Rob Sheffield - Talking to Girls About Duran Duran

New book: http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780525951568,00.html

Perpetua interview w/ Sheffield part one: http://www.fluxblog.org/2010/08/interview-with-rob-sheffield-part-one

Matos interview w/ Sheffield, two weeks ago:

http://17dots.com/2010/08/05/emusic-qa-rob-sheffield/

I loved that Matos interview -- really one of the best things I've read this year.

Yes, that interview is great.

Part two: http://www.fluxblog.org/2010/08/interview-with-rob-sheffield-part-two

I finished the book last weekend and enjoyed it. Most people I know would be bored reading about half-forgotten pop songs with episodic autobiographical bits. I wonder how big the readership is of special people like us who care about that sort of thing? Not exactly a review, he got me thinking about my own perspective on 1986 in particular. Click on dorky photo at the end for the soundtrack. http://www.fastnbulbous.com/1986.htm

Bon Jovi particularly irked me at the time, because I thought at first he sounded alright, a kind of metallized Bruce Springsteen. But then I saw the videos with his ridiculousy poofed hair and cheesy preening that was blatantly aimed toward an audience of screaming tweener girls, and I somehow felt betrayed. Similarly, the tunes from Madonna's first album made me think she was like a former tough New York punk chick who discovered dance music, like Blondie. But her later hits like "Like A Virgin," "Papa Don't Preach" and "True Blue" drove me insane with their obviously, cynically calculated, cold feel. Feh, sellout.

You've changed your mind about Madonna, I hope.

i cannot wait to read this

i read his last one a couple years ago. thinkin of picking this one up too

Hope he includes mixtape ideas.

before i read his previous book i had no idea he was a music critic. i had just seen him as, like, a talking head on vh1 or whatever. probably for one of those i love the whatever shows? u_u

tbf his music criticism is the occasional "four stars, really?" RS main review at this point, try to score a copy of the SPIN Alternative Guide if you wanna see him in A+ reviewin' mode.

One of the pleasures of reading old SPINs on Google Books is finding his reviews of Faster Pussycat and shit.

thanks, da croupier -- i should look into that guide

try to score a copy of the SPIN Alternative Guide if you wanna see him in A+ reviewin' mode.

I'm kind of biased here, but if you want to see him in A+ reviewin' mode, hunt down some old Radio Ons--he's A+++ in there.

yeah I didn't know how readily available those were

Not readily, to put it mildly.

You've changed your mind about Madonna, I hope.

Only in so far as now that I'm no longer smothered by her overplayed songs, I can tolerate listening to her again. Occasionally. I re-listened to her 2nd and 3rd albums recently and they sound just as cold and calculated. But she did elevate selling out as an art form, heh.

Regarding Sheffield's book, there's less music covered because each chapter is mainly based on a single song, though he does talk about other music. There will certainly be some you've forgotten about worth YouTubin'.

crap looks like the spin alt guide's going for like $8 to a penny on amazon - might as well replace the spineless pile of pages I still flip through on occasion

Dug the Matos intvw. (haven't read the Perpetua one). Is Christgau really such an annoying old fart that he'll go up to a dj and request what HE wants to hear?

I thought everyone did that at a friend's party.

I don't think I've ever DJed and not had someone make a request. If it was Christgau I'd be over the moon.

haha hell any 68-year-old asking for aztec camera at a party would be awesome

also trying to figure out why "HE" is in all caps, do people normally ask DJs to play what SOMEONE ELSE wants to hear?

It would be a refreshing change from pissed and/or coked-up girls angrily requesting a record that I'VE ALREADY PLAYED

At a party last Sunday all the guests asked my friend for was Arcade Fire, so an Aztec Camera request would have been....appreciated.

HE s/b Christgau. I dunno - in my experience the dj ( at a party, etc) selects because their taste in music is trusted to move the crowd. I know very few who are down to play Human Jukebox. You'd think CGau would've just been able to grin and bear the Duran Duran tune is all.

Dude, you don't know if Christgau groaned in mock irritation ("Aw, fuck, DURAN DURAN, Rob?"). He wasn't slamming his cane down on the stereo.

Who suggest banned Christgau?

