Thursday, October 18, 2007
When rock stars start thinkin', God-awfulness ensues
While I agree with just about every entry on John Frusciante's list of the "15 Most Ill-Advised Career Reinventions in Rock Music History," I can't go along with his assertion that the Red Hot Chili Peppers' One Hot Minute is a crappy CD. Indeed, it's my second-favorite Chili Peppers CD (after Mother's Milk, of course).
That said, I cannot in any way argue with this:
"After a career of lead-singer drama, Van Halen decided to go in a completely different direction by hiring Gary Cherone. The former Extreme front man tried to distance himself from his 'More Than Words' days by adding a little bit of grit to his voice, to much comic effect. Along with giving VH fans something they've never asked for in politically-minded songs like 'Ballot or the Bullet,' the songs here were stripped of any kind of edge and the whole thing fell just a few steps short of being new-age.
"Somehow, inexplicably, Eddie Van Halen decided to take what was broke in the band and make it even more broken by singing lead vocals on one track, sending a message of, 'Hey, it could be worse,' to the many fans dissatisfied with Cherone's performance.
"Bassist Michael Anthony appears in only three tracks on the album, marking what were either tensions within the band or forward-thinking wisdom on his part. Cherone was quickly dismissed from the VH lineup, and fans did their best to pretend he was never there in the first place."
Read the rest here.
That said, I cannot in any way argue with this:
"After a career of lead-singer drama, Van Halen decided to go in a completely different direction by hiring Gary Cherone. The former Extreme front man tried to distance himself from his 'More Than Words' days by adding a little bit of grit to his voice, to much comic effect. Along with giving VH fans something they've never asked for in politically-minded songs like 'Ballot or the Bullet,' the songs here were stripped of any kind of edge and the whole thing fell just a few steps short of being new-age.
"Somehow, inexplicably, Eddie Van Halen decided to take what was broke in the band and make it even more broken by singing lead vocals on one track, sending a message of, 'Hey, it could be worse,' to the many fans dissatisfied with Cherone's performance.
"Bassist Michael Anthony appears in only three tracks on the album, marking what were either tensions within the band or forward-thinking wisdom on his part. Cherone was quickly dismissed from the VH lineup, and fans did their best to pretend he was never there in the first place."
Read the rest here.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Thursday, October 18, 2007 
