RiffRaf

I Want My MTV

                                    

MTV helped catapult the careers of Madonna and Michael Jackson. But it also ended those of many established artists who were unable to groove with the alternating rhythm of the times.

In their recent book, I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution, journalists Craig Marks an Rob Tannenbaum have compiled an oral history that reflects the power MTV had in making or breaking artists in the early 80's.

For those artists/bands who embraced the music industry's new medium - Madonna, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, ZZ Top, and Def Leppard for instance - MTV enabled them to reach an audience they would never have reached with vinyl records alone, turning them into international stars. According to J. Freedom duLac at The Washington Post, "Record sales doubled during the first decade of MTV’s existence, although the advent of the CD had something to do with it."

Some artists/groups simply refused to make videos, and then there were those established musicians like Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Rick James and Billy Squier who tried and failed. To their credit, they at least recognized how quickly music videos had become a vital part of the business. Image had become a crucial component of the rock and roll equation. Unfortunately, their music didn't quite translate as well on television.

In Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark," the singer asks a girl in the audience (Courtney Cox) to join him on stage. They dance like two dorks at a middle school dance, while the band plays on. In Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl," Billy, dressed as a car mechanic, dances around a garage, while holding a crescent wrench. Rick James' "Superfreak" is downright cheesy; and then there is Billy Squier's "Rock Me Tonite." A video that takes Rick James' cheese to unreachable heights. It's most likely the worst video ever made. Whereas Springsteen, Joel and James were able to rebound, poor Billy Squier's career went down in a ball of flames.

Billy Squier was a hard-rock superstar before he released the "Rock Me Tonite" video in 1984. The video is riddled with cliches that succeed in tarnishing the hard rocker's image: Squier skips around his bedroom, grinds on the floor, rips off his pink t-shirt, then falls back onto his bed. The singer blames the video, which was directed and choreographed by Kenny Ortega, for his career's demise.

Marks and Tannenbaum dedicate an entire chapter to the Billy Squier debacle. The authors interviewed over 400 people - artists, managers, filmmakers, record company executives and MTV employees - and none could agree on the best video, but all agreed that "Rock Me Tonite" was the worst. Squier has said:

       The video misrepresents who I am as an artist. I was a good-looking, sexy guy. That certainly didn't hurt in         selling records. But in this video I'm sort of pretty boy. And I'm preening around a room. People said "He's         gay." Or "He's on drugs." It was traumatizing to me. I mean, I had nothing against gays. I have a lot of gay         friends. But like it or not, it was more of a sticky point then.

Take a look for yourself and you decide if it's the worst music video ever made.

                  

Ten Things About Adam Horovitz

             
He's the king - Ad-Rock, that is. So much has been written about his royal highness, but he's still just a kid from Manhattan.

Here are some things you might not know about Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz.

10. Adam's father is playwright Israel Horovitz.

9. Adam suffers from epilepsy.

8. Adam and the Beastie Boys opened for Madonna on her "Like a Virgin" tour.

7. Adam shares a birthday with Vanilla Ice (Halloween).

6. His punk band The Young and The Useless used to open for the Beastie Boys.

5. Adam plays guitar for the Beastie Boys, but he can also play drums, keyboards and bass.

4. He remixes numerous tracks for other artists under the alias 41 Small Stars.

3. He is married to Riot Grrrl artist Kathleen Hanna.   

2. Adam was involved in releasing experimental music with Amery Smith as a member of the "BS2000" project.

1. Adam has acted in such films as: "Lost Angels," "Roadside Prophets," and "Godspeed."

Great Band in the Sky (2011) Pt. II

Here are four more musicians who are now gigging with the Great Big Band in the Sky.

Gerry Rafferty (4/16/47 - 1/4/11)

Rafferty fronted the Scottish band Stealers Wheel whose classic tune "Stuck In The Middle With You" is the soundtrack to Michael Madsen's "eerie" scene in Quentin Tarrantino's Reservoir Dogs. In 1978 Rafferty released his solo record City to City, which spawned the pop hit "Baker Street."

 

Joseph William "Pinetop" Perkins (7/7/13 - 3/21/11)

Perkins was a boogie-woogie piano player who played with Muddy Waters and countless other blues musicians throughout his lengthy career. Perkins released his first solo album when he was 75 and recorded over a dozen by the time he passed away last March. 

Jani Lane (2/1/64 - 8/11/11)

Lane fronted the hair metal band Warrant in the late 80's. He wrote and sang on all of their hits: "Cherry Pie," "Down Boys" and "Heaven." By the early 90's, the hair metal era had run its course and Lane left the group. He reunited with Warrant a couple of times but left for good after their 2008 tour. 

