The Racket Friday FAQ: Volume 2
It's Friday, and you know what that means, right? It's time for another installment of the superfabulous Racket Friday FAQ! If you like to drink some soda, let me hear you say "Coca-Cola!" Coca-Cola! Throw your hands in the air! And waive 'em like you just don't care! And if y'all like to party like we like to party, everybody say "Oh yeah!" Oh yeah! Etc., and so on.
Before we get started, I have to give a shout out to the folks at the Village Voice for linking to my humble, little blog this week. The page has since been updated, but I did have my moment in the sun: They put my link right next to "Savage Love"! Hey now.
To the e-mailbag:
Q: It's "Eleanor" Rigby. Not "Elenor."
A: Right. Yes. But not a question.
Q: Okay, here's my big problem with you: In your entry about Bright Eyes, you call out Conor Oberst for having corny-ass lyrics. But then you turn around and write corny-ass stuff, too! Like this, for example:
Lying in the dark with only my insomnia to keep me company, I had to laugh a little at the irony: "Off to Never Never Land…" The next thing I remember hearing was a lawn mower and some birds. It was morning.
Give me a break! That's some terrible writing. Hello, Pot? This is kettle: You're black.
A: Whee! That pot-kettle thing is good times.
So, yeah, that's a semi-legitimate question. I suppose I got a little lazy there. What I should have written was that after that incident, my insomnia was gone. Poof. Just like that. But here's the thing: Unlike Conor, I'm not making you pay to read (hear) my stuff, right? You're getting all this word-y goodness for free.
Q: That whole story about Elton: You seemed really obsessed with how attractive he was. Was he really that good looking? What did he look like?
A: He looked a little like this and a little like this. Only taller and wee bit more greasy.
Q: You say in your profile that you're an editor. So why don't you use some of those skills on your own stuff? You have a tendency to go on and on and on.
A: Damn, bra. That's cold. But you know what they say: Opinions are like assholes…HAW HAW HAW!
Q: Okay, I have a question about music: What's up with Pearl Jam?
A: Finally! Well, what's up with them is that they were an insanely popular band that made a TON of cash in the early to mid-1990s and didn't know how to deal with the resulting popularity, had a lead singer who was arrogant, never managed to make a better album than their first, formed a ton of side projects, released a zillion live albums that are only interesting to hard-core fans, and have faded away. Here's a quote that sums up how supremely ridiculous Eddie Vedder was:
I think I threw a wine bottle at a mirror [in the dressing room at Carnegie Hall] and it exploded. At some point I cut my hand and started writing "I hope I die before I get old" in blood. Which was really good. We got a bill from Carnegie Hall for $25,000. It was maybe two grand, tops—like, a mirror and a paint job and a couple of lightbulbs. We talked them down. They also said they'd never have rock'n'roll bands in [Carnegie Hall] again. Which is only right.
Rawk! Like, here's a bridge, dude. Get over yourself. (Haw!)
I can't front: I rocked the flannel and Doc Martens boots in high school. I bought Pearl Jam records, as well as Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Alice in Chains, and Mother Love Bone. I kvelled when I saw Singles. I still like some of the music of that time. But like every trend, this one was already on the way out by the time it reached my little town. So come early 1994, we poured one out for our Seattle homies and moved on to the Next Big Thing.
Ultimately, it's the Eminem Syndrome, right? Once you start to bank at that level, singing or rapping about injustice, poverty, politics, or how hard it is to be a rich, famous musician doesn't appeal much to your original fan base, does it? You can't be surprised that once you get mega-popular, suddenly your fans are no longer a tight, exclusive group. Now, they're people who shop at Wal-Mart and live in Anytown, USA; who drive minivans; whose song is "Last Kiss," who played "Black" at their wedding. I can totally understand how Pearl Jam freaked out when they became a commodity, given that, by all accounts, they hoped to be canonized alongside Nirvana. Their fans are called "Jammers," for the love of Pete, which makes me want to throw up a little in my mouth because that's even worse than Mariah Carey's Lambs.
Look, the only people who came out of the grunge era relatively unscathed are Dave Grohl and Marc Jacobs. Yes, Marc Jacobs. Who knew that he'd bounce back from that embarrassing (though he considers it his favorite) Perry Ellis "grunge" collection? It was the death rattle of grunge—AND it got him fired. But look at him now: Not only are his two personal collections consistently creative and beautiful (not to mention highly coveted by yours truly), but he also has his über-deal with Louis Vuitton. Marc Jacobs is a roller. Same goes for Dave Grohl: I don't think anyone can say that his relevance as a musician has dwindled over the years. He's a successful rock star with tons of talent, a commercially successful band that isn't corny or formulaic, and huge respect in the music world. If anything, his popularity has only increased since the Nirvana days.
In sum, of the successful musical acts of that time, it's not that Pearl Jam are like Kris Kross, or anything, but I think their ship has definitely sailed. At this point, they might consider taking it all the way to the bank and staying put.
