Kids

Rock Turtleneck pays tribute to my awesome daughter Alice, who turned 10 this week. Alice loves music like her old man, but her tastes run more towards Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, but thankfully we do have some common musical ground, a few songs that we love with equally unbridled enthusiasm.

One, appropriately enough, is "Kids" by MGMT, the art-pop duo that formed back in the 2000s at Wesleyan University.

The synth-driven "Kids" is one of the catchiest songs I have ever heard. When I first got their record Oracular Spectacular a year and a half ago or so, I was more into "Time to Pretend" and "Electric Feel", but Alice was immediately drawn to "Kids"'s irresistible keyboard hook. As a general rule, she prefers female singers to male ones, so she would have been happier with an instrumental version of "Kids." But I like it just the way it is. This is one of those tunes I imagine one would hear about 40 times were they to walk from one edge of a large college campus to another.

When "Kids" started to really hit it big, MGMT released a rather bizzare video for the song. It's a textbook example of why a parent should always pre-screen their childrens' viewing material.


After Oracular's spectacular success, MGMT are back with a wildly experimental sophomore record called Congratulations.

The first single "Flash Delirium" reminds one of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd and just about every other experimental group thereafter. Last weekend they played it on Saturday Night Live.

It remains to be seen whether the new record will sell like the last one, but they can certainly not be accused of resting on their laurels.

Leonard Nimoy's Retirment: Highly Illogical

Today Leonard Nimoy rocked the galaxy with his announcement that he was retiring from show-biz for good at age 79.

To quote Mr. Nimoy's beloved Mr. Spock, Rock Turtleneck finds this announcement Highly Illogical.


First of all, celebrities love nothing more than attention, regardless of how ancient they may be, and can stay out of even the dimmest reaches of the spotlight for minutes at a time at the most. The only celebrities I can think of who said they were retiring and actually did are Greta Garbo and Johnny Carson.

Secondly, as the above clip shows, Nimoy also had one of the most distinguished, remarkable musical careers of all time. And by distinguished and remarkable, I don't mean good. His magnum opus as a performer is without question, the highly illogical, deeply disturbing "Ballad of Bilbo Baggins."


While Mr. Spock had a way with whimsy, deep down, Nimoy's roots were in the coffeehouse singer-songwriter vein, as this haunting cover of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" so achingly demonstrates.


Nimoy's restless creativity always kept him up with the times, and he even got behind the camera to direct The Bangles' folk-rock gem "Goin' Down to Liverpool," wherein he even made a memorable cameo appearance. (By the way, does the fetching Susannah Hoffs ever look straight ahead?)


Mr. Nimoy, may you live long and prosper in retirement. TCB

Bob Dylan's Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 & 420

To hemp enthuisasts, April 20, aka 4/20, aka "420", is the most sacred of sacred days, when at 4:20 pm, they take some time out of their non-busy schedules to partake of their beloved herb. And at 4:30, partake of Cheez Doodles and Family Guy reruns.

There was an interesting article on the Huffington Post website today about the amazingly benign origins of the 420-marijuana connection. Turns out the number's significance was nothing more than the time after school when some California high school stoners would meet in the woods for a number or two in 1971. But those stoners wound up being friends with Phil Lesh from the Grateful Dead, and, well, you can take it from there. You can read the full article here.

There have been many other theories over the years as to the significance of 420, but one of the most interesting is that it hails from Bob Dylan's song "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," better known to laypeople as the "Everybody must get stoned" song.

The song's title was one of many non-sequitir song titles Dylan was spewing out in the mid-60s (along with "Temporary Like Achilles," "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" and "Bob Dylan's #115th Dream") but some mathematically minded doobie brothers figured out that if you multiply 12 x 35 you get, you guessed it, 420. Did I just blow your mind or what? Hey, pass me those Cheez Doodles. Did you ever hear the one about Dark Side of the Moon and The Wizard of Oz?

