I'm sharing this message that Greil asked me to post:
"I’m away from my computer and can’t post replies on my phone. I’ll respond to all the valued comments next week. But for the moment: Ok, no more comments that I mixed up John with Paul. Yes, to me it sounds like John. That may be lingering bias toward John, since he was my favorite Beatle and I’ve tended ever since, despite what is now enormous respect for Paul, to associate almost anything I loved about the Beatles with John, not Paul. I also don’t trust what anybody, analyst or John and Paul themselves, on who wrote what (when someone criticized something in a song, John would often say, “Oh, that was a Paul line”). The resentment and complaint and egotism (“What you’re doing—TO ME”) in the song I associate with John (reaching its height in “Yer Blues”): John’s idea of life, not Paul’s. His subject. What it was all about.
When I listened to the Beatles as a child, I seldom made the distinction between John's and Paul's voices as part of the overall sound, which to me came from some extraordinary place. "Magical mystery" was right—I had no idea how humans could make this music. So even now when I listen, often I don't think "that's John" or "that's Paul" or "that's George" or even "that's Ringo," but "that's the Beatles."
As regards death due to excess in The Ramones and The Dolls, only Dee Dee Ramone died of an OD and the rest died of cancer. Only one of the Dolls drummers Billy Murcia, and Johnny Thunders l died of excess, although Murcia’s death was accidentally helped along by drowning by groupies. And there were questions, raised by Dee Dee, as to whether JT got murdered while high.
Nolan died of a stroke complicating meningitis and pneumonia. Syl David and Arthur all had cancer.
So the conclusion I would draw a that Rock and Roll causes cancer.
Thanks for mentioning "Children of Jonestown." I lived in San Francisco from 68-79, and I remember reading that book and thinking how many clues there were that something was so wrong, even before Jones and company decamped to Guyana. Why isn't it better known? My daughter once asked me if I had realized the 'seventies were weird when I was living through them, and I said, "Oh, yes." The only objection I have to David Talbot's excellent "Season of the Witch"iss how he repeatedly describes a certain district attorney as "brawling." He was more than that. He had a hair-trigger temper and was a serial harasser.
Many thanks for your reader’s mention of David Talbot’s “Season of the Witch.” It’s just the book I didn’t know I was searching for, as a resident of the Bay Area from 1973 to 1982. “Witch” will be a follow-up explain-almost-all to “1974” by Ronald Brownstein.
Just re-read the Johnny Paycheck chapter you reference above. Just fantastic. Perfect. A lot of Modern Song did seem way too "out there" for me at first, but I probably didn't give it the time it needed. That's the beauty of this blog, and of Bob Dylan, showing me stuff I never knew about. Beautiful music that speaks to our humanity. That's grandiose I know, but I'm feeling it after listening to the performance above and reading Dylan's analysis.
Wait, there's more! Greil thinks the rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry bird was "likely NBA mandated" and "nonsense". Before their rookie seasons, Johnson and Bird played for the NCAA championship (Michigan State v. Indiana State). Was that mandated or was it earned through their respective talents and their teams? Did the NBA pre-arrange championship series featuring the Lakers and the Celtics for marketing reasons or did LA and Boston simply have the best teams in the 80's? Gerry Cooney, white, fighting for the heavyweight championship, now that was mandated in addition to being stupid and a farce. But not Bird and Magic! One happened to be white and while it played into the rivalry so far as fans were concerned, there was nothing phony about their talents and respect on the court for one another and their teams.
My question about Caitlin Clark was given short shrift by Greil, perhaps he was having a bad day. But to dismiss Clark's race as part, and only part of the reason for her popularity, is putting on blinders and not discussing whatever circus animal is in the room. Why was Elvis more popular than his black contemporaries? Wasn't it Sun Records' producer Sam Phillips who even before he met Elvis, said "If I could find a white man who had the Black sound and the Black feel, I could make a billion dollars"(in 1950's money, no less!). I took pains to steer around the fact that many of Clark's fans are MAGA, no doubt. Is she MAGA? I have no idea and from the standpoint of her athletic talents, I don't care, really. I doubt from a marketing POV, she would ever declare one side or the other and to paraphrase Michael Jordan when he was a phenom peddling Nikes, "Republicans buy sneakers too." We don't live in a post-racial world and never did, probably never will in the lifetimes of anybody reading this. That doesn't make us racist, however. Professional sports has long been a catalyst for improving race relations. See Jackie Robinson, for instance, Muhammad Ali for another instance. But to point out Clark being white as a "pointless and even destructive way of looking at the world" castigates me personally and I resent it. The price of not honestly engaging in the racial politics of the day and many days before, has us reaping the whirlwind today.
