Fan Fare

Glee, God, Gays and Grilled Cheesus

It’s hard to think of a primetime U.S. network TV show (not to mention a comedy) that has managed to combine  philosophical arguments about God, teen sexual angst, parents,  mental disability with music by Barbra Streisand, The Beatles and Billy Joel  into an hour of entertainment — and still get in a few laughs along with the tears.

But “Glee” managed to pull it off in its “Grilled Cheesus” episode, and without apparently offending any of the above mentioned groups. And the show did it just a week after the fun-filled exuberance of its Britney Spears themed tribute.

We got Kurt railing passionately against a God (or at least a Church) that made him gay but then seemed to exclude him from its belief system. Finn offering up  juvenile prayers for sporting success and sexual conquest to the apparent face of Jesus burned into his grilled cheese sandwich,  and  Sue questioning  a God that could give her beloved older sister a mental impairment.

Not for the first time in the short history of the TV  show, the drama overshadowed many of the musical cover versions  –  with the exception perhaps of Kurt’s touching rendition of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” as a slow ballad, rather than the bubbly 1960s Beatles original.

Not surprisingly perhaps,  the  “Glee” cast has now overtaken the Fab Four for appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts with their cover versions of pop, jazz, Broadway and hip-hop tunes.  And it took them just less than 17 months to do so.

How do you like your “Glee”? Dark or light? And could the TV show really end up being more successful than The Beatles in the history of pop music?

Stars, stores align for Lennon’s 70th birthday

What do Lady Gaga, Yoko Ono, Iggy Pop and Bloomie’s have in common? This week: They are all singing John Lennon’s praises. Well, Bloomingdale’s isn’t — not exactly. But you can buy apparel from Lyric Culture, which is featuring John Lennon’s songs, this week at the department store. Their t-shirts caught our eye as Oct. 9, what would have been the Beatle’s 70th birthday, draws near.

Numerous events are planned around the world. Lady Gaga, Yoko and Iggy played in L.A. and, of course, there is a lot of merchandising — record reissues, DVDs, Beatles and Lennon memorabilia. The Lyric Culture clothing comes from company founder Hanna Rochelle, also a singer-songwriter.

She was working on an album a few years ago with music producer Jack Douglas, who had been in the studio with  Lennon on the day he was murdered in 1980.  She dreamed up some lyrics and, lacking paper, wrote them on her jeans. A fashion idea was born. “I got inspired. When I got home, I pulled out a pair of old jeans and wrote the lyrics to ‘Dirty Laundry’ by Don Henley on them,” Rochelle told Reuters. She went to the studio the next day wearing them, and Douglas grew excited. He shot a photo of the jeans and e-mailed it to his friend, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, who Douglas knew would “flip” over the idea.

So, sensing she had a winner, Rochelle sought licensing rights from rock stars and launched the clothing line featuring lyrics by Bob Dylan, Joan Jett, Carly Simon, the  Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and others. “I started…offering this up as a new way to create revenue streams for songwriters,” said Rochelle, the 33-year-old daughter of classical conductor Eduard Schmieder.

Where Lennon is concerned, Rochelle obtained rights to the Beatles music, but Lennon’s solo works proved more elusive until Douglas, who worked on the re-issue of “Double Fantasy” with Ono, introduced the concept to Ono’s attorney. Ono fell in love with them and approved the line, Rochelle said. The Lennon collection includes scarves, cufflinks, necklaces, and bracelets ranging from $45 to $75. One t-shirt features Lennon playing piano with lyrics to “Imagine” placed above him. Cufflinks sport lyrics to “Instant Karma”.

“X Factor” hits wrong note

Britain’s “The X Factor” has struck a bum chord, even before the main knock-out phase of the hugely popular TV show begins. Judge Cheryl Cole has incensed thousands of viewers with her selection of three finalists from a shortlist of eight contestants. Hopeful Gamu Nhengu, 18, was rejected by Cole, despite impressing with her audition and being among the early favourites to win the show.

One reason for the strength of the reaction — nearly 90,000 people have already leant their support to a Facebook page supporting Zimbabwe-born Nhengu — is that Cher Lloyd went through to the finals, despite being able to sing barely a note due to a sore throat. Katie Waissel also succeeded, despite failing to impress many who watched the show at the weekend. Only Cole’s choice of the accomplished Rebecca Ferguson was universally popular.

