Speaking of music, Amy Winehouse got busted in Norway for marijuana possession. Setting aside the question of whether she dropped the dime on herself for extra publicity, (or is randomly/deliberately traveling down the ) it brings up another: Isn’t “Norwegian wood” yet another slang term for marijuana?
”Isn’t it good–Norwegian wood?”
The humble hard drive is the ultimate repository for music in your home, office and car. But mobile music increasingly sits on flash memory, whether in an iPOD, a more humble MP3 player, or on your cell phone.
Now USB flash drives you can wear on your wrist are bridging the gap between concert and computer, with artists like Matchbox 20, Willie Nelson and even the Bob Marley fan club selling memory sticks packed with music and memories (like photos) of the artists.
Fans can not only leave a Willie concert stoned and satisfied, but take with them a special keep-sake; a downloaded version of that night’s concert.
Was the music for Bob Marley’s brilliant Buffalo Soldier plagiarized? Was it lifted from The Banana Splits?! yourself and be the judge.
You can hear more at Soundalikes or read about the late George Harrison lifting “My Sweet Lord” from “He’s So Fine” here.
The hack creators of “The Banana Splits” could try suing Marley’s ghost estate. But they’d create a public relations disaster–talk about alchemy turning lead into gold.
Watching is like watching a spectacular car accident; you can’t look away. Johnston is the talented but clearly mentally-ill singer songwriter whose songs have been recorded by over 150 artists; Target even licensed his “Speeding Motorcycle” for a commercial. He’s also a visual artist of the outsider school.
I was first turned onto his music on KXLU-FM in LA, perhaps 20 years ago.
At 45+, Johnston lives with his aging parents, has been committed several times, and has attacked people close to him, hitting his manager with a lead pipe and causing his father to crash his private plane.
As a parent, my heart goes out to those suffering like this, and especially to Johnston’s elderly parents, who clearly have gone through the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance).
Watch this film if you want insight into a disordered mind, and perhaps you’ll better understand Virginia Tech killer Cho (substitute Johnston’s obsession with the devil for Cho’s “rich brats“.)
“Memory Almost Full”, Paul McCartney’s new album, is coming to a Starbucks near you, according to Roger Friedman. Call them dinosaurs, but many people still equate computers with work. If you’re a girl who loved Paul, you don’t need an iPOD, a computer, a subscription to iTUNES or Rhapsody and endless time. Just put your coffee in the cupholder and the ‘cute one’ in the CD player.
If you want to hear a collection of soulless, soul-deadening covers bleached of all emotion like Pete Yorn’s take on Never My Love or The Strangler’s Walk On By (not what we listen to The Stranglers for) , by all means click on today’s Music Becomes Eclectic on KCRW. Mickey Kaus earlier pointed out the problem, but if you want to hear a cover with soul, click –or get off your computer and go here.
The Madonna theory states, roughly, that all publicity is good publicity. Corollary: There is no such thing as bad publicity. (Other Madonna theories here.)
Professional public relations people protested, but to no avail. Paris Hilton enthusiastically adopted it (although Paris is smart enough to always be very, very nice to photographers). So did the trainwreck crowd (Lindsay, Britney, Ashley, etc).
But such ‘priceless’ worldwide publicity hasn’t helped Don Imus (although I’m cynical enough to say ‘yet’). Even the Material Girl’s thick skin was pricked; she blamed the press, but she could have communicated her adoption story with more grace.
The take-away: Know your story, work out your messages–and watch what you say.
The other, CBS shoe has dropped in the Don Imus ‘nappy-haired ho’s’ situation. His departure will be unlamented by most except the media hacks who endure, ignore (or secretly enjoy) Imus’ stone age commentary as the price of publicizing themselves.
But the foot-in-mouth comment and hypocrisy backlash (including a famous Long Beach resident) bring up the issue of commercial censorship. Imus is obviously free under the first amendment to say whatever he wants, but the paid speech interests of General Electric, its subsidiary NBC and suddenly conscious-stricken sponsors like General Motors, Staples and Bigelow Tea trump Imus’ free speech.
The singer Pink is in a similar situation on the other side of the political spectrum. In an , she thanked Jimmy Kimmel as his was the only show willing to her song ‘Dear Mr. President’, where she asks
What kind of father would take his own daughter’s rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You’ve come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.
Kimmel works for a third media giant, Disney/ABC, home of the now-gay friendly fairytale wedding. But if Imus or Rosie O’Donnell’s experience is any indicator, Kimmel’s free speech leash may be shortened by the cash-carrying hand of corporate censorship.
Final questions: Is trying to be funny a sufficient defense against giving Imus-like offense–or do you actually have to be funny?
Listening to the local dinosaur rock station playing “Roundabout” by Yes for the umteenth time. I’m trapped, as KCRW, the NPR station I listen to by default, is in pledge drive mode.
I detest Yes and other ‘classics’ like Queen, but I’m probably in a minority. However, I did learn from my dentist that Freddie Mercury was Indian; ethnic pride is a powerful thing.
My 16-year old burns CDs of the Doors, Cream, Guns n’Roses, and in an nod to ‘modernity’, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. So the babyboomer pig in a python has controlled the next generation’s musical tastes. But we’re losing the dads we rebelled against, from Gerald Ford to Jack Palance. The father figures are gone; that’s us now, G-d help us.
Yes, babyboomers rule–but increasingly, we rule alone.
