It all started with Climie Fisher.
Whether or not the name is recognizable to you, it doesn’t matter. I have their one US hit, “Love Changes (Everything)” on an ’80s mix that I made for my car. I recently grabbed the song for karaoke. I saw it was listed as “Fisher, Climie” but I was pretty sure this wasn’t a first-name last-name type thing; in typical anal retentive fashion, I quickly checked All Music Guide before entering the title into my gigantic spreadsheet of karaoke tunes.
What happened after that is something that happens when you’re an avid music history geek: I started reading the bio and was instantly intrigued. I remembered in the past few weeks reading up on Yazoo and The Associates and how all of these crazy early-to-mid ’80s British pop bands threw around members into a hundred projects while catfighting and killing themselves and tons of other drama. This sent me into a frenzy of information-hunting.
I came up so very short, and it’s tragic. Checking all around amazon.com, I could find not a single book about the entirety of the ’80s new wave and pop British invasion. A lot was actually written in the early ’80s — many books on the topic are available that were published from ’81 to ’83 — but that’s clearly not comprehensive enough. This didn’t stop me from grabbing seven other books about punk, post-punk, and ’80s pop, in the hopes that one or more of them will contain something along those lines. Still, I would kill if one music historian/cultural anthropologist would write something about these bands who barely broke the US, had a bit more success in the UK, and had tumultuous breakups and shakeups behind the scenes. I can’t help but think it’s got to be a most fascinating unexplored subset — and that it would be one hell of a great read. From the bits and pieces I keep finding by chance, there’s no way I could be wrong.
I would also like to find a book on metal history that doesn’t read like a high school essay. I’ve got a few more to purchase before I officially throw in the towel, but let me save you some hours and dollars by convincing you not to purchase Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal by Ian Christe. I learned more by watching Behind the Music and reading Metal Edge magazine as a teenager. Yeesh. (And don’t bother with anything by Martin Popoff either.)
And now, zee news.
Alice in Musicland
From Reuters:
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean student Lim Jeong-hyun has basked in five minutes and 20 seconds of fame nearly 9 million times over.
Lim, 22, was identified by the New York Times about two weeks ago as the mysterious man bathed in sunlight who played guitar in one of the most-watched videos of all time on the popular video sharing YouTube.com Web site.
About eight months ago, a video simply titled “guitar” appeared on YouTube. It shows a young man sitting between his desk and bed, bowing his head so that his baseball cap covers his eyes, ferociously playing a rock version of Johann Pachelbel’s “Canon” — the music often played at weddings.
The guitarist’s face is never seen. His real name is not mentioned but he calls himself “funtwo.” The focus is on his fingers.
The austerity of the clip and the new interpretation of a well-known piece of music has fascinated millions.
After the article, the shy Lim woke up one day in late August and found himself famous. Local media picked up what the New York Times had reported and Lim’s tale was told by major South Korean newspapers and TV networks.
“I was so embarrassed because I had too many phone calls and too many visitors all of the sudden,” Lim told Reuters Television at a music studio in Seoul.
Many of the people who posted comments on YouTube wanted to know the guitarist’s identity. Many complimented his playing, while some questioned if he was aided by electronics. A few said he was a fraud.
The clip has become YouTube’s second-most discussed video after one of people lip syncing a video game theme song.
“I love this guy. Funtwo is awesome. By the way, what’s his real name?,” one person wrote.
If you haven’t seen it, here’s the link.
Now, I’m geeky prog fan and all, so I’m used to watching people like John Petrucci making me drool with their skill. This kid? Damn. (Hell, watch him do his own Petrucci impression.) I mean, I once sat down and picked out the melody to some Mozart piece but not anything complicated (or played very fluidly at all). To me, Lim’s piece makes two very important statements: one, that classical music should be appreciated by younger generations who aren’t exposed to it; and two, that the electric guitar, and rock stylings in general, are just as important in the grand scheme of composition as classical music.
In other words: don’t be ignorant, and don’t be a snob. Either one would cause you to miss out on why “Funtwo” kicks so much ass.
And now for something which will prompt a novel from me: a (truncated) interview with Evanescence’s Amy Lee by Tamara Conniff for Reuters. Humor me if you must.
Q: Is “The Open Door” thematically different from “Fallen?”
