This is the first time in my life since 1998 that I have been without broadband Internet access. Thus, I have totally and completely fallen out of touch with exactly what is going on in the world of music. I can’t download anything, I can’t load these abominably huge websites (hell, half the time I can’t even read my own column), I’m missing out on tons of gossip and I feel isolated. Oh yeah, I don’t have cable and my town doesn’t even have any broadcast rabbit-ear stations. I feel like the boy in the bubble.
I did hear about the Nellie McKay fiasco, however, and shall comment as such.
Alice In Musicland
I would quote wherever I heard it, but you know, it’s impossible. Google it or something, alright?
Anyway, it seems little miss Nellie McKay has parted ways with Columbia Records. She’s a name most people have likely never heard aside those following indie songwriter princesses, but critics slobbered all over her a few years back. The reason for the separation? Nellie recorded some crazy-high number of songs for the album bringing it to 70 minutes, but Columbia only wanted to include a little over half, for about 45 minutes of music.
Nellie is all, yo bitches, this is my album and this is the way I want it released. And the label is all, hey chickypoo, cut the dead weight and let’s make it cute, snappy, and marketable. And Nellie is like, screw you bitches, I want it my way or the highway. And Columbia is like, well fine then, we’ll go play with someone else. Not that this was after promo copies were sent out to press; with the original release date being last week, it sits on a shelf possibly forever. The critics will surely drool again, but they will be the only ones to hear it. (Because of course nobody in the press would ever post it for illegal download. Nope, not ever.)
This is not the first time that there has been a stalemate regarding artist’s material and a label’s refusal to release it. And I don’t mean that Fiona Apple garbage, either. Quite a number of years back, Sophie B. Hawkins had problems getting her third album released. If you know the woman who is Sophie B, you know that you don’t mess with this girl’s artistic vision. The woman is a notorious perfectionist and artiste to the highest degree. But her label didn’t like a particular horn section on one of her songs and threatened to hold back release of her album if she didn’t change it. Yeah, that about flew. In the end, after quite the fan uproar, the album went out as originally recorded. On the other hand, you have Nelson. Remember them? They had a second album all ready to go after their chart-topping debut. But the label said it sucked. Rather than fight the man, the twin brothers went back with their tail tucked between their legs to try again. You can see about how well that turned out.
It’s an important question that relates to my last column. At what point is the business aspect of the label more important than the artistic vision of the performer? If Mr. Man signed Captain Joe and the Joehounds after seeing them play and perform, and Captain Joe and the Joehounds then decides to radically change their style, should Mr. Man step up and say this isn’t the band he contracted? Or should Mr. Man respect the artist and release whatever crazy garbage they spew? Obviously, the cases of McKay and Hawkins are much more minor than a complete change in direction, so at what point is a labelman obligated to step up and protect the interest of the company?
I have really only one major interjection in the Nellie McKay situation: ask people how much they like paying the same price for a CD that is 45 minutes long as one that is 70 minutes long. Ask people whether they like more bang for the buck. It’s just ridiculous to stifle quantity at this point. Even if that extra 25 minutes is filler, so what? It doesn’t cost more to manufacture (aside from perhaps a larger booklet, but that can be pared down) and certainly isn’t going to make anyone feel ripped off. Most artists out there only have a couple good songs on an album anyway, and the public accepts that.
In other words, Columbia, you’re just being morons. Knock it off. I highly doubt the cut songs are gangsta rap, death metal, or Nellie farting into her hands, so what in the hell is the point?
And that’s all the music news I’ve heard. If someone died, insert obituary here. I’m none the wiser.
Your Band Here
…this will have to continue when I can actually stream the MySpace stuff. February. Watch for it. In the meantime, feel free to continue to toss your band names in the proverbial bucket by contacting me or adding me as a friend on MySpace. And it’s okay if you’re not from Minneapolis or Madison. Really.
My Opinion Matters
As if I haven’t ranted enough, I would like to address something that has been gnawing away at me: the Anthrax reunion.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love oldschool Anthrax. “Indians,” “Antisocial,” “Caught In a Mosh,” “Madhouse,” “A.I.R,” and on and on and on and on and on. Great stuff. There are some dated vocal moments, but nothing Judas Priest didn’t do in that regard. The songs were tight and replete with both humor and relevance. All of the way up through the decision to excise Joey Belladonna as lead vocalist, Anthrax was creating amazing classics and breaking new ground.
John Bush was brought in from Armored Saint to replace Belladonna in a move that was touted as one that would update the band’s sound to more appropriately mesh with current trends and to obliterate that dated element. And this decision was certainly not without success, as Sound of White Noise was in this critic’s opinion one hell of a classic album that even today does not sound remotely dated. They fumbled somewhat afterwards with the spotty Stomp 442, had label problems and changes, and generally settled back into the underground from whence they came. Other lineup changes made a mess of things, but the band continued. Talks of a reunion with Belladonna were often scoffed at.
Something happened last year — likely something to do with dollar signs — and abruptly, Bush was dumped from the band (along with other replacement players) to reunite the classic Belladonna lineup for a reunion tour. At one point a couple of years prior, there actually were talks to do a dual-vocalist thing, but apparently Joey wasn’t having any of that (and the demise of this idea led fans to believe that this was the end of any sort of reunion possibility). But again, somewhere along the line, there was a change of heart and change in direction.
