Brace Yourself For Disappointment

Well, apparently, the Who are going to be playing at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. I, for one, find this a completely logical choice. When I think about the NFL, I envision a couple of decrepit Brits desperately trying to recapture their former glory. What? You don’t get that image in your mind? Odd…

But seriously…after the dynamic performance Bruce Springsteen (the ageless wonder) turned in last year, how are the husks of a couple of formerly great musicians going to be anything other than disappointing? Townshend will pull out a couple of those guitar windmills and Daltrey will, uh, be Roger Daltrey. But there’s no way around the fact that the Who haven’t done anything culturally relevant in decades. Sit back and prepare to be bored.

Also, I wonder how many younger viewers will hear them and think “Hey! They’re playing the CSI theme song!”

Come Together, Right Now

I remember back in the early part of this decade, when it seemed like supergroups were all the rage in rock music. You had Audioslave (one part Soundgarden, three parts Rage Against The Machine) and Velvet Revolver (three parts Guns N’ Roses, one part Stone Temple Pilots, one part “who the hell cares who the fifth guy is?”) to choose from. Of course, all these star-studded, ego-stroking projects ultimately imploded, but the idea was novel for a while.

This week seems to have signaled the second wave of perplexing musical collaborations. Over the course of one seven day period, the following new projects have been announced:

-Broken Bells, between Shins frontman James Mercer and uber-producer/awesomest person of all time Danger Mouse.
-Lil’ Wayne is slated to appear on a track from Weezer’s upcoming Raditude album. Be still my beating heart.

However, both of these pale in comparison to:

-Radiohead’s Thom Yorke is starting a band with Flea. Yes, Flea. As in, the bassist from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The weird little bald one. Yes. Oh, also, Radiohead’s longtime producer, Nigel Godrich is involved. But mostly Flea.


Don't believe me...?



My brain feels bruised.

R.I.P. Mary Travers

We’ve seen many important figures pass away over the past few months and, sadly, Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary was added to that list on Wednesday. Travers was a crucial voice in the 60s folk scene, recording famous songs like “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “Puff (The Magic Dragon)” with Peter, Paul and Mary. Travers battled leukemia since 2005. She was 72 years old.

Guess They're Not Gonna Live Forever...

I wanted to sit on this news for a couple days, just to see if anything was going to change or cooler minds would prevail or anything like that. However, none of those things happened and it appears the news is now official:

Oasis are done.

To be more exact, Noel Gallagher, the band’s lead guitarist and songwriter, has announced that he is leaving the band, citing his endless frustration with his brother Liam, Oasis’ singer. There has been no word from Liam or the other three, less-volatile members of Oasis, but I literally cannot imagine a Noel-less Oasis being a net gain for the world. Even though Liam has been taking a stab at songwriting on the past couple of albums, Noel is the force that keeps Oasis ticking. He is the classic Oasis sound and if you take him away, you’re left with a fairly generic Brit-rock band. God knows we’ve got enough of those already.

This isn’t the first time Noel has claimed to be fed up with working with Oasis and he’s already returned to the band twice after such statements. However, the terseness of his response certainly makes this feel more serious than his past departures. So, until we hear more, all we can say is this:

R.I.P. Oasis, 1991-2009(?)

Out With The Old, In With The New

Lost in all of this weekend’s Woodstock nostalgia and ceremonial back-slapping, this hilarious and depressing news item seemed to slide a bit under the radar. I figure this is a forty-year-old curse that Bob has been living with ever since the day he decided to turn down playing at Woodstock. Every August 15th through 18th, he’s doomed to live a life of complete obscurity. Or something like that.