A: What music is for me and what Evanescence has been is me purging all of the negative and hard, difficult experiences that I’ve had in life. Naturally that’s still coming across; I’m still purging the trials. I feel like this album comes from a place that is not so hopeless. The first album, I was talking about the hard stuff, but I was also wallowing in it. I wasn’t strong enough to take a stand and say no in a lot of situations.
I listen back to “Fallen” now and definitely hear all the vulnerability and the fear and all the childish things in me that are just human. But I’ve grown so much now. The lyrics on the new album are looking for the answers, looking for the solutions, looking for happiness. It’s not, “I’m miserable, end of song.” It’s more, “I’m miserable, and what do I have to do to work this out and get out of this bad situation.”
Q: Have you matured?
A: Yes, I’ve learned how to say no. This is a bad situation. See the signs and say, “I’m out of here.” Especially in relationships. You have to be willing to jump off the cliff and know that when you get to the bottom that it’s going to be way better, and know it could also be crash and burn. Those are the times in my life that I’ve really broken through and had great joy, because I took those chances. At least when you’re at the bottom and all alone again and starting over, it’s a clean slate.
Q: What is it like having such a different configuration of the band?
A: The biggest difference is (the absence of) Ben (Moody). We formed the band together. We were the main writers. Without him, it wasn’t like I was thinking, “Oh, my God, what am I going to do?” It really had gotten to the point where it was so horrible and dramatic, it was a relief and I knew the band could continue. When it came to writing, I had so much by then to write about, it was spilling out of me. I didn’t know how to stop writing.
I have so much more freedom to do everything myself this time, for a lot of reasons. I wanted to prove that not only could I do it myself, but I could make a better album than before. I’ve never really tried to sit, say OK and just start writing and go for it and not have anyone to answer to, at all. I’m the boss. Here we go! If it sucks, I figure it out.
Q: Terry Balsamo replaced Moody and has become your songwriting partner. How do you guys write together?
A: It’s a completely different writing process (than with Moody). He’s completely laid-back. There’s no pressure of wanting to rule the world. It’s just about writing great music.
Terry and I will just sit in a room and jam. As simple as that is, it’s completely different for me. I was so insecure at the time, though I didn’t realize it then. I thought I was strong. It’s so hard to let yourself be vulnerable. In front of a huge audience, it’s not so bad, because it’s just a sea of people. But in front of two people you know, it’s impossible. It was a first for me to just make music as we go.
Q: Why are there so few female rockers today?
A: In the music industry today, there are a lot of holes. There are things I miss, like great female rockers like Joan Jett. She totally inspired me and inspired guys and everybody everywhere. Where did they go? It seems like if there were any women in music, it was either R&B or easy listening. No one was rocking. No one had the real power, not the sex appeal, the real power of rock ‘n’ roll. We need chicks in rock.
Q: “Fallen” was first released in the Christian market. Do you consider Evanescence a Christian band?
A: Can we please skip the Christian thing? I’m so over it. It’s the lamest thing. I fought that from the beginning; I never wanted to be associated with it. It was a Ben thing. It’s over. It’s a new day.
Holy shit, an interview with Lee that doesn’t make me want to backhand her in the mouth. Maybe she’s right and she really has matured.
And I give her that leeway because I’ve listened to The Open Door. Those who have read this column for some time know that I have not been kind to Ms. Lee. I have always appreciated her effort when she gave it, but she has had a lot to learn. And now that she’s not giving interviews talking about how she was so distraught that she’d jump into her pool fully clothed (poor baby), I don’t mind giving her a fair shake at all.
Many would not have guessed that Ben Moody was actually the weak link in Evanescence, not Lee. I complained often that Fallen would have been just another generic US hard rock album and may have achieved a tenth of its success at best if it wasn’t for having a desperately angst-ridden female vocalist. I remember being utterly disgusted upon my first listen of the album, so disappointed at how so much potential was wasted. Okay, so I just wanted Lacuna Coil, but I could have almost had it if it wasn’t for Moody.
When Lee talks about Moody being the one who wanted the Christian connection, I’m not shocked at all. Amy’s never come off as a devout Bible-basher. The connection never really made sense with their image or songwriting or pretty much anything about them at all. It smacked of someone clinging to something irrelevant for personal reasons rather than looking at the big picture. At no time did Evanescence give the scent of Creed. It’s fine if Moody is strongly Christian, but that doesn’t mean the band should be dragged into a niche where they don’t fit. And so they didn’t fit, and they’ve long since been excommunicated from the categorization, and all is right with the world.
