Read this -
And then read this -
This captures all the reasons I still love this band/ these guys and will always make time to listen to whatever Townshend decides to do next. Any band of this size and vintage would have figured out a neatly worked, manicured and tweezed story for the press and the public by now, containing just the right proportions of the following:
- Yes, we had our differences but we're like brothers now that we've discovered how much we mean to each other.
- No, we never wrote songs together, but I was surprised how much he brought to the process this time and it really opened my eyes.
- No, no, no it's never been about the money for us. Honest.
- This album really is a return to form for us.
- We love all of this new technology and all of this new stuff - it's a great way for us to communicate directly with our fans.
The Who? Townshend says of the last few Who tours: 'When Roger and I were on our last tour with John, I sat with our manager, Bill Curbishley, on the last day and asked, "Are we gonna do this again?" He said, "If you want to, we can always do it again." And I said, "Is there any possibility that we're enabling John Entwistle? Rather than helping him, what we're actually doing is sending him home with, after tax, probably a million dollars, half of it's probably gonna go up his girlfriend's nose." God rest her soul, she's dead now. I thought, "I don't need to play old Who songs. I could sell them to fucking CSI."'
And this next bit is, for my money, the most brutally honest and direct statement to come out of any rocker of his generation in what - 30 years? (Take notes Sir Mick, when you're done shtupping 25 year old models!) From Rolling Stone:
'I don't think that the big boomer bands are going to be able to do this much longer. I really don't. We're fucking lucky to be able to do it, but I don't think we'll be able to do it much longer. I don't want to go out and see Bob Dylan. I don't want to go out and see the Stones. I wouldn't pay money to go see the Who, not even with new songs. I wouldn't pay money to go see Crosby, Stills and Nash. They fucking make me sick. When I say that, what I mean is I'm ageist about it. I don't want to look at these old guys in their self-congratulatory mode. Somebody gave me tickets for Marlene Dietrich's last concert in London, and apparently she came out and she looked fantastic under the lights, but you know that she's an eighty-year-old woman held together by glue and string. Why would you want to do that? I'd prefer to come and see Elaine Stritch down in the bar here. My point is, I don't think it will go on much longer.
Our audience, our boomer audience, are sustaining it. It's not young kids. People say, "Oh, I went to a Rolling Stones concert and there were lots of young people there!" Once. They come once. I went to see Jimmy Reed once. I went to see John Lee Hooker once. I went to see Jimmy Smith once. I went to see Ray Charles once. I just wanted to be able to say I saw him. If Charlie Parker had been alive, I would have seen him once. I saw Roland Kirk once. I saw them all once. I wouldn't follow them around the fucking world. There's a lot of people that come and see bands like the Who once.
RS: It works out fine, right? Because those same artists aren't going to be touring forever. It's not like fifteen years from now you're going to be like, "Oh, I guess nobody wants to come to our shows anymore."
'No, my point is when you look at the commerce behind the music business, what's running the whole thing is live shows. The problem for the Who is because we can go out and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket grosses, we're a commodity and treated as such. It would be nice if it was the same with the record, but it won't be. Universal are probably stamping around today thinking, "Oh, my God, not another fucking Who record. Oh, my God, what do we do? Thank God for the Scissor Sisters!"'
The last bit is as funny as it is true - acts of the Who's vintage often put out new albums just for a hook to hang a tour on. The bands I'd hail as honourable exceptions would be few - Neil Young (NOT CNSY - when I went to see them, I pretty much sold it to myself as Young + 3), Dylan and I can't think of anyone else. Townshend will be well aware that he himself released two very average 'new songs' as part of the 73rd Greatest Hits compilation from The Who two years ago and then went on tour ...
Still - bracing stuff.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Civil discourse???
Since I make no bones about being a Liberal, it makes me laugh my lunch out of my mouth when I hear Right wingers of any description or nationality talk about how shrill, intolerant and downright uncivil Liberals are.
Watching the Republicans get ready to re-enact the Hindenburg landing, it is amusing enough to make a cat laugh that some of the most divisive, deranged figures of the Republican Right are already making noises about how intolerant of dissent Liberals are!!!
I guess I must have misunderstood when Ann Coulter claimed that all Liberals and Democrats were treasonous, when Bush creates imaginary straw men to knock them down in ever more desperate campaign speeches across the country, when someone who says something uncomplimentary to Darth Cheney at a public appearance is arrested by the Secret Service, when the Republicans got a CBS TV film on Reagan cancelled because it had a soupcon less fawning admiration and a dash too little of hero worshipping than they demanded! Silly me - Liberals are intolerant *and* stupid as well, I guess.
Or - hang on, having made a dog's breakfast of actually governing the US, now that any possible notion of the Republicans having any more integrity than junkie pimps hanging around outside an elementary school, the competence to run even a swimming school for ducks or even as much honesty as a hyena has well and truly been blown to bits, they're preparing the story for their tenure in opposition. 'Restoring civility' to American politics - when they get investigated, censured, impeached, barred from office and just plain imprisoned, the meme will be in place. It's not their fault - it's the Democrats' fault for lowering the standard of discourse in American politics.
