mongo_jones Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 don't get me wrong, i think the article is very much an attempt to obliquely skewer him for the sin of being middlebrow. A sort of lowbrow Gatsby, I thought. The houses, the heli-pad. yeah, a lowbrow gatsby who appeals to the middlebrow. the writer's attitude to him as a social being is essentially that of tom buchanan's to gatsby, though he dresses it up better. there's a tension in the article though because the writer does in fact respect his music or at least acknowledges his abilities, though he leaves it to a bruce springsteen anecdote to flesh it out. lots of self-loathing to go around. it's worth noting that very few millionaire rock stars exhibit good taste as defined by new yorker writers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joethefoodie Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 don't you wish more people would come to this conclusion: “I’m not crazy about going into a recording studio and doing that kind of life again,” he told me one day. “Or taking on another project where there’s other people involved—arrangers and orchestrators and conductors and producers. I don’t want to deal with it. It’s a megillah. You have to have a certain amount of ambition to want to do all that. And I look back at the guy who was the recording artist, this Billy Joel guy, and I think, Who the fuck was that guy? He was very ambitious, very driven, and I don’t feel like that anymore.” Joel maintains that there’s discipline in it. “Over the years, Elton would say, ‘Why don’t you make more albums?’ And I’d say, ‘Why don’t you make less?’ ” He went on, “Some people think it’s because I’m lazy or I’m just being contrary. But, no, I think it’s just—I’ve had my say. If I put out an album now, it would probably sell pretty well, because of who I am, but that’s no reason to do it. I’d want it to be good. And I’ve seen artists on that treadmill, putting out albums year after year, and the albums get worse and worse, less and less interesting, and it’s, like, maybe you should stop.” YES! (Maybe a living white rock bass player.) (Maybe every rock musician over 65 except for Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.) Why stop at rock musicians? Why not writers, artists, actors, doctors, lawyers... I mean, Michelangelo did David and The Pieta before he was 30 - someone should've just taken the damn marble away from him at that point. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Suzanne F Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 gotta love the Nov 3rd cover. AaronS! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sneakeater Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Because rock musicians tend to get pathetic. And writers, artists, actors, doctors, and lawyers don't. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sneakeater Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Born in 1943 Writer Rock Musician Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lex Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Jagger looks like he had more fun. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilfrid Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 You didn't grow up on Long Island. You realize that's why I hate The Beatles, right? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sneakeater Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Because you didn't grow up on Long Island? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilfrid Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Because I grew up in the same country as Liverpool. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lex Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 You were always jealous of Paul. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilfrid Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 His unsurpassed left-handed bassist skills? His lyrical gift? His wives? (Okay, Jane Asher was cute.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joethefoodie Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Jagger looks like he had more fun. And probably still is. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joethefoodie Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Born in 1949 Writer Rock Musician Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AaronS Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I hear amis is in really bad shape. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sneakeater Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Amis is as close to rock musician as to writer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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