The Legend of Lennon Lives On...

Yesterday was the 28th anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon on December 8, 1980. To mark this occasion, Rolling Stone has done something credible and respectful, words not typically associated with the magazine this day and age. They have posted the complete interview Editor in Chief and Founder of the magazine Jann Wenner had with John Lennon accompanied by Yoko Ono spanning 2 of their 1971 issues. The interview is quite a lengthy read, but undoubtedly contains more insight and just as much relevance as anything you may currently read anyway.

Looking back at the former Beatle, he has a unique outlook on life many today can still envy and admire. Having been a fan of, and sought out information of the Beatles over the years, reading this interview shed light on some things I had not previously known. It also reaffirmed my belief that following the Fab Four's breakup, Paul McCartney's next band Wings might as well have been called Beatles 2.0. Ringo is portrayed as lovable but stupid, George as a loopy Hare Krishna with a catchy radio tune, and Paul as a power hungry puppet. He didn't think George Martin did much producing for them after "A Hard Day's Night," also an interesting revelation considering their abstract later period. Lennon also reveals his love for Creedence Clearwater Revival, disdain for Ike and Tina Turner's Beatles covers, and sheds light on the fact that anything the Beatles innovated, the Rolling Stones just copied 2 months later.

Even nearly 30 years after his death, my opinions have changed from some of his insight. This interview made me gain more respect for Yoko Ono, and should show people she can't be looked at as the reason the Beatles broke up. I also realized in reading it that it was a good thing the Beatles ended when they did. There was no room in the bloated scene of 1970's arena rock that saw such acts as Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Queen rise to prominence. The Beatles were above all that, and they were here just long enough and not too long at the same time. I respect his decision to get out of a situation where he felt there was no more musical growth and suffocation on his evolution as an artist.

"Gimme Some Truth" was an iconic tune of his, and this is what he gave the readers in this look into his private life, career with the Beatles, and his solo work. Seeing the recent documentary, "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" gives more insight to his steadfastness in America throughout the 1970's that shines through in this vivid picture of the man who doesn't believe in Beatles, but just himself. Every year around this time we continue to hear on the radio what is still, in my opinion, the greatest Christmas song ever recorded, "Happy X-Mas (War is Over)." Times like these that are so enjoyable are also saddened by the fact that this great artist was taken much before his time. With all the great music he recorded with and without the Beatles, we will never know what would come later in his middle age that never was.

Of all the musicians taken before their time, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Tupac Shakur, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Notorious B.I.G., Marvin Gaye, Jeff Buckley, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Duane Allman, and Brian Jones to name only a few, while Lennon had a larger body of work than most of them, I still feel today like some of his best work was still ahead of him. Where those artists were gone too soon, they had the candle in the wind mythos to their musical bodies of work. Each were best suited for the time they had here, did the most with it, and may have just wilted away musically and never had as full a legacy. John Lennon, on the other hand, was a completely different story. He had been to the mountain with the Beatles, chopped it down with solo songs like "Instant Karma," and "God," then solidified his own legacy with iconic songs like "Imagine" and "Working Class Hero" which spoke to generations past, present, and now future.

In 1975 following the birth of his son, he took a 5 year hiatus from music, returning with the comeback album "Double Fantasy" in 1980, only to be killed 3 weeks after its release. This new musical outpouring was the next chapter in his story that we will never see the end to. You can hear glimpses of this in the incomplete demos the surviving Beatles completed in the mid-1990's, "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love." Wondering what the 1980's music of John Lennon would have been like is like wondering what the 1970's music of the Beatles would have been like. We will never know, but luckily, the music can still be heard of what he did in his time here. Let it be a lesson to us all.

Part 1 of the Interview (From the January 21, 1971 Issue): http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/24937978

Part 2 of the Interview (From the February 4, 1971 Issue):
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/24946866

Paul McCartney's tribute to Lennon, "Here Today." Probably the most moving song Paul McCartney has ever written, with or without the Beatles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY09Wa7z_38

The Lennon demos as completed by the surviving Beatles in 1994/95:

"Free As A Bird" great video, it actually won a Grammy that year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D196-oXw2k

"Real Love": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZjCGF57v4Q

Viva La Ripoffs???

