Madge's Hernia Journey-a

Well, here's a sure sign we're all getting older....Madonna had an operation to correct a hernia last week. For some excrutiatingly detailed information, click here.

I wonder if this had something to do with the tumble she took on a horse last summer?

Johnny Weir's Musical Twin

I just read about Olympic diva Johnny Weir and found this photo of him...it reminded me of someone else...

Oh, by the way, here are my favorite Ronstadt songs:

1. You're No Good
2. Tracks of My Tears
3. Just One Look
4. Long, Long Time
5. How Do I Make You

Classic Single of the Day: Sentimental Lady

I always loved Bob Welch's "Sentimental Lady," which was a hit for him in 1977. Christine McVie joins him for backing vocals--and with good reason. Welch was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1971 to 1973, and "Sentimental Lady" appeared for the first time on the Bare Trees album in 1972.

Very cool song, but HIDEOUS cover art. YUCK! ---->

Bob Welch now does some weird takes on old jazz classics and pop standards. A quick flick through iTunes revealed a very bizarre version of "I Got Rhythm." I'll stick with the old stuff, Bob, thanks.

Other cool Bob Welch-penned tunes: "Hypnotized," Fleetwood Mac; and "Ebony Eyes," a solo hit from the French Kiss album (where "Sentimental Lady" also appeared).

Never Say Never

Interesting bit of news I found when researching what happened in music history on this day. Today in 1970, Joni Mitchell announced she was retiring from live performances during a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. Joni was on stage again by the end of the year.

As an aside, this is Joni's first appearance on the cover of Rolling Stone, in May 1969. What an unflattering shot! I suppose it is consistent with Rolling Stone's initial reputation as being an underground paper. I worked in the library during my college years, and we had to file Rolling Stone under newspapers--which I thought was odd.

Joni announced again she was retiring--from everything--in 2003. And I actually believe her this time.

Great Song, Ridiculous Video

Thank God for www.youtube.com. My friend Paul told me about it last evening, and I'm hooked! Log on, search for an old video you remember or one you've never seen, and chances are it's there.

I've been a huge Yaz (or Yazoo) fan for about 20 years. And I've never seen a single video of theirs. So I was thrilled to find their video for "Don't Go." I love the song, but the video is as silly as videos could possibly be. Look for the skeleton clapping his hands in time (my favorite bit!).

Remembering Sonny

Sonny Bono would have been 71 years old today. He was killed in a skiing accident in January 1998.

Best songs written by Sonny Bono:

1. I Got You Babe
2. The Beat Goes On
3. Needles and Pins

Happy Birthday Andy Taylor (the Forgotten Duran)

Poor Andy Taylor. He's in many ways the forgotten member of Duran Duran. And he hasn't aged as well as his counterparts (the photo here--granted, pretty hot--is from 1984). So here's Andy's moment in the spotlight, on his 45th birthday.

Andy was/is the guitarist for Duran and was also one of the Power Station (along with bandmate John Taylor, Robert Palmer and Tony Thompson).

Paul Weller: When Rock Stars Attack

OK, you all know I love Paul Weller and the Jam. Last night he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Brit Awards, the UK equivalent of the Grammys.

But Paul's been in an uber-bitchy mood lately, 'slagging off' pop icon after pop icon. This days after he said he'd only re-form the Jam if he and his children were starving.

I know it sounds awful, but I take great delight in pop stars being rude to one another (and tell me you don't!)...anyway, here's a snippet of Weller's recent rants (from Digital Spy):

The singer has claimed that David Bowie, Bob Geldof and the late Freddie Mercury did not deserve to receive the [Lifetime Achievement] honour.

"Bob Geldof? What'd he win it for? Can't be for his music, man," he told Uncut magazine. "I mean if it's for his charity work in Africa then you can't knock it, but Boomtown Rats, f**k off."

On Freddie Mercury, he ranted, "He said he wanted to bring ballet to the working classes. What a c***."

On David Bowie: "I like about three records of his. The rest of it's pish.

"Weller's controversial comments come just one week after he attacked James Blunt, claiming he would rather "eat my own s**t than duet with him".

Oh, and he called 2002 winner Sting ‘a horrible man’ claiming he had ‘no attitude, no nothing’, and he accused 2001 winners U2 of writing ‘pseudo American rubbish’.

....And then there's this story:

Weller was so annoyed by fans' requests at a competition winners' gig for British radio station Virgin on Monday, he snapped and swore at them.

The hitmaker insisted his audience should stop being so demanding because they hadn't even paid to be there.

He raged, "We don't know what we're playing yet, it's not a f**king request show.

"Don't know what you're talking about anyway, you guys didn't pay for these f**kin' tickets in the first place.

"Enough of the f**kin' 'waheys' guys. I'm about to play a f**kin' mellow song. You're putting me off."

