The White Stripes and Dolly Parton

From nme.com:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yearning for Advancement

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

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

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

Joe Cocker and R.E.M.

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

The Case Against Sting

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

More "Beautiful Dreamer"

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

"Smile," for the Camera

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

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

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

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

Carl Lewis

If you want to see something amazing, go here.

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

Robot Accents

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

Nothing to do with Advancement, but so what?

Quoth Frank Black

Here's Frank Black about his new project:

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

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

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

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

Chris Gaines Sighting

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

When Who Is 64?

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

Joe Cocker and U2

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

Nobel Prize in Advancement

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

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

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

The Walk Continues

Saw this today:

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

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

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

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

The Times They Are A'Reviewin'

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

Nothing to See Here

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

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

Christian Science Monitor and The Elder

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

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

Overheard Overtness

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

That Makes One of Us

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