tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post7141407193347297700..comments2024-03-28T14:41:03.787-04:00Comments on PowerPop: Weekend Listomania (Special A Mighty Wind Edition)NYMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863355110457910935noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-15895242795607892722009-10-19T11:23:14.612-04:002009-10-19T11:23:14.612-04:00About three years ago I interviewed a fairly sucky...About three years ago I interviewed a fairly sucky band for a print mag. They had had not a lot of success at that point, but somehow had absorbed all of the cockiness of 70s megastars. They broke up not long after the piece ran. They were called "Mon Frere" and as they petulantly explained to me, it's pronounced <b>MON</b> Frere. http://bit.ly/sjzadAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-88686706094033559432009-10-18T02:20:12.676-04:002009-10-18T02:20:12.676-04:00You know, I'd always heard that Sting was an i...You know, I'd always heard that Sting was an insufferable asshole, but when I saw the Police on Elvis Costello's Spectacle series, I was astonished by what a gigantic douche Stewart Copeland was. (Who'd have thought that Sting was only the second-most assholish guy in the Police?)Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13372496375739714441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-9968476814391991742009-10-17T18:58:49.707-04:002009-10-17T18:58:49.707-04:00But hey, West End Girls was not a bad song.But hey, West End Girls was not a bad song.Selwyn Hollishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15966095248943891163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-17295223922598289452009-10-17T10:24:18.156-04:002009-10-17T10:24:18.156-04:00Re: Steven Tyler; It may be true that he's bee...Re: Steven Tyler; It may be true that he's been an asshole, but I once encountered him on a rainy Sunday morning heading east down 8th Street and he was gracious as could be. When I told him my first concert was Aerosmith at MSG in 1976, he said, "And it totally blew your fucking mind, right?? He shook my hand, and it made my morning.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04378528518778247285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-91567021403301220662009-10-16T22:14:31.326-04:002009-10-16T22:14:31.326-04:00David Thomas once had what seemed a major breakdow...David Thomas once had what seemed a major breakdown at an in-store performance I worked, because the CD being promoted was playing when he entered. He recovered during performance ("There! I'm normal again.") and apologized afterward. He was so lovely by then I easily forgave him. Likewise, every Pere Ubu performance I've seen, he starts off tense, fussing about the sound usually, but he loosens up and gets over it.<br /><br />For small audience/ginormous ego factor, though, you can't beat some classical artists. Madonna at least earned her right to be an asshole.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-53816067293616574142009-10-16T21:33:05.147-04:002009-10-16T21:33:05.147-04:00steve simels said...
Unless it's somebody I ...<i>steve simels said... <br /><br />Unless it's somebody I used to work with...:-)</i><br /><br /><br />See? I said you knew who it was!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-83119891963110850912009-10-16T20:35:01.610-04:002009-10-16T20:35:01.610-04:00Hey, ALL of my heroes have always been assholes, o...Hey, ALL of my heroes have always been assholes, or at least for a time! (Miles, Mingus, John Lennon, Bobby Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Howlin' Wolf, Neil Young, and the list do indeed go on...)<br /><br /> Louis Reed was a real cheese-headed dick when I encountered him at an author event 'bout a decade ago. Alice Cooper screwed some old friends of mine out of some songwriter royalties. David Thomas was really horrible to the staff of a local club before a Rocket From The Tombs reunion show. And Chubby Checker was a colossal penis when I interviewed him 'bout 15 years ago.<br /><br /> NICE musicians that I've encountered, however briefly? Ray Davies, Richard Thompson, Joe Ely, Alejandro Escovedo, Levon Helm, and saints Joe Strummer and Joey Ramone. RIP.<br /> - bill bucknerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-53230283332095115792009-10-16T20:25:31.371-04:002009-10-16T20:25:31.371-04:00Miles Davis, James Brown, Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, N...Miles Davis, James Brown, Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, Neil Tennant... Thank God for the assholes is all I gotta say.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-17164111533300473532009-10-16T18:49:02.757-04:002009-10-16T18:49:02.757-04:00Garth Brooks drives me up the wall -- he has retir...Garth Brooks drives me up the wall -- he has retired more often than Liza Minnelli -- he's the ultimate narcissist. <br /><br />I think you are right to separate the political from the asshole-quotient, Steve. Ask the (mostly young, left-wing) folks who work for Larry King or Chris Matthews whether they would rather swap them out for Pat Buchanan. They would.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03743825684303825072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-23522232952462121992009-10-16T16:43:09.472-04:002009-10-16T16:43:09.472-04:00FWIW: Folks say Stephen/Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) s...FWIW: Folks say Stephen/Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) should be high on any list of Rock Assholes...One of the good ones was Warren Zevon...Woody (Tokin Librul/Rogue Scholar/ Helluvafella!)https://www.blogger.com/profile/09205896988142798901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-86483453451391310522009-10-16T16:32:50.271-04:002009-10-16T16:32:50.271-04:00Yeah, Roger McGuinn is a sweet guy. I did a 20-min...Yeah, Roger McGuinn is a sweet guy. I did a 20-minute phone interview with him and afterwards he asked how MY music was going.