Heavy D (5/24/67 - 11/8/11)

Heavy D combined R&B with hip-hop. In music, he'll be remembered for four tunes: "Mr. Big Stuff," "Now That We Found Love," "Is It Good To You" and the theme song to In Loving Color. On the big screen, he can be seen in Cider House Rules and Tower Heist.

 

Great Band in the Sky (2011) Pt. I

It's not a year end list that I look forward to compiling, but I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge some notable musicians who have passed away this year. Riffraf has blogged about a few throughout the year - Amy Winehouse, Jerry Leiber, Don Kirshner, Hubert Sumlin, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Nick Ashford, and Clarence Clemons - so in this post we'll take a look at four we overlooked. Tomorrow, we'll take a look at a few more.

Gil Scott Heron (4/1/49 - 5/27/11)

Heron will be remembered for "The Revolution Will Not be Televised," but perhaps his greatest contribution is the cumulation of spoken-word poems that helped pioneer hip-hop.

Gary Moore (4/4/52 - 2/6/11)

Moore played with Thin Lizzy, but the guitar virtuoso never really found the spotlight on his own. His solo records, however, have influenced generations of guitarists, including Kirk Hammett of Metallica. 

 

Mike Starr (4/4/66 - 3/8/11)

Starr was the original bassist in Alice in Chains whose battle with drug addiction eventually led to his departure from the band in 1993. Later, he appeared on Celebrity Rehab, but ultimately was unable to conquer his demons. 

Dobie Gray (6/26/40 - 12/6/11)

Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" was a huge hit in 1973. He had a handful of minor hits throughout his forty year career, but the singer claimed that he could have been more "popular had the music industry known how to market a black man performing country music."

Arrested Development's "Tennessee"

                      

I've been dating myself lately, writing about 90's groups as diverse as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Lemonheads, the Stone Roses, Jane's Addiction, Soup Dragons, and Digable Planets. What can I say? I'm Old School. Do I need to defend myself? I'll just let the music speak for itself.

Next up...Arrested Development.

The group's debut album, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life of... is a reference to the amount of time it took Arrested Development to secure a record contract. The band fused funk, blues, soul and hip hop to create one of the most compelling records of 1992, which sold over four million copies.

3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life of... spawned three successful singles: "People Everyday" (a reworking of Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People"), "Mr. Wendal" and the elegant "Tennessee," a highly spiritual song that cracked the Top Ten.

Speech wrote "Tennessee" after having lost his brother and grandmother in a short period of time. The song  samples Prince's "Alphabet Street," but it was not cleared ahead of time. Prince's savvy lawyers waited until sales rose before charging Arrested Development $100,000 for the use of the sample.

Regardless of the controversy surrounding the song, "Tennessee" is still tops.

                   

Digable Planets' "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)"

               

Jack Kerouac. Allen Ginsberg. Neal Cassady. Digable Planets?

Released in 1993 on the album Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space), the super smooth "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" sounds like it came straight out of a Beat Happening: the trio -Butterfly, Ladybug and Doodlebug - inhabits a small stage in a smoke-filled dark tavern, positioning themselves in front of a four-piece jazz ensemble, while Jack Kerouac orders a beer, Allen Ginsberg jots something down in his moleskin and Neal Cassady chats up a waitress.

Although Digable Planets wasn't the first group to blend the spoken word and jazz, "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" might have been the first to enter the mainstream, becoming a Top 20 hit. When I first heard the record I thought hip hop was heading in a new and exciting direction, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

In "Rebirth of Slick," the drummer puts down a funky groove, the bass player's running bass line is highlighted by a catchy horn riff and then all three hip hop hipsters take turns rapping...

Our funk zooms like you hit the Mary Jane
They flock to booms man boogie had to change
Who freaks the clips with mad amount percussion
Where kinky hair goes to unthought-of dimensions 

Can you recommend other hip hop acts that have fused the spoken word with jazz?

                 

11 Songs About 9/11 (Pt. II)

In the final installment of my eleven songs about 9/11, I offer five more. I'd really like to hear what your favorite "9/11 songs" are, so drop me a note in the comment box.

Once again this post is dedicated to Lou Caporicci, one of the funniest people I've ever known.

5. "I Can't See New York " by Tori Amos

Only Tori can turn one of the most disastrous days in American history into a sensual love song: "But I can't see New York as I'm circling down through white cloud, falling out and I know his lips are warm 
but I can't seem to find my way out, my way out I can't see."

