Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Keith Richards v. George Michael


Keith Richards believes his music comes from above.

George Michael believes his music comes from within.


Keith Richards is a collaborator.

George Michael is a soloist.


Keith Richards feels and intuits.

George Michael analyzes and plans.


Keith Richards is an improviser.

George Michael is a control freak.


Keith Richards is spontaneous and instinctual.

George Michael is methodical and cerebral.


Keith Richards is “the buddy.”

George Michael is “the professional.”


Keith Richards is interactive.

George Michael is solitary.


Keith Richards is casual.

George Michael is shrewd.


Keith Richards is a purist.

George Michael is a dilettante.


Keith Richards is incredibly prolific with his writing partner Mick Jagger.

George Michael takes forever to come out with a new song and never collaborates.


Keith Richards has said he wants to keep making music and performing until the day he dies.

George Michael, at the age of 42, proclaimed he was retiring from the music business.


Keith Richards self-identifies as a member of a band, as a part of a team, a link in the rock and roll chain.

George Michael self-identifies as a solo artist and is self-reliant to a fault.


Keith Richards felt hurt and betrayed when Mick Jagger wanted to go solo.

George Michael couldn’t wait to leave Andrew Ridgely and go solo.


Keith Richards is very committed to his family and has four adult children with whom he is very close.

George Michael has stated on many occasions that parenthood is not for him.


Keith Richards’ wife Patti has described him as surprisingly romantic.

George Michael’s partner Kenny Goss has described him as brutally honest.


Keith Richards made international headlines in 1977 in Toronto when he was busted for possession of 20 grams of heroin.

George Michael made international headlines in 1998 when he was busted for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer.


Keith Richards was ordered by the judge to perform two benefit concerts for the blind as punishment for his drug-related arrest.

George Michael was fined $810 and given 80 hours of community service as punishment for his sex-related arrest.


Keith Richards decided after his 1977 arrest that honesty was the best policy.

George Michael decided after his 1998 arrest that honesty was the best policy.


Keith Richards is a very accomplished instrumentalist with a strong working knowledge of music theory.

George Michael does not play any instrument particularly well and prefers to shy away from music theory as much as possible.


Keith Richards smokes.

George Michael smokes.


Keith Richards has a very ragged singing voice.

George Michael’s voice is becoming ragged.


Keith Richards has been married to the same woman for 26 years.

George Michael has been with Kenny Goss for roughly 13 years.


Keith Richards has been uncomfortable with the idea of putting out a solo record because of his loyalty to the band.

George Michael is only comfortable as a solo artist and has never really been in a band.


Keith Richards wears a skull ring and a handcuffs bracelet – his trademarks.

George Michael sometimes wears a cross necklace, rosary beads, and has been seen sporting a gold “commitment” ring that matches Kenny’s.


Keith Richards feels that videos are a bad match for music.

George Michael feels that videos are a necessary promotional device for music.


Keith Richards lets Mick Jagger handle all the business matters for the band.

George Michael oversees his own business matters very meticulously.


Keith Richards never really cared that much about fame.

George Michael, from a very early age, wanted fame.


Keith Richards used to like heroin, but now prefers marijuana and alcohol.

George Michael used to like ecstasy, but now prefers marijuana.


Keith Richard’s musical influences are Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Muddy Waters.

George Michael’s musical influences are Stevie Wonder, Elton John, and Queen.


Keith Richards is known to toss off humorous aphorisms in interviews.

George Michael is known to have diarrhea of the mouth in interviews.


Keith Richards’ first real lover eventually became a junkie/alcoholic.

George Michael’s first real lover died from complications with AIDS.


Keith Richards had an acting role as a pirate in the last installment of “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

George Michael had an acting role as himself in the television show “Eli Stone.”


Keith Richards is a purist when it comes to his musical tastes, preferring to stick to blue-based rock and roll.

George Michael’s tastes are all over the pop landscape – Motown, disco, ska, soul, etc.


