Midweek Music News Roundup 11.4.09: All This Energy Calling Me, Back Where It Comes From

Posted by Lucas Wesley on 11.04.2009

Hulk Hogan: Bassist For Hire, Norah Jones gets remixed, Steve Conte releases a new album, the Faces tour is in doubt, the Stooges tour is not, Beck and Charlotte Gainsbourg make new music, Elton John gets sick, a musical Halloween costume notice, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame celebrates an anniversary. Perform your rock music fan civic duty and complain about this with me!

Welcome back to Wednesday! That felt odd to type and it was much more clever when I first thought of it. Which, to be fair, was ten seconds before I typed it. Instant regret. Oh well, let's just get on with it. Here's the news.



- We got hints of it with Zwan and his newfound love of Larry Norman, but apparently Billy Corgan is going all Prince on us with the whole Jesus thing. He wrote a long diatribe on why he hates the H1N1 Vaccine, and most of it is valid. But he also said "If the virus comes to take me Home, that is between me and the Lord." I admit I didn't read the whole thing and I don't want to take that out of context (regardless of the fact I just did. Sorry), but that seems noteworthy.

- I never got on the whole Norah Jones bandwagon, but this could help: for her next album, she has commissioned big name remixes by the likes of Beck, Beastie Boys and Santigold. Even if her smooth pop is still too smooth for me, these remixes should provide some level of interest and intrigue.

- Hot off the heels of Cause I Sez So, New York Dolls lead guitarist and backing vocalist Steve Conte has a new band: The Crazy Truth. Self described as "somewhere between garage rock and punk blues with hints of Latin-soul," the group has a new album in the making, featuring a special appearance from David Johansen on harmonica. The album was actually released on October 20, but I'm making the announcement now as I've just heard of it and assume that it had poor promotion.



- So, that Faces reunion we heard about oh so long ago...probably not gonna happen. Or will it? Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones, also known as the less famous Faces, are kind of in disagreement here, while Rod the Mod and Ronnie Wood both seem to be willing but unavailable. According to McLagan, Faces were go until Rod went off on his latest solo tour, thereby proving that they'll just never all be available at the same time, thus nixing the idea. Jones says that they're still trying. Either way, time is running out, as all men are well into their 60's and are constantly busy. I'd like to see the Faces live one day, but who knows if that'll really happen.

- In other reunion news, this time a bit more positive, The Stooges are set to reunite with guitarist James Williamson on an upcoming tour. Though Iggy has worked with him since, as a group they haven't worked with Williamson since Raw Power. The tour will also feature original Stooges drummer Scott Asheton and Minutemen's Mike Watt. Good luck to them and all that see them, and may I pray that they play some place near me.

- Beck and Charlotte Gainsbourg have revealed their second collaboration. It is planned to be the first single for Gainsbourg's upcoming album, IRM. The track is called "Heaven Can Wait," available legally for free, through various online means.



- I was Corey Hart for Halloween. I wore sunglasses at night. That isn't news, but there wasn't much news this week, so I'm padding.

- Elton John, proving he's three years behind everyone else, recently came down with a case of e.coli. Reg, swine flu is the in thing right now. What are you doing with e.coli? That's so '06. As is the case every time I make fun of someone with a disease, I wish him the speediest, healthiest and all around best recovery.

- Metalmania, brother! In a recent interview, Hulk Hogan (singer of one-hit-wonder classic "I Wanna Be A Hulkamaniac") claimed to have tried to become the bassist for Metallica, I'm assuming circa 2001. It's a shame he was passed up, he could've revolutionized the business. He also attempted to join The Rolling Stones, but he didn't meet the age requirement, poor guy.

Star Power

This week, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame celebrated it's 25 birthday. What better time than to complain about the shameful submission and curious entries of the famed institution? And what better place to do it than this week's Star Power.

First I'm going to point out that I know the rules, and I'm going to keep them in mind for my complaints. The main rule is that artists are eligible 25 years after their debut. However, I'm going to cut some slack and not complain too much about any artists under the age of about 30. It's no great insult that an artist isn't instantly inducted, I can understand the backlog of artists to enter is huge and someone waiting and deserving for twenty years comes before someone waiting and deserving for two years. So the Beastie Boys aren't in, but they probably will be one day, so I'm not upset. However, while this is considered, it isn't the be all end all: I'm aware Sonic Youth have only been eligible for two or three years, but in a world where the Red Hot Chili Peppers are bound to be first year inductees, that's too long.



There is also the issue of genre. Though it is the "rock and roll" hall of fame, artists who are best described as jazz, blues, rap, country, punk, reggae and nearly all other genres have been inducted. However, I am considering the "rock and roll" aspect as a design of pop culture. While a more straightforward rock band gets the nod easily, it will take a certain transcendence for artists of other genres to require immediate entry. Especially considering the first jazz induction came in 2005 and the first rap induction in 2007, I won't be too angry about omissions from either genre. Considerations are also made for the fact that reggae and country stand at one artist each since 1992 and 1994 respectively, a fact telling for the hall's standards for those genres.