Anyway, "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," while not a visionary masterpiece like "Visions of Johanna" or "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" is a funny track with some nice copywriter-like wordplay, a great New Orleans-influenced backing band — and a great way to kick off the double album Blonde on Blonde. But to me it always sounded more influenced by bourbon than bud.


As one of the great cannibis anthems of all time, it's not surprising that "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" has been taken on by many other like-minded musicians. Even The Beatles did a run-through of the tune during their tumultous "Get Back" sessions in early 1969.


Back in 1992, I saw Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers do a really fun version at the BobFest tribute show at Madison Square Garden. Petty, who often sounds like Dylan anyway, really gets his Bob on here.


I'm not sure whether Bob still takes part in the ol' 420 but he still plays "Rainy Day Women." Here's a clip from the 1994 Woodstock festival.

Week O' Wilco: Outtasite at the Electric Factory

Most people, if they're lucky, encounter the Divine perhaps twice in a lifetime. This past Saturday, I felt the presence of a higher power twice in a single evening.

First was when I bit into a kobe beef skewer at the new Asian Fusion restaurant Sampan in downtown Philadelphia. The second time was about two hours later at the Electric Factory, on the industrial side of town, when Wilco launched into "California Stars."


"California Stars," the Woody Guthrie/Jeff Tweedy masterpiece from 1998's Mermaid Avenue, was just one of 39 songs the band played in the accurately billed "An Evening with Wilco."

With no opening act, the band took the stage at this high-ceilinged warehouse promptly at 8:30 pm and ended somewhere around 11:45 with "Outtasite (Outtamind)," which came 15 songs after an acoustic version of "Outtamind (Outtasite)." My friend Scott and I discussed the similarities between this Being There semi-hit and a song one might hear on Sesame Street or Schoolhouse Rock, but maybe that was just the Yuengling talking.


While the Nels Cline-generated feedback swelled during "Poor Places," Tiffany lamps were placed on stage and the band launched into an acoustic version of "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" that was completely free of its traditional Kraut-Rock outer shell and revealed a song underneath that I didn't know was there. Watching them on this stage, I was reminded of the early part of the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, wherein the band also made excellent use of ambient living room furniture. The acoustic set lasted about half an hour and included deep tracks like "Sunken Treasure," "Passenger Side" and the already acoustic "War on War."

Another highlight was the fan favorite "Jesus, Etc." Knowing the place this song holds in the hearts of the devoted, Tweedy told the crowd "Why don't you guys sing this one" and the audience sang every word perfectly from start to finish. Near the end of the show, they paid tribute to the Late Great Alex Chilton with the Big Star party anthem "In the Street," better known to many as the theme from That 70s Show, with loyal bassist John Stirrat taking lead vocals.

With this tour, Wilco has clearly taken their deserved place on the toppermost shelf of the great working bands in this country or any other. Until our next Week O' Wilco, here's our heroes doing "One Wing" on The Craig Ferguson Show a couple months back.

Week O' Wilco: Colbert Will Love You, Baby

The entertainment community has rallied around Rock Turtleneck in support of our historic Week O' Wilco. Here friend, Wilco fan and Emmy-winning Colbert Report writer Mike Brumm (pictured below, the one who's not Jeff Tweedy) recalls meeting his hero, the great Jeff Tweedy when his band swung by the show a few days before the 2008 Presidential election. Take it away, Mike.

Looking at this photo again, I have a very similar look to Jeff Tweedy. He probably thought I was a crazed stalker, like he was in a Single White Female type of situation, only with a frumpy, unshaven man. Jeff, I apologize. I’m not a stalker who wants to steal your identity. (Note to self: Buy tight-fitting jean jacket.)

The photo above was taken when Wilco played The Colbert Report on October 30, 2008. They played “Wilco (the Song)” but changed the lyrics from "Wilco will love you baby" to “Colbert will love you baby.” It was pretty great. (I believe you can find an illegal bootleg of the performance on YouTube somewhere. Don’t tell Viacom I told you this, or Sumner Redstone will break my thumbs.)