...and finally, this:

"I've met Chris Martin and I don't want to slag him off because he's a lovely lad, but his music is too f**king bland."

Paul--settle down, babe! You're being honored for a great career; your songs have touched many lives; your last album was amazing (and even garnered you some top 10 UK singles). Eeesh--Paul Weller is now among the Stars I Love But Don't Want to Meet (oh, and Joni's in that eschelon, too).

I agree with Weller that James Blunt is shite. Naturally, he's incredibly popular. I also agree that Boomtown Rats never did a single thing better or even as good as "I Don't Like Mondays." And we all know how I feel about U2. And yes, Coldplay songs all sound like Coldplay songs (but some would argue Steely Dan songs, or Nyro songs, or early Joni songs, all sound the same to them). But I'm curious as to what's up Paul's butt these days.

When Did REM Jump the Shark?

I recently pulled out my vinyl copy of REM's collection of rarities and oddities, 1987's Dead Letter Office, released just before Document propelled them into the top 10. And it was one of the most enjoyable listening experiences I've had in a long time. So I followed it up with spins of the sublime Fables of the Reconstruction and the nearly-perfect Life's Rich Pageant.

It then occurred to me that I don't get nearly the pleasure from their early 90s work that I do from these older albums. I had a conversation with a friend lately regarding when we thought REM stopped making good albums...I said it ended with 1992's Automatic for the People; she was convinced Out of Time was the last one.

But the more I think about it, I'm going to say Green was the last great REM album. Sure, I enjoyed the following two--I mean, who didn't, to some degree? But Automatic and Out of Time seemed to lose some of the loose appeal of those first six albums. I loved the album art, the esoteric lyrics, the jangly, almost 60s guitar work--and the fact that you could sing along to a whole album just by mumbling. Brilliant stuff.

For the record, I hated Monster. And I never bought anything new they did after that.

Here's my ranking of the six best REM albums:

1. Life's Rich Pageant
2. Murmur
3. Chronic Town (EP)
4. Fables of the Reconstruction
5. Document
6. Reckoning

Valentines Day with Billy Bragg

I love Billy Bragg, and it just so happens he has written two songs that are my favorite Valentines Day songs.

Here's the sweet one, from 1991's Don't Try This at Home:

The Fourteenth of February
I wish that I could remember the first moment that we met
If only I could remember that sweet moment when we met
If I knew then that I
Would spend the rest of my life with you
I imagine I would have held your gaze a little longer
When first our eyes met
Did it rain or did sunshine attend our first meeting?
What words were said?
What weight given to that first greeting?
My diary doesn't help
I don't even mention your name until that summer
When bloomed the
Seed sown on the first day that we met

I know the date, I know the place where it happened
Yet in my mind the scene I recall is imagined
As we grow old I'm sure
There will be moments that we will not forget
But I would
Remember something of the moment that we met

And here's the not-so-pleasant one, from the marvelous Workers' Playtime (1988):

Valentines Day is Over
Some day boy you'll reap what you've sown
You'll catch a cold and you'll be on your own
And you will see that what's wrong with me
Is wrong with everyone that
You want to play your little games on
Poetry and flowers pretty words and threats
You've gone to the dogs again and I'm not placing bets
On you coming home tonight anything but blind
If you take me for granted then you must expect to find
Surprise, surprise
Valentine's Day is over, it's over
Valentine's Day is over

If you want to talk about it well you know where the phone is
Don't come round reminding me again how brittle bone is
God didn't make you an angel the Devil made you a man
That brutality and economy are related now I understand
When will you realise that as above so below there is no love
For the girl with the hour glass figure
Time runs out very fast
We used to want the same things but that's all in the past
And lately it seems that as it all gets tougher
Your ideal of justice just becomes rougher and rougher
Thank you for the things you bought me thank you for the card
Thank you for the things you taught me when you hit me hard
That love between two people must be based on understanding
Until that's true you'll find your thingsAll stacked out on the landing
Surprise, surprise
Valentine's Day is over, it's over
Valentine's Day is over

Happy Birthday Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel turns 56 today. The former Genesis frontman has had a very interesting career. Here's my short list of favorite Peter Gabriel tracks:

1. Red Rain
2. Mercy Street
3. Games Without Frontiers
4. Solsbury Hill
5. Sledgehammer

Alison's Grammy Record

You probably didn't know this--partially because it wasn't greeted with much fanfare, but Alison Krauss' three Grammy awards last week catalpulted her into the undisputed Grammy Queen category. She's now won 20--three more than even Aretha Franklin.

Alison and Union Station are consistently, well, about as good as country/bluegrass music gets. Here's a short list of my favorite Alison Krauss/AKUS tracks:

1. So Long, So Wrong
2. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference
3. New Favorite
4. I Will
5. Every Time You Say Goodbye
6. It Doesn't Matter
7. Forget About It