4."Hole in the World" by The Eagles

The lyrics are syrupy but at least Glen Frey and Don Henley tried: "Oh they tell me there's a place over yonder, cool water running through the burning sand, until we learn to love one another we never reach the promise land."

3. "Jesus Etc." by Wilco

This song isn't a "9/11 song," but Jeff Tweedy's lyrics apply to that fateful day: "Tall buildings shake/ Voices escape singing sad sad songs/ Tuned to chords strung down your cheeks/ Bitter melodies turning your orbit around."

2. "Empire State of Mind" by Jay Z and Alicia Keys

I'm not sure if this constitutes as a "9/11" song but it is the new "New York, New York" in which Jay Z plays the role of Frank Sinatra and Alicia Keys is...well, uhm Liza Minelli?

1. "Lonesome Day" by Bruce Springsteen

Even though The Boss is writing about the September 11th attacks, he is also musing about the human condition: "Better ask questions before you shoot/ Deceit and betrayal's bitter fruit/ It's hard to swallow come time to pay/ That taste on your tongue don't easily slip away/ Let kingdom come/ I'm gonna find my way/ Through this lonesome day."

Fifteen Songs About Revolution (Pt. II)

While I continue to list my favorite fifteen songs of civil unrest, rebellion and protest, I'd like to hear from you, so please leave a comment, sharing your favorite political songs.

10. "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy

Fight the Power was first released on the soundtrack to Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989). Chuck D, Flavor Flav and crew frightened the hell out of white America. The song's unfavorable lyrics about Elvis Presley and John Wayne caused quite a stir: "Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant shit to me' / Straight up, racist the sucker was / Simple and plain."

Chuck D identifies Elvis Presley with racism; Elvis' success was attributed to his being white, while commercial success was denied to his African-American contemporaries. The "John Wayne" line refers to his racist remarks in a 1971 interview with Playboy. 

9. "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield

Stephen Stills wrote For What It's Worth about the riot on the Sunset Strip in November 1966 after a stringent 10:00pm curfew was enforced. One thousand demonstrators, including such celebrities as Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda, erupted in protest against the perceived repressive enforcement of these recently invoked curfew laws.

Incidentally, For What It's Worth was sampled by Public Enemy on the song, He Got Game.

8. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2

"This is not a rebel song. This is Sunday Bloody Sunday." Back in 1983, this is how Bono introduced one of U2's most political songs. The Edge and Bono wrote Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2's signature song - about an incident in Northern Ireland's Derry where British troops killed unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders. 

7. "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who

Although Won't Get Fooled Again deals with the hope surrounding revolution - "I tip my hat to the new constitution/Take a bow for the new revolution" – Pete Townshend's lyrics are overtly cynical: "Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss."

In 2006, Townshend stated that, "It is not precisely a song that decries revolution – it suggests that we will indeed fight in the streets – but that revolution, like all action, can have results we cannot predict. Don't expect to see what you expect to see. Expect nothing and you might gain everything...." 

6. "Police and Thieves" by The Clash

Written and recorded by Junior Murvin in a traditional reggae style in 1976, a year later The Clash punked it up for their debut album. The band loved jamming to Police and Thieves, but they didn't have plans to record the song until an impromptu version they started playing during a break encouraged them to finalize an arrangement and record it. 

Fifteen Songs About Revolution (Pt. I)

In the wake of the London riots, I've been thinking about my favorite songs that deal with civil unrest and rebellion. 

But before I list my top fifteen here are a bunch of songs that deserve an honorable mention: any song by Rage Against the Machine, "In the Ghetto," "Democracy," "War Pigs," "Fortunate Son," "Born in the USA," "American Idiot," "The Man in Black," "Ball of Confusion," & "God Save the Queen."

15. "The Revolution Will Not be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron

Gil Scott-Heron recently passed away, but his 1971 poem/song has immortalized him. "The Revolution Will Not be Televised" is reminiscent of the Beat poets, particularly Allen Ginsberg and his poem "Howl" as well as Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues." Often considered a pioneer of hip hop, Heron's classic spoken-word masterpiece is humorous yet critical of Richard Nixon's America. 

14. "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

Neil Young wrote the lyrics to "Ohio" after seeing photographs of the Kent State tragedy in Life Magazine. In the liner notes on Young's album Decade, he believed the incident was "probably the biggest lesson ever learned at an American place of learning."