Anyway, after the show, I was standing around on the set and Colbert asked if I would like him to introduce me to Tweedy. I gave a big, overly effusive nod. He then said, “This is Mike Brumm, one of my writers.” Thus I met the man, my music hero for over 15 years. Our encounter went something like this:

ME: Mumble mumble mumble big fan.

JEFF TWEEDY: Mumble mumble mumble thank you.

ME: Mumble mumble mumble I used to live in Chicago.

JEFF TWEEDY: Mumble mumble mumble cool.

This was followed by a long awkward pause.
Estimated time of awkward pause: 3 minutes.
Amount of sweat released during this awkward pause: 2 cups.

Luckily, somebody came along to take our picture, thereby ending my floundering. The experience was very similar to the awkwardness of my prom night, only Tweedy wasn’t embarrassed to touch me. He put his arm around me and we snapped the photo. Despite all my mumbling and perspiration, I really enjoyed my brief encounter with my idol Jeff Tweedy -- not counting all those times I hid in his bushes. I kid, Jeff. Thanks for the music.

Thanks, Mike for your insightful anecdote. And stay tuned for more Wilcography in the coming days. To wrap things up, Stephen Colbert's interview with Jeff Tweedy, followed by an almost certainly illegal mp3 of "Wilco (the Song)" from the day Jeff Tweedy met Mike Brumm.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Wilco Interview
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

mp3: Wilco: "Wilco (the song)," The Colbert Report, 10.30.08

Week O' Wilco: Jesus, Etc.

Rock Turtleneck wishes you a Happy Easter, wherein we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead, but also the Easter Bunny delivering candy to little kids. In other words, Jesus Etc., which coincidentally is the name of one of Wilco’s most beautiful, most beloved songs.


As I wrote in a tribute to Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot a couple months back This song garnered a lot of attention because it seems to foreshadow 9/11 with the words "Tall buildings shake/Voices escape singing sad sad songs" and "Skyscrapers scraping together."

But now that I’ve absorbed the song after almost 10 years of consistent listening, I’ve decided it has little to do with Jesus or 9/11. When Jeff Tweedy sings "Jesus, don't cry" he is pleading for a peaceful end to a lover's spat.

Like many great songs, "Jesus, Etc." is open to many interpretations and can be read as spiritual or secular, literal or metaphor, depending on your mood. Regardless of what the words mean or don’t mean, the song’s melody is gorgeous and it's already on its way to becoming a modern rock standard.

Norah Jones, whom I think has gone from being slightly overrated to underrated, has been doing a very nice live version of "Jesus, Etc." in recent shows. When I caught Wilco opening for Neil Young last January at MSG, she came out and sang it with the band. Here’s her version.


Now that we've covered Jesus, here's the Etc.: Did you know Norah Jones is one of the (I'm guessing) 300 or so children of Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar? Like his buddy George Harrison, he was never one to put his eggs in one basket.

Wilco: They’re The Band Who Loves You

Wilco is like the Mother Teresa of rock. They give and give and give and keep giving. And then when they’ve given everything they’ve got, they dig down deep and give some more. In return, they ask so little: perhaps that you actually purchase their official CDs and catch a show if you can make it. Feel free to tape it.

Right now Wilco is giving it fans what it loves most: live shows for no reason. They are in the midst of a small tour of old-school theatres that started in Canada and has made it to the northeast US. Next Saturday I will be seeing them at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. To celebrate the run-up to the Philly show, Rock Turtleneck has declared this Week o' Wilco.

While in Canada, they filmed a performance of "Country Disappeared" from their latest album for La Blogoteque's great online series The Takeaway Shows, which captures artists doing their things with as few frills as possible. Here they are, looking very much like a band on the road.

Wilco - Country Disappeared - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

This tour consists of 3-hour shows with an acoustic set in the middle. There is no surer sign that you have made it than the mid-show acoustic set, which has been employed in recent years by the Rolling Stones and U2.

