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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