Guitar legend Joe Satriani is suing Coldplay for allegedly ripping off the melody from his 2004 guitar instrumental "If I Could Fly." Rolling Stone broke the story, and also has the videos posted side by side comparing the two. The similarities are definitely there, and if Satriani's lawyers can prove Coldplay heard the song before recording "Viva" they've got a case. However, proving someone listened to a song doesn't seem as easy as it looks, so he might end up on the short end of the stick with this one.

Last summer, Coldplay faced similar accusations from a Brooklyn indie group, Creaky Boards, whose ironically titled, "The Songs I Didn't Write" also sounds all too similar to "Viva La Vida." The band started a campaign via YouTube, supplemented by a conspiracy theorist-like claim that a man resembling Chris Martin was in the audience while they played the song during the CMJ Festival in New York and seemed to really enjoy the tune. Their case is a bit more feasible, but the conspiracy theory thing only hinders their cause in my opinion. Rolling Stone covered this occurrence as well.

I'm trying to be objective about this, and will give Coldplay the benefit of the doubt since I'm a big fan of their music. Also, I think this an argument that goes back a ways.

Creaky Boards' "The Songs I Didn't Write" (from 2007) vs. Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" (2008)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUhFLiw6h6s

Joe Satriani's "If I Could Fly" (from 2004) vs. Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" (2008)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ofFw9DKu_I&feature=related

Rolling Stone Article that broke the story.

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/12/05/joe-satriani-sues-coldplay-for-viva-la-vida-plagiarism/

Rolling Stone Article that broke the story of the Creaky Boards comparison last June. Take notice of the comments section below the article. Several people make mention of the Satriani similarities as far back as September. Perhaps Joe's people took a hint from them before filing legal action.

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/06/16/new-york-band-claims-coldplay-stole-viva-la-vida-melody/

Here's a look at an older case of the ripped off song with Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters Theme" having ripped off Huey Lewis's "I Want a New Drug." I'm sure this had Huey singing "I want a new royalty check!"

Huey Lewis and the News "I Want a New Drug"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMSFX1Vb3xQ

Vs.

Ray Parker, Jr. "Ghostbusters Theme"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4uxIo4t7xM&feature=related

AND...an even older case of Beatle George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" which riffed off of The Chiffons' "He's So Fine." Harrison actually ended up having to pay up after the case went to trial in the 1970's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzlRMhtXaD0&feature=related

AND... Led Zeppelin have so frequently done this, there's a whole compilation of it up on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjPAEPFaxoM In later years, Zeppelin went on to credit the older songs they "borrowed" from, but I think they were forced to. I don't care though, I still happily listen to them on a weekly basis.

AND...probably the most talent-less hacks in this article, The Offspring, possibly one of the worst bands I've ever heard in my life. They are one of the only bands I immediately switch the radio station on if I hear them come on. I can't even say this about the Beastie Boys as even though I hate their music, I still listen to "Sabotage" or "Intergalactic" if I hear them come on.

The Offspring, mercilessly ripped off the old Beatles classic "Ob La Di, Ob La Da" with their song, "Get A Job." Adding a steel drum to the song doesn't constitute a non-ripoff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duyAHixppcM

In the words of Cleveland from "Family Guy" in his response to why he stabbed Skeet Ulrich, the same can be said of this band: "There is nothing good about who you are or what you do."

"My Super Obscure List of: Great, Yet Often Unnoticed or Overlooked Duets"

I've promised another super obscure list, and here it is:
Here is my list of the best duets that often go unnoticed or overlooked. Granted, half of them are cover songs, but the ones that are, were not duets in their original versions. Again, like my last list of notable beards on film, these are in no particular order, as they all bring something to the table, and make the list more complete. Each entry also includes a link to hear the song, while some are music videos, live videos, or just those weird YouTube videos that have pictures on them so you can just listen to the song. Either way, it gets the job done.