Keith Richards hates the band Oasis.

George Michael has been insulted by the lead singer of Oasis.


Keith Richards hates the idea of ever being knighted by the Queen.

George Michael has hinted that he would not mind being knighted by the Queen.


Keith Richards keeps his political views to himself and does not like to mix politics with music.

George Michael is very outspoken in his political views and has demonstrated his beliefs through songs.


Keith Richards’ father worked the night shift so he hardly ever saw him growing up.

George Michael’s father also worked late night at his restaurant and hardly ever saw him growing up.


Keith Richards was very close to his mother and she always encouraged his love for music.

George Michael was also very close to his mother and she tolerated his love of music.


Keith Richards is an only child.

George Michael is the youngest of three siblings.


Keith Richards has homes in Connecticut, Jamaica, and London.

George Michael has homes in Dallas and London.


Keith Richards has a vast library in his Connecticut home and is an avid reader of history.

George Michael has admitted that the antique books in his library were bought in bulk and are “just for show.”


Keith Richards had to have cranial surgery after falling out of a coconut tree in Fiji.

George Michael had to have two vertebrae removed from his back to cure a congenital defect.


Keith Richards is an animal lover.

George Michael is an animal lover.


Keith Richards was a tax exile in the south of France and his estate was named “Nellcote.”

George Michael was a tax exile in St. Tropez and his estate was named “Chez Nobby.”


Keith Richards has been accused of ripping off black musicians.

George Michael has been accused of ripping off black musicians.


Keith Richards grew up in a tough working class housing project.

George Michael grew up in a genteel middle class suburb.


Keith Richards hated school and was kicked out for truancy.

George Michael “pretended to at least want to get to his A levels” and more or less got decent grades.


Keith Richards was a small, skinny kid growing up.

George Michael was big and taller than everyone else growing up.


Keith Richards has battled a debilitating addiction to heroin.

George Michael has battled a debilitating depression.


Keith Richards is a fan of Amy Winehouse and has said publicly that she needs to get her act together.

George Michael is a fan of Amy Winehouse and has said publicly that she needs to get her act together.


Keith Richards has duetted with Nora Jones.

George Michael has duetted with Aretha Franklin.


Keith Richards was a childhood friend of Mick Jagger.

George Michael was a childhood friend of Andrew Ridgelely.


Keith Richards is friends with Kate Moss.

George Michael is friends with Geri Halliwell.


Keith Richards’ music is very recognizable as being a Rolling Stones song.

George Michael does not have a signature sound, rather he prefers to morph in several pop directions.


Keith Richards battled with Mick Jagger through the press.

George Michael battled with Elton John through the press.


Keith Richards eventually made up with Mick Jagger.

George Michael eventually made up with Elton John.


Keith Richards’ net worth is estimated to be $220 million.

George Michael’s net worth is estimated to be $105 million.


Keith Richards was lampooned by Mike Meyers on Saturday Night Live.

George Michael was lampooned by Dana Carvey on Saturday Night Live.


Keith Richards has a tendency to crash his cars.

George Michael has a tendency to fall asleep in his car.


Keith Richards has gotten in trouble for driving without a license.

George Michael had his drivers license suspended.


Keith Richards’ close friend Gram Parsons died of a heroin overdose.

George Michael’s close friend Lady Di died in a car crash.


Keith Richards has never grown facial hair in his entire life.

George Michael always had some kind of facial hair throughout his career.


Keith Richards caused a ruckus when he claimed he snorted his father’s ashes with a little bit of cocaine (and later said he was misquoted when he really said “like cocaine” – not “with cocaine”).

George Michael feared a ruckus when he proclaimed in a documentary that he refuses to get an AIDS test because he’s terrified of the results and it’s not worth days and days of worrying (he would later insist that his segment be pulled).


Keith Richards likes U2.

George Michael likes U2.


Keith Richards has met his idol Chuck Berry, who turned out to be a real asshole.