So here we are, 2006. While most Anthrax fans have their favorite vocalist, the Bush ousting seems rather harsh even to Belladonna fans. Along with this, fans of newer material are now relegated to what has essentially become a nostalgia act. Now, Scott Ian hasn’t necessarily always been known for his integrity, but he always worked to keep Anthrax a viable name with hopes to once again achieve fame by continuing to move forward. This is what makes it seem even more odd that Anthrax would take the Poison route, trashing forward momentum to cash in on the past. Okay, maybe that’s not so surprising after the release of The Greater of Two Evils, but even that seemed to have a progressive element in the attempt to further unite Anthrax fans in accepting John Bush.
Maybe I’m just upset that I have a chance to go to an Anthrax show this coming weekend, but I don’t have the chance to see the band play my favorite songs. To me, White Noise is one of the most perfect metal albums of its day, and it’s disappointing to me that the band destroyed their ability to make me ridiculously happy in a live setting. I might go anyway, but it certainly won’t be the same.
At least I am not alone in my disappointment.
The Rad Ones
Really. Didn’t you hear me before? I can’t even load IP on my computer right now, for crying out loud. So instead, I’ll just throw out some links based on my best guesses.
The music section is always good for a gander. KDP is on sabbatical so there will be no Monday column from him, but maybe Mike Eagle has something up there. I dig that cat. Fernandez probably has something up from the weekend, too. And someone told me that Cameron is leaving, but I can’t verify that on my own. Gosh, it sure is lonely over here.
The culture section is home to a lot of Minneapolis people. Maybe we can have one big culture party after I move. I can’t cook, I don’t know anything about wine, the only books I’ve read lately are music reference and I can’t read any damned news sites to keep up, but I have really good manners.
The sports section is neat. Even with David Goldberg ceasing to be the big pants guy behind the scenes, the other guys rock. And contrary to “popular” belief, Goldberg is the only present or past IP staffer from the east coast to visit me in Iowa. Giant meals and cheap cigarettes!
The TV section has some stuff going on. I don’t know, I’m just watching The Shield Season 4 on DVD again because I can’t watch the new season. So, sorry, no recaps from me. Believe me, I wish I could. I can’t even torrent the damned episodes.
The movies section probably has something about Narnia and gay cowboys eating pudding. I might be out of the loop, but McCullar sent me a really neat mix CD for Christmas. In the end, nothing matters but presents, dammit.
The wrestling section doesn’t need a pimp from me but Eric S. has had some interesting discussions with me about tunes and such, so I have to send people his way.
Games and The Nexus are linked because I’m a completist, and Moodspins is the other section I have not yet linked. I don’t know what to say but here’s a link anyhow.
Outro
I’ll have a stable, fast Internet connection again the first week of February. Hopefully, this will improve the quality of my column as well. Either that or I’ll have to take a vacation after moving over 300 miles and trying to cope with no longer living in teeny tiny nowhere. I have yet to miss a column, so hopefully all will continue to roll.
Anyway, as I mentioned, Dave was here! It’s convenient to have IP staff members scattered throughout the country for a place to crash when checking out grad schools, no? We spent a lot of time in the car, and Dave mentioned that my ’80s mix cds were awesome. So today, I leave you with the playlists of my two favorite ’80s mixes that get far too much rotation in my automobile.
Disc One: Slightly Dark
1. Echo & the Bunnymen, “The Killing Moon”
2. The Cars, “Moving In Stereo”
3. Til Tuesday, “Voices Carry”
4. Tears For Fears, “Head Over Heels”
5. Duran Duran, “Notorious”
6. Martika, “Love…Thy Will Be Done”
7. Icehouse, “Electric Blue”
8. Information Society, “What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy)”
9. Tiffany, “Promises Made”
10. Erasure, “A Little Respect”
11. Sheila E, “The Glamorous Life”
12. Joy Division, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”
13. Pet Shop Boys, “West End Girls”
14. Ready For the World, “Oh Sheila”
15. Crowded House, “Don’t Dream It’s Over”
16. Cyndi Lauper, “She Bop”
17. The Church, “Under the Milky Way”
18. Terence Trent D’Arby, “Wishing Well”
19. Samantha Fox, “Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)”
Disc Two: Slightly Bright
1. Prince ft. Sheena Easton, “U Got The Look”
2. Biz Markie, “Just A Friend”
3. Debbie Gibson, “Foolish Beat”
4. Duran Duran, “The Reflex”
5. Expose, “Come Go With Me”
6. Warrant, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
7. Glass Tiger, “Someday”
8. Tears For Fears, “Shout”
9. Rob Base, “It Takes Two”
10. Pet Shop Boys, “What Did I Do To Deserve This”
11. Michael Jackson, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'”
12. Barnes & Barnes, “Fish Heads”
13. Richard Marx, “Endless Summer Nights”
14. The Smithereens, “A Girl Like You”
15. Tiffany, “Could’ve Been”
16. Donnie Iris, “Ah! Leah!”
17. Stacy Q, “Two of Hearts”
18. Winger, “Headed For a Heartbreak”
I’m itching to make a third disc. Any ideas for necessary contributions? And you don’t need to say Depeche Mode, Cure, or New Order, because I rarely put them on mixes. No point when I have greatest hits compilations. But aside from “The Metro,” which I smacked myself for not adding, any and all ideas for quirky goodness are appreciated. Amazingly, I can check my email. And maybe you can let me know if we’ve been bombed, or the government is overthrown, or if zombies start eating everyone’s brains, okay?
I’m-a living in a box, I’m-a living in a cardboard box,
–gloomchen