Meanwhile…those tricky folks in Radiohead have been playing with our minds again. Today, it turned out that the mysterious track “These Are My Twisted Words” that was floating around the internet was not (sadly) an omen of a new EP that was rumored to be released today. However, Radiohead did officially release the track through their website, for free. Thus, the latest chapter in Radiohead’s saga to create a new, functional model for pop music has been written. Our heroes have cast away the false gods of “record labels” and “conventional albums,” instead opting for a bold, ambitious plan to release music when they’re done recording it, even if it’s just a song at a time. Again, it’s going to take some time to see how well this whole style holds up. However, in the meantime, Radiohead certainly keep things from being boring. To top it all off, “These Are My Twisted Words” is still pretty damn fantastic. Hooray.

News Comes In Twos

As much as I hate just parroting news that’s been reported in a million other, more high-profile places, there are a couple news items today that I feel must be commented on. First of all…

The world lost one its greatest musical pioneers this morning with the passing of Les Paul. He was 94 years old. His list of incredible achievements is lengthy. Paul invented both multi-track recording and overdubbing and was a key player in the creation of solid-body guitars. In case people doubted his greatness, the definitive Gibson guitar is named after him. That’s worth something, right? Les Paul even kept playing music right up until his death, playing weekly shows in New York to adoring fans and fawning musicians, eager to make a pilgrimage to see this guitar legend.

Ok, enough with the depressing stuff. Onto more hopeful, forward-thinking subjects. Remember last week when I had an emotional crisis following Thom Yorke’s announcement that Radiohead weren’t going to be releasing any new albums any time soon? Well, right on cue, it appears a piece of music has popped up to help dispel some of the depression hanging over Radiohead fans all over the world. A mysterious track, tentatively titled “These Are My Twisted Words” has appeared online. No one has confirmed or denied that it’s by Radiohead but…uh…it sounds like them. Like, beyond even the tiniest shred of a shadow of a doubt. What’s more, it even sounds pretty damn good. To this listener’s ears, it recalls some of the drifting, ominous moments from the second half of Amnesiac. Hopefully, this track is a sign of new music from Camp Radiohead in the near future. While I’m still a bit broken up about the prospect of no new Radiohead albums, if this new EP-centric model cuts down the wait time between their music, I can’t really complain too much. We shall see.

Get Well Soon, MCA

In more upsetting news, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, also known as MCA, has been diagnosed with cancer in his salivary gland. Although the cancer is supposedly very treatable, this means that A) there will be no Beastie Boys shows for a while and B) their new album, titled Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 1,won’t be released in September. As disappointed as I am that an album with a title that awesome has been delayed, I hope that Yauch recovers quickly and completely.

The King Is Dead: R.I.P. Michael Jackson

As many people probably already know by now, Michael Jackson died this afternoon. The cause of death appears to have been cardiac arrest. He was fifty years old. Needless to say, such a colossal figure in the world of music deserves a substantial tribute, personal problems or not. Sometime this weekend, after my Best Of The 1970s list has been wrapped up, I’ll sit down and write a full tribute to this great pop icon. In the meantime, I urge everyone, no matter what your personal feelings towards Jackson or his music are, to take a moment and remember what a tremendous effect Michael Jackson had on the world of music.

Beginnings And Ends

June is going to begin here on Pretzel Logic with a couple of news-y items that I want to comment on.

First off, congratulations to Conan O’Brien for taking over the reins of power on The Tonight Show. I’m glad they have moved to a younger, funnier and all around edgier host and there’s actually a slight chance that having Conan there will make me watch an episode or two. Furthermore, back when Conan was in charge of Late Night, he had reliably awesome musical guests (at least compared to other late night talk shows) and I do hope this carries over onto The Tonight Show. However, for last night’s premier, Pearl Jam did not deliver the goods. Their performance, featuring a song called “Get Some” from their upcoming album, sounded strained, sloppy and all kinds of bland. If I ever needed a reminder that the 90s were actually, definitely over, I got it last night. Eddie Vedder looked slightly pudgier than I remember and his voice seemed absolutely overmatched by the notes he was trying to sing. It didn’t help that the song possesses a bizarre, meandering melody that defies any kind of logic. Now, the idea of Pearl Jam playing The Tonight Show is pretty awesome and I hope Conan has a steady stream of similarly interesting musical guests in the future. But for the premier, it was a strange, weak beginning.

