As the mayor of Bootleg City, it’s good to be king — or just mayor, I guess. Or how about “king-mayor”? But certainly not Sonia Sotomayor, who dared to suggest eight years ago that her experiences as a Latina have been different than mine as a white guy. Your Honor, I’ll have you know that I own both the Mambo Kings soundtrack and a Tito Puente greatest-hits compilation. I’m not allowed to play them at the country club, but my golfing buddies did use them as coasters without my permission last week. I’m just glad they didn’t take those CDs out onto the skeet-shooting range. It took forever to glue my vinyl collection back together.
What I’m trying to say is that I like having power and influence in the music world. For example, last fall I was benevolent enough to give all of you demos and outtakes from Big Star’s classic albums #1 Record and Radio City. Once again, you’re welcome, and yes, it is my world you’re not paying property taxes in.
Rhino Records must have visited Bootleg City last fall — rather than all those other blogs and websites that featured the tracks first, though there’s no competition when it comes to my selfless, humble charity — because come September they’re releasing a Big Star box set featuring the Memphis band’s first three albums and the bootleg tracks that were featured here. My pleasure, Rhino, and of course I’ll accept a free copy as a sign of your gratitude. Send it to: The Mayor, 1 Way St., Bootleg City, USA. ‘Preciate it!
I forgot to mention on May 29 that the Genesis Live at Wembley Stadium bootleg was made possible by Jason Hare, whose name isn’t as fun to say as “the Chubb Group,” but it’ll have to do. Thanks, Jason! (By the way, if any of you ever refer to me as “Mayor Casshole,” you’ll be banished from the kingdom. Unless you’re Rupert Murdoch — he has power over my influence, and he knows how to abuse it. I can now say that all the Aussie-bashing on Flight of the Conchords and in the trailer for Funny People is totally justified. There must be something in their backwards-draining water that makes them so aggressive. Or maybe it’s because their entire civilization started with a conjugal visit.)