George Michael has met his idol Elton John, who turned out to be a real diva.


Keith Richards had a troubled relationship with his father, but they eventually reconciled and became friends.

George Michael also had a troubled relationship with his father, but they eventually reconciled and became friends.


Keith Richards has brought his family on tour with him; his two daughters were taken out of school and privately tutored on the road.

George Michael’s boyfriend Kenny is consistently in the audience cheering him on, and sometimes his father and sisters are in the audience as well.


Keith Richards’ epitaph will read: He passed it on.

George Michael’s epitaph will read: He made his mark.


Keith Richards will leave behind a rich musical tapestry.

George Michael will leave behind a rich musical tapestry.


Monday, July 27, 2009

Keith Richards: Even More Quotes

The text for this post has been pulled due to claims of copyright infringement. Someone is claiming that I reprinted quotes from a book that had already compiled Keith Richards quotes from OTHER SOURCES. The book in question does not contain any original quotes that were the result of any interviews conducted for that particular book. Rather, much of the book is merely a compilation of quotes taken from interviews from OTHER books, magazines, and television programs; the book is a secondary source, not producing any original quotes. The person claiming copyright infringement (who I have come to assume is the compiler of the book in question) claims to have taken legal action. Therefore, to avoid any further complications, I have decided to delete the text of all posts containing the Keith Richards quotes, including those quotes retrieved online or through other various magazines/media outlets/books (even though those original sources have not made a copyright infringement claim against me). For further discussion on this event, please see the Comment Section for the post of July 22, 2009.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Keith Richards: Badass Supreme


Friday, July 24, 2009

Keith Richards: Miscellaneous Quotes

The text for this post has been pulled due to claims of copyright infringement. Someone is claiming that I reprinted quotes from a book that had already compiled Keith Richards quotes from OTHER SOURCES. The book in question does not contain any original quotes that were the result of any interviews conducted for that particular book. Rather, much of the book is merely a compilation of quotes taken from interviews from OTHER books, magazines, and television programs; the book is a secondary source, not producing any original quotes. The person claiming copyright infringement (who I have come to assume is the compiler of the book in question) claims to have taken legal action. Therefore, to avoid any further complications, I have decided to delete the text of all posts containing the Keith Richards quotes, including those quotes retrieved online or through other various magazines/media outlets/books (even though those original sources have not made a copyright infringement claim against me). For further discussion on this event, please see the Comment Section for the post of July 22, 2009.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Keith Richards on ...

The text for this post has been pulled due to claims of copyright infringement. Someone is claiming that I reprinted quotes from a book that had already compiled Keith Richards quotes from OTHER SOURCES. The book in question does not contain any original quotes that were the result of any interviews conducted for that particular book. Rather, much of the book is merely a compilation of quotes taken from interviews from OTHER books, magazines, and television programs; the book is a secondary source, not producing any original quotes. The person claiming copyright infringement (who I have come to assume is the compiler of the book in question) claims to have taken legal action. Therefore, to avoid any further complications, I have decided to delete the text of all posts containing the Keith Richards quotes, including those quotes retrieved online or through other various magazines/media outlets/books (even though those original sources have not made a copyright infringement claim against me). For further discussion on this event, please see the Comment Section for the post of July 22, 2009.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Keith Richards as ...

The text for this post has been pulled due to claims of copyright infringement. Someone is claiming that I reprinted quotes from a book that had already compiled Keith Richards quotes from OTHER SOURCES. The book in question does not contain any original quotes that were the result of any interviews conducted for that particular book. Rather, much of the book is merely a compilation of quotes taken from interviews from OTHER books, magazines, and television programs; the book is a secondary source, not producing any original quotes. The person claiming copyright infringement (who I have come to assume is the compiler of the book in question) claims to have taken legal action. Therefore, to avoid any further complications, I have decided to delete the text of all posts containing the Keith Richards quotes, including those quotes retrieved online or through other various magazines/media outlets/books (even though those original sources have not made a copyright infringement claim against me). For further discussion on this event, please see the Comment Section for the post of July 22, 2009.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Keith Richards on Family and Children