Tupac Shakur and Elton John- Ghetto Gospel: Don't adjust your monitor, you are reading this correctly; a collaboration between Elton John and Tupac Shakur does exist. Where is the connection between these two prolific artists from two very different genres, you ask? Slim Shady himself, Eminem. One of Tupac's many posthumous albums released using the hordes of unreleased material he left behind was produced entirely by Eminem. The album, "Loyal to the Game," is in my opinion one of his best posthumous records; "Makaveli," probably being the best (also, the first one to come out immediately after his murder). Eminem, a couple years after his legendary performance of "Stan" at the Grammys with Elton John, took a sample from the song "Indian Sunset," off John's fourth studio album from 1971, "Madman Across the Water." It is one of the few hip hop tunes out there that can give me the music chills when I hear it, and is a perfect blending of two artists among the best at their respective genres. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxR4AweLeXE The official music video for the song starring that guy from "The Wire" and "Oz."

Cream- Sunshine of Your Love: Labeled the first supergroup, made up of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker, Bruce and Clapton shared vocals on this classic rock masterpiece. With one of the most distinctive guitar/bass riffs in rock n' roll history, this song has remained a staple in Clapton's set lists for 40 years. It's probably the most popular or widely known song on the list, but definitely one that's also not traditionally considered a duet; that's why it made the cut. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zga4_09nWzY -this is some random YouTube video I'm copying here for the sole purpose of listening to the song, I don't know of what meth lab this makeshift video was produced in.

The Beatles- Two of Us: For anyone who said McCartney and Lennon hated eachother toward the end of the Beatles' run, songs like this are a testament to what they were still able to create musically, even if their friendship was declining. This is a great song, and still one of my favorite Beatles tunes, and shows that they were still the best of friends when they got into the studio and created some of the greatest music ever heard. This song could be about friendship, it could be about love, it could be about two old friends running into each other at a bar, having a few drinks, reminiscing about old times, and sharing a cab home. Either way, it's a great piece of music that two legends make complete. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ztr8j_-gD4 I don't know where this video came from or who made it, but it's spectacular and is probably one of the best unofficial Beatles music videos out there.

Queen and David Bowie- Under Pressure: Known as the riff Vanilla Ice stole so many years later to create the abomination to hip hop that is "Ice Ice Baby," this is a great song spearheaded by two legendary frontmen, Freddie Mercury and David Bowie. That part in the middle of the song where Mercury belts out "Why don't we give love, give love, give love," still gives me chills every time. Everyone knows "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Will Rock You," and "We Are the Champions," but "Under Pressure," was ahead of its time, and is unlike anything else you've ever heard, or will ever hear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPoE7hVDJY4&feature=related -There's no video here, just a high quality version of the song, take a listen if you've never heard it.

Dave Matthews Band and Warren Haynes- Cortez the Killer: When the Dave Matthews Band took the stage in Central Park for a sold out crowd of 100,000 people a few years back, Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers Band came out to lay his guitar down and share vocals on this old Neil Young tune. I was at the concert that night, and it was the first time I heard the song in general; a few years later, it's still the only version I'll listen to. Haynes's vocals are chilling and his guitar solos were highlights of the night for me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCiLCo-LoUg A live video of the performance from the show. They sell the concert in stores on CD or DVD, I have both, definitely one of the best live DMB concerts out there.

The Strokes feat. Eddie Vedder- Mercy Mercy Me: What happens when one of the most talented rock n' roll bands of the past decade gets together with one of the best frontmen of the past 20 years to record a cover of a classic Marvin Gaye tune? Some ridiculously insane funkdified rock infused musicality is what happens! They turn the soulful Motown staple into a funky guitar blazing tune that is all its own. Also, listen closely for Josh Homme's drumming along with the Strokes' Fab Moretti; in the second verse the beats start to overlap and it's a magical music moment, presto. It's hard to find this song on CD, I think it's on iTunes though, as it was originally released as the B-Side to the Strokes single of "You Only Live Once," from their last album, "First Impressions of Earth." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyZ0E8c2c-A&feature=related - the recorded version of the song, supplemented by a "Captain Planet" episode; very fitting for the subject matter.

Outkast feat. Norah Jones- Take Off Your Cool: Included on Andre 3000's disc of the Outkast album, "Speakerboxx/Love Below," this is just a damn sexy tune that sounds like Barry White could have written it with Jack Johnson. It's one of the shortest songs on the album, but still one of my favorites from it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUQHFqO6HvY The recorded song, over a photo collage video of Andre 3000 and Norah Jones.

