411 Music Fact Or Fiction 03.04.10: Weezy, Miley, Santana, INXS, DMX, and Carly!

Posted by Ben Czajkowski on 03.04.2010

It's a judicial joke that Lil Wayne isn't in jail yet. Is the Miley Cyrus/Bret Michaels song perverse? Is a Santana cover album better than an INXS remake album? Is DMX hooking up with other women better than going to jail? And is Carly Simon's secret even worth gossiping about? 411Music's Adam Hill and Mac Scarle sound off on how they feel about these trending topics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to 411Music Fact or Fiction!

Let's do this!

READY?! FIGHT!!

Round 1
It's good to see DMX being frisky rather than being frisked. (Read Story 1) (Read Story 2)
Mac Scarle: FACT. Sure, why not?  I'll call this a fact.  I mean I'd rather see DMX be doing pretty much anything that doesn't involve impersonating a federal agent. I don't think that's his wifey, though, which makes the second link kind of interesting, doesn't it?  Seriously, as long as the dude's got his shit together I'm happy for him.  But hey X - "having your shit together" means "stop sucking some random girl's neck when you got a family," guy.
Adam Hill: FACT.  To be honest, I've never really been a fan of DMX or a follower of his career. Seriously though, for someone who has such a long history of run-ins with the police, being seen doing anything that isn't breaking the law or being arrested has to be a good thing.
Score Card: 1 for 1

Round 2
INXS re-recording their own songs with new frontmen just reeks of desperation.
Mac Scarle: FACT. That's not to say this is a surprise, either.  I'd also like to point out no statement has ever made me want to listen to a record LESS than "‘Original Sin' with Rob Thomas almost has a Cuban connection with some Spanish rap in it. That was really exciting."   Like I said, yeah it's desperate, yeah, it's kind of sad, but really this is hardly the first time the INXS have pulled this sort of thing (Rock Star, anyone?).  Maybe since this time it's actual famous people (debatable, I know) they'll actually sell some records!  Plus, this seems to be kind of a trend lately - Blind Melon gets a new guy to sing the dead guy's songs, Alice In Chains gets a new guy to sing the dead guys songs, INXS is just getting several people to sing their particular dead guy's songs.
Adam Hill: FICTION.  Re-releases, re-mastered editions, re-recordings: they're all commonplace these days, and I actually quite like the idea of hearing some re-imaginings of old INXS tracks with a bunch of new vocalists. These kinds of things have been done on a number of occasions in the past, done frequently, done well and been successful. I see no reason why INXS shouldn't do it now, and it could well be a fun listen. Anyway, it's not like they've shoehorned a bunch of their old songs into a musical. Now that would be desperate.
Score Card: 1 for 2

Round 3
On the other hand, a Santana cover album is a good idea and you'd give it a listen.
Mac Scarle: FICTION. And it's all because of one man: Clive Bastard Davis.  This man reduced one of the greatest rock guitar players of all time to the blandest of white bread adult contemporary radio with Supernatural, and here he comes to do it again, apparently.  I don't want to hear Santana doing a Stones cover with Scott Weiland, all Clive'd out and "modern." I want to hear early-70s Santana do it, all high and dirty and awesome!  Naturally, we get another dose of Rob Thomas again.  Does this dude still have his own band anymore?  GET OUT OF MY HEAD, THOMAS.
Adam Hill: FACT.  Because you said ‘give it a listen' rather than go out and buy it. The reported track listing alone should make you want to hear this. I really enjoyed Supernatural and the idea of Carlos Santana letting fly on tracks like "Sunshine of Your Love", "Smoke on the Water" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" in particular make me want to hear it. Add to that collaborators such as Joe Cocker, India.Arie, Yo-Yo Ma and of course, Rob Thomas and yeah, I'm definitely rocking a fact on this one.
Score Card: 1 for 3

Round 4
The fact that Lil Wayne isn't in prison yet and running around town is a huge joke at the expense of the judicial system. (Read Story 1) (Read Story 2) (Read Story 3)
Adam Hill: FACT. You know, I was all set to argue fiction on this one, purely on the basis that the judicial system has already been made a mockery of time and time again so this isn't anything new. Then I saw the story that Weezy has got yet another week to dick around and that he performed with Jay-Z on what should've been his first night in jail. This comes on top of the original delay due to his need for ‘emergency dental work' on a cracked tooth; a cracked tooth that appears to have been fixed with a whole load of jewelry. Now, I know that the fire wasn't his fault, nor was the fact that the courthouse has since remained ‘closed for repairs' and I'm certainly no lawyer but surely he could be sentenced at another courthouse. I don't know but to me the whole thing is just another example of someone with money and/or status being treated differently to everyone else...
Mac Scarle: FICTION.  I'm sure that plenty of people are going to disagree with me.  The first delay was kind of a "celebrity treatment" thing, but the courthouse fire is just one of those bizarre things that happen every once in a while.  You've got to remember that Wayne wasn't the only person getting his day in court pushed back over this.  I don't really blame the judge for pushing back to Monday; I mean...there was a fire.  As for him showing up at MSG; why not?  He's one of the most famous (comment flame patrol, please note I said "most famous" not "best") rappers on the planet, he's in New York, and he's still a free man for all intents and purposes.  Make the most of it, right?
Score Card: 1 for 4

Round 5
The sexy duet between Bret Michaels and Miley Cyrus is not only a horrible track but just perverse and gross. (Read Story 1) (Read Story 2)
Adam Hill: FACT. Wow, this isn't an easy one to respond to for many reasons. I really don't like how underage pop stars in general are classed as being sex symbols and I'd actually argue that the appearance of Miley Cyrus on the recent Billboard Ten Sexiest Women in Music poll is more disturbing. On that basis this would be a "fact". The song is also pretty rubbish, so that would be a "fact," as well. However, ‘tween' pop stars have been singing about stuff like this and much worse for donkey's years without anyone really batting an eyelid. Also, I'd argue that this isn't really a duet and that Cyrus is, as Michaels suggests, just providing backing vocals. So on that basis it should be "fiction". Seeing as we can't have Faction on this I'm going to have to plump for "Fact", just on a point of principle.
Mac Scarle: FACT.  Yeah, it pretty much sucks - as could be expected - and it's kind of creepy.  If they ever did feel like hooking up though, they could totally do it in my home state!
Score Card: 2 for 5

Round 6
Hey, Carly Simon, forty years later, it doesn't matter who is vain anymore. (Read Story 1) (Read Story 2)
Adam Hill: FACT. It may just be a generational thing but I wasn't born 40 years ago so I can't really comment on how big a deal it was back then and for me, nope, I don't really care now. I heard it was about Warren Beatty; that sounds credible to me, but I'm not really fussed if I never find out for sure. That said, I can totally understand why people of a certain age would be interested in this, and people do still have loads of theories. I just checked in with my parents, my Mum doesn't care, my Dad is vaguely interested, and both reckon it was about David Hasselhoff. So yeah, "fact" for me; "fiction" for people who are old enough to remember it first time around.
Mac Scarle: FICTION.  What?  No way, totally fiction.  I'd hope it matters, if we - among other outlets - are still covering the rumors, innuendos and false dawns that have surrounded this song for decades.  Personally, I think it's a bit of fun when something this famous has a secret involved with it that manages to actually stay secret for a long time.  And for what it's worth (nothing) I'm still convinced it's about Jagger.
Score Card: 2 for 6

Anything you agree with? Disagree with? Sound off in the comment section.

Thanks for reading, and we'll see you next week!