Then, there’s The Open Door itself. Without giving a full review, let me just say that Evanescence has its own identity now. They challenged themselves. They ventured into new territories. And while I’m not sitting here right now saying it’s the greatest album I’ve ever heard, I will gladly stop tossing the band in with all of the generic hard rock acts on the market. Take that for what you will.
Now a bit from Sarah Hall at E! Online:
Like a prayer? More like a prank call.
A 63-year-old Dutch priest has confessed to calling in a phony bomb threat last week before a pair of Madonna concerts in Amsterdam in a last-ditch effort to stop the singer from staging her mock-crucifixion act, officials said Friday.
The would-be terrorist was easily identified as he used his home phone to make the call to an emergency services line, where it was automatically traced, officials said.
Officials said they never believed that threat was credible.
“We take bomb threats seriously, but in this case it was clear very quickly that it was not real,” Amsterdam prosecution spokesman Robert Meulenbroek told the Associated Press.
The priest appeared before a judge Friday and was released, pending judgment. As it was his first offense, he will likely be sentenced to community service, officials said.
The concerts went forward without incident on Sunday and Monday, despite the best efforts of a handful of protesters.
The Material Girl’s mock-crucifixion scenario has drawn ire from religious figures in almost every location her World Is My Dance Floor tour has touched down.
In Rome, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim leaders came together in a rare show of unity to object to the singer’s act taking place in the cradle of Christianity.
In Duesseldorf, prosecutors threatened to toss the pop star in the lockup if her act was construed as offensive to religious beliefs–a violation of German law.
However, the Dutch priest was the first to really blow his top over the issue.
Ahhh, Madonna, how we love you and your antics.
I still remember the cross-burning “Like a Prayer” Pepsi commercial fiasco. You bet I was front and center at that television to see its debut. I was such a girl.
Still, over the years, a lot of Madonna’s antics have started to get old. Running around naked, swearing on Letterman, this, that, and the other thing. It’s kind of neat to see that she hasn’t run out of shock tactics, and it’s kind of neat to see that she can still get full media attention almost a quarter of a century after recording her first album. Still, this crucifixion business: let’s discuss.
Here’s the scenario: Madonna has this gigantic spangly cross to which she is attached while singing “Live To Tell” and all sorts of grisly imagery about war and crusade and jihad and everything else plays on a screen behind her. The statement is kind of obvious as well as being kind of misguided and off-base. Still, as far as shock tactics go, it’s great.
I wouldn’t advocate this sort of thing, generally. I don’t think there’s any reason to disrespect anyone’s faith. But I also believe in free speech, so let the chick run with it if she likes. Nobody is forcing anyone to be offended, and if you look squinty-eyed you can sort of see the context in which Madonna is presenting her performance. It’s not like she’s up there spitting on the Virgin Mary. Chances are, she’ll save that for the next tour.
ENOUGH! Wheee.
My Opinion Matters
I often wonder why I bother having this section when I rant so much already. Still, it’s a fun place to drop something like this.
What I would like to address is critical laudings of Paris Hilton’s album.
Our present pop culture and top 40 music arena has been taken over by “it’s got a good beat and I can dance to it” syndrome. This isn’t the first time it’s happened by a long stretch; in fact, the pop arena tends to oscillate. The early ’70s were singer-songwriters, the late ’70s was shitty disco, the ’80s brought us Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel but also brought us Stacy Q and hair bands, the early ’90s cultured grunge and and totally degenerated late in the decade into boy band/pop princess trash. I can honestly say that there’s a decent pendulum shift as indie rock becomes increasingly mainstream and many of rock’s bigwigs produce a fair amount of legitimate talent. So why are so many critics unable to recognize what’s going on?
I’m sorry, but good production work does not equal good music. And good production work does not an artist make. To call Paris Hilton a musical artist is like calling the guy who wrote the McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” blip some sort of compositional luminary. There was absolutely no forethought to create something of substance in either case; they both exist to make money and that’s it. The real “artist” is Paris’ producers. But just because they can push a few buttons and make a riff that’s catchy does not mean that suddenly Paris Hilton is viable. See also: Timbaland. We’ve all heard those extremely infectious beats, but some of the crap that’s thrown on top of it is a disgrace to anyone who has ever loved music.