Second, in sadder news, last week former Wilco guitarist Jay Bennett died, at the young age of 45. Causes of death are unknown at this time, with the only statements made saying Bennett died in his sleep. Bennett was a member of Wilco from 1994 through 2001, when they released their landmark Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album. Tension between Bennett and frontman Jeff Tweedy would eventually lead to Bennett being dismissed from the band. However, in my opinion, Wilco have never even approached the level of creativity and craft they achieved on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in the years that have followed and I am saddened by the fact that one of the architects of this astonishing album has passed away at such a young age.

The Best Day Of The Year

Hey everyone! Today is the second annual Record Store Day! Now, I can hear you asking questions already. “What’s Record Store Day, Simon?” Well, every second Saturday in April, independent record stores around the world celebrate being music retailers. Many stores have special discounts and events going on, encouraging you to walk in the door and spend some money. It’s no secret that music sales are hurting lately (just like everything else in this charming economy), so going down to your local record store and even buying a single CD will help. So go! Enjoy the weekend! Listen to music and support independent music retailers.

How The Mighty Have Fallen

In a quick bit of news, legendary record producer Phil Spector was convicted of second-degree murder yesterday, for the 2003 murder of 40-year old actress Lana Clarkson. The 68-year old Spector could receive an 18-year sentence, meaning his famous Wall Of Sound production style is probably gone for good. Spector was the eccentric genius behind many hit songs of the 60s and 70s, including works by the Ronettes, the Righteous Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner, John Lennon and the Ramones. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1989 as a non-performer.

Thoughts On The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction

On Saturday, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inducted its five new members for 2009: Bobby Womack, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Jeff Beck, Run-DMC and the evening’s headliners, Metallica. As I wrote in a previous post, it’s unforgivable that the Stooges (and many other bands for that matter) haven’t been inducted yet. However, whining doesn’t do any good at this point. Enough YouTube clips of the induction have surfaced that I feel compelled to comment on those artists who did get the honor of being Hall Of Fame rockers.

Of course, Metallica got the most attention of the night. With droves of screaming metal heads filling the balconies of the Hall Of Fame museum (which is in Cleveland), James Hetfield, Kirk Hammet, Lars Ulrich and both surviving bassists Jason Newsted and Rob Trujillo (R.I.P. Cliff Burton) made their way on stage to accept their award. The usual humble speeches were given, thanking everyone’s respective families, spouses and friends. A lot has been said about Metallica being the first true metal band inducted into the Hall, but looking at these five well-dressed, smiling gentlemen, I realized how far metal has evolved since it began. Decades ago, people called it the music of Satan. Now, just like every other type of controversial music before it, metal has been accepted by the mainstream. Amazing how these things happen, isn’t it?

They followed the speeches with a version of “Master Of Puppets” that was so sloppy and so fast, it threatened to collapse in on itself. They were obviously having the time of their lives on that stage, but the music suffered mightily, losing most of its precision and control. Playing with two bassists also muddied the sound of the song. Worst of all, the performance showed just how weak Hetfield’s voice sounds these days. His old bark has been worn away by years of performing and the rigors of life, now sounding strangely thin and strained. Thankfully, they played one more song, a loose-but-enjoyable “Enter Sandman”. It certainly wasn’t a fantastic performance, but the band sounded much more comfortable performing this time, finding a nice groove and staying there. Plus, they got the whole Hall Of Fame audience pumping their fists in the air in time to the music. How fucking badass is that?