One fan summed up the mood with a blog post on the ITV show’s official website: “Oh well, no more X-factor for me then! My husband agrees. To put through Katie and Cher, and send Gamu home was confirmation that the show is rigged. What a complete farce. Did Cheryl take instructions from Simon Cowell on who she should pick so that none of the girls would win? Gamu was far and away the best of all the girls. I will never watch the x-factor again.”

Of course, the controversy and headlines it generates are likely to boost ratings when the competition proper gets underway, so suspicions of a set-up are rife. Bookmakers are already offering odds on Gamu being allowed back on to the show as a “surprise” wild card, and she is among the favourites to win. If that does come to pass, doubts about the show’s integrity are bound to grow.

from Environment Forum:

Surprise ending to director’s oil sands visit

James Cameron did not meet expectations with his high-profile visit to Alberta's oil sands, and that's probably to the Canadian-born filmmaker's credit.

An earlier contention by the director of "Titanic" and "Avatar" that development of the massive energy resource was a black eye for Canada had industry supporters in a tizzy.

Surely, his trip to oil sands plants and native communities in the region would be just another example of some celebrity seeking to burnish his green cred without knowing the real story, they said.

On the other side of the emotional debate, some green groups staunchly opposed development expected Cameron to fully side with them. They had trumpeted comparisons between the oil sands and resource extraction portrayed on the fictional planet Pandora in "Avatar."

In the end, he proved them both wrong.

After his tour this week, he told Reuters he realized the complexities of what is the largest crude deposit outside the Middle East and a major environmental battleground, and that there are no easy answers.

Cameron impressed oil industry, environmental and political officials alike with a firm grasp of the key issues facing Alberta and Canada as the continent thirsts for the oil, and a pragmatic approach to many of them.

Alan Parsons’ third act: instructional filmmaker

Alan Parsons is perhaps best known for his work with the easy-listening progressive rock group that bears his name. Between 1976 and 1990, the Alan Parsons Project enjoyed eight top-40 singles in the United States, including the No. 3 smash “Eye in the Sky.” But before he became a rock star, Parsons was a knob-twiddler at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios in London. He was an assistant engineer on the Beatles’ final albums “Let it Be” and “Abbey Road,” and one of the brains behind the 1973 Pink Floyd opus “The Dark Side of the Moon,” one of the biggest-selling albums of all time.    Now resident in Santa Barbara, 95 miles northwest of Los Angeles, Parsons is trying his hand at instructional filmmaking. He has just released a three-disc DVD package that aims to lift “this mysterious veil of secrecy” that surrounds the recording experience, he said Wednesday.

“Art & Science of Sound Recording,” which was two years in the making and is narrated by Billy Bob Thornton, is aimed at both music industry professionals and casual observers. It covers such topics as studio acoustics, the use of microphones and consoles, and recording techniques for vocals and various instruments. There’s also a useful section called “Dealing with Disasters.” 

Parsons, now 61, chatted about the DVD and his career during a Q&A at the Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles, and performed a couple of songs, including “Sirius”/”Eye in the Sky,” ”Games People Play” and “Time.” He wryly noted that he had never won a Grammy despite receiving 10 nominations, one of the worst losing streaks in Grammy history. He received his first nod for “The Dark Side of the Moon,” losing that race to the engineers of Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions.” 

Parsons, who learned his craft on the job at Abbey Road under the tutelage of “Get Back” sessions engineer Glyn Johns, lamented that the album-listening experience is becoming obsolete. “Albums are, I think, a thing of the past. We’re in now a three-minute download world and listening on nasty, little white things,” he said, referring to the reductive earbuds that accompany most MP3 players. His revelation that 80 percent of music is listened to on such devices sent a shiver through a boomer audience weaned on what Parsons had jokingly described as “big black CDs.”

(photos: Dean Goodman)

Britney Spears lets her music do (most of) the talking on “Glee”

It was the night of the Britneys on “Glee” in the musical comedy’s third affectionate tribute to pop culture divas — although Britney  Spears’ own  much talked-about cameo role turned out to be much smaller than expected.

But “Glee’s” other Britney (played by Heather Morris) turned out to be booty-shaking worthy of her namesake in an episode  that featured five of the pop princess’s biggest hits — and many more of her iconic looks.

