Thought this was interesting (in the new Rolling Stone ‘From the Vaults May 8, 1975′)
I went to see Rolling Stone‘s David Fricke interview Lou Reed, Maureen ‘Moe’ Tucker, and Doug Yule of the Velvet Underground last night at the New York Public Library. No, there was no performance or reunion announcement or even anything remotely deep that the VU hardcore wouldn’t know already.
I must admit that I originally bought tickets immediately after seeing these lines on the NYPL’s website, which really painted an ambiguous picture:
Today, the Velvet Underground are the stars they always deserved to be, with a rich and still mysterious story that continues to unfold: in the new visual collection, The Velvet Underground: New York Art, and tonight, in this unprecedented reunion of Reed, Tucker and Yule-the words,music and rhythm of The Velvet Underground.
Yeah, I was thinking there would be a performance…at least for the couple minutes it took to buy the tickets. All that said, it was a very cool night of discussion in which I got some decent pictures and confirmed a few things in my mind…
Lou Reed is indeed an asshole
Lou reed hates everyone except Andy and Moe
*click on through for more pics and confirmations…
Have you all heard the first single, “Chinese Democracy”? It’s pretty good in my opinion, but also with me knowing full well that this is not gonna affect me the way the Appetite for Destruction did when it came out when I was a senior in high school. Jesus, do you know how many times I listened to that album drinking beer and smoking pot at Louie Robinson’s house on a Tuesday night? Well I won’t tell you so that I can still run for President one day! But these guys came along when I had just about had it with the metal scene turning into a bunch of pussies.
Rolling Stone has heard the album (I think Axl listened to it with the reviewer and then after the review had been writ, Axl destroyed him)…and they gave the album 4 stars out of 5. Good, says I! I hope that it will be great and don’t want to hate it. But I do know that I would love it 10 times more if the original band played on it. Shit, I’d just take Slash…although many think it was Izzy that gave them their true rock edge. He is very Richards-esque. Anyhoo (did I just say anyhoo?), go check out the review over here. It looks like it will be a very financially-lucrative holiday season for Mr. W. Axl Rose. Now release another album at this time next year, corn row boy!
There’s a great piece over at the Rolling Stone blog today that talks about all the recent artists who took umbrage to Republicans using their music for their campaigns…primarily McCain/Palin.
The best part of the piece though is the commenters who are upset with Rolling Stone being “the liberal media” that wonders why Rolling Stone isn’t “attacking” the Obama campaign for using someone’s music. Duuuuurrrrrrrr!!!!!! And they’re also telling RS to “stick to music” and “stay out of politics”, which is hilarious since Rolling Stone has always written about politics since its inception during the Vietnam War, and made no bones about their leftist stance. Be sure to check out all the comments…they’re sad and hilarious all at the same time…as is life. Here’s a fun little sampling though…
Jake | 10/10/2008, 4:51 pm EST
Leave it to Rolling Stone magazine to attack the Republican party for… doing nothing wrong. It’s totally legal for these songs to be used if license fees are paid. This whole thing is absurd. It’s not as if they snuck in these artist’s houses and stole the song. They shouldn’t publish music if they don’t want people using it without permission. I guess I better call the Foo Fighters and apologize for listening to everlong with my windows down this morning because I didn’t call and ask first.
Ethan | 10/10/2008, 5:21 pm EST
I agree, Jake! These artists, most of whom i really respect, are being whiny. Just because McCain uses a song by you, doesn’t necesarily mean you support that person. It pisses me off that rock and roll thinks it loves Obama when I’m sure half of them know what the fuck Obama even plans to do in office! Politics and rock should STAY SEPERATED!!!!
Dave | 10/10/2008, 7:12 pm EST
I am waiting for Tom Scholz to serve a Cease and Desist order for playing my own Boston CD on my stereo while making hamburgers and being Republican. You got paid for the licensing. Now the party that paid the union can play it freely. That’s how it works. You want total control? Never release music publicly-which seems to be the unintentional result for your last CD.
Saulius | 10/10/2008, 7:42 pm EST
Rollingstone writing another anti-republican article? Yawn. This magazine bores me. Hey, RS, wanna do something “punk”? wanna go against the establishment? wanna do something that really takes balls? Write a pro-Bush article. When you put Obama on the cover twice within months and fail to write a pro-right article since….well, never, then you lose any ounce of journalistic credibility you ever had in the first place.
Get back to doing what you do: writing 5 star reviews for any and every Dylan album that comes down the line (seems like you lost your journalistic credibility reviewing music too).
Saulius | 10/11/2008, 12:04 am EST
Besides protecting us from another terrorist attach, Bush has given more aid to Africa than any president in history. But I’m not defending him. He’s dropped the ball big time on immigration, allowed spending to get out of control, and his reaction to Katrina was horrific. Those are just a few issues I have with him. I just find it funny how RS tries to posture itself as a political publication. I read publications that are both liberal and right-wing. I listen to Rush and watch Obermann. What bores me about this magazine is that every political article takes the exact same posture: Bush wants to eat your babies, and Obama walks on water and cures the sick. Over and over and over and over again.