The other highlights that have found their way onto YouTube include Eminem’s speech inducting Run-DMC and an all-star jam session honoring Jeff Beck. The former is particularly fascinating, especially since Eminem seems like the most appropriate choice to induct the hip-hop pioneers. Without Run-DMC bringing rap into the mainstream awareness, the idea of a *gasp!* white rapper would have probably never happened. Em seemed suitably humbled to even be there, honoring his heroes, all while dressed in their trademark black jacket and fedora. However, in contrast to his strong, reverential speech, the horribly overblown Jeff Beck jam was a textbook example of overkill. Featuring six guitarists and three bassists, the collected musicians (including all of Metallica, Beck himself, Ron Wood from the Stones, Jimmy Page, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and finally Flea) ran through a demented version of “Train Kept ‘A Rolling All Light Long”. Let’s at least hope the performers were having fun.

(Any clips of Run-DMC performing or the other inductees being honored haven’t found their way onto the internet yet.)

PS: During his speech, James Hetfield read a list of bands he felt should be inducted into the Hall Of Fame now that Metallica has broken down the door for hard rock and heavy metal, including very deserving acts like Thin Lizzy and Motorhead. However, the Stooges were not on that list. Shame on you, Hetfield.

The End Of Two Eras

A couple of big announcements were made this week in the music community. First of all, Trent Reznor left a slightly cryptic message on the Nine Inch Nails homepage, saying that “it’s time to make NIN disappear for a while.” Is this an official breakup of the band? Well…nobody’s really sure, especially since Nine Inch Nails, the band, is ultimately just Reznor himself. He’s been releasing NIN records for exactly twenty years now and he says that he’s onboard for one last tour before NIN “disappears.” Being somewhat of a NIN fan, my initial reaction was something along the lines of “NO, TRENT, NO!! WE LUV YOU!!” However, after thinking about it for a couple days, I’m starting to think Trent is doing something very smart here. The last two NIN records, while being very strong, showed very little new musical growth. I’ve written in the past about how I can’t believe Reznor can make musically treading water sound as good as he does. But, after a point, you’ve got to move on. I think Trent understands this and is wrapping up NIN so he can do other things without his old band hanging over him. Knowing Trent, I’m sure they’ll be awesome. (Those interested can read his full message here.)

Meanwhile, indie stronghold Touch & Go Records announced that they are going to stop releasing new music and are disbanding their distribution arm. While they have said they hope to start putting out music again in the future, when they can get their financial matters in order, the idea of Touch & Go not putting new music out there is terrifying. These are the people who gave the world Big Black, the Jesus Lizard, the Butthole Surfers, the Dirty Three, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV On The Radio, just to name a few. Touch & Go has always been a reliable source of edgy, risky music with a lot to offer. I mean, these are the people who deal with Steve Albini on a regular basis. Not folks you wanna fuck with. Hopefully, the loss of their distribution department will be fairly painless and they can get back to releasing great music.

96 Tears In 96 Eyes: R.I.P. Lux Interior

Yesterday, Lux Interior, frontman for the Cramps, died at the age of 62 from a heart condition. I’ve only recently started listening to the Cramps, so I can’t wax poetic about how their music changed my life and Interior’s death is an icy stab to the heart. However, I know enough to emphasize the importance of the Cramps’ music. Blending rockabilly with punk and a fascination with b-movie horror and schlock, the Cramps were instrumental in creating the genre known as “psychobilly”. It sounds something like this.

It’s always tragic when musicians die, especially pioneering and influential ones like Lux Interior. May he rest in peace.

And Then There Was One...

In an unfortunate piece of news, Mick Harvey, multi-instrumentalist, producer and all around awesome musician for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is leaving the band, citing a variety of personal and artistic reasons. Harvey was the only remaining original member of the Bad Seeds besides Cave himself. He was also a member of Cave’s first two bands, the Birthday Party and the Boys Next Door. I’m very sad that a mainstay in one of my most beloved bands is leaving.

Harvey filled many rolls for the Bad Seeds, initially being drafted in as a drummer before switching to guitar. In his honor, here's a clip of one of my favorite Bad Seeds song, "Tupelo". Harvey is playing drums.

Keep on rockin’, Mick.

