Critiques on Dilletantes: They started out as Writers and became SONG-Writers

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Occasionally, a talented writer dabbles in music and creates something that doesn't stink anywhere near as much as it should.
This is a thread for talking about|bigging up|tearing down|critiquing novelists who become musicians.
I'm specifically asking for input/output on mystery novelist-cum-honkytonker Kinky Friendman (and his Texas Jewboys) and the numerous Musical side projects of surrealist comic book madman Grant Morrison. Anyone ever heard anything (musical) by either of them?

Rules: No Actors/Models! I'm sure theres already a thread or three about Keanu Reeves dire "Dogstar", Bruce Willis's blecherous "Bruno"-alter ego and the Milla (Jovovich's) inexplicably NOT shitty solo record. This thread is just about Writers/Novelists.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Yo La Tengo somehow was a decent rock group despite fighting the critic-inherent-sucko thing. Then they had to go and attempt JAZZ. Shoulda stopped while they were ahead.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Saint Etienne!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Pet Shop Boys, Chrissy Hynde.

Wot about Lester Bangs? Haven't heard it.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Lester Bangs's Jook Savages album is half-decent Richard Hell-Voidoid stuff. Nothing too essential though.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I got the Birdland LP. 'S'alright.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Okay...okay...this is all interesting leads and all, but does anyone have any opinions on Kinky Friedman's or Grant Morrison's musick?

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 02:39 (twenty-two years ago)

richard meltzer/vom

― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 03:31 (twenty-two years ago)

richard hell and patti smith, right?

i can't remember.

― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 04:00 (twenty-two years ago)

oh wait, you said 'talented' at the top.

i can't verify that either.

richard hell belongs on one of these threads, in any event.

― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 04:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Morrissey started off by writing a New York Dolls bio, and Saint Etienne are the best example of this obviously

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 07:39 (twenty-two years ago)

david toop?

― Jay K (Jay K), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 07:55 (twenty-two years ago)

It seems nobody has mentioned Leonard Cohen yet. He started out as a poet, didn't he?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 08:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Jonathan Richman did some fanzine writing at the same time he was forming the Modern Lovers. I've read a little of it; it's actually really well-written.

― mike a (mike a), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 14:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Sean O'Hagan, altho I don't think he has many fans 'round these parts (aside from me).

― hstencil, Wednesday, 30 April 2003 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Lenny Kaye

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

B-b-but I love Sean O'Hagan! (What did he write, though?)

Of course, the first band that came to my mind was the Rock-Bottom Remainders -- the group that boasts Dave Barry, Amy Tan, Stephen King, and Roy Blount, Jr. But I'm not sure if they've ever actually released anything, or if it's just a jokey, proto-McSweeney's sort of thing.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

jaymc, O'Hagan was a music critic for the NME, I think. Anyway, one of them British music rags. And I think that you and I might be the only people here who like the High Llamas.

― hstencil, Wednesday, 30 April 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Sean O'Hagan of Microdisney/High Llamas reknown and Sean O'Hagan NME/Guardian scribe are two different fellas. For real.

― rh, Wednesday, 30 April 2003 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

no way! I thot they were the same dude!

― hstencil, Wednesday, 30 April 2003 14:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Chris Roberts and Cathouse

― flowersdie (flowersdie), Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I once saw Allen Ginsberg performing something called "Father Death Blues" on TV, made me cry it did, is it on any album? On a similar trip how can one forget The Fugs when considering writers who became musicians (tho musician is stretching it in the Fugs' case).

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 1 May 2003 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

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