Pop Talk
With David Segal
Washington Post Music Critic
Wednesday, May 30, 2001; Noon EDT
He was raised in Rhode Island, where he became obsessed with the following bands in the following order: the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Steely Dan, Elvis Costello, the Dead Kennedys, the Clash. Before deciding to become a journalist he was a high school teacher, a speech writer and a lay-about. He enjoys Chinese food, beach vacations and MTV's "Real World" reunion shows.
Join David Segal as he discusses pop, rock, country, hip-hop and alternative. There's a lot going on and he'll talk about it.
A transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
David Segal: Hello. How are you? Have you been alright, through all those lonely lonely lonely nights...
Ooops. Sorry. I'm quoting "Telephone Line," the ELO heart-tugger. I've got ELO on the brain, having listened to four re-released classics from the 70s and early 80s -- ok, classics is perhaps the wrong word -- and the first ELO album in 15 years, "Zoom." It's a pretty amazing thing to listen to, a bit like meeting yourself in that ridiculous madras pattern suit you wore in the 70s. It's fun but as you enjoy, you're a little embarrassed about enjoying yourself.
I wrote a review of "Zoom" in today's paper and if you'd care to chat about ELO, by all means, let's do that. We could also talk about the super high end audiophile market -- people who spend $140,000 for their stereo systems and think the $1000 you spent on the Bose system was a waste of your money. Profiled a few of these people in the paper today.
Ok, some trivia: Which punk rocker appeared on an episode of "Quincy," the old Jack Klugman vehicle. Episode was about the perils of moshing.
Let's chat...
Tallahassee, Fla.: David, I enjoyed your article on ELO in today's paper and was wondering how you think the new album will do? Yes, it is shamelessly derivative, but at least Lynne swipes from the masters. "Zoom" is a breath of fresh air in this era of manufactured pop and obnoxious rap-rock hybrids, but I suspect it will be ignored by mainstream radio and won't reach the audience that loved ELO so much back in the '70s. Any thoughts?
David Segal: I think the ELO will not sell particularly well. I don't see much chance of the album landing a single anywhere near the charts. Now, the wild card here is that Lynne has managed to line up some really excellent public relations moments for himself. VH1 Storytellers and a spot in the fundrasing season of PBS could make this album, or past ELO albums, hits with the crowd that enjoyed this band during its heyday. Remember, PBS launched Yanni, so anything is possible.
Washington, D.C.: I'm 23 and feel like very little good music has come out since about 1995 and I much prefer VH-1 to MTV. Am I "old", crazy, or on target?
David Segal: You're too young to think that there isn't any great music out there. I'd beg to differ, but I'm a fan of hip hop (Mystikal's last album, Nelly's debut, I love 'em both) and I think there are some terrific singer-songwriter types out there making great music (My craze of the month is Rufus Wainwright, and this new David Byrne album is terrific.) You just have to look harder than you once did because you're not in college any more.
Alexandria: Two questions
1. How was Greece? Would you recommend going in March/April? How was the weather? Which islands you go to? Going to Santorini and Crete in August...it will be unbearably hot and crowed but I can't wait anyway
2. Going to U2 on Friday. Here anything good about the show? Do you think that the Friday show will be as good, better or the same as the Thursday show?
Thanks!
David Segal: I strongly recommend Greece whenever you can get there. I've only been there in May and I can tell you that it was the most stunning place I've ever seen. I was on the island of Hydra.
Back to music. I watched and reviewed the U2 show when it played in Boston last week. You're in for a very pleasant, pretty hard rocking night. Some good spectacle, plenty to appeal to the eye, but mostly the night is about the music, and they get to all their hits from both the 80s and 90s. I thought that the tunes from their latest effort, "All" sounded better live than on CD. Bono is quite the showman, and by the end of the night he was literally running laps around the cat walk that rings the stage.
Washington, D.C.: Why, oh why is Macy Gray opening with Dave Matthews? I went to the concert at RFK Saturday night (don't ask, don't sue) and she was performing to a mostly empty house of idiotic 16-year-olds who had zero interest in her. (Everyone else was presumably in the parking lot vomiting up their beers or taking Ecstasy.) Wouldn't she be better off in smaller venues, singing for the many of us who actually like her? Did she think she could capture a new audience demographic?