The text for this post has been pulled due to claims of copyright infringement. Someone is claiming that I reprinted quotes from a book that had already compiled Keith Richards quotes from OTHER SOURCES. The book in question does not contain any original quotes that were the result of any interviews conducted for that particular book. Rather, much of the book is merely a compilation of quotes taken from interviews from OTHER books, magazines, and television programs; the book is a secondary source, not producing any original quotes. The person claiming copyright infringement (who I have come to assume is the compiler of the book in question) claims to have taken legal action. Therefore, to avoid any further complications, I have decided to delete the text of all posts containing the Keith Richards quotes, including those quotes retrieved online or through other various magazines/media outlets/books (even though those original sources have not made a copyright infringement claim against me). For further discussion on this event, please see the Comment Section for the post of July 22, 2009.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Keith Richards on Other Bands/Musicians

The text for this post has been pulled due to claims of copyright infringement. Someone is claiming that I reprinted quotes from a book that had already compiled Keith Richards quotes from OTHER SOURCES. The book in question does not contain any original quotes that were the result of any interviews conducted for that particular book. Rather, much of the book is merely a compilation of quotes taken from interviews from OTHER books, magazines, and television programs; the book is a secondary source, not producing any original quotes. The person claiming copyright infringement (who I have come to assume is the compiler of the book in question) claims to have taken legal action. Therefore, to avoid any further complications, I have decided to delete the text of all posts containing the Keith Richards quotes, including those quotes retrieved online or through other various magazines/media outlets/books (even though those original sources have not made a copyright infringement claim against me). For further discussion on this event, please see the Comment Section for the post of July 22, 2009.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Keith Richards On Drugs

The text for this post has been pulled due to claims of copyright infringement. Someone is claiming that I reprinted quotes from a book that had already compiled Keith Richards quotes from OTHER SOURCES. The book in question does not contain any original quotes that were the result of any interviews conducted for that particular book. Rather, much of the book is merely a compilation of quotes taken from interviews from OTHER books, magazines, and television programs; the book is a secondary source, not producing any original quotes. The person claiming copyright infringement (who I have come to assume is the compiler of the book in question) claims to have taken legal action. Therefore, to avoid any further complications, I have decided to delete the text of all posts containing the Keith Richards quotes, including those quotes retrieved online or through other various magazines/media outlets/books (even though those original sources have not made a copyright infringement claim against me). For further discussion on this event, please see the Comment Section for the post of July 22, 2009.

Keith Richards Quote of the Day

The text for this post has been pulled due to claims of copyright infringement. Someone is claiming that I reprinted quotes from a book that had already compiled Keith Richards quotes from OTHER SOURCES. The book in question does not contain any original quotes that were the result of any interviews conducted for that particular book. Rather, much of the book is merely a compilation of quotes taken from interviews from OTHER books, magazines, and television programs; the book is a secondary source, not producing any original quotes. The person claiming copyright infringement (who I have come to assume is the compiler of the book in question) claims to have taken legal action. Therefore, to avoid any further complications, I have decided to delete the text of all posts containing the Keith Richards quotes, including those quotes retrieved online or through other various magazines/media outlets/books (even though those original sources have not made a copyright infringement claim against me). For further discussion on this event, please see the Comment Section for the post of July 22, 2009.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Keith Richards Quote of Day

The text for this post has been pulled due to claims of copyright infringement. Someone is claiming that I reprinted quotes from a book that had already compiled Keith Richards quotes from OTHER SOURCES. The book in question does not contain any original quotes that were the result of any interviews conducted for that particular book. Rather, much of the book is merely a compilation of quotes taken from interviews from OTHER books, magazines, and television programs; the book is a secondary source, not producing any original quotes. The person claiming copyright infringement (who I have come to assume is the compiler of the book in question) claims to have taken legal action. Therefore, to avoid any further complications, I have decided to delete the text of all posts containing the Keith Richards quotes, including those quotes retrieved online or through other various magazines/media outlets/books (even though those original sources have not made a copyright infringement claim against me). For further discussion on this event, please see the Comment Section for the post of July 22, 2009.