We all know that left to themselves, George Bush, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Tom de Lay, Bill Frist and Antonin Scalia like nothing better than to kick back over a grapefruit juice, discuss Plato's Republic, have Don Rumsfeld hold a pop quiz on Thomas Paine and even throw in a little more Thomas More once in a while... Of course, it can get rough sometimes - I hear they once raised their voices to each other when discussing the Federalist Papers, but hey, that's quality discourse!
Not this - Jack Abramoff's going to jail for scamming Native American tribes, Duke Cunningham's going to jail for taking whopping bribes, Bob Ney's going to jail for taking bribes, David Safavian's going to jail for taking bribes, Mark Foley's resigned for grooming kids for sex, Dennis Hastert's hiding out because he was hiding Foley's shenanigans, Bill Frist is being investigated for insider trading, Jim Kolbe's being investigated for inappropriate contact with minors, Susan Ralston's resigned and being investigated for corruption, Scooter Libby's going to jail for leaking classified info to discredit administration critics, Darth Cheney's company has been proved to have ripped off American taxpayers for millions - but this all just goes to show much Liberals have dirtied American politics!
Here's an excellent piece that's required reading for anyone who ever fell for that line.
Watching the Republicans get ready to re-enact the Hindenburg landing, it is amusing enough to make a cat laugh that some of the most divisive, deranged figures of the Republican Right are already making noises about how intolerant of dissent Liberals are!!!
I guess I must have misunderstood when Ann Coulter claimed that all Liberals and Democrats were treasonous, when Bush creates imaginary straw men to knock them down in ever more desperate campaign speeches across the country, when someone who says something uncomplimentary to Darth Cheney at a public appearance is arrested by the Secret Service, when the Republicans got a CBS TV film on Reagan cancelled because it had a soupcon less fawning admiration and a dash too little of hero worshipping than they demanded! Silly me - Liberals are intolerant *and* stupid as well, I guess.
Or - hang on, having made a dog's breakfast of actually governing the US, now that any possible notion of the Republicans having any more integrity than junkie pimps hanging around outside an elementary school, the competence to run even a swimming school for ducks or even as much honesty as a hyena has well and truly been blown to bits, they're preparing the story for their tenure in opposition. 'Restoring civility' to American politics - when they get investigated, censured, impeached, barred from office and just plain imprisoned, the meme will be in place. It's not their fault - it's the Democrats' fault for lowering the standard of discourse in American politics.
We all know that left to themselves, George Bush, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Tom de Lay, Bill Frist and Antonin Scalia like nothing better than to kick back over a grapefruit juice, discuss Plato's Republic, have Don Rumsfeld hold a pop quiz on Thomas Paine and even throw in a little more Thomas More once in a while... Of course, it can get rough sometimes - I hear they once raised their voices to each other when discussing the Federalist Papers, but hey, that's quality discourse!
Not this - Jack Abramoff's going to jail for scamming Native American tribes, Duke Cunningham's going to jail for taking whopping bribes, Bob Ney's going to jail for taking bribes, David Safavian's going to jail for taking bribes, Mark Foley's resigned for grooming kids for sex, Dennis Hastert's hiding out because he was hiding Foley's shenanigans, Bill Frist is being investigated for insider trading, Jim Kolbe's being investigated for inappropriate contact with minors, Susan Ralston's resigned and being investigated for corruption, Scooter Libby's going to jail for leaking classified info to discredit administration critics, Darth Cheney's company has been proved to have ripped off American taxpayers for millions - but this all just goes to show much Liberals have dirtied American politics!
Here's an excellent piece that's required reading for anyone who ever fell for that line.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Ridiculously good guitar playing...
This kid, whoever he is, is just phenomenal. There's a million clips of wannabe Malmsteens (ugh!) wanking on their guitars in their bedrooms. This guy is special. He's playing an obscure classical piece for starters, for another, he's just unbelievable.
Apparently, he's a Korean high schooler, around 14 or so.
Watch this.
Apparently, he's a Korean high schooler, around 14 or so.
Watch this.
The Roxbury Boys
This was one of the better long-running gags on SNL. Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan were always these gormless ex-yuppie clubbing types, woefully out of step with whatever trends were blowing past them, stuck on some early 90s dance track, never ever managing to score with a single woman and given to much gurning.
Every once in a while, a guest star would join them on their 'adventures'. Jim Carrey was of course a special special guest, because if anyone can out-gurn Kattan and Ferrell, it's him.
Take a look.
Every once in a while, a guest star would join them on their 'adventures'. Jim Carrey was of course a special special guest, because if anyone can out-gurn Kattan and Ferrell, it's him.