David Segal: I wouldn't wish the opening act gig on anyone, especially if the show is in a cavern like RFK. It's a terrible job, and the theory that its good exposure seems like hogwash once you actually get there and find that nobody is actually listening. I'm sure Macy will be back soon and playing in a more suitable in more intimate venue.
Herndon, Va.: Are you the same David Segal who taught high school Italian and Spanish?
Thanks!
David Segal: Nope. I once taught high school English in a school in Connecticut, but beyond Prego I don't know a word of Italian. Oh, I think that in Spanish "los" means "the," but I couldn't swear to it.
Glover Park, Colony of D.C.: What's the deal with Radiohead tickets? Tickets.com has some shows listed, but not the Bull Run ones. Are they going to be all sneaky and make it a pain to get tickets or what? And I really hope the show isn't just going to be a live version of the new album. MTV2 played one of their shows from the OK Computer tour and they were awesome, but that's when they still used guitars. Any scoop on what may lay in store?
David Segal: Tickets for Radiohead go on sale at 10 this Saturday morning. You need to call ticketmaster at 432 seat or dial up the ticketmaster.com, or head to one of the many local ticketmaster outlets -- or do all three at the same time to maximize your chances. This will no doubt sell out fast. Happy hunting.
I think the shows won't merely reprise the new album and my hunch is that there will be plenty of guitars on hand. See you there.
Fairfax, Va.: As a parent, it would be really helpful if the Post included information about the suitability of albums for different age groups (like you do with Family Film Goer).
David Segal: Hmmmm. Never thought of that. Maybe the way for us to handle that is to include in the information at the bottom of the review whether the album has a parental warning sticker on it. Not a bad idea.
washingtonpost.com: Here are links to David Segal's pieces on audiophiles and the new ELO CD.
D.C.: Woo-eee, those guys and their stereo equipment are freaks! Your story scared me, David. Very interesting read, though.
Just wanted to say thank you for your review of the U2 concert. I'm seeing them tomorrow night and can't wait. I was scared when I saw your byline. I was sure you would trash the show like you did the new album.
David Segal: The stereo dudes are a curious lot, huh? Any time you can meet people who are that passionate about what they do, you've got a fun story.
Glad you liked the U2 review. They're a potent force on stage. I was amazed at how absorbed and delighted the crowd was for this show. At a few points there was something close to all out pandemonium in this audience. Reminded me of the opening moments of "Rattle and Hum," the U2 movie, which opens with the band playing an explosive version of "Helter Skelter." Anyone remember that? I saw that movie years ago and I can still recall everyone in the audience leaping off their feet when Bono starts in with the lyrics "And I see you again!!!!!!!" A sublime rock and roll moment.
Re: Quincy moshing: It wasn't Joey Ramone was it?
Any opinions on Icelandic band, Sijor Ros?
David Segal: It was not Joey Ramone.
I've listened a bit to Sijor Ros and I thought they were fascinating and haunting and strange. Not exactly happy music and certainly not rock. I need to listen more, but it was sort of grabbing in a way, with chilling violins and a lonely, almost morbidly rapturous sound. Apparently they sing in some hybrid language that isn't precisely the native tongue of their homeland, Iceland. Most unusual
Washington: Other than Jeff Lynne, are there any original members of ELO on the new album? Bev Bevans? Kelly Groucutt?
David Segal: I don't think so. This is really a Jeff Lynne solo album. My sense is that he doesn't really interact with the old fellas any more. By the way, if you want to see those guys, check ELO 2, which plays the State Theater soon. A bunch of original line up guys, but not Jeff Lynne. Ad says they play old ELO tunes.
Storrs, Conn.: How well do you think Gorillaz will go over here, once people clue in the rest of the album does not resemble the single "Clint Eastwood" in any way.
David Segal: I don't know about Gorillaz. This, for those who don't know, is a side project of Blur's Damon Albarn. The public face of the band is a group of cartoon characters, rather than the live musicians themselves. Yes, they're trying to create a new Archies or Josie and the Pussycats. To work, they've got to sell the thing here pretty hard, which would mean bringing the live act here. In England, the actual musicians play behind a scrim and the cartoon characters play on the front of the scrim. Reviews in English press were not very positive. Strange night of show going, as you might imagine. But I kind of think the spectacle would work better here, even if Albarn isn't a household name, as he is in England.