13. "Anarchy in the U.K." by the Sex Pistols

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The disenfranchised youth of today's England bears a striking resemblance to the embittered youth of the late 70's. The Sex Pistols manager, Malcolm McLaren, considered the song "a call to arms to the kids who believe that rock and roll was taken away from them. It's a statement of self-rule, of ultimate independence." 

12. "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley and the Wailers

I could have chosen a number of Bob Marley songs - "Buffalo Soldiers" and "Get Up Stand Up" for instance - but I selected "Redemption Song" for its the beautiful simplicity. Written at the time of Marley's diagnosis with cancer, the legendary singer urges us to awaken against tyranny and defend our freedom.

    "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery/None but ourselves can free our minds/Have no fear for     atomic energy/'Cause none of them can stop the time."

11. "Masters of War" by Bob Dylan

As with Bob Marley, I could have chosen a number of Bob Dylan songs - "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," "Blowin' in the Wind" or "The Times They Are A-Changin'" for instance - but I selected Dylan's acerbic "Masters of War" because it drips with anguish and rage. In the album's liner notes, Dylan stated, "I don't sing songs which hope people will die, but I couldn't help it in this one." Dylan's lyrics are a protest against the Cold War arms race with the Soviet Union of the early 1960s:

    "And I hope that you die/And your death'll come soon/I will follow your casket/In the pale     afternoon/And I'll watch while you're lowered/Down to your deathbed/And I'll stand over your     grave/'Til I'm sure that you're dead."

21 Great New York Bands (Pt. III)

While I was compiling the list of 21 Great New York Bands, I decided to keep the emphasis on the word "band." There is a distinction between a "band" and an "act" or "group." When I think of a band, I think of guitar, bass and drums. Then how do I explain Run-DMC making my list? I don't have a clear cut answer, but I think of Run-DMC as a band in every sense of the word.

Even though Patti Smith is essentially a solo artist, she got her start working with guitarist Lenny Kaye and the two musicians formed a band, so that's why she's on the list. Therefore, such notable acts as Simon and Garfunkel and Lady Gaga have been left off.

Other popular bands such as Suicide, T.V. on the Radio, MGMT and Animal Collective didn't make the list simply because I didn't want to include bands when I wasn't too familiar with their music. Local favorites have also been shunned. Milo Z and the Fleshtones have been left off but they are certainly not dismissed.

Here are the top seven bands from New York.

7. Blondie

Blondie, founded by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, pioneered the New Wave and Punk scene. The band emerged from New York's underground with the release of their 1978 album, Parallel Lines. 

In 1997, Blondie reformed and in 2006 they entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their most recent album, Panic of Girls, was released in May 2011.

6. Run-DMC

 

Hailing from Hollis, Queens, Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell formed one of the most influential groups in music history, Run–D.M.C. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked them #48 in their list of the greatest musical artists of all-time.

Allmusic.com's Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that, "...More than any other hip-hop group, Run-D.M.C. are responsible for the sound and style of the [hip-hop] music."  Run-DMC's sound transformed rap music from dance-and club-oriented funk grooves to a more aggressive, sparse and gritty sound.  

5. KISS

I don't know one guy between the ages of 30-50 who doesn't like KISS. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is pretty much a joke, but Peter, Paul, Gene and Ace should have been inducted a long time ago.

4. Talking Heads

 

Formed in 1974 in New York City, David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth played their first gig, opening up for the Ramones at CBGB in 1975. 

Ever since their humble beginnings on the Lower East Side, the Talking Heads have received critical acclaim and even managed to break into the pop charts on several occasions. They combined diverse elements from a disparate array of musical genres: punk, pop, funk, world music, avant-garde, art rock and Americana. 

3. Sonic Youth

 

Sonic Youth are the architects of so many movements, the band is a movement in and of itself: the No Wave scene in New York City in the early 80's, the noise rock and hardcore movements and the alternative and indie scenes. What else is there left to conquer?

2. Ramones

 

Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy gave hope to anyone who ever picked up an instrument. The Ramones created a sound and style that goes unparalleled. CBGB's might be gone, but the Ramones will live forever. 

1. Velvet Underground

The Velvets are the quintessential New York band. Lou Reed still lives in NYC, and recently I had the privilege of sitting behind him at the Landmark Sunshine Movie Theatre on Houston Street.

The Velvets are the architects of punk, alternative, noise rock and grunge.

As of June 15, 2011, Metallica announced that they have collaborated on a full-length album with Lou Reed.  I wonder what Lester Bangs would have thought about this collaboration!

Rock on, Lou!