Yet another consideration is made for popularity. I don't like this consideration, but it is necessary when quibbling about the hall. As great as Daniel Johnston is and as much as I love him, I understand without question that he will never even be nominated as a possible entry to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Therefore I can't complain about his lack of entry. It's too impossible a dream. Marshall Crenshaw may have made two perfect power pop albums, but not even the biggest music fans know who he is, so he's omitted as well. However, in the same way, the madness caused by omission like The Stooges is multiplied by the number of times they've been nominated and failed to receive the big vote.

The final consideration is the time period of the artist. Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, Lead Belly, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson - many of these artists are already inducted under the "Early Influences" category, and thus aren't relevant to the big picture. I point this out merely because its possible a reader may see this and get confused as to why I wouldn't complain about one of these artists. They're there, you just need to look further.

Before I go any further, I'm going to make a game of this Star Power. Or rather, the game already exists, so I'll link to it. Sporcle's Rock Hall Game. Play around and see if you can name the inductees. Get upset when your favorites aren't in, get mad when time runs out and you realize who is. Fun for the whole family! I'll also link to another great resource for Rock Hall complaining: Future Rock Legends. People there already complain all the time, so you don't have to! But you still can if you want to, don't worry.

First, we'll look at the shameful submissions. This is where I point out artists on the list who should by no means by there. This won't be long, because I'm acknowledging fame and influence on popular culture, which in many cases invalidates my opinions, however strong they may be. I'm trying not to make a list of artists I just don't like and focus on artists that just don't make sense. First, we have Percy Sledge. All things considered, Sledge wrote one classic track: When A Man Loves A Woman. That is very truly it. While he deserves credit for this, in a few moments I'll be going over a list of snubs that makes that frames that as the blip on the radar that it is. Not to mention that track is part of how Michael Bolton was unleashed on the world, which is an act worthy not of celebration, but derision.


Look at him. He's not even sorry about it.

Then there are artists like Little Anthony & The Imperials, whom I am sure baffled thousands with their induction last year. It couldn't have just been me. Especially standing against The Stooges or Chic, it makes no sense that this hit-less band would be in the famed Hall. There are a few others in the Hall who I can't name a song by - The Dells, Brenda Lee, The Flamingos, Lloyd Price - but honestly I'm just going to stop here with the acknowledgment that in this portion of the column, perhaps my knowledge just isn't strong enough to continue.

Next up is the part where I complain about certain artists not being in the Hall. This will almost definitely be the longest part of this article. I'll start with three very important words. Tom Fucking Waits. I apologize for the curse word to any youngsters or parents of small children reading the article aloud for some reason, but the emphasis is necessary. Tom Waits is perhaps the greatest solo musician of all time, he has been eligible for eleven years, and he's even been nominated before. And yet, he's not in. I accept that he's hardly a world famous popular artist. However, he's had songs recorded by Bruce Springsteen, Eagles and Rod Stewart, all inductees. Not to mention Scarlett Johansson, hardly a respected musician, but certainly a prominent figure in popular culture. In music, there are very few complete originals, but Tom manages to be one of them. To refuse him entry to the Hall shows a denial of innovation and a desire for complacency that should not be acceptable.

Another complete original, and an influence on Waits, is Captain Beefheart. Trout Mask Replica remains one of the most respected rock albums of all time. More than a few critics have gone on record as to say that if there is any one album to justify rock music as an art form, it's Trout Mask Replica. Again, Beefheart isn't in the popular modicum, but he's perhaps the most original musician there has ever been. His influence and importance is far reaching, and having been eligible since 1991, it's baffling he's not in.



Speaking of influence, I mentioned The Stooges earlier and that remains valid, but I have two bigger complaints on that ground. There are two bands that more or less invented genres that remain unseen in the walls of the Rock Hall. First, there are the New York Dolls. Proliferators of punk and glam, the missing link between the Stooges and the Sex Pistols, it's mind-boggling that the Dolls aren't in the hall. Not only did they more or less invent the attitudes of punk and glam, they recreated rock in their own image as a heavy but catchy affair. It's too much to pigeonhole them as the creators of those two genres--I would argue that without the Dolls, 80s rock as a whole would not have existed. Well, maybe that's a bad example. But the point stands that in terms of influence, few are greater than the Dolls.

Except, perhaps, Kraftwerk. There is no other way to put it than to say that Kraftwerk invented electronic music. Yes, Wendy Carlos was making symphonies with synthesizers, but she wasn't composing, she was more or less just playing. And yes, Perrey-Kingsley were the first to really toy with the In Sound From the Way Out. But Kraftwerk were composing epics with computers. The entirety of electronic music would not exist the way it does today were it not for Ralf und Florian. I realize that electronic music has yet to break the Hall, but when it does it damn well better be these guys.