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

What Are You Listening To?

My personal music catalog is awesome. I was born in the 60s, in the shadow of the babyboomers, so I grew up knowing all about The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, et al. I was a child in the 70s, witnessing disco and new wave; my first album after Shaun Cassiday’s “Born Late” was “Saturday Night Fever.” I was a teenager in the post-punk 80s, listening to Elvis Costello & the Attractions, the B-52s, the Pretenders, the Psychedelic Furs, Echo and the Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, George Michael/Wham!, Beastie Boys, Prince, Roxy Music, and English Beat (by the way, Duran Duran’s NOTORIOUS was the first CD I ever bought). In the 90s my interest in music waned considerably, but I still managed to sneak in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana, Moby, and Beck. For the aughts, it’s again pretty slim pickings, but have been buying Amy Winehouse, Robbie Williams, Sam Sparro, and the Scissor Sisters while rediscovering the genius of George Michael in a major way, as well as Joy Division and Pet Shop Boys. In the future I foresee foraging into classical music territory, particularly Beethoven and baroque in general.

Below is the complete list of music artists currently on my iPod. I plan on adding a ton more over the next several months, but here’s the lineup so far. So what do you listen to?

ABC
Air
Amy Winehouse
Beastie Boys
Beck
Bill Withers
Britney Spears
Bronski Beat
Bruce Springsteen
Christina Aguilera
David Bowie
Deee-Lite
Depeche Mode
Dirty Vegas
Duran Duran
Dusty Springfield
Elton John
Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Erasure
Filter
Fiona Apple
George Michael (duh)
Gnarls Barkley
The Go-Gos
Heaven 17
The Human League
Information Society
The Jackson 5
Jamiroquai
Jeff Buckley
John Lennon
Joni Mitchell
Joy Division
Justin Timberlake
The Knack
Madness
Madonna
Michael Jackson
Modern English
Naked Eyes
New Order
Pet Shop Boys
Pete Townshend
Pink Floyd
Prince
The Psychedelic Furs
Queen
R.E.M.
Robbie Williams
The Rolling Stones
Roxy Music
Sam Sparro
Scissor Sisters
Seal
Simple Minds
The Smiths
Spandau Ballet
Squeeze
Sting
The Stone Roses
Tears for Fears
Traffic
Vince Guaraldi Trio
Wham!
The Who
William Orbit
Yaz
10cc

Friday, July 03, 2009

Keith Richards, Rock Icon

I just love Keith Richards; he's always been my favorite Rolling Stone. With his writing mate Mick Jagger, he pretty much laid the blueprint for how a rock band should behave and what constituted the rock and roll lifestyle. They were the first real bad boys of rock and every band that came after them could only aspire to be carbon copies. They did it first. Then, with his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg, he introduced a whole new fashion aesthetic: rough around the edges rich hippie chic. I'll post some great pics of him and his lady later in the month, but for now I want to focus on just Keith the Legend ...










Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Stereotypes and Social Class

The term “stereotype” is disparaged in our culture. Lately I’ve come to think that this is somewhat perplexing. After all, isn’t stereotyping a testament to one’s acuity of mind to recognize recurring patterns and to expect – with at least some accuracy – a certain perception? Indeed, do stereotypes not form specifically because a certain trait is so often repeated that it becomes foreseeable? Could it be that stereotyping is actually valid?