H.O.F. Blues

Let’s pretend, for a minute, that the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame matters. It doesn’t, but just humor me here. Let’s say it was actually an organization of music aficionados looking to celebrate the legacies of the most influential, important and meaningful artists in the long, colorful history of rock music. Let’s say that, in recent years, they’d even started opening up the HOF to other, equally pioneering artists outside of the traditional boundaries of rock music (Madonna, Grandmaster Flash). How then could they completely ignore this man?

The Stooges getting snubbed again for the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame is so laughably ridiculous, I can’t even find a suitable metaphor. This has been quite the week for Halls Of Fame (congrats on baseball’s Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice getting into Cooperstown!) but, somehow, the Stooges are yet again arbitrarily ignored. I mean…The Stooges! Here’s a list of bands already in the HOF that couldn’t have existed without Iggy and his Ann Arbor delinquents:

Ramones
Talking Heads
AC/DC
The Clash
Elvis Costello
The Police
The Pretenders
Patti Smith
Metallica

And most obviously…the motherfucking Sex Pistols! Do people not understand the direct lineage linking the Stooges and everything even tangentially related to punk rock? I’ll spell this out for you: Punk. Would. Not. Have. Happened. Without. Iggy. At least the Sex Pistols had the integrity to refuse their HOF induction awards and fanfare, proving that there may still be a spark of anarchic humanity left in John Lydon’s soul after multiple for-the-cash reunion tours. Maybe…

I remember when the Stooges played Bumbershoot in Seattle in 2005. I had to actively try to coerce people into seeing this mythic band live. This is wrong. A chance to see the Stooges is a privilege. Nothing anyone says will ever change my mind on this matter. So there! Especially in the wake of Ron Asheton's tragic death earlier this month, this Hall Of Fame snubbing simply will not fly.

On the other hand…congratulations to Metallica, Run-DMC, Bobby Womack, Jeff Beck and the other Rock & Roll HOF inductees. I expect you all to play Stooges covers at the ceremony.

Raw Power: R.I.P. Ron Asheton

This morning, Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton, my favorite guitarist in the history of rock music, was found dead in his Michigan home. The presumed cause of death was a heart attack. He was 60 years old.

To say Ron’s playing was influential would be a ludicrous understatement. Obviously, with the Stooges, he has helped spawn hundreds upon hundreds of bands, including the entirety of punk rock. But, in purely guitar-playing terms, Ron's fingerprints are still found all over music. His colossal, meaty guitar riffs were immediately memorable and packed an incredibly powerful punch. Never a pretty guitar-player, or even a particularly precise one, his style was pure, barely controlled chaos. The riffs to songs like “I Wanna Be Your Dog” or “1970” are absolutely immortal. They require you to pay some fucking attention to this song, right fucking now! Which is exactly what the Stooges were all about. Iggy would howl and scream and take his pants off, but Ron would be the one peeling the skin off your bones with his hacksaw guitar.

Ron and his brother Scott (the Stooges’ drummer) were seen as the fundamental influences in changing young Jim Osterberg Jr. into the dynamo of rock insanity that is Iggy Pop. A couple of wrong-side-of-the-tracks Michigan kids, the Ashetons, particularly the older Ron, were what made the Stooges happen. Without them, Jim Osterberg would have probably become a lawyer or something. I thank god every day that didn’t happen.

In his later years, Ron became a somewhat dysfunctional guy, living with his mom and collecting Nazi memorabilia. His relationship with the Stooges fell apart when Iggy replaced him with James Williamson for 1973’s Raw Power album, leaving Ron to play bass. However, it seemed the rift was being healed when the original Stooges (minus deceased bassist Dave Alexander) reunited for a tour and an album. And it’s this image that I will forever remember. I saw Ron Asheton on September 5, 2005, at Bumbershoot here in Seattle. Rockin’ away.

My condolences to Ron’s family, friends and fans. He will be missed.