You make some good points. As far as Elvis being more popular than black artists of his time, I think it was for the same reasons he was more popular than Carl Perkins, Sleepy LaBeef, Pat Boone, Bill Haley, Gene Vincent, Charlie Rich...looks, charisma, looks/sex appeal,physical beauty, talent and range of material...Chuck Berry in 1985 was the same experience as CB in 1956, same with Little Richard...Elvis's voice/delivery by 1960 was already quite different from 1955...and he continued to evolve (not always for the better) until he died.
To RS: I'm also a librarian, in Brooklyn; on my one trip to the Bay Area, I visited Berkeley Public Library's main branch and was so taken with it, I dropped off a resume! They hadn't gotten rid of anything in the 780s in decades, I could have spent the whole afternoon just thumbing through books on rock, soul, blues, etc. that I'd last read as a teen. But anyway, as someone who missed the 60s and barely remembers most of the 70s, I also enjoyed "Season of the Witch." I don't know if you, or Greil, has read it, but if you have strong nerves I would recommend "The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights" by Prentice Earl Sanders and Bennett Cohen.
I recall that the Jonestown massacre and the assassination of Moscone and Milk happened in rapid succession right after I had moved to Los Angeles from my suburban home. In those days you often found out about a major catastrophe by seeing a newspaper headline in a coin vending machine, and I recall thinking after seeing the headline on the latter, "Why has the world gone insane since I moved here?"
I expect part of the reason for the rise of the WNBA is that the tickets cost less than for other professional sports.
I'm sharing this message that Greil asked me to post:
"I’m away from my computer and can’t post replies on my phone. I’ll respond to all the valued comments next week. But for the moment: Ok, no more comments that I mixed up John with Paul. Yes, to me it sounds like John. That may be lingering bias toward John, since he was my favorite Beatle and I’ve tended ever since, despite what is now enormous respect for Paul, to associate almost anything I loved about the Beatles with John, not Paul. I also don’t trust what anybody, analyst or John and Paul themselves, on who wrote what (when someone criticized something in a song, John would often say, “Oh, that was a Paul line”). The resentment and complaint and egotism (“What you’re doing—TO ME”) in the song I associate with John (reaching its height in “Yer Blues”): John’s idea of life, not Paul’s. His subject. What it was all about.
"So more on cancer later, Rich."
To my old ears it sounds like John and Paul do the beginning of each verse together then John drops ,off leaving Paul to finish solo.
When I listened to the Beatles as a child, I seldom made the distinction between John's and Paul's voices as part of the overall sound, which to me came from some extraordinary place. "Magical mystery" was right—I had no idea how humans could make this music. So even now when I listen, often I don't think "that's John" or "that's Paul" or "that's George" or even "that's Ringo," but "that's the Beatles."
Boy am I glad you are doing this Q&A.
As regards death due to excess in The Ramones and The Dolls, only Dee Dee Ramone died of an OD and the rest died of cancer. Only one of the Dolls drummers Billy Murcia, and Johnny Thunders l died of excess, although Murcia’s death was accidentally helped along by drowning by groupies. And there were questions, raised by Dee Dee, as to whether JT got murdered while high.
Nolan died of a stroke complicating meningitis and pneumonia. Syl David and Arthur all had cancer.
So the conclusion I would draw a that Rock and Roll causes cancer.
Signed, Rich Krueger MD PhD
Thanks for mentioning "Children of Jonestown." I lived in San Francisco from 68-79, and I remember reading that book and thinking how many clues there were that something was so wrong, even before Jones and company decamped to Guyana. Why isn't it better known? My daughter once asked me if I had realized the 'seventies were weird when I was living through them, and I said, "Oh, yes." The only objection I have to David Talbot's excellent "Season of the Witch"iss how he repeatedly describes a certain district attorney as "brawling." He was more than that. He had a hair-trigger temper and was a serial harasser.
Many thanks for your reader’s mention of David Talbot’s “Season of the Witch.” It’s just the book I didn’t know I was searching for, as a resident of the Bay Area from 1973 to 1982. “Witch” will be a follow-up explain-almost-all to “1974” by Ronald Brownstein.