The Raconteurs- Rich Kid Blues: I'm a huge fan of the White Stripes, but I must admit, some of Jack White's best work has been with his recently formed other band, The Raconteurs. Adding another singer/songwriter/guitarist in Brendan Benson, and an extended rhythm section serves White's musical talent well and adds another dynamic to his craft. The band's second album, "Consolers of the Lonely," is one of, if not the best album I've heard in 2008. This Terry Reid cover has Benson's soft melodic voice perfectly shared with White's hard rock howl that introduces the world to rock n' roll's newest powerhouse in fitting fashion. The song combines the organ, thundering drums, and a high squeeling guitar that makes me wish the album had 14 more songs on it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjT6DGlWyBs This is straight up audio of the song, with just a picture of the band displayed. Listen, but be warned, this will blow you away.

The Corrs feat. Bono- When the Stars Go Blue: U2 is U2, plain and simple; so anything Bono involves himself in, people will pay attention to. However, when he joined the Corrs onstage in his hometown of Dublin a few years back, very few remembered this great live version of this Ryan Adams original. I've heard Adams and Tim McGraw sing it, but this remains the definitive version, a song about despair, loneliness, and sadness, the song is sung by the perfect pair, and even if it's a girly song, I admit defeat; it's legit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdSpDrczo7w Live performance from VH-1.

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss- Killing the Blues: A bluegrass crooner with the voice of an angel and the screaming maniac lead singer of Led Zepplin get together to record an album of country/bluegrass/blues standards...Still waiting for the punchline? Well, there isn't one; this album is great, and the two very different voices blend unnaturally to make a perfect pairing. This song has been seen on commercials lately (for JC Penny's Home section, I believe), but it's still got a great sound, with two legendary vocalists from 2 very different genres showing the world that they still have it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHPrLifRhX4 This is a video of a live performance, I'm not sure where it's from though. They capture the same magic live that they do on the album.

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova- Falling Slowly: This one is from the film "Once," about two musicians who meet in Dublin and forge a friendship through music over a week. The film was really moving and authentic, as it was filmed with a documentary look, and the two stars are actually musicians, not actors. The soundtrack is a great pairing of the two and their alternate vocal styles invokes the same effect as the Robert Plant-Allison Krauss pairing. They went on to win an Oscar for "Best Original Song" this past year for it; rightfully so, since "Enchanted" got nominated for 3 songs in that category http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPbC2YrUUsI This is a clip of them performing the song on David Letterman.

Roger Waters feat. Van Morrison- Comfortably Numb: This performance was part of Roger Waters 1990 concert in Berlin, Germany, where he performed Pink Floyd's "The Wall," in its entirety shortly after the Berlin Wall came down. Members of the Band and the legendary Van Morrison joined him for this tune, but the most prevalent voices are Waters and Morrison, which contrast each other nicely. Morrison hasn't aged so gracefully, but he's still got the vocal chops to bring the house down, and as blasphemous as it sounds, I prefer this version to Pink Floyd's original. I was reintroduced to this song last year when it was featured in "The Departed," which like every Martin Scorsese film, has a phenomenal soundtrack to accompany it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLx3uSwv6VM - This is a video of the live performance from Berlin.

Temple of the Dog- Hunger Strike: When eventual members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden got together to record an album as a tribute to their friend Andy Wood who died of a heroin overdose in 1990, a modern rock masterpiece was made. Forming the group Temple of the Dog, Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, Eddie Vedder, Matt McCready, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament, recorded one of the best non-traditional duets I have ever heard. After Soundgarden broke up in 1998, Cameron would join Pearl Jam permanently (as they've gone through a revolving door of drummers their whole career until Cameron came along), and Temple of the Dog had their only unofficial reunion in 2003, when Cornell joined Pearl Jam on stage for "Hunger Strike" and another Temple of the Dog number, "Reach Down." This is one of those songs that is as close to perfect as a song can get, so you tend to take notice when something like it comes along. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lln5i1N3J8g The official music video for the song with all the band members. Take notice of the vintage MTV music video tag in the bottom left corner of the screen at the beginning and end the clip, from the days when Music Television actually played music, who'd have thought?