Mt. Pleasant: I think you will enjoy this, I was on vacation in Thailand for two weeks recently, (missed the Magnetic Fields show, how was it? ) but it seems the most popular english language pop group seemed to be the Eagles. I swear we heard some cd of thiers enough times in enough places that we took notice of it. One cab driver even turned up the radio or cd player when one song came on. In fact, I don't really remember hearing any other English based acts over there. Kinda strange.
David Segal: The Eagles and Aerosmith are what I hear when I travel and turn on the radio, at least in this country. Aerosmith will simply never die as long as there is a car radio somewhere on the planet.
The Magnetic Fields show was exceptionally great. I loved it.
Laurie: Thank you, now Telephone Line is playing in my head. AAAAAAAHHG.
David Segal: Sorry about that. Don't listen to "Ordinary Dream," which is on the new album and is nearly as addicting. The guy knows how to worm a song into your noggin, doesn't he?
Alexandria: David: What should I expect to pay for U2 tickets Thursday night, if I just show up in front of MCI Center and try to buy them from sellers on the street?
David Segal: I couldn't tell you. But my experience is that it never hurts to go down there and take a shot. I once went to the Plant Page show at MCI and there was a woman who sold me two tickets for 50 --- cents that is. She just wanted enough change to make a phone call. You never know what'll happen, especially if you go in a small group and aren't too picky.
Springfield, Va.: Now that you've done ELO . . . is there any chance of a review of the new Blue Oyster Cult, "Curse of the Hidden Mirror"?
David Segal: It's not out of the question. Actually, I think maybe one Dino-rock outfit per month is enough. That said, I'll plug Uriah Heep -- yes, THAT Uriah Heep -- which apparently has retained its early line up for lo these many years, and which will play at Jaxx sometime soon. Ever want to relive Don Kirschner's Rock Concert era, your chance has arrived.
Reston, 20190: When it comes to violins in rock (Stop the Violins!) who is more deserving of a slow, painful death, ELO or Kansas?
I submitted a link to your article on audiophile loonies to slashdot, if they post it it'll get some interesting comments.
David Segal: I've got a soft spot for both those bands, so I wouldn't wish slow painful death on either of them. C'mon. You know liked "Dust in the Wind." It's excellent schlock.
Heavenly on Capitol Hill: Re: Quincy
Iggy Pop?
David Segal: Not Iggy. Good try though.
Only two guesses so far. C'mon people.
Iowa City, Iowa: Who's better? Britney or Christina?
David Segal: Oh, that's like picking between your favorite children. I adore them so much that I just couldn't possibly choose.
Silver Spring: Was it Billy Idol?
David Segal: Nope.
Wiredog: Quincy guest: Flea? I know he was in one of those back to the future movies.
David Segal: Not Flea, sadly.
Manassas, Va.: Dave,
Couple o' things for you this humid day. First, after listening to the new Mark Knopfler CD for a while I am struck by the theme running through it of moving west, specifically toward the American West. I thought about it and remembered several other CDs with the same sort of thing going on - Cowboy Junkies' "Pale Sun, Crescent Moon" and U2's "Joshua Tree" come to mind. I've always been entranced with the West, and listening to these songs in the middle of a long work day can be downright inspirational. Do you know of any other CDs/groups that have the same sort of theme?
Also, for the poster who doesn't think there's any good music out anymore, turn off your radio and TV to start, then hit some folk festivals or local music halls for the real stuff. Groups like Eddie From Ohio, Great Big Sea, The Paperboys, etc. are putting out great music with lyrics that actually make you think or laugh once in a while.
David Segal: Good idea, all.
I think the Jayhawks sort of evoke the American West. I'd strongly recommend getting Hollywood Town Hall or their first widely available CD, "Blue Earth," which is really a stunner, and altogether too ignored for my tastes.
Bethesda: HEy Dave, did you make it out to see Lucinda Williams last week. If so, what'd you think? I've heard different reactions to the show.
David Segal: I saw her in Austin a while back and she played a pretty torpid and depressing show, in part because she was trying out new material from her torpid and depressing new album. Not a fair way to judge because the show was pretty abbreviated.
Quincy, Mass.: Exene Cervenka?
David Segal: A very fine guess. Y'all are getting warmer. But not Exene.
