My request is that the band perform some of their great songs, not duds like "Squeeze Box." But if they insist, they really should have Janet Jackson or Justin Timberlake come out and play an accordion solo on that one.
So what tunes will The Who (Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and backup) be playing at Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show?
My request is that the band perform some of their great songs, not duds like "Squeeze Box." But if they insist, they really should have Janet Jackson or Justin Timberlake come out and play an accordion solo on that one.
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Since young people (and former teen stars) are in the news lately, and censorship
always is, how about this quote, referring to putting parental warning stickers on music packaging: "By teaching correct principles, wise decisions will follow. Please support freedom of expression by opposing record labeling." --Donny Osmond (1990) After weeks of reading here and there that teen sensation Taylor Swift (who has since turned 20) can't cut it in a live performance, I felt compelled to investigate.
Found the video of Swift at the Grammys on Sunday, where she does her own "Today Was a Fairytale" with a vocal that was clearly off the mark, and then brings Stevie Nicks out to duet on "Rhiannon." And Swift killed it. No, I don't mean as in knockin' them dead. It was absolutely dreadful. As some of Swift's apologists have noted, "Rhiannon" is a song not written for her. But since she was out of key on the previous song, too, I just have to cringe. Disappointing performances do happen. When the Rolling Stones made a solid comeback in 1978 and were hot again with Some Girls, eveyone was stoked about seeing them on "Saturday Night Live." But that night, Mick Jagger had no voice. They had either been rehearsing too much, or maybe they were just being the Stones too much in the week leading up to the telecast. It was one sad night for me (wow, I was only in my 20s then) while the band, obviously, rebounded. However, I've been reading these kind of horror stories about Taylor Swift for weeks, and I finally got to hear one. Her records are fun and even excellent, but how is the fallout from the live show going to affect what she does next? Usually a young musician has a few hurdles to overcome: perhaps their music is overly verbose, or simplistic, or just a show and not the personal statement that our best artists and bands--those with longevity--eventually acquire. Unfortunately, I don't see how someone who can't stay on-key can evolve into a better singer technically. Here's hoping. My favorite Bob Lefsetz Newsletter email of recent vintage was the one he titled "Broken Arrow," where Neil Young was honored by the MusiCares organization and his peers.
I'm still searching for videos of the songs in question to see if his critique is valid. Lefsetz says that too many of the performers depended upon the onstage teleprompter to get the lyrics right, and the Neil Young songs they did lost their edge because of that. And I believe him at this point--all you have to do is remember some of the fumbling around that hurt the Bruce Springsteen cover versions set from December's Kennedy Center Honors (which honored Springsteen, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry, Mel Brooks and Robert DeNiro). Can't wait to catch the vid of Wilco doing "Mr. Soul," where the teleprompter wasn't even on and the band roared through an inspired take of Neil's Buffalo Springfield classic, according to Lefsetz. Indeed, it's baffling that so many of the musicians may not have learned the song they were scheduled to perform. Does that mean that they're in their own world just a bit too much? It's worth finding out. I loved Nick Lowe's comments from a couple of years ago, where he said that even if he were a prolific songwriter (and by his own admission, he is not), he would still do a cover version or two on his albums. Lowe suggested that someone who only does their own music may be a little too wrapped up in themselves. Whether you're paying tribute to Neil Young or Joe Schmoe, you ought to play their song from deep within. |
The J2 Blog J.J. Syrja (born in Detroit, 1955) is a journalist and radio broadcaster. The son of an electrician and a teacher, he has written for Goldmine magazine,
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April 2024
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