Q: U want 2 make her scream with yr HuGe mity c0ck??
A: Yes. Absolutely.
Before we get started, I have to give a shout out to the folks at the Village Voice for linking to my humble, little blog this week. The page has since been updated, but I did have my moment in the sun: They put my link right next to "Savage Love"! Hey now.
To the e-mailbag:
Q: It's "Eleanor" Rigby. Not "Elenor."
A: Right. Yes. But not a question.
Q: Okay, here's my big problem with you: In your entry about Bright Eyes, you call out Conor Oberst for having corny-ass lyrics. But then you turn around and write corny-ass stuff, too! Like this, for example:
Lying in the dark with only my insomnia to keep me company, I had to laugh a little at the irony: "Off to Never Never Land…" The next thing I remember hearing was a lawn mower and some birds. It was morning.
Give me a break! That's some terrible writing. Hello, Pot? This is kettle: You're black.
A: Whee! That pot-kettle thing is good times.
So, yeah, that's a semi-legitimate question. I suppose I got a little lazy there. What I should have written was that after that incident, my insomnia was gone. Poof. Just like that. But here's the thing: Unlike Conor, I'm not making you pay to read (hear) my stuff, right? You're getting all this word-y goodness for free.
Q: That whole story about Elton: You seemed really obsessed with how attractive he was. Was he really that good looking? What did he look like?
A: He looked a little like this and a little like this. Only taller and wee bit more greasy.
Q: You say in your profile that you're an editor. So why don't you use some of those skills on your own stuff? You have a tendency to go on and on and on.
A: Damn, bra. That's cold. But you know what they say: Opinions are like assholes…HAW HAW HAW!
Q: Okay, I have a question about music: What's up with Pearl Jam?
A: Finally! Well, what's up with them is that they were an insanely popular band that made a TON of cash in the early to mid-1990s and didn't know how to deal with the resulting popularity, had a lead singer who was arrogant, never managed to make a better album than their first, formed a ton of side projects, released a zillion live albums that are only interesting to hard-core fans, and have faded away. Here's a quote that sums up how supremely ridiculous Eddie Vedder was:
I think I threw a wine bottle at a mirror [in the dressing room at Carnegie Hall] and it exploded. At some point I cut my hand and started writing "I hope I die before I get old" in blood. Which was really good. We got a bill from Carnegie Hall for $25,000. It was maybe two grand, tops—like, a mirror and a paint job and a couple of lightbulbs. We talked them down. They also said they'd never have rock'n'roll bands in [Carnegie Hall] again. Which is only right.
Rawk! Like, here's a bridge, dude. Get over yourself. (Haw!)
I can't front: I rocked the flannel and Doc Martens boots in high school. I bought Pearl Jam records, as well as Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Alice in Chains, and Mother Love Bone. I kvelled when I saw Singles. I still like some of the music of that time. But like every trend, this one was already on the way out by the time it reached my little town. So come early 1994, we poured one out for our Seattle homies and moved on to the Next Big Thing.
Ultimately, it's the Eminem Syndrome, right? Once you start to bank at that level, singing or rapping about injustice, poverty, politics, or how hard it is to be a rich, famous musician doesn't appeal much to your original fan base, does it? You can't be surprised that once you get mega-popular, suddenly your fans are no longer a tight, exclusive group. Now, they're people who shop at Wal-Mart and live in Anytown, USA; who drive minivans; whose song is "Last Kiss," who played "Black" at their wedding. I can totally understand how Pearl Jam freaked out when they became a commodity, given that, by all accounts, they hoped to be canonized alongside Nirvana. Their fans are called "Jammers," for the love of Pete, which makes me want to throw up a little in my mouth because that's even worse than Mariah Carey's Lambs.
Look, the only people who came out of the grunge era relatively unscathed are Dave Grohl and Marc Jacobs. Yes, Marc Jacobs. Who knew that he'd bounce back from that embarrassing (though he considers it his favorite) Perry Ellis "grunge" collection? It was the death rattle of grunge—AND it got him fired. But look at him now: Not only are his two personal collections consistently creative and beautiful (not to mention highly coveted by yours truly), but he also has his über-deal with Louis Vuitton. Marc Jacobs is a roller. Same goes for Dave Grohl: I don't think anyone can say that his relevance as a musician has dwindled over the years. He's a successful rock star with tons of talent, a commercially successful band that isn't corny or formulaic, and huge respect in the music world. If anything, his popularity has only increased since the Nirvana days.
In sum, of the successful musical acts of that time, it's not that Pearl Jam are like Kris Kross, or anything, but I think their ship has definitely sailed. At this point, they might consider taking it all the way to the bank and staying put.
Q: U want 2 make her scream with yr HuGe mity c0ck??
A: Yes. Absolutely.
posted by Iseult at 11:50 AM
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