Lady Ga Ga versus Talent

My daughter sent me a text yesterday saying that after she and a few others formed a posse to hammer the online site to attempt to gain tickets for two new shows added for Lady Ga Ga, that they were successful in their efforts and they have 4 tickets for the Sunday night show. When I read this my first thought was I would rather hear that my daughter was a crack whore living in an abandoned building in harlem. I'm just kidding...I would prefer the building to be in the village. Anyway, after listening to how excited she was, I thought to myself maybe I've been too harsh about my comments of Lady Ga Ga. Maybe there is merit there afterall. So I searched out some music clips and videos and came to this conclusion. Nope, I was right...she absolutely sucks! No offense to my daughter, she's entitled to her opinion, but I cannot be swayed on this one. Her success is akin to why we choose Coke over Pepsi. It's all about marketing and hype. No more, no less. Conditioning and brainwashing is where its at in the music business these days, and it has been this way for quite a long time. This is due to the fact that the music, or songs, cannot stand alone on their own merit. So the industry decides it has to sell their acts via videos, magazines, planted stories, ya know, all the bells and whistles. It is a shame, truly, that my daughter's generation and many like her before and currently growing up, are not exposed to music the right way. That is to say that the song is a great song simply because it is true. Let's take a quick journey into the Simon and Garfunkel catalogue. Take a song like Bridge Over Troubled Water. This song is mostly piano and vocals until near the end of the song. It is an exercise in brilliance as far as a song goes. It stands alone with Art's beautiful voice accompanied by a simple piano backup, and that's it. A great song is also timeless. I hope that nobody is listening to Ga Ga years from now, and perhaps as the saying goes, history will repeat itself and better artists, more talented writers, etc., will find their way to the forefront of the music business and its listeners. The other thing about great songs are that they sometimes even befuddle the writer. I can only site an example of the great Paul McCartney song "Yesterday." When he awoke after a night of dreaming about this song, he put the pen to the paper and wrote the song. He was convinced at that time that somewhere in the deep recess of his mind he ripped the song off from someone, or it was a melody that he already heard on the radio or somewhere. He just couldn't place it. So Paul went around playing the song for his mates and friends, asking them if it sounded familiar to them. After all of them said it was not familiar, Paul was convinced that he wrote a hit song. Where did the Beatles talent actually come from? The stars were aligned and that's all there is to it. I do not think something like that will ever happen again. And, this is not to demean the great songwriters from Pete Townshend to James Taylor, it is just that the Beatles were just beyond definition. OK, I'm losing my concentration on this blog...let me get back to what I meant to state. Ever since MTV hit the television, the generations have been sold on more than a song. They have been sold on visuals, whether it was sexy or not. And for the record, I don't mean to single out Lady Ga Ga...she's just the flavor of the year for now. When I write about her, her name is a euphomysim for herself, Britney Spears, and all the other shitty performers, including most rap artists, who parade as serious musicians and performers. Can some of them dance? Yes. Can some of them sing? Not really. Do they have great songs? No. Sorry, but maybe its about time the truth be told. So the masses who disagree can say this is simply my opinion and that I don't speak for everyone. My answer is simply what I wrote in my first blog, I don't give a shit what anyone thinks about what I write...this is in some ways therapeutic for me...it is an excuse to vent my musical frustrations and offer some sound musical choices along the way to anyone interested in expanding their ears for the better. Which brings me to another musical recommendation. And when I make these suggestions, they are random. They are not in any chronological order, it is just perhaps something I might be listening to as I write this blog. And that is exactly what is going on at this minute, the album I am suggesting is the very first self-titled Crosby Stills & Nash. For those of you who need a little musical education, David Crosby came from the one of my favorite bands of all time, The Byrds. Stephen Stills came from Buffalo Springfield. And lastly Graham Nash came from a great band from England, The Hollies. All of these aforementioned groups had amazing hits and great albums as well. The first CS&N album was very special. Again, every song is a winner. However, the coolest thing about this group then, and still going strong, is their amazing ability to harmonize the way they do together. In the same way that Lennon and McCartney had a unique sound together, so did CS&N. I'm listening to the newley remastered 180gm vinyl copy. Yes, there is a warmth to vinyl that cd's were never able to replicate. I of course listen to cd's all the time as well. However, when I am in my home office where my lp's are stored, I listen to vinyl. I wish I had Lady Ga Ga on vinyl...I would use it as a frisbee. So in closing, let me list for you a sample of the top ten things I would do before I would listen to a Lady Ga Ga cd from beginning to end...and yes, it's like a Dave Letterman thing, but here goes:
10. I would boil water and soak my balls in it;
9. I would eat a dozen raw, chopped garlic pieces and down it with sour milk;
8. I would listen to a Brittany Spears song, just one, no more;
7. I would put a screwdriver into my ear and puncture my eardrum;
6. I would light my dogs on fire and watch them cry and burn...not really;
5. I would eat a Subway sandwich every day of the year (WTF, their turkey is like shitty meat, what's up with that?);
4. I would tatoo a picture of George Bush on my chest...uh...maybe not...maybe one of his daughters...no, maybe his father...no, forget it, maybe Dick Cheney;
3. I would turn gay for the year visiting as many gay bars as I could, and then force myself to be on the bottom during any sexual encounter;
2. I would jump off any nearby bridge dressed in nothing but women's lingerie, so as to embarass my family when they find my body;
1. I would throw myself into a pre-heated oven for about ten minutes...burning myself from head to toe and then experiencing pain from the scars for the rest of my life!

Do these seem extreme? You know, I really wouldn't do any of these, except maybe number 5. I mean, eating a Subway sandwich is not all that bad...

OK, so pick up CS&N, the self-titled album, and for those interested in getting turned onto jazz, get Miles Davis album "Kind of Blue." This should be in every jazz collector's bin.