As for Republicans using songs by artists that don’t support them, i say f ‘em, as long as it’s legal and they’ve paid the fees, who cares?
Greg | 10/11/2008, 9:34 am EST
This is the first and last time I visit this site. Why don’t you stick to writing about music and stay out of politics!!!!
Matt | 10/11/2008, 1:03 pm EST
It’s so hip and trendy to support Obama huh? It’s a good thing the GOP was never given a fair chance by the media. Hey, what ever happend with ACORN? False voter registrations and ties to Obama, why isn’t that news?
steven | 10/12/2008, 12:19 am EST
remind me never to listen to any of these groups.
matthew | 10/12/2008, 1:44 am EST
i find it funny how all of these songs were used by McCain what songs is Obama using and are any of those artists upset, i would like to know?
Lot of super-intelligent logic going on there, huh? If you really think about it, why would these rockers be supporting Obama when they make over $250,000/year? Perhaps because they are willing to be taxed a tiny bit more for the good of the less fortunate in their country…and for social programs that they believe in, such as health care reform. But I’m sure that’s somehow unpatriotic…or commy socialist, through a Republican’s eyes. We DO live in a society though, don’t we? And we should love our fellow human too, no?
Rolling Stone just spoke with Mike ‘Cactus’ Gordon (Gordon with a soft ‘G’, that is) and it’s looking like all the Phish reunion rumors are probably correct. Bring it on, boys!
Rolling Stone speaks with Mike Gordon
On having band dinners, optimism, and possibly recording with Steve Lillywhite…
“The band has had a couple of dinners and they’ve just been great,” Gordon tells Rolling Stone. “We’re all just excited about the idea of doing something sometime. I can’t guarantee it, but I’m optimistic.” As for Lillywhite, Gordon says, “We talked to him, actually. [The rumor] stemmed from reality. We love Steve Lillywhite. He would bring out some great things in us. But we don’t have specific plans to work with him. It was an idea and hopefully it’s something that if we rev things up, it could happen some day. We don’t know if we would tour first or make an album first. We have no idea.”
So should they tour first, then record an album…or vicey versey?
Here’s an interesting entry on Rolling Stone’s blog about some vinyl reissues, from Radiohead’s early albums to Pet Sounds. Seems the only rising trend in the industry is vinyl. But unfortunately it looks like the industry is jacking the cost of the records to help heal its wounds, rather than make the records affordable to everyone and selling in quantity! Come on! Learn lessons. What do you think about the $20-$30 price tag?
Anyway, it’s nice to see the vinyl thing making its way back! What’s your favorite record?
Well, the weather done gave all us New Yorkers the ol’ bitch-slap this past week, as it got tired of hearing us complain about cold, rainy days. We’ve already seen 100 degree weather and it ain’t even July yet! I won’t complain because I fuckin’ love summer. It’s hard to live in New York in the winter. You can’t let your mind go where it naturally tends to go, you know? Here’s the famous telescope that stretches from Brooklyn to London, that we checked out on Saturday, the first above 90 degree day, before we boarded the water taxi for Manhattan…
Here’s a bunch of stuff I noticed that stood out this week…
Radiohead fans are furious over EMI’s Best Of release now that Radiohead are Indie again. Check out some of the hundreds of pissed-off reviews via this link to iTunes. Relax, people. I guess it’s hard to lighten up when you listen to too much Radiohead (sorry, had to got there).
Rolling Stone talks about the gradual return of vinyl, as people fall back in love with its aesthetic. Reminder: who’s been talking about vinyl’s return since the onset of this here blog?
Animal Collective listen like Newms does. Check out the links to these AC mixes and playlists!
I think the hip-hop community could use some chess too, Wu. It’d be one thing that’s not about bling and being the biggest asshole.
Check out my review of the Man Raze album. Def Lep meets Sex Pistols equals HOT!
Luckily the little ma & pop store, Wal-Mart, has some people to get their back. Now if only the poor people behind the counter making $17k a year, trying to raise a family, could get someone to get their back. Pay more and support living wages, says I! But I’m sure that makes me a communist. Did I even mention how UN-rock & roll it is for AC/DC to do a Wal-Mart exclusive?! Stoppit, world!
What’s missing from these Greatest Guitar Songs of All-Time?
Well, Rolling Stone just posted their editors’ and readers’ picks for the 50 Best Songs Over 7 Minutes Long and it is quite interesting. They’re in alphabetical order, so keep that in mind when you see the first one listed is “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and not “Hey Jude”. Although wouldn’t it be better to have “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” in there? Is that over 7 minutes? I love that Can’s “Bel Air” is on there! Take a look and see which ones you agree with and which you don’t…and let’s do a little Sh*t L*st and pick 5 that we’d remove and what 5 we’d replace them with. Sound good?
Click through, cousins…