Babyface feat. Eric Clapton- Change the World: Now, I know what you may be thinking, this was Eric Clapton’s song from that John Travolta movie, not Babyface’s. Babyface produced the track, appeared in the music video, and sang backup vocals on the album version of this tune, but the definitive version of this song has seldom been heard. While Babyface taped his MTV Unplugged special back in 1997, he opened the show with this number, and surprise guest Clapton joined him onstage for a blistering performance. The altered, acoustic blues guitar heavy live version was reminiscent of Clapton’s own Unplugged show which netted him several Grammy Awards several years earlier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmsLQFqdiQE- The live clip from the MTV Unplugged special. Even sitting down, Clapton tears the guitar to shreds.

The Rolling Stones and Dave Matthews- Wild Horses: This performance came together in 1998 I believe, when Dave Matthews Band was opening for the Stones on their tour. Dave Matthews joined the Stones on stage for a duet of the classic song that got some new life into it. Dave's high pitched crooning is a stark contrast to Mick Jagger's historic howl, but the song is seen in a different light, and still as great as it ever was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kAl5cUtxAc This is a video clip of the performance from the concert, wherever it was. A couple funny things to notice: Dave Matthews looking about 20 years old, also looking like he might nervously crap himself as he realizes he's on stage with the Rolling Stones, and Dave not knowing what to do with his hands without a guitar in them (he looks similar to Ricky Bobby in "Talladega Nights").

Editorial: "It's One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Johnny Be."

Yesterday, the first significant accomplishment was made with my blog since it started a couple weeks back. In fact, you could go as far as saying history has been made. Earlier today, at around 9:45AM Eastern Time, I broke a story about a new album by Coldplay that is due to be released sometime in 2009. The source of my story was British music magazine NME's website. This sounds pretty ordinary, save for the fact that America's version of NME, Rolling Stone Magazine, reported it on their website nearly 4 HOURS after I did at 1:50PM Eastern Time. Measly 24 year old Johnny Be Blogging broke the news of this big story before the genuine article did.

I don't know what is to be said of that, but I view it as an accomplishment for a no-name, up and coming one man show run on a shoestring (zero) budget. I'm glad if you are reading this, that this is a moment I could share with you, my loyal readers. I continue to bring it day after day knowing one or two, or who knows how many people are reading my random thoughts/news, and moments like this help me strive to keep bringing it, and achieve more.

To show my excitement and gratitude, below is a picture of me jumping up and down on a bed in my hotel suite at the Hilton in Las Vegas from this past December. To put that moment in historical context and perspective, it was one day before my 24th birthday, and also one day before Roger Clemens was exposed in the Mitchell Report. It was also one day before I was able to see the most ridiculously amazing show on the planet, the Beatles Cirque Du Soleil show "Love" at the Mirage; one of the best birthday gifts I've ever gotten thanks to my wonderful girlfriend Nicole, who is one of my few or many loyal readers .

"I get up, 'cause nothing gets me down. You got it tough, I seen the toughest around."
-David Lee Roth, "Jump"

Hope everyone has an amazing weekend.

Viva La Coldplay!!! More New Music in 2009???

For those of you who are fans of Coldplay here is some interestingly exciting news that I saw on NME's website. Reports are circulating that Coldplay will release another album in 2009 even though they just released "Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends" in June of this year. NME's story cites British newspaper The Sun as the source of this information.

When the band recorded "Viva La Vida" their sessions with legendary producer Brian Eno (who's produced albums for U2, David Bowie, The Talking Heads, and Devo of "Whip It" fame) were apparently so productive that they ended up with much more material than what could fit on one album. A source at their record label EMI stated, "The 'Viva La Vida...' sessions were incredibly fruitful. They gelled brilliantly with Brian and recorded much more music than they could fit on one album." The source continued, "The majority of the follow-up is already in the can, though they will have to go back into the studio at some point to add a few more songs."Though many big acts have left EMI recently since a corporate takeover, most notably Paul McCartney, Radiohead, and the Rolling Stones, Coldplay has a long term deal in place with the legendary label to continue putting out more of their music.