In no instance is this thought more prevalent than when I am confronted with working class white people. Originally, when I was younger, the initial reaction for me was to be open, to observe and not expect. Judge each person separately on an individual basis. Discern. Learn. This is what I have been taught. I don’t assume that just because someone is working class that he/she is dumb, racist, homophobic, alcoholic, wife-beating, immigrant-bashing, grammatically-challenged, or has more children than they can afford.

And I never use the term “white trash” because it’s pretty much the same thing as calling someone a nigger. (So pin a gold star on my lapel for post-liberal enlightenment.)

This modus operandi is often put to the test, however, and I find myself having to throw my sincere open-mindedness out the window. I mean, what else can you think when …

-- the working class secretary your father just hired lives in a trailer park, has two front teeth missing, chain smokes, and drinks like a fish?

-- the working class guy you dated last summer is unapologetically racist against black people (Nigger this and Nigger that) while speaking English like a fucking moron (“he borrowed me his car and his wife ain’t too happy ‘bout dat… dat building over dere has a real nice fa-kahd.”).

-- your working class neighbor has never been on the Internet and it goes without saying that she doesn’t have an email address.

-- the recent working class job applicant at your father’s office didn’t finish high school, never got her G.E.D., and likes to hunt deer in army fatigues with her redneck husband.

-- the typical working class female guest on the Maury Povich Show is obese, has four kids from three different fathers, and lives on government aid.

Anyway, you get my point, right? So here’s yet another experience to challenge my earnest refusal to use the term “white trash”…

Chicago, where I live, is split in two: The North Side and the South Side. Basically whites live on the North Side while blacks and working class white people live on the South Side. On the North Side you have Wrigley Field Stadium and the Chicago Cubs. On the South Side you have the U.S. Cellular Field and the Chicago White Sox. On the North Side you have yuppies and bohemians, a thriving gay community, upwardly mobile blacks, and a lot of sushi restaurants. On the South Side you have … well, I don’t know because I’ve been on the South Side a whole four times in my entire life. And even then it was driving through very fast with the windows rolled up and the car doors firmly locked. (Bourgeois angst, what can I say.)

Recently, these cultural differences came into sharp relief when the Cubs played against the White Sox on the South Side at U.S. Cellular Field. Richard Roeper, a local journalist, posted his outrage when he attended the game and overheard many examples of unapologetically homophobic remarks on the part of working class White Sox fans. Just one example goes like this:

In the men's room on Friday, after the game: Sox fan walks in, does an exaggerated prance and shouts in a lispy voice, "I'm a Cubs fan, where are the gay bars?" He says this about 10 times, over and over, until a Cubs fan in line finally says, "Why don't you go home and beat your wife?" The response from Mr. Genius: "Maybe I will!"

Yeah, for real. You can read the full article at: http://www.suntimes.com/news/roeper/1644778,CST-NWS-roep30.article

I swear, people really are their stereotypes. At least the white working class ones. At least from what little I’ve observed or have been told. Since I’m too lazy and cowardly to do any actual sociological research on my own, I decided to supplement my meager experiences with working class white people by reading THE REDNECK MANIFESTO by Jim Goad, a college-educated intellectual born on the wrong side of the tracks. So far it’s a fascinating read but, oddly enough, it’s actually reinforcing some of those very stereotypes (while, happily enough, making us middle-class folks feel sympathetic toward and even a little respectful of “The Great Unwashed”). I’ll let you know what I think of it when I’m finished. So far, it’s a real eye-opener and incredibly refreshing in its frankness.

In the meantime, I’ll close with yet one more anecdote: On Facebook we had a discussion about the whole White Sox thing on the Gay Boystown thread. I put in my two cents, basically adding that the term “white trash” was just as offensive as the word “nigger.” My comment got pulled because someone flagged the Facebook Administration and complained that the N word was used. So then the Gay Boystown administrator got a stern warning (WTF?!). So I had to repost my comment, writing “NIG---“ in place of “nigger” … but intentionally leaving in “white trash.”

No complaints the second time around. Guess the term “white trash” is still flying below the liberal radar of political correctness.