...as opposed to Keanu Reeves , in one of those stupid movies featuring a character called John Wick...
...and a gorgeous studio version of his (the popstar, not the movie character's) song "Her Stars are My Stars."
Attentive readers will recall that I have been a fan of John since his days in The Records (who I saw in person on several occasions, including on the fabulous Live Stiffs tour where they were essentially the house back up band.)
In fact, my old colleagues The Floor Models covered John's classic "Hearts in Her Eyes" as part of our club shows...
...so often that everybody in Greenwich Village thought we actually wrote it. But that's another story.
In any event, I got to meet John in 1995, at a record release party for this album...
...which featured the above "Her Stars are My Stars." Where he and his then band did an absolutely transcendently great set. A genuine thrill on a million levels.
After his performance was over, I screwed up my courage, and went over and introduced myself.
And to my utter amazement, he went "Steve Simels? You're the guy who wrote a very nice review of Smashes Crashes and Near Misses...
...in Stereo Review in 1988. Thank you so much."
To quote Cristina Applegate on Married With Children -- you could have knocked me over with the weather.
In the meantime, you can -- and definitely should -- order a copy of For the Record, the new tribute to John's stuff that I raved about yesterday...
...over at Kool Kat Musik HERE.
Have a great weekend, everybody!!!
1 comment:
Until Mike Mettler took over the music at Sound & Vision there was a huge hole left when Steve no longer submitted music reviews. Atter Lester Bangs (i.e. some hate lots of love) I never found a rock music journalist I could connect to save Steve. And you know what I found his dry wit and brit invasion connections the strongest ties I've ever experienced in reading about music I could love. That puts him ahead of Bangs in many ways for me. I do like Mike Mettler more than not and even if he digs stuff I'll not actually connect to I think at least they do have a very viable voice in rock music so many years later. Still, Simels was the best rock journalist I've ever read. I often wished he had more ink because I know any pub limits what can actually make it to print. So, I finally get to The Records. What can I say? They are for me the most underated fantastic band I've ever listened to and I can thank Steve for it. I was a avid listener of progressive rock on the only game in B'ham alabama and that station, to the best of my knowledge, didn't play The Records. Like The La's many years later I can thank Steve for some truly wonderful pop nirvana that I still visit regularly today.
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