Comments on: Chartburn: 3/28/08

By: Beau

Beau — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 03:45:45 +0000

Just once for a reunion. All the highways out of town are so different these days.

By: Miss_Lisa

Miss_Lisa — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 03:25:25 +0000

I once described Lenny Kravitz to a friend as “so fake, he's almost real.” I know it makes no sense, but I still stand by that statement.

Fred Schneider has the best job in show business. Shouting stuff under those two talented ladies' voices: Love shack BABY! Rock LOBSTER! DOWN! DOWN! He's a lucky, lucky guy.

By: Beau

Beau — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:45:45 +0000

Just once for a reunion. All the highways out of town are so different these days.

By: Miss_Lisa

Miss_Lisa — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:25:25 +0000

I once described Lenny Kravitz to a friend as “so fake, he's almost real.” I know it makes no sense, but I still stand by that statement.

Fred Schneider has the best job in show business. Shouting stuff under those two talented ladies' voices: Love shack BABY! Rock LOBSTER! DOWN! DOWN! He's a lucky, lucky guy.

By: rwcass

rwcass — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:26:12 +0000

Have you been back to Athens in the last few years, Beau? Atlanta Highway changed some, didn't it? It used to go from Broad Street right out to Georgia Square Mall and Best Buy (yes, that big-box store is a landmark for me) and beyond, but some sort of highway construction was added earlier in this decade, and now Atlanta Highway takes you somewhere else, I think.

By: rwcass

rwcass — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:21:45 +0000

Black West Indians love Kenny Rogers? That makes me smile, as silly as that sounds. Music shouldn't have any borders, either in the music or when it comes to who listens to it. Mike, did you see Sasha Frere-Jones's article in the New Yorker last fall about how “black” and “white” music don't intersect like they used to?

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2...

Lenny Kravitz is obviously a strong example of that intersection. I do seem to remember him being hyped heavily on MTV and in magazines like Rolling Stone when his first album came out, but that was partly because of the Lisa Bonet connection and her getting a lot of attention at the time for “Angel Heart” and being sort of kicked off “The Cosby Show” and onto her own show, which she left after one season.

I'm glad you remember “Diamonds” being credited only to Herb Alpert in the official sense. I knew I wasn't crazy. But Janet clearly was the selling point for listeners, not Herb. But poor Lisa Keith …

By: Beau

Beau — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:10:30 +0000

Never have I disagreed so vehemently with a Chartburn entry. You guys don't like "Love Shack"? I know, I know -- I'm from Athens, and I always have to fight the urge to say, "Atlanta Highway! I know where that is!"

But come on. If you like only 10 out-and-out party songs (and that pretty much describes me and my dancing-impaired self), this is surely one of them.

And the video is pure Athens vibe. Old business dudes dancing with RuPaul while Sara Lee sits in the bathtub? Can't top that.

At least you all gave a shoutout to "Me In Honey." Unless it involves the Flintstones or shiny people, Kate Pierson makes everything she touches sound better.

And even "Shiny Happy People" gave us a memorable Sesame Street moment with the Kate muppet.

By: DwDunphy

DwDunphy — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:56:22 +0000

Call me close-minded. While I have no doubt in the validity of your statement, I just can't picture Nevil shredding.

By: DwDunphy

DwDunphy — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:55:18 +0000

Stay tuned to Popdose in the coming weeks, Mike. I'll be discussing Janet at length in a future Dw. On…

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:46:28 +0000

Ah, so much to say.

Re: Lenny. I'd be very surprised if the record executive who signed Lenny saw dollar signs in his eyes, especially when you consider that a) Lenny really didn't become big until his third album, and b) when "Let Love Rule" came out, the market for black rockers essentially consisted of Prince and Tracy Chapman. Yeah, the guy's derivative, but he's not the Antichrist.

Re: "Islands In The Stream": "Ghetto Supastar" absolutely did not surprise me. Why, you ask? Because Pras and Wyclef (who I believe produced the song) are both New Yorkers of Caribbean descent, and as I and anyone of Caribbean descent who grew up in NYC in the early Eighties can attest to, Black West Indians absolutely LOVE Kenny Rogers (and country music). I'm dead serious. My grandmother emigrated to this country in 1972 with an undying love for Jim Reeves and Skeeter Davis records.

Re: "Diamonds": I seem to remember hearing American Top 40 and hearing only Alpert credited as the performer on this record. Looking through my Billboard chart books, Janet is credited as "Lead vocalist" in the fine print, but she kinda got shafted similar to the way what's his name and what's her name got shafted on "Never Gonna Let You Go". The 12" mixes of this and "C'est La Vie" (I finally know what Nevil actually says in that "hey, JJ!!" line) are excellent.