about Tom Waits is a lot like discussing those tiny invisible dimensions that are wrapped around our three detectable dimensions. In other words, I may be right, I may be crazy, but it just may be a lunatic you're looking for.

2Pac 2Picked

Nonadvanced news from Presswire:

Death Row Records has decided to move up the release date of "Live," the brand new live album by legendary artist 2Pac, to Friday, August 6th. The new album was initially scheduled for release on Tuesday, August 10th, but to avoid continued massive bootlegging, the company has decided to release the record this Friday.
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This man's bones have been picked clean. Enough already. Now if they were to make a musical about his life, that would be different.

More Lou

There is an extremely advanced version of "All Tomorrow's Parties" on Lou Reed's website. Just click on the "jukebox" function and listen to track two. Track one is suprisingly overt version of "Venus in Furs."

They Are Women, Hear Lou Roar

Some advanced Lou Reed lyrics, courtesy of Britt at the Advancement Foundation:

Women

I love women, I think they're great
they're a solace to the world in a terrible state
They're a blessing to the eyes, a balm to soul
what a nightmare to have no women in the world

I love women
I love women
I love women
we all love women

I used to look at women in the magazines
I know that it was sexist, but I was in my teens
I was very bitter, all my sex was on the sly
I couldn't keep my hands off women, and I won't till I
die

I love women
ah, I love women
we love women
we all love women

A woman's love can lift you up, and women can inspire
I feel like buying flowers and hiring a celestial
choir
A choir of castratis to serenade my love
they'd sing a little Bach for us and then we'd make
love

I love women
I love women
We all love women
we love women
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This is truly advanced. What I like is that it is such an obvious thing to say--"I love women"--yet it's deceptively profound. It's sort of like "I Can't Get No (Satisfaction)" in that way. Now, the castratis are a bit unnerving, but all in all, a spectacular advanced effort.

Advanced Plasmatic

According to this, Richie Stotts (formerly of the Plasmatics) has written four songs with Canadian adult-contemporary singer-songwriter Carla Lother. Apparently Stotts no longer has his old mohawk, which is the most overt hairstyle of them all (unless worn by an advanced artist). The Plasmatics were known for blowing up TVs and driving buses off cliffs, whereas Lother has done "numerous jingles for the likes of Maxwell House and MasterCard." He said when he first saw her play that "it was a great show, but her music was...Celtic-influenced." Since leaving the Plasmatics, he went back to school and got a degree in geology and now works at "the computer department of a Wall Street financial firm."

Let's see: he went from punk to adult contemporary, embrace the World Beat, and is an IT guy on Wall Street. I believe this gentleman is advanced.

Alice Cooper Still Gets It

Alice Cooper has been added to the "Rock Through Time" concert, sponsored by Miller Brewing Company. Melissa Auf Der Maur is another recent addition. This is good advanced technique: corporate-sponsored concert and appearing with an overt artist.

Raised in Albarn or Watch It, Fela

According to billboard.com, Damon Albarn is working with Fela Kuti. He describes it as "the most exciting thing I've ever been involved in." Embracing World Music is a sign of advancement. I'll keep my eye on Mr. Albarn.