With no new album to support (Wilco (the Album) is almost a year old and they toured that extensively last summer) this batch of shows seems like nothing more than an excuse to stay fresh check in with their devoted fans – fans like my buddy Alex Bachrach, who caught them on March 25 down at the Johnny Mercer Theatre in Savannah, GA last weekend. He was kind enough to file this dispatch, which I received this morning via courier pigeon:

"Wilco played for three straight hours before even stopping to take a breath. During the discordant ending to 'Poor Places,' Tiffany Lamps were placed on stage and an acoustic setting was constructed. Everyone, including drummer Glenn Kotche, came down to the intimate space, and they began an acoustic set with 'Spiders (Kidsmoke),' previously one of their most electric songs. ' Laminated Cat,' a song from the Jeff Tweedy side project Loose Fur, was another highlight. After they switched back to electric, Wilco kicked up a notch with the show-enders 'Hoodoo Voodoo' and 'I'm A Wheel,' coming out to end the show with an Alex Chilton/Big Star song, 'Thank You Friends.' 'Twas a fitting end to an evening among friends and fans."

Rock Turtleneck's Week o' Wilco has some exciting things in store so make sure you check back often. If you're not too familiar with Wilco's remarkable oeuvre, Charles Osgood is here to put things in context.

April Fools

Happy April Fool’s Day from the fun-lovin' pranksters at Rock Turtleneck. There are a surprising number of songs with the word Fool in them. One is “F-f-f-foolin” by my least favorite band of all time, Def Leppard. But we won’t be talking about that one because I can’t bear to listen to them. But here are some others.

Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?”
This is one of the greatest, biggest hits of the doo-wop era. I always thought the Jackson 5 should have covered it. I guess that won’t be happening anytime soon.


The Doobie Brothers, “What a Fool Believes”
Once the Doobies added Michael McDonald, who had sung with Steely Dan among many others, they went from southern-fried boogie to yacht rock, the breezy, caucasian genre dedicated to low stress and good times. McDonald is considered the patron saint of yacht rock, this was the Doobies’ biggest hit, and it was co-written by Kenny Loggins, so I guess this is the ultimate yacht rock song, with the possible exception of Christopher Cross' "Sailing." Batten down the hatches.


The Rolling Stones, “Fool to Cry”
Black and Blue, the album on which “Fool to Cry” appears, was considered a decadent dud upon its release in 1976, but it has aged well, in a decadent kind of way.


Stone Roses, “Fool's Gold”
This trippy dancefreakout was the highlight of Stone Roses' 1990 debut record and the high-water mark for the Manchester scene. The album version is like 8 minutes long and never wears out its welcome.


Led Zeppelin, “Fool in the Rain”
One of my favorite tracks by the band, especially the saloon-style break in the middle. I don’t think Zeppelin ever played it live, but Robert Plant sang it with Pearl Jam a couple years back.


The Beatles, “The Fool on the Hill”
From Songfacts.com: "It's about a man who is considered a fool by others, but whose foolish demeanor is actually an indication of wisdom. An event which prompted this song happened when Paul was walking his dog Martha, on Primrose Hill one morning. As he watched the sun rise, he noticed that Martha was missing. Paul turned around to look for his dog, and there a man stood, who appeared on the hill without making a sound. The gentleman was dressed respectably, in a belted raincoat. Paul knew this man had not been there seconds earlier as he had looked in that direction for Martha. Paul and the stranger exchanged a greeting, and this man then spoke of what a beautiful view it was from the top of this hill that overlooked London. Within a few seconds, Paul looked around again, and the man was gone. He had vanished as he had appeared. A friend of McCartney's, Alistair Taylor, was present with Paul during this strange incident, and wrote of this event in his book, Yesterday."


Pete Townshend, "Won't Get Fooled Again"
I happen to enjoy Townshend's voice a lot more than Daltrey's, and here's a great version from the 1979 Secret Policeman's Ball with classical guitarist John Williams lending a little highbrow credibility.


Rufus Wainwright, “April Fools”
Kudos to the talented, opera-loving Mr. Wainwright for delivering the only song here that is actually about April Fools Day and not just the concept of fools in general.