U Can’t Please Everybody
If you had 10-15 minutes at the Superbowl what would you play?
While nationally syndicated sports commentator, Jim Rome, and others, will criticize Prince’s performance—oh, because he’s not ‘relevant’ anymore, and is partying like it’s 1984, etc., who would he suggest as an alternative? I know Rome likes fellow Minneapolans The Replacements better, as I probably do too, but would that be more ‘relevant’ or less 1984? Sure, it would be great to get some younger people up there, but certainly Prince was a better choice than the recent British Knights, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, etc
Along with “Let’s Go Crazy,” and “Purple Rain,” these were the originals Prince played at Superbowl 41. But his choice of covers was pretty interesting for that context, and got at a pretty wide range of American ‘classic’ rock and soul. So he did Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” (a song about New Orleans; I guess that’s not relevant anymore), but he did it like Ike And Tina Turner’s hit; you might say killing two demographic birds with one purple stone. Likewise, he did Bob Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower,” like Jimi Hendrix. Along with The Foo Fighter’s “The Best Of You,” this allowed Prince to show off his guitar rock. Oh, it could be argued that he didn’t not to even more contemporary pop, or hip-hop or country, but, given the time limits, it was a pretty damn good set by a consummate showman who could’ve just played his many hits but decided to paint a picture of a pretty wide range of American music of the last 41 Superbowl years instead.
A San Francisco all girl band; allegedly they’ve been around for awhile. I’m told their sound used to be more poppy, like The Go-Gos, a designation a lot of young grrrrl rock bands get, especially in the bay area, in which the “cute” factor at live shows often matters more than how good the band is really (scene stuff), yet regardless of their origins, Stiletta put on an amazing show at Neil Martinson’s Smile night at The Knockout. The drums had that rockin’ primitive quality of Moe Tucker, that can get me dancing (well, if I forget about the injury and osteoarthritis complications) much more than many ‘better’ drummers, and the guitar leads were delicious and subtle. Stiletta is a testament to the possibility of a band growing if they can manage to stay together for more than a few years.
This, like “Steal Things From Work,” a relatively early piece that was certainly more fresh and refreshing than what his later pieces like “Detachable Penis.”
Just thinking it’s time to do my own history lesson song…..
Great piano/pedal steel interplay; back before they got too slick for me in the yacht rock sense….
Is a nice guy to have a cup of coffee at Mama Buzz Cafe in Oakland with.
A sweet song, that in one very important way reminds me of “Audrey’s Eyes” by Velocity Girl
