John & Rob
Heard an interview the other day on NPR with Terri Gross on Fresh Air. The subject of the interview was Rob Halford...lead singer of Judas Priest, and a self-described conservative gay man. He's smart, articulate, ain't into bondage, apparently. Stage-wear notwithstanding. Alive. Vibrant. His coming out didn't get rid of Judas Priest's audience. He has great personal dignity, and he knows exactly what he's doing. Judas Priest has new CD and world tour. He's a business man who loves what his band does.
On the other hand, my teen-age hero, John Enwistle, one of the two people(Stanley Clarke is the other)who invented melodic bass playing, and thereby revolutionised bass playing, died under a prostitute in Las Vegas..whilst stuffed full of cocaine. A couple of years ago he passed, WAY TOO OLD for that kind of behaviour. HE was full of coke, I mean, I'm not sure about the hooker.
Something tells me, John, that if you have a heart condition, and you did, ..cocaine is a no-no. Also...if you're married, like you were, John...a hooker is also no-no. What is it about these people that more than enough is never enough? No is never no to some rock stars.... You paid the ultimate price for your no-no's, John. How do you afford your rock n' roll lifestyle?
Pete Townshend(my former pen pal) is a pederast, stupid cunt, and Roger Daltrey is a really bad actor...and the only reason they go on tour is to flesh out the bank accounts. The best rhythm section that ever graced this earth has died of stupid excess..which is what we punks/rockers/alternadudes always accused metal bands of. Hey, their hair was stupid, their clothes were stupid, their music was arguably stupid...I guess THEY must be stupid. I guess I should have hitched my star to metal, instead. They were stupid like foxes, and they laughed all the way to the bank. And still walk the earth. And have reunion concerts. If they die, it's in car accidents, or they just come back to torment on "Behind the Music"
As a rhythm section, Entwistle and Moon were fluid and melodic and dynamic and elemental, in a way that hadn't been heard before, in a way that made asshole jazz fucks sit up and take notice, and in a way that I'm not hearing now, anywhere...though jesus christ, I sure as fuck am straining to hear it (Which is NOT to say that I don't like new music, in fact, I prefer it. Complicated doesn't mean good). It wasn't about awesome schooled chops, at least in Moon's case...it was about turning yourself inside out in front of an audience every night. That's the only way to do it...INSIDE OUT. Watch an Iggy Pop show...the guy is pushing 60 HARD...and every night...he leaves an appendix or upper intestine on stage, I'm sure.
My heroes always let me down, big time. Serves me right, I guess, for even having them . If I die stuffed full of coke...it's no big deal...I'm nobody. I expect my heroes to be different. Or, at least not dead about 25 or 30 years before they should be. THEY were talented, THEY were cool...their long slide into non-coolness got interrupted, I guess.
Don't even get me started on Keith Moon. Or Kurt Cobain.
On the other hand, my teen-age hero, John Enwistle, one of the two people(Stanley Clarke is the other)who invented melodic bass playing, and thereby revolutionised bass playing, died under a prostitute in Las Vegas..whilst stuffed full of cocaine. A couple of years ago he passed, WAY TOO OLD for that kind of behaviour. HE was full of coke, I mean, I'm not sure about the hooker.
Something tells me, John, that if you have a heart condition, and you did, ..cocaine is a no-no. Also...if you're married, like you were, John...a hooker is also no-no. What is it about these people that more than enough is never enough? No is never no to some rock stars.... You paid the ultimate price for your no-no's, John. How do you afford your rock n' roll lifestyle?
Pete Townshend(my former pen pal) is a pederast, stupid cunt, and Roger Daltrey is a really bad actor...and the only reason they go on tour is to flesh out the bank accounts. The best rhythm section that ever graced this earth has died of stupid excess..which is what we punks/rockers/alternadudes always accused metal bands of. Hey, their hair was stupid, their clothes were stupid, their music was arguably stupid...I guess THEY must be stupid. I guess I should have hitched my star to metal, instead. They were stupid like foxes, and they laughed all the way to the bank. And still walk the earth. And have reunion concerts. If they die, it's in car accidents, or they just come back to torment on "Behind the Music"
As a rhythm section, Entwistle and Moon were fluid and melodic and dynamic and elemental, in a way that hadn't been heard before, in a way that made asshole jazz fucks sit up and take notice, and in a way that I'm not hearing now, anywhere...though jesus christ, I sure as fuck am straining to hear it (Which is NOT to say that I don't like new music, in fact, I prefer it. Complicated doesn't mean good). It wasn't about awesome schooled chops, at least in Moon's case...it was about turning yourself inside out in front of an audience every night. That's the only way to do it...INSIDE OUT. Watch an Iggy Pop show...the guy is pushing 60 HARD...and every night...he leaves an appendix or upper intestine on stage, I'm sure.
My heroes always let me down, big time. Serves me right, I guess, for even having them . If I die stuffed full of coke...it's no big deal...I'm nobody. I expect my heroes to be different. Or, at least not dead about 25 or 30 years before they should be. THEY were talented, THEY were cool...their long slide into non-coolness got interrupted, I guess.
Don't even get me started on Keith Moon. Or Kurt Cobain.
posted by April at 10:29 AM
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