Let me repeat myself: a producer twiddling knobs does not equal quality. End of story. There are folks calling Paris Hilton’s album a fantastic dance album. No, Paris Hilton’s album is not a fantastic dance album. Paris Hilton’s album is a producer with skill. It’s like the guys behind Milli Vanilli, honestly. Stick any f*cking puppet on top and you’ve got a hit. I would say something like “you could even stick Paris Hilton on top and it would sell,” but tragically… yeah.
Why can’t any critics call this what it is? Why aren’t they screaming, “Paris Hilton is awful but her producer is gold”? A lot of the issue is training and the environment. Many critics look at the entire body as a creation, not the sum of its parts. They listen, they take their knowledge of history and composition, and evaluate the end product. You rarely see a popular music critic losing their mind over terrible lyrics, ridiculously overprocessed vocals, or repetitive song structures. You rarely see a popular music critic looking at the big picture of the scene, evaluating one album’s place among its peers. If they did, they couldn’t help but admit that Paris Hilton’s album is just another in a long line of cloned sounds with horrid vocals and complete lack of emotional anything.
Any critic who gives that album 4.5/5 should be shot in the face. Any legitimate publication should not make it an “editor’s pick.” I’m looking at you, All Music Guide. Hacks, the lot of ya. Shame on you for promoting someone who bought their way into being a “musician” and who quite, QUITE obviously has all of her talent in the form of dollar bills.
Yes, I’m done. I could keep going if asked, however.
The Rad Ones
Have you heard about this V3 thing? Yes, Inside Pulse is splitting all wacky-like. There would have been a preview this weekend of one of the remaining music sections, but we had a SLACKER ON BOARD who didn’t get his article in, so you’ll just have to be surprised and amazed when everything goes live.
Cryptic? Yeah. But let’s put it this way: you won’t have to listen to me babble about DMX getting arrested anymore.
Check out some of the other sections coming soon to Inside Pulse:
Okay, so I don’t know how much interest these things will be to my regular readers, but hey! It’s good to read new and different things. We’re all pretty much amusing folk ’round here. I swear!
Outro
Ahhh, Metallica. I’ve written about them more times than I can count. Then again, I’ve played Master of Puppets more times than I can count, too — including four times in a row in my car over the last week. It’s like I need a goddamned intervention, because I almost never listen to Ride the Lightning or …And Justice For All even though I think they’re great albums. (I played the Black Album to death during its heyday when I was an impressionable little high school freshman.)
Why am I stuck on this album? It seems rather amusing that for as many albums as I have at my disposal, I go back to the same ones repeatedly. Madonna’s first two albums, the awesome compilation Alternative ’80s, the first two James LaBrie Dream Theater albums — they’re all way too overplayed in my universe. From time to time I still throw in Anthrax’s Sound of White Noise, too. As for recent stuff, it’s been Katatonia and Scar Symmetry. Out of all the stuff I’ve reviewed in the last year, including those which I gave higher scores, those are the only ones I’ve kept in rotation.
I’m also no stranger to playing and re-playing that dog.’s Retreat From the Sun. I know every vocal melody and harmony on that damned album. I frequently make visits back to Veruca Salt’s American Thighs. And when I could be listening to anything else in the world, I’m still throwing in The Cure’s Disintegration. Let’s not forget The Gathering’s if_then_else, or both of The Old Dead tree’s albums.
I hear so many good albums, and I might listen to them several times, but so many fall to the wayside and I rarely ever go back to them. I’m not sure what makes the above albums so magical in my universe, but I try not to question it and instead go with the flow. It’s not particular elements of familiarity or ability to relate, so much as I can tell. Aside from a song here and there, they’re just great songs to me, not a way of life or anything.
Did I mention Lacuna Coil’s Unleashed Memories? Put that one on the list, too. And Slipknot’s last album. Liz Phair’s first two also make the cut.
I’ll never say that these are the greatest albums of all time and that’s why I keep playing them. I know that most of them are flawed, but I don’t care. That’s my personal taste speaking. Being a critic can wait until I’m done rocking out.
Just call my name ’cause I’ll hear you scream,
— gloomchen