With the Raconteurs' sophomore album "Consolers of the Lonely," Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" is definitely right up there with the albums I've played out ridiculously due to great musicality. The album is a departure from the group's sound from their first two albums, and also much different than their altered sound on the ill received "X&Y," their last album before "Viva." Though the album has gotten mixed reviews, I believe in the years to come it will be looked at as their "Rubber Soul," or "Sgt. Peppers" album, the one where they changed direction and discovered more musically. Ultimately, a defining moment that will shape what they play in the future and what direction they will go in. This is similar to critical thought on "The Joshua Tree," which has been getting compared to this album mostly due to the fact that Brian Eno also produced that as well.

When "Viva La Vida" was coming out a couple months back I remember hearing that the band had recorded so much new material; and one complaint I had with the album is that it is rather brief with only 10 tracks (though a few are doubled up, extensive tracks, so it's more like 12 or 13 tracks). Learning that they may be rushing out a follow up with all that extra material is great to hear since I, along with many other people are eager to see what else they were able to put together. The bootlegged unreleased/b-sides Coldplay album "Castles," would hold up as its own album and I often wonder why some of those songs were left off their albums while others I wasn't too keen on made the cut. The same holds true for the recent Killers b-sides album "Sawdust." With some of this extra material being readied for mass release, it will be great seeing what they have left in the "Viva La Vida" tank.

For those of you who have listened to the album, and aren't a big fan of their new direction, or for those of you who aren't too big on Coldplay to begin with, I urge you to listen again. Dare I say "Lovers in Japan" is as anthemic as "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" or "City of Blinding Lights," well there, I said it. And "Strawberry Swing," is one of the best and unique love songs of the last decade. If Willy Wonka wrote a love song, it would sound like "Strawberry Swing," plain and simple. The last minute and a half is a melody that could have been written by Lennon and McCartney.

Here's a link to the story from NME's website: http://www.nme.com/news/coldplay/39117

If this story holds true, it will be interesting to see if they unveil any of this hidden material on their current world tour. I'll let you know during my concert review when I see the band perform at the Meadowlands in October.

Editor's (My) Note: What is it with British bands recording 10 songs and releasing it as a full album. I'm sorry, but even if the last 2 or 3 tracks are horrendous, at least give fans their money's worth. 10 tracks is not an album to me; it's two E.P.'s on one CD, that's all. I believe Radiohead did the same thing with "In Rainbows," though at least they let fans pay what they wanted for it. I will give Coldplay the benefit of the doubt though, as they at least had 3 songs that were split in 2, in which the tail ends were really completely different songs, so technically

the album had 13 tracks.

I really do think it's a Britain/Europe 10 track thing, because when Albert Hammond, Jr. of the Strokes released his solo album, "Yours to Keep," in Europe, it had 10 tracks. The album was amazing regardless, as every song was great; but when it finally was released in the US, 2 "bonus tracks" were included. There's a guy who knows how to please the stateside fans!

If musicians want to release 10 song albums going forward, they should market them to fans as "An extended E.P." I am fairly confident, these 10 song albums will be much better received by the paying customers; who cares what critics think? They get free copies of the albums they review, and don't have to pay their hard earned money for concert tickets.

"On the Cover of the Rolling Stone...while it's gathering moss."

(Here are my thoughts on what has become a pop culture/musical crisis over the past few years.)

From this...

To This???

I am a regular visitor to Rolling Stone magazine's website in my constant search of music news and seeing what some of my favorite artists are up to. However, some recent things have come to light that make me question the motives of this once uncompromising and free-living publication:

They recently devoted a cover story (as in this was on the cover, to be followed by what should be a lengthy, useful, engaging multi-page article within the pages of the magazine) to the MTV show "The Hills." The fact that MTV is even mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine anymore is problematic enough considering they haven't played a music video in its entirety over nearly half a decade. What really irks me is that the same magazine that has covered Presidential elections with credibility and candor, as well as events like Woodstock, the Concert for Bangladesh, and interviewed icons such as Bob Dylan, Hunter S. Thompson, John Lennon, and Jack Nicholson, is now filling its pages with inconsistencies helping to blend it in with any other supermarket rack magazine.