Is “What You’re Doing” a John Lennon vocal? If so he’s sounds a lot like Paul
Actually on the track listing. Beatles For Sale listed the lead vocalist of each track.
You’re incorrect about John singing “What You’re Doing.” It was sung and primarily written by Paul.
I love the passage about George Harrison’s guitar playing, but I think it’s actually Paul who sings lead on “What You’re Doing.”
“I'm not in it for my health." —Levon
Just re-read the Johnny Paycheck chapter you reference above. Just fantastic. Perfect. A lot of Modern Song did seem way too "out there" for me at first, but I probably didn't give it the time it needed. That's the beauty of this blog, and of Bob Dylan, showing me stuff I never knew about. Beautiful music that speaks to our humanity. That's grandiose I know, but I'm feeling it after listening to the performance above and reading Dylan's analysis.
Wait, there's more! Greil thinks the rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry bird was "likely NBA mandated" and "nonsense". Before their rookie seasons, Johnson and Bird played for the NCAA championship (Michigan State v. Indiana State). Was that mandated or was it earned through their respective talents and their teams? Did the NBA pre-arrange championship series featuring the Lakers and the Celtics for marketing reasons or did LA and Boston simply have the best teams in the 80's? Gerry Cooney, white, fighting for the heavyweight championship, now that was mandated in addition to being stupid and a farce. But not Bird and Magic! One happened to be white and while it played into the rivalry so far as fans were concerned, there was nothing phony about their talents and respect on the court for one another and their teams.
My question about Caitlin Clark was given short shrift by Greil, perhaps he was having a bad day. But to dismiss Clark's race as part, and only part of the reason for her popularity, is putting on blinders and not discussing whatever circus animal is in the room. Why was Elvis more popular than his black contemporaries? Wasn't it Sun Records' producer Sam Phillips who even before he met Elvis, said "If I could find a white man who had the Black sound and the Black feel, I could make a billion dollars"(in 1950's money, no less!). I took pains to steer around the fact that many of Clark's fans are MAGA, no doubt. Is she MAGA? I have no idea and from the standpoint of her athletic talents, I don't care, really. I doubt from a marketing POV, she would ever declare one side or the other and to paraphrase Michael Jordan when he was a phenom peddling Nikes, "Republicans buy sneakers too." We don't live in a post-racial world and never did, probably never will in the lifetimes of anybody reading this. That doesn't make us racist, however. Professional sports has long been a catalyst for improving race relations. See Jackie Robinson, for instance, Muhammad Ali for another instance. But to point out Clark being white as a "pointless and even destructive way of looking at the world" castigates me personally and I resent it. The price of not honestly engaging in the racial politics of the day and many days before, has us reaping the whirlwind today.
You make some good points. As far as Elvis being more popular than black artists of his time, I think it was for the same reasons he was more popular than Carl Perkins, Sleepy LaBeef, Pat Boone, Bill Haley, Gene Vincent, Charlie Rich...looks, charisma, looks/sex appeal,physical beauty, talent and range of material...Chuck Berry in 1985 was the same experience as CB in 1956, same with Little Richard...Elvis's voice/delivery by 1960 was already quite different from 1955...and he continued to evolve (not always for the better) until he died.
To RS: I'm also a librarian, in Brooklyn; on my one trip to the Bay Area, I visited Berkeley Public Library's main branch and was so taken with it, I dropped off a resume! They hadn't gotten rid of anything in the 780s in decades, I could have spent the whole afternoon just thumbing through books on rock, soul, blues, etc. that I'd last read as a teen. But anyway, as someone who missed the 60s and barely remembers most of the 70s, I also enjoyed "Season of the Witch." I don't know if you, or Greil, has read it, but if you have strong nerves I would recommend "The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights" by Prentice Earl Sanders and Bennett Cohen.
I recall that the Jonestown massacre and the assassination of Moscone and Milk happened in rapid succession right after I had moved to Los Angeles from my suburban home. In those days you often found out about a major catastrophe by seeing a newspaper headline in a coin vending machine, and I recall thinking after seeing the headline on the latter, "Why has the world gone insane since I moved here?"
I expect part of the reason for the rise of the WNBA is that the tickets cost less than for other professional sports.
So it is Paul?
Yup.