hill in a handbag

Totally irrelevant!

Dear Rock Star,

    I'm pretty sure the first signs of becoming irrelevant in music world is worrying about becoming irrelevant.  At this stage in the game getting radio play, a song in a club or getting the kids to turn out does not matter.  Give it up...it's a bullshit excuse.

    What matters, you ask?  Making a great friggin' album that you can stand by and that can stand by you.  Give up on concept albums, give up on time tested combos.  Just go with your gut and your heart because that's how it worked out so well when you were young.  The whole point of this conversation is to discuss an album you made 20 years ago...an album you boast about playing seven straight songs from live back on it's tour.  You STILL play like five of those songs straight through.  RELEVANT?  How many can ya play of your newest album?  Huh?

    The times the are a changin' and you should be worried.  But not about the radio.  Worry about staying in good grace with iTunes.  And PLEASE don't even mention file sharing.  Maybe you gotta pay the bills but people aren't going to stop file sharing and the bottom line is that you're artists.  Unless...it's not about art anymore and then please let me know now so I can retire.  I'm still here because I believe in the art.

    Wake up old man!  You just finished the best (quality) tour of my professional career and the companion album kinda sucked.  Imagine what you can do with a solid album filled with life and soul instead of antidotes and ambiance.  The world is still your oyster if you want it.  You have no competition...definitely not Lady Gaga.  Come on, that's who we're talking about here, right?

    I kinda do appreciate the humility you show on this subject...but more-so it shows how out of touch you are with your audience.  Just like your songs, we'll stick by you but you gotta stick by us too.  We'll make you relevant if you don't make us irrelevant.

    Sorry to be harsh but I've never kissed your ass and I'm not gonna start now.  I'm quite confident that you still got it even if you think you've misplaced it.  Hint:  It's in the songs.

    Love,

    Me

    P.S.  Thanks for explaining Even Better Than The Real Thing.  If you had said it was a piece of Pop Art back in 1991, I wouldn't have spent the past 20 years saying it was the only piece of crap on the album.  Maybe it would have been a better fit on Pop.  Oh.

 

(No clue what I'm talking about?  Click here.)

4/4/68

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the same article I posed last year but I loved it so I'm reposting this year.]

Watch this video.  It's not at all comfortable or easy to hear these words but it's powerful and important.  My parents talk about how 1968 was such a horrible year to live through.  I don't doubt that for a second but I look back at 1968 with utter awe.  These people fought and died in the name of freedom.  Maybe we haven't gotten to the dream's mountaintop but look how far we've come.  I was only born five years later but into an entirely different country.  I've never known a time without racial and religious freedom.  Without bias and prejudice?  Yeah. Without freedom?  Absolutely not.  My parents were raised in a time where it was common and acceptable practice to limit one's freedom to even choose their seat on a bus based on the color of their skin.  But in my life I've never known my country to be even remotely that oppressive.  I'm not oblivious.  There's a country club down the street that wouldn't allow blacks, Jews or unmarried women to become members until I was in high school.  That really sucks.  But I honestly don't feel like my restriction to pay a membership which gives me the privilege to hang out with a bunch old men in plaid pants equates being beaten in the streets of Selma.  So yeah, Dr. King secured a great deal of increased freedom for most of us.  Proof?  Two words:  PRESIDENT OBAMA.  That's a lotta freedom y'all.  That said, we're not all free by any means.  Our basic civil rights are violated when states legislate the prevention of same sex marriage.  It's absolutely a civil right to marry who you choose. So maybe as a heterosexual my freedom isn't limited.  Bobby Kennedy's freedom wasn't limited because he was a white man but he still died in the fight for racial equal rights.  We all must speak up because if we don't then we can't depend on other people speaking up for us when our freedom is in jeopardy.  This civil rights barrier will soon be broken as well because of the longevity of Dr. King's message.  Deep in my heart, I do believe.

 

Behind the Boathouse...

 

I loved this song back when it came out.  But after going many many years without hearing it...I now think it's pretty lame.  So many songs circa 1994-98 sound very similar to me with perspective.  I hate that I feel that way because that was my era of music  and I have such great memories but it's so true.  In terms of original art...that sucked.  In terms of (good) cover bands...that rocked.  That was a very good time to have five or so cover bands in your heavy rotation.  Recently I have noticed such bands on the rise again locally.  I like that.  So to recap:  Possum Kingdom = Lame.  Memories of Possum Kingdom = Quite fond.  

*I reserve the right to change my mind tomorrow.

Freaks & Geeks...

"Hey, I believe in God, man.  I've seen him, I've felt his power.  He plays drums for Led Zeppelin and his name is John Bonham, baby!" 

- Nick Andopolis (Pilot Episode)

King Of Trash!

The new Gavin Friday single Able is available as a free download.  It's off of his forthcoming album Catholic.  I like this song a lot.  I've missed his mysterious and sexy voice.  It's been 16 years since his last album Shag Tobacco.  Can't wait to hear the album in it's entirety!  Yay Gavin!

Question O' The Day: Cover Me

A conversation last month made me ponder the quality of songs U2 have covered over the years.  The general consensus is that they suck as a cover band. Which leads me to the question o' the day...

What's your favorite cover song U2 have recorded?

What's your least favorite?

Use this link for list of all U2 songs.

 

I dreamed that I saw Dalai...

52 years ago today, the 14th Dalai Lama fled his homeland of Tibet due to invasion and oppression of Communist China.  His exodus took him to India where he still lives in exile today.  I believe the Dalai Lama to be a source of great inspiration.  His teachings and peaceful practices should be a supplement to every religion.  Click here to read the speech he gave today.

Ebates

I'm loving Ebates.  You really do get money back if you sign up and use their links before you go shopping.  I have $17 pending for this year so far.  Not bad.  They deposit it right into my PayPal account but you can get them to send you checks if you'd rather.  Anyway...use this link because if I refer you I think you get extra money!  When they ask for a referring address please use:  hillaryjan@gmail.com

Bad

U2 circa 1978.  Street Mission.  Those lil' U2's are adorable.  But, oh Lord...this is bad.  So glad they squeaked by on stage presence and a fab guitar.  What would my life have been like if they remained in this incarnation?  [Dream sequence...] Bad dream sequence!  Apparently, I would have been addicted to heroin and the IRA and pro-Aparthide and anti-civil rights and generally unaware of social issues.  I never would have gone to the Enchanted Under The Sea dance and fallen in love with George McFly!  Wait.  I'm confused.  Just watch...

Television: The Drug Of A Nation

I watch absolutely no reality television but I am intrigued by it's impact on society. By watching reality shows do you find that you have more drama in your life due to example or less due to overload? My hypothesis is more but I'd like to hear what my readers have to say...all two of you.