Take a look.
And some more ...
For those who're not obssessive about SNL, here's a take on one of the spoof commercials that they insert quite slyly! I've been taken in a few times and I know people who'd swear they're real...
Convergence ...
Neatly bringing my last two themes together, here's Will Ferrell as George W Bush, a role he was absolutely *born* to do!
In any case, the SNL Bush probably did as much to catch Osama as the real one did...
In any case, the SNL Bush probably did as much to catch Osama as the real one did...
More Will...
This seems to have started out as a parody of the dinner scene in American Beauty and then gets better and better ...
Ana Gasteyer on the left was one of the best performers I've ever seen on SNL - she was a brilliant foil to Will Ferrell across a whole range of characters and skits. I only wish I could find the 'Bobby & Marty Culp' sketches online somewhere.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is no slouch either...'Shut up you drunken witch'!
Ana Gasteyer on the left was one of the best performers I've ever seen on SNL - she was a brilliant foil to Will Ferrell across a whole range of characters and skits. I only wish I could find the 'Bobby & Marty Culp' sketches online somewhere.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is no slouch either...'Shut up you drunken witch'!
More Ferrell on SNL...
This clip starts off brilliantly - Will Ferrell doing the creepy over-tactile professor in a hot tub and bonus: Wynona Ryder in the hot tub!
This clip has bits where things are beginning to go obviously wrong - skits being broadcast live on tv don't leave much room for error, so the way they pull out of the dives and still have the audience in splits is just superb!
This clip has bits where things are beginning to go obviously wrong - skits being broadcast live on tv don't leave much room for error, so the way they pull out of the dives and still have the audience in splits is just superb!
Will Ferrell and SNL
People who've only seen Will Ferrell in Anchorman, Old School or Elf always look quizzical when I insist he's one of the finest comic actors I've seen in a long time.
I was heartbroken when I heard he was leaving Saturday Night Live, because I thought he was consistently superb on the show.
He could do almost anything - any character, any kind of skit - and take it further and further than you'd believe possible.
Watch this one - after this, you can't listen to Neil Diamond without spraying your food across the room.
I was heartbroken when I heard he was leaving Saturday Night Live, because I thought he was consistently superb on the show.
He could do almost anything - any character, any kind of skit - and take it further and further than you'd believe possible.
Watch this one - after this, you can't listen to Neil Diamond without spraying your food across the room.
Freedom of speech (with exceptions)
Olbermann shines a light on Dubya's shifty attempts to conflate anyone in the media who questions him with Al Quaeda.
It's hilarious to hear Bush try to quote Mein Kampf - if he even heard the name of this book before 2001, he'd have thought it was a ski camp in the Austrian Alps.
As for Bush bringing up this comparison, it's interesting to note that his own grandfather, Prescott Bush, was hand in glove with businesses who financed the Nazis.
Not that you'll ever hear about it..
It's hilarious to hear Bush try to quote Mein Kampf - if he even heard the name of this book before 2001, he'd have thought it was a ski camp in the Austrian Alps.
As for Bush bringing up this comparison, it's interesting to note that his own grandfather, Prescott Bush, was hand in glove with businesses who financed the Nazis.
Not that you'll ever hear about it..
Did I mention...
...Olbermann for President?
This is one more of his Special Comments, reacting to Donald 'Freedom's Messy' Rumsfeld, who was trying to compare anyone who questioned him to Nazis and their appeasers.
As always, enjoyable for being blistering, but depressing because he's almost the only one doing this in the mainstream media.
This is one more of his Special Comments, reacting to Donald 'Freedom's Messy' Rumsfeld, who was trying to compare anyone who questioned him to Nazis and their appeasers.
As always, enjoyable for being blistering, but depressing because he's almost the only one doing this in the mainstream media.
Olbermann for President!
Keith Olbermann has single handedly cast doubt on the near confirmed theory that all mainstream American media figures are spineless, unprincipled greedheads who have elevated the art of fellating the Right wing to an art form. This is one of his 'Special Comments', after Fox News tried to play the next move in the 'Clinton was responsible for 9-11' game, but came badly unstuck.
His Special Comments have grown more and more direct, pointed and honest. The blistering venom of these segments is made all the more lethal by the fact that unlike Faux News, he sticks to the proven facts. This is one of the best.
Just in case, here's the interview in question.
Part I:
and here's Part II:
His Special Comments have grown more and more direct, pointed and honest. The blistering venom of these segments is made all the more lethal by the fact that unlike Faux News, he sticks to the proven facts. This is one of the best.
Just in case, here's the interview in question.
Part I:
and here's Part II:
Happy Jack
How many great pop hits have been written about a seaside donkey? With a promo film featuring Keith Moon? Only one, of course.
Enjoy
Enjoy
Lazy lazy lazy ...
Since I'm pathologically lazy, I thought I'd get back to posting by doing some light linking at first:
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
