Comments on: Civil War: Who Cares?

By: Johanna

Johanna — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 15:48:23 +0000

Paul, turns out we own a Sugababes CD, so I’ll give that a spin.

Lyle, I really like Escapology, although the track off it that’s my favorite is “Hot Fudge”, which is only on the UK version. (The sequencing is better on the US version, though.) Try “Handsome Man” off that album.

As for CW reactions, I checked out the last couple of pages, and I thought not showing JJJ’s face was an mistaken artistic choice.

By: John

John — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 12:58:18 +0000

I laughed when I saw the promo blurb. I mean, come on, does Spider-Man *have* a major villain who doesn’t know his secret identity?

J. Jonah?

PP is most definitely going to be fired. Of course, the idea that he was still a part-time photographer was a bit strange…

The reaction of Flash Thompson who is now a coach at the same high school PP teaches at should be interesting.

I wonder how many of the people who proclaim Spider-Man would never unmask, and who can’t see any possible explanation for why he chose to do so — I wonder how many of them had read the issues that have led up to this? I think they’ve done a good job, at least with Spider-Man’s character.

By: Dave Mahlin

Dave Mahlin — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 23:55:16 +0000

As I read the above, Elvis Costello’s “Radio Radio” and the Smiths’ “Panic” started running through my head. Kind of the opposite of the strategy you refer to;) Don’t know any of the artists referenced in the comments, but I lost touch with mainstream pop (American or otherwise) in all its forms years ago. I do recommend emusic.com, however, to anyone with a jones for discovering new music.

As for Civil War…. I dunno, I can only handle so much crossover madness at one time and I threw in my lot with DC over a year ago. For the most part I’m happy with my decision as there are not too many Marvel characters I have much of an emotional connection to. If there ever was one, it was Spider-Man and the “original” was broken beyond repair years ago. So sad….

By: Lyle

Lyle — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 18:04:55 +0000

Okay, to continue on the music tangent… I love “Rock DJ” and when I look to sample more of Williams’ work, I’m really looking for something more pop like “Rock DJ”. My tastes lean towards britpop — Saint Etienne, the Beatmasters, Sophie-Ellis Bextor, Billie Ray Martin — so Robbie should match my tastes, I just never find anything that captures me like “Rock DJ” did… anyone have any tips to Robbie tracks that might be a good gateway from “Rock DJ”?

By: Joshua Macy

Joshua Macy — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 15:14:39 +0000

I laughed when I saw the promo blurb. I mean, come on, does Spider-Man *have* a major villain who doesn’t know his secret identity?

By: Paul O'Brien

Paul O'Brien — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 12:31:05 +0000

“Push the Button” is a fairly good example of an utterly mainstream Sugababes single that really doesn’t sound like anything American. (“Hole in the Head” and “Round Round” are quite good as well; they also knock out a steady stream of ballads which would fit in much better in the USA.)

Girls Aloud were the winners of a Pop Idol spinoff show, and deserve some sort of award just for the sheer nerve of releasing a debut single called “Sound of the Underground.” Especially because it was quite decent. They’re a lot more hit-and-miss, but in terms of successful singles no American pop act would dream of releasing, consider “Wake Me Up” and “Love Machine.” (And boggle at the idea that the same act released both records.)

By: Johanna

Johanna — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 11:19:55 +0000

Rachel: that might be an exception. :)

Brett: yeah, Robbie’s still obscure over here. I love the irony of someone who moves to LA to avoid being recognized.

Thanks for the background info, Paul. I’ve never heard of the girls you reference, so I’ll have to do some more sampling. All I know is I can’t stand American pop, so I’m glad for Robbie and my new fave, The Boy Least Likely To.

By: Paul O'Brien

Paul O'Brien — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 10:37:31 +0000

Robbie Williams was already a huge star in every other market by the time he released “Rock DJ”, so I doubt desperation for airplay was a factor. Actually, I think the main reason he can’t break America is that Take That weren’t particularly successful over there, which means there’s no context when he starts making records rebelling against his public image or playing off his own celebrity status. He also tends to make records that are just a little too quirky to fit into the narrow genre conventions of American radio – frankly, nobody in America is making pop songs that sound like “Radio” because any attempt at vaguely edgy mainstream pop music tries to lift from R&B and hiphop instead. Whereas in Britain he’s working against a background where mainstream pop means the Sugababes and Girls Aloud, both of whom release records that would be baffling to mainstream American radio playlists because they’re drawing heavily on electropop.

By: Brett

Brett — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 06:17:47 +0000

KC once told me that a music industry trick, when an artist is having trouble getting their songs played, is to do a track with a title that includes “Radio” or “DJ”, because they can’t resist songs that talk about how significant they are. (This was in a conversation about Robbie William’s “Rock DJ” and why he can’t break in the States.)

And yet it didn’t work at all for Robbie inspite of it. I don’t think the press is on this because it is a press conference, I think they are on it because people are interested. How many millions of kids are there out there with Spiderman t-shirts? Like him or not he is news worthy.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 03:29:34 +0000

Interesting note about the music industry. Hmm… I wonder if 23Extacy’s song “Kill the DJ” was any help for them? I like it! But, what if I were a DJ?