Informed requests can be awesome! DJed a show one time, I'm playing the Feelies and the singer asked if I had any dBs. Last thing on my mind is "don't you trust my taste to move the crowd?" She was playing new wave, he asked for some. It's not like xgau asked for fats waller.

At a party last Sunday all the guests asked my friend for was Arcade Fire

This is not my idea of a party.

I went home early and read Dickens.

It would be a refreshing change from pissed and/or coked-up girls angrily requesting a record that I'VE ALREADY PLAYED

Such an archetype that there's even a great song about HER (and him too, really) (fast-forward to 2:40):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_epvdQbl4hA

god how awesome would it be if Xgau really was slamming his cane down on stereos and asking for Duran Duran to be REMOVED FROM THE PLAYER IMMEDIATELY in favor of Aztec Camera

"I DEMAND YOU KEEP THIS PARTY AT A B PLUS OR HIGHER, WITH THE OCCASIONAL CHOICE CUT"

THIS IS A GODDAMN TURKEY SHOOT!"

He could turn up with a sheet of bomb stickers and slap one on the decks every time a tune he hates comes on.

That's a good poll idea: stuff not to play when Christgau's over for dinner. You can list all his E's (GNR Lies, Bernie Taupin, etc).

please sir, can I have some more (Arcade Fire)?

I'll gladly trade Aztec Camera for Ray Parker Jr though.

Interesting thoughts on the "First-Week One-Listen Piffle" ethos.

just got this in. will have to read...soon?

I interviewed Rob about his new book last night, and plan to air it this Sunday morning on Toronto's CKLN. I may split the interview into two parts, this Sunday and two Sundays from now--not sure yet. Anyway, if you're interested, it's Sunday morning at 7:00 a.m.; the online stream is here. Usually the stream is up and running; sometimes it isn't.

Urtkay Obainkay

The stream was down when I aired this two Sundays ago, but I managed to get it onto mp3 and upload it to my site:

pt. 1
pt. 2

Rob's really funny; if you think there's too much clemenza, I would agree.

I'm glad you mentioned Robert Palmer's "Hyperactive," which I've always liked.

"I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" IS on Riptide, btw.

Oops--that used to get played in our record store constanstly, so I should know that. Isn't "Hyperactive" great?

And gross too -- it's Chic without Nile Rodgers, in the hamfisted way they squeezed a song without Madonna telling them what to do. Also: "She's hyperactive when she starts to dance" -- like, what?

Palmer sings it well. Not a big hit here: a top thirty peak or something, b/w "Addicted to Love" and "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On."

DJed a show one time, I'm playing the Feelies and the singer asked if I had any dBs. Last thing on my mind is "don't you trust my taste to move the crowd?"

i really doubt Feelies were moving any crowds to begin with, homie

homie?

homeslice

This is the first time I've thought about Robert Palmer's "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" since it was on the radio. I suppose it's something that all these years later the hook immediately jumped into my head.

Didn't know anything about this until today:

http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Around-Bright-Eyes-Rituals/dp/0062207628

Hoping my ignorance of Karaoke won't be much of an impediment.

Duran Duran singer with beard, moustache and big gut at stadium in London benefit concert yesterday

Got Turn Around Bright Eyes in the mail yesterday, finished it very quickly. Excellent, although sobering--it's largely about moving past stuff that I'm still stuck on at 51. What the three books need now is a nickname. The Ditch Trilogy is taken, and wouldn't work anyway.

Wandered over to the Amazon listing and was bemused when I noted who one of the chief reviewers was.

oh is that the guy from Postal Service

What does it mean when a book makes you feel like you can sing?

http://www.cartoondollemporium.com/disney/ariel3.jpg

I would be all about Ariel reviewing this book. Hell, Ursula.

Met this guy at the recent Chickfactor shows in Brooklyn. Boy, he was extremely nice. I very much enjoyed watching the bands and talking to him there.

Rob, that is.

Rob really is a truly nice human-being, and really really funny. Was very lucky to get to hear him do a radio show for a couple of years as well. It was always great.

I picked this up yesterday and read 3/4 of it by nighttime. Really enjoy it. A lot of it is trifle but it's engaging trifle. I loved the chapter on Hazey Fantezey