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16965815258050677130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-29586835199964617672009-10-16T16:27:37.106-04:002009-10-16T16:27:37.106-04:00Can't we all just get along?Can't we all just get along?whiny asshole emo guynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-80710773393247333772009-10-16T15:26:26.714-04:002009-10-16T15:26:26.714-04:00All these assholes make me want to inject some pos...All these assholes make me want to inject some positive vibes into this thread. I haven't met many prominent rock musicians but easily the nicest one I ever met was Bill Berry, the original drummer from R.E.M. I bumped into him on Sunset Blvd. one January day back in 1986 or so, and he couldn't have been more pleasant or tolerant of my gushing fanwankery.Garyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16060437136014976663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-37748451786451881302009-10-16T14:31:57.952-04:002009-10-16T14:31:57.952-04:00good noms all, but aren't we overlooking the c...good noms all, but aren't we overlooking the crushingly obvious Thom Yorke? i mean, weeping miserably because he has to sign autographs for the punters. we should all have such problems. <br /><br />and he's not a musician, but Robert Christgau is a dreadful human beingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-28362616419476543332009-10-16T14:30:02.383-04:002009-10-16T14:30:02.383-04:00He's an institution, to be sure, but I hear Pa...He's an institution, to be sure, but I hear Paul Simon can be a nasty little piece of work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-807755478026262902009-10-16T14:28:05.965-04:002009-10-16T14:28:05.965-04:00I'd say who it is (Simels knows for sure),
I ...<i>I'd say who it is (Simels knows for sure),</i><br /><br />I actually have no idea...<br /><br />Unless it's somebody I used to work with...<br />:-)steve simelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-40224679944240212462009-10-16T14:24:46.995-04:002009-10-16T14:24:46.995-04:00Ted Nugent for sure, not just for his politics but...Ted Nugent for sure, not just for his politics but because he's a talentless hack who used hatemongering to further his career. <br /><br />But I'm giving my prize to Loudon Wainwright for personal reasons. Love the guy's music, but he once publicly embarrassed me by making me move at a small club. I mean the place was jammed so I sat on the ticket takers stool, which was off to stage right but not ALL that close and he literally stopped the show and wouldn't play until I moved because "he was freaked that I was going to rush the stage." I mean, as if he's such a effing sex magnet or something. Even the local newspaper reviewer mentioned obliquely how strange that was. <br /><br />Love his tunes, but the guy is weird as shit. Don't find him the least bit attractive - that way.Libby Spencerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01915834698802726985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-41918757911031746082009-10-16T13:58:14.224-04:002009-10-16T13:58:14.224-04:00It wasn't you, Peter. Everyone who has ever d...It wasn't you, Peter. Everyone who has ever dealt with him has the same thing to say: "Great singer, good songs, but sheesh! what an asshole." <br /><br />I'd say who it is (Simels knows for sure), but he has the annoying habit of scouring the Internet for mentions of his name, and berats anyone who speaks the truth about him. Which, now that I think about it, could be kinda fun...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-91463619422797537172009-10-16T13:43:03.295-04:002009-10-16T13:43:03.295-04:00whose winning personality in all likelihood cost h...whose winning personality in all likelihood cost him the fame and fortune his talent deserved.>>><br /><br />That's what they say about me. And they're right.<br /><br />Robertson? yeah. They call him Snobby Robbie.<br /><br />Leo Sayer? I opened for him once and he was nice to me, although he gave his band a lot of grief.<br /><br />Al Kooper.<br /><br />Steve Stills.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16965815258050677130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-32199700472602529702009-10-16T13:31:11.057-04:002009-10-16T13:31:11.057-04:00Roger Waters of Pink Floyd has an ego the size of ...Roger Waters of Pink Floyd has an ego the size of a giant floating pig, anecdotal evidence suggests.Billy Joel always rubbed me the wrong way, and I recall a friend telling me years ago about a Phil Collins concert in which Phil had the audience serenade him with "Phil, you're fucking great." Now that's an asshole.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04378528518778247285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-88087650351765252122009-10-16T13:10:09.804-04:002009-10-16T13:10:09.804-04:00I'm not up to date on Westerberg, but at this ...I'm not up to date on Westerberg, but at this point, if he's bitter and wants to cash in, I don't have a problem.<br /><br />He's already given so much to the world I can't begrudge him., frankly.steve simelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-13591042824862458012009-10-16T13:09:01.354-04:002009-10-16T13:09:01.354-04:00And the queen of them all:
Madonna.And the queen of them all:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Madonna.Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18282613112168154071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-4390376236967081172009-10-16T13:02:46.284-04:002009-10-16T13:02:46.284-04:00David Lee Roth. Those pants? TMI.
Tommy Lee. For ...David Lee Roth. Those pants? TMI.<br /><br />Tommy Lee. For Pam Anderson alone.<br /><br />Gene Simmons. Not only a flaming asshole, but dude, cut your fucking hair already. And that shoepolish black isn't fooling anyone.<br /><br />And hopefully, this time my grav will show up! :-)Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18282613112168154071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-30848551964897864552009-10-16T12:57:52.736-04:002009-10-16T12:57:52.736-04:00How could I forget Robbie Robertson?
Great guitar...How could I forget Robbie Robertson?<br /><br />Great guitarist, great songwriter, but supposed to be a complete & utter dick who treated his bandmates horribly.Gummonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-6180325359263169982009-10-16T12:32:15.926-04:002009-10-16T12:32:15.926-04:00Not indisputable, I'm sure, but I've had m...Not indisputable, I'm sure, but I've had major issues with Paul Westerberg post-<i>Tim</i>. The Mats had good reasons to boot B Stinson, but it started with that and leads up to current version of Paul with the shades, reclusiveness and shilling for pop success. Should have stood by his Bob.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com