brilliant artists = selfish pricks

oh, wait. my brain = spam. and that's why i'm asking you lot, sillies..

Van Morrison.

James Brown.

Kevin Rowland?

Van's Daily Dump
Van Morrison insists on his band turning up to rehearsals at bang on 8.30am, although Van himself often doesn't turn up until ten, and then goes straight to the toilet with a copy of Exchange & Mart to have a dump. One day, the band got so cross that they waited until Van was engaged and then, one by one, tip-toed over to Van's Sacred Harmonica Bag, full of harmonicas Van has collected from around the world, picked a specimen, and rubbed it in their anal clefts. Even now, when you see Van on Later, his band seemed particularly delighted when he does a harmonica solo.

I'm not forgiving them -- rock stars are really difficult and awful sometimes, even the ones who aren't famous yet -- but I can empathize a little. A little.

"universally canonized, widely lauded artist" .. arguable...:
Bono

I think he's complete runny, tepid shit in leaky paper bag, but I surmise the still-inexplicably-beloved Michael Jackson probably isn't a summer breeze to work with.

Me: "I really loved the new Wes Anderson movie; have you seen it?"
JQH: "Wes Anderson is a fucking prick."
Me: "Of course he is."

Isn't his brilliance generally accepted to have an asterisk permanently affixed to it? I certainly wouldn't put him in the company of pretty much anyone else mentioned thus far. Even if he were a dandy chap, he'd still be a punchline.

i think we're heading down the right path with lou reed, miles fucking davis and (possibly?) eno

Like what? Not nit-picking, just curious. I was basing my opinion on interviews I'd read where he was extremely rude, even when the interviewer was trying his best to be polite. The Uncut interview, for example. Stephen Dalton asks him if his baby was planned, and Thom answers "No". Then he blows up because the question was intrusive. Then why did you answer, Thom? Just say "pass" if it's too personal. Wanker.

I adore Radiohead's music, btw, so I'm not biased.

His reaction sounds pretty restrained to me. He should've twatted the hack.

Mark E Smith

(and this is coming from a Fall fan!)

"I had long enough to realize that just because I dig someone's work doesn't mean I have to like them as a person... James Brown can be an asshole. If you want to know, he IS an asshole. But you expect it from him. He pumps himself up to be the baddest and meanest."

I would say Courtney Love, but I think she is ONLY a shrill opportunistic Ann Coulter of grunge, and not at all a 'brilliant artist.'

Jerry Lee Lewis is probably the baddest motherfucker in music history, although I don't think he was very controlling (since he was rarely in control of himself). I mean he offed two wives (probably), married his pre-pubescent cousin (well 2nd cousin), and sat in front of Graceland raging drunk with a shotgun hoping to 'settle a score' with Elvis. I don't know about selfish, but the Killer is arguably the definitive source of angry fucked up egotistical attitude in rock music.

Yes, although I can't prove this was because of her criticizing his music...I think that would clench it.

Almost forgot the obvious:
"Truth or Dare" era Madonna

What's weird is that he can tone it down sometimes. I'm thinking at least of the interview in the Punk Planet book.

There's quite a dichotomy between his words and his actions, though. For all his ripping on any and every band who isn't the Jesus Lizard, as a working engineer who offers cheap rates to struggling unknown bands as long as they don't put his name on the project, he has to be ushering a lot of shitty music into the world. And to keep this "recording as community resource" work afloat, for big buxx he'll produce something like a Bush record, and then have to say nice things about them.

Also, has he toned down his act lately, or am I just missing the more recent bilous interviews and zine columns?

I'm thinking you're probably right there. Freakin' perfectionist.