When great writers like Thompson, Cameron Crowe, Joe Esztherhas, and Lester Bangs wrote for Rolling Stone during its peak in the 1960's and 70's, they probably would have never even set foot in the building in the first place if they knew this is what it would lead to. Artists like the Jonas Brothers, the whatever you would call them from "The Hills," and that Clay Aiken stunt double Zach Ephron gracing the cover in a time span of less than 6 months puts Rolling Stone in Seventeen and Tiger Beat territory. I'll give credit where credit is due, such as their recent great cover stories on RDJ (Robert Downey, Jr.) and their New Guitar Gods issue a year or two back that featured John Frusciante, Derek Trucks, and John Mayer on the cover, but they can't have it both ways.

It is expected that people take the magazine seriously when they produced an informative cover story on Barack Obama about a month ago. Then, they publish a 4 star review of the Jonas Brothers new album a week after the Brothers Jonas (BJ's) are on the cover tearing each other's shirts off. If Rolling Stone expects its readers not to figure out the propaganda there, then they truly have abandoned their original audience, which is a sad moment in popular culture's history of the past 50 years. And for that reason, their cover stories on the election, or why ethanol fuel is hurting our economy, or stories from the war in Iraq, become as relevant and credible as the same stories if they were to appear in this week's issue of OK Weekly. More and more they are relinquishing themselves to the same media conglomerate, Fox News-one-sided way of conveying news stories that they once vowed to fight against.

I have found some examples of their recent blunders, with the Jonas Brothers spectacular 4 Star review included. Now, I am not completely arguing the accuracy of the reviews I have disdain for, but I am showing other reviews Rolling Stone has given historically next to the reviews in question. When looking at the numbers side by side, it's ludicrous to think that Lil' Wayne's incoherent, irrelevant lyrical and musical offerings are better than Ready to Die, All Eyez on Me, and Enter the Wu Tang. These are 3 hip hop classics that shaped the genre for all those after them. I know there are a lot of Lil' Wayne fans out there, but if you honestly think this, you should have your brain checked for termites.

This would be like saying, "The Beatles 'Rubber Soul' is a 4 star album, but Creed's 'Human Clay,' now there's a 4 and 1/2 star album right there. They are definitely half a star better than The Beatles. Forty years from now, when people are wondering who John, Paul, George, and Ringo were, they'll still remember Scott, Mark, Scott, and Brian and they'll still be singing, 'With Arms Wide Open' at the top of their lungs, lighters waving." Yes, that would be certifiably insane.

All of these reviews come directly from Rolling Stone's website. It is surprising that they have kept these up there not realizing their journalistic integrity is going into as much of a recession as our economy. And, speaking of which, it does appear the magazine is feeling the pinch as much as any other troubled businesses in our struggling economy. They recently announced the changing of their format from the usual big print pages they utilize which will be scaled down to the size of typical magazines, in efforts to save on their production costs. Another sign that this former pop culture beacon will now literally and figuratively blend in with everything else on the magazine rack.

Rolling Stone Reviews:
Jonas Brothers, "A Little Bit Longer"- 4 stars,
Coldplay, "Viva La Vida"- 3 and 1/2 stars
Pearl Jam, "Vitalogy"- 4 stars
Radiohead, "OK Computer"- 4 stars
U2's "War"/"All That You Can't Leave Behind"/"How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb"- 4 stars
The Raconteurs, "Consolers of the Lonely"- 3 and 1/2 stars

Lil' Wayne, "Tha Carter III"- 4 and 1/2 stars
Tupac Shakur, "All Eyez on Me"- 3 Stars
Notorious B.I.G., "Ready to Die"- 4 stars
Wu Tang Clan, "Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers)"- 4 stars

I suggest you stick to more reliable sources when questioning Rolling Stone's credibility going forward. While they do have access to everything that is music, beware of some of the questionable "news" they spew from time to time. NME.com is a great website; it is from the United Kingdom's premier music magazine (pretty much Britain's Rolling Stone). They have album/song reviews, great articles, breaking news, and they have excellent live coverage, though most of it is Europe-based. Another worthy music magazine is Blender, which is put out by the same company that publishes Maxim magazine. They put a funny Maxim-like spin on music (with less bikinis) and they have great all time best and worst lists in their magazine which they archive on their website.

It would be ridiculously and intergalactically cool to work for any of these publications, but right now I don't. So, you can rest assured that my integrity is as of this moment, intact. Rock on!