For all the faithful recreations of  the original pop videos for “….One More Time” and the snake-writhing wonders of “I’m a Slave For U,”  it was only the stripped-down acoustic version of “Toxic,”  performed by the entire Glee club and actor Matthew Morrison, that took any chances with Spears’ music.  It was also “Toxic”  which resulted in what cheerleader Sue Sylvester termed a “Britney Spears sex riot” in the ranks of McKinley High’s hormone-charged teenagers.

The special episode, which also featured the welcome arrival of John Stamos as the hottest dentist in town, will no doubt fuel a surge in downloads of Britney Spears’ early music.

 But how did it compare to the show’s lavish tributes earlier this year to Madonna and Lady Gaga? And whose music will you be buying tomorrow — the original Spears , or the “Glee” cover versions?

from Photographers Blog:

Off the runway at NY Fashion Week

Reuters photographer Brendan McDermid shares his experience covering New York Fashion Week, with the logistics of shooting backstage, the shows and everything in between.

Soundgarden the real Warriors of Rock at Hollywood show

Reunited rockers Soundgarden took time out from rehearsals in Seattle to play a corporate gig in Hollywood on Monday, the band’s fourth show since it announced an end to its 13-year hiatus on New Year’s Eve.

Singer Chris Cornell (pictured at left), guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Ben Shepherd and drummer Matt Cameron whipped up a mosh pit with old favorites like “Rusty Cage,” “Spoonman” and “Outshined” during their 50-minute set on the Paramount Pictures lot. Apart from a grin exchanged between Cornell and Thayil towards the end, the studious quartet barely interacted. Cornell’s occasional comments were muffled by the sound system.

The occasion was the launch of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, the sixth entry in Activision’s videogame series. Among the tracks on the game is the new Soundgarden tune “Black Rain,” which the band premiered Monday. The tune also appears on a newly released hits package called “Telephantasm.”

Notwithstanding its Seattle roots and close identification with the “grunge” rock era of the early ’90s, Soundgarden performed in a replica of the defunct Manhattan punk-rock venue CBGB’s. With Los Angeles baking in record temperatures earlier in the day, the narrow venue certainly evoked memories of its dank progenitor.

Soundgarden played its first reunion gig in April in a Seattle club, and warmed up for its Aug. 8 concert at Chicago’s Lollapalooza festival with a theater show three nights earlier. There’s still no word on any tour plans.

(photo: Fernanda Ezabella)

Who is greatest stage actor of all?

So who is the greatest stage actor of them all?

Britain’s “The Stage” theatrical publication is holding a poll to ask visitors to its website to choose who is the best stage actor of all time. Six of the 10 shortlisted artists are still alive, and include legends not only of the stage, but also the screen, including Judi Dench and Ian McKellen (pictured at right). The Stage will keep the voting lines open for the next 10 weeks and publish the winner in a special Christmas edition.

Here is the full list. How about giving us your opinion as well? And if you think the best ever to walk the boards is not on the list, let us know.

Ralph Richardson (1902-1983)

John Gielgud (1904-2000)

Laurence Olivier (1907-1989)

Paul Scofield (1922 -2008)

Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez — right fit for “American Idol”?

“American Idol” has finally announced its new judging panel, ending months of speculation about the future shape of the show.

But are  Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and actress/singer Jennifer Lopez  the right choice? And will star power be enough to keep old “Idol” fans (and hopefully millions more new ones) tuning in when the show returns in January?

Tyler, the volatile lead singer of America’s best-selling rock band, will certainly bring a rock edge to a contest that has specialised in producing middle-of the-road champions for an audience that ranges from 8 to 80 year-olds.

And J.Lo, as America’s leading Latina entertainer, may entice a whole new Hispanic audience to the show. (And as for her  reported “diva” demands that made the rounds a few weeks ago –  “so much rubbish”,  executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told journalists this week.)

It’s certainly a huge change of style for “American Idol” as it enters its 10th season. But will J.Lo, Tyler and returning judge Randy Jackson produce the kind of chemistry as a three-some that made the Randy-Paula-Simon combo so entertaining a few years ago?

“We have spent a lot of time together now.  We all have known each other for a while.  So I think we are gonna have a lot of cool camaraderie,”  Jackson told a news conference as the new judges were officially confirmed.

Neither Tyler or J.Lo were on anyone’s radar back in May when Simon Cowell left, and celebrities like Bret Michaels, Shania Twain, Elton John and shock jock Howard Stern were either lobbying hard for the job, or widely reported to be in talks about joining the panel.