Twenty years ago today (don't ask me why I know this), I bought my first album by The Cure, Wish. Before Wish, I thought they were cheesy as hell, mainly because I thought they looked ridiculous. I usually threw around some other pejoratives too..."goth," "depressing," "80s."
But...after actually LISTENING to The Cure's music, I realized Robert Smith consistently wrote some of the best melodies from the post-punk era through the early 90s, and happily, most of these songs still hold up today. (I mean, have you heard how good their b-sides are?)
If you've resisted their music for the same reasons that my younger self did, I'd encourage you to give The Cure another chance. Enjoy.
Andy Pettitte pitching what will probably be his last minor league rehab start before NY calls him up. (Empire State Yankees v. Pawtucket Red Sox, Frontier Field, Rochester, NY.)
To my knowledge, Jim in Fall River was not in the stands that day. Listen:
What a day of sports contrasts: grief over Junior Seau, relief for the NY Rangers, joy for Jered Weaver. And life goes on, strange and poignant as ever.
Posted this to Facebook the night it happened, but forgot to upload here. Back on January 4, I watched the driver of an SUV do this in Oakland. That's her and her friend walking around the vehicle. Whoops.
He's always belonged in
musical theater, with all its hammy, melodramatic, inoffensive goofiness. He could have been the heir to Andrew Lloyd Webber, and he'd probably have a healthier fan-to-hater ratio. Why did it take so long for Movin' Out to happen? He's right in his wheelhouse with that stuff (see video above).
In the pop/rock/Top 40 world, BJ's music always came across as somewhat out of place. Like I used to say, it isn't bad, it's just pop music for people who don't like pop music.
SIDE NOTE #1:
My guess is the author was also trying to be somewhat humorous about his hatred. Besides, he gets paid to stir the pot, so to speak.
SIDE NOTE #2: The title of the post refers to this (my favorite Billy Joel moment and headline).
A lost classic. "At puberty, I was sworn to secrecy by the International Brotherhood of Lying Fickle Males..." Side note: I think the origins of Shatner's The Practice / Boston Legal character, Denny Crane, might be found in this song...