Wiredog: A good way to get low cost tickets is to find someone who's really stoned and convince them that the $5 in your hand is really a $50. Better yet, that the $50 in their pocket was given to them by yourself for the ticket.
David Segal: Wiredog, if I've said it once, I've said a thousand times: you, my friend, are a genius.
Bethesda, Md.: Did the guys in your audiophile article say anything about car stereo systems? From the sounds of it they'd be feeling tortured even in the best of car systems.
David Segal: I think these guys probably aren't really listening hard when they're in their cars. The guy I profiled said that he didn't really focus on sound much when he was watching TV or doing something other than sitting in front of his $140,000 rig. Probably a blessing.
Washington, D.C.: Wendy O Williams?
David Segal: Nope. Sorry.
Alexandria, Va.: Wild Guess: Handsome Dick Manitoba?
David Segal: Not him either.
Alexandria, Va.: Ah John Doe!
David Segal: Not John Doe.
LJ Arlington Va: re: Quincy
David Cassidy?
Rod Stewart?
Southside Johnny?
David Segal: No, no and no.
Heavenly on Capitol Hill: Re: Quincy...(Attempt #2)
Deborah Harry?
David Segal: Not her either.
Cap. Hill: Courtney Love.
David Segal: We have a winner. Nicely done, Cap. Hill. Yes it was Courtney Love. I gleaned this information, by the way, from a very excellent book that I'm working through now called "Fargo Rock City," by a guy named Chuck Klosterman, who is a critic at a newspaper in Ohio, if memory serves. The book is a defense of 80s metal and it's entertaining as heck. He takes bands like Judas Priest and Motley Crue sort of seriously, or seriously enough for the book to be highly distracting. Anyway, I got this Courtney Love detail from him. His home phone number is in the preface of the book so if you want to know more about, call him.
Fairfax, Va. Parent: The warning stickers are helpful, but there are CDs without warning stickers that are probably not suitable for my 11-year-old daughter (who thinks she is 18). That's why a little more age-related guidance would be helpful and appreciated.
David Segal: I frankly don't think I'd feel comfortable or qualified to tell you or any other parent what might be suitable for an 11 year old. If there's a naughty word on it, the thing comes with a sticker. And you can usually get G rated versions of R and X rated songs. My 9-year-old niece has a version of Mystikal's Shake Ya Ass that has been reworked into Shake it Fast, with all of the four letter words and obscenities taken out. I was amazed but the song is downright Disneylike on the version she has.
Falls Church: How old was Courtney Love at the time of the episode?
David Segal: Call Chuck Klosterman! Call him at home. Call him at 3 am this morning. I'm afraid I don't know anything else about this Quincy moment, but I wish I'd seen it.
Orange, Va.: Speaking of the Jayhawks . . . what band was impersonating them on "Smile"? I think Bob Ezrin should be made to produce boy bands for the rest of his life because of the hack job he did on that LP
David Segal: Some of "Smile" was borderline embarrassing, I agree. I don't think the band has a prayer of being what it was without Mark Olson, who is now a solo artist. But there were some songs on that album that I thought were pretty lovely and make me wish I could find the damn thing, which has disappeared.
Re: Jayhawks:
Get the CD "Sound of Lies" I think that's their best one.
David Segal: I'm a "Blue Earth" guy myself. And if you ever come across their debut album, which I think was never released on CD and which sells on vinyl for a few hundred bucks, buy it.
Reston, 20190: Whenever I hear Dust in the Wind, I change stations. Did you submit anything to Franks song compendium? 'Dust' is the opposite of what he was looking for. OK, maybe not a slow painful death. Well, yeah, make them listen to Barry Manilow albums at high volume. On one of those $140K audiophile systems. Until they kill -themselves- to get away from it. Not that I feel strongly about Kansas, ELO, or Manilow. Not me.
David Segal: Manilow? We're not lumping Manilow in with ELO and Kansas, are we? That doesn't right.
Logan Circle, D.C.: I just read your article on the super high end stereo market. First, I'd like to say that I do believe these people to be insane. But hey, it's their money. My question is about the actual recordings, rather than the equipment-- were most of the audiophiles insistent that vinyl is the only way to go? Or did some of them deign to actually listen to CDs? And any word on the new disk formats-- Super Audio CD (SACD) or DVD-Audio?