If not, let's hope its at least New Order, who also need that induction. However, before we even get there, let's give a nod to Joy Division. Love Will Tear Us Apart is world-renowned by pretty much everyone who's ever heard it as one of the best songs ever created. Of course, one good song shouldn't be enough to get inducted into the Hall (though it was for Percy Sledge), but Joy Division have two albums and various other perfect singles on their back. One of the earliest and best post-punk groups (a genre which has broken the Hall, though only by the Talking Heads), Joy Division desperately need to get into the Hall. Especially after the release of Control in 2007 and the release of singles like Let's Dance To Joy Division, the public must be aware of them, at least enough to warrant a nomination. But this is why New Order is brought up first: if at least one would get in, I would be satisfied. But that's the mentality that made Johnny Cash the only country artist in the Hall and made Bob Marley the only inducted reggae star.



Speaking of which...Willie Nelson, Gram Parsons and Lee "Scratch" Perry. All of these men revolutionized their genres and managed, at least on some level, to break out into the mainstream. The influence certainly isn't just country or reggae, as artists such as Keith Richards have expressed admiration for Parsons, and artists as diverse as Andrew WK and Moby still work with Perry. And then of course, there's Willie Nelson, who Snoop Dogg has worked with. When you've famously worked with both Ray Charles and Snoop Dogg, you more or less have to be in all kinds of musical halls of fame. Then again, Jamie Foxx isn't far from that, so maybe not. But nonetheless, Willie needs to be in. There's a certain understanding for Parsons and Perry since they are relatively fringe artists, but Willie Nelson is an American institution. With Perry, I would also accept an Upsetters induction, but when you consider all of his production work as well, you need to think his solo work is just as worthy.

Speaking of production...Brian Eno. From Roxy Music to his solo glam work to inventing ambient music to making bands like U2 and Coldplay at times listenable, to more or less reinventing the concept of music altogether with some his latest crazy iPhone application, Eno has conquered all aspects of music. On one level, again I err to the fact that he isn't a well-known figure, but with influence like his it's truly baffling.

This is getting long so I'm going to do a quick run down for a few more artists. Harry Nilsson deserves it for his brilliant convergence of the wall of sound with Beatles pop. The Faces deserve it for making the Rolling Stones brand of rock cool again while making it a little harder in the process. Lou Reed deserves it because he's Lou Reed. The Fall, The Replacements and The Smiths deserve it for critically owning the 80s. The 13th Floor Elevators for inventing psych rock, the coolest of rock's sub genres. Randy Newman for being the songwriter's songwriter. Richard Thompson and/or Fairport Convention deserve entry for being the one artist that can make guitar solos that people who hate guitar solos can love. Lastly, Os Mutantes deserve it because let's face it, the Hall comes off as incredibly xenophobic. Maybe not Mutantes, but I call them the frontrunners ahead of acts such as Gilberto Gil or Caetano Veloso, due to sustained recognition. There are too many snubs to break them all down, but that rounds out the ones that really bother me. Oh, and Big Star. Goddamn, Big Star. And just so no one yells at me, Nick Cave. Okay, I'm done now. Really. Oh, fine, one more: Ringo Starr. Because at this point, why the hell not?


Seriously, how can you turn that face down?

Lastly, let me acknowledge why certain artists aren't on the list. Your Alice Cooper's, your KISS', your Geneses. Simply put, I don't care about or like these artists. Though they are the hot button "must adds" to many people, I just don't care.

What do you think? Use the comment section to mention your own shameful submissions and must add artists or just to complain about what I've said. You always do that last bit anyway.

Farewell Song

We're on 1977, the year punk broke. Of course, neither the song nor album of the year is punk. That's just my style. There were great albums (and thus great songs) by The Clash, Television, Ramones, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, Iggy Pop, The Damned and Richard Hell, and outside the genre there was Kraftwerk, Dennis Wilson, The Beach Boys, Randy Newman and Leonard Cohen, to name a few. But it was the debut of a man who is now an idolized titan of rock that wins it out in the song category. The album contained the vitriol of punk in some songs, but with a far cleaner sound than punk was offering. It also included a variety that many of the big albums of the year lack. In his own words, the song I've picked for song of the year 1977 can be described in no other way than to say it's an R&B ballad. And yet, by his next album, people were calling him punk. Whatever the name of the genre, the artist is Elvis Costello, and the song is "Alison."



As for album of the year, we have something completely different. Ignoring the burgeoning punk sound for mountains of cocaine, this artist decided instead to combine rock with the also burgeoning ambient sounds. And he did it with the creator of ambient himself, Brian Eno. Oft considered one of the greatest albums of all time and certainly one of my personal favorites, the album of 1977 is Low by David Bowie.

That does it for this week. A very long Star Power with only a small amount of news, but that's what happens some weeks. Hope to see you next week for another Midweek Music News Roundup!