David Segal: These guys -- and as I say, they're almost always guys -- dig the vinyl or the Super Audio CD. There are partisans for both formats. A lot of them think that CDs are simply godawful and I quote one guy who think they're actually bad for your health. (He wouldn't say why.) The weird thing is that these guys can listen to crappy old vinyl and totally ignore the amazing amount of hiss on the discs.
Mt Pleasant.: The Internet Movie Database lists her Quincy appearance in 1976 and her birthdate as 1965. It say her role was an uncredited punk rock girl.
David Segal: Ah. Pretty interesting. Uncredited punk rock girl. Not a bad epitaph.
Fairfax: Heh. And here I've been thinking Mystikal was singing "Shake it Fast" all along. Guess I need to get out of my G-rated life!
David Segal: Oh, he bad. Believe me, he bad.
D.C.: Courtney Love was on Quincy? I thought she was on heroin.
David Segal: Maybe she was on both.
Salt Lake City, Utah: To the 23-year-old in DC: I think there are two reasons why you might not be into the music of the last two years: the great 80's and 90's acts haven't put out much good stuff lately (U2, REM) and music is so specialized and segmented these days that you really have to search around (unless you're a hip hop or 14-year-old N'Sync fan). There is a lot of cool new stuff out there, though - I love the new Weezer album, David Grey, Macy Gray, the Magnetic Fields, Travis, etc. Try listening to some different radio stations or check out some recommendations on music Web sites or Amazon.com - you might be surprised.
(That said, the last album I bough was Steven Still's Manassas - maybe I'm living in the past too . . .)
David Segal: Very fine idea.
I.T.B.: The question about whether VH1 is preferable to MTV got me thinking. I'm in my twenties too, and while I can't say I really love the music showcased on either channel, I have to give VH1 some respect for actually having shows that are about music, while MTV is filled with original programming about -- what? Manufactured youth culture? In the olden days, it seemed like MTV was for younger music fans and VH1 for "older" (i.e., older than teenaged) music fans, but now it seems like VH1 is the actual Music Television and MTV is some weird pop-culture carnival. I can't be the only one who's noticed this...
David Segal: Appreciate it.
Quick last minute question: Depeche Mode is coming.
I am a HUGE fan
Boyfriend doesn't really know them. Will he be unbelievably bored at the show? I have never seen them live. It's at Merriweather where I am used to seeing shows like Buffett, etc. Any call on what the dress will be?
David Segal: I'd bet that Depeche Mode put on just an average show, but it'll be a lot worse than average because it'll be at Merriweather Post, which is pretty lousy venue.
Silver Spring: What became of last time's trivia question re. the first digitally recorded album? wasn't it Peter Gabriel's "Security" from 1982?
David Segal: No, it was Ry Cooder's Bop Until You Drop.
Silver Spring, Md.: Guitarist, fashion plate and all-around bon vivant Pat Smear of the Germs, Nirvana and the Foo Fighters also showed up on that Quincy episode.
David Segal: Wow. Good stuff.
Cyrstal City: David, that new Radiohead cd is unlistenable. I listened to it once from beginning to end but on my second try, couldn't make it all the way through a single track. This is quite a disappointment for me as I really love The Bends, Pablo Honey and OK Computer. Are they purposely trying to sabotage their career? Do you have any info on sales of the new cd? Thanks, love the chats.
David Segal: I know that the new Radiohead album is No. in England, but I don't see it on the new Billboard chart, which is refreshed and updated today. The way to listen to that album is not to listen to the whole thing, but pick and choose the songs you find approachable and focus on them. There's plenty of stuff on there that stinks, but check out a tune like Morning Bell. It's quite beautiful though it takes a few listens to figure that out, since it's buried in so much filler.
trivia : David,
Iggy Pop might not have been on "Quincy" but he did make a guest appearance in an episode of Deep Space Nine. And Mick Fleetwood did a cameo on The Next Generation. He loved that show and wanted a bit part so they dressed him up in some giant shrimp-like alien costume.
Cheers
David Segal: That's good stuff.
Ok, folks. Lunch time. Sorry that I didn't get to everyone today. Not enough minutes in an hour, I think.
See y'all in two weeks. Until then,
Rock on with your bad selves.
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