Jamie’s Brain

When I was a kid, I used to have to stealthily turn on my TV after hours to watch MTV. I used to make video mixes of my favorite videos, and a good music video used to drive whether I liked or disliked a song. This was the age when the music video carried much more weight. It was part of the marketing mix, not an afterthought. Michael Jackson was making his mini movies, where the world premiers would crossover to be integrated with a TV show on FOX or something. Aerosmith premiered Cryin’, Amazin’, and Crazy at the end of several TV shows, such as 90210 (if I remember correctly). And when a video was banned, it was really banned. You couldn’t look it up on youtube. Our imaginations would run wild.

The following are videos that really got me excited in the early ’90s.

Guns ‘n Roses, November Rain (which was censored)

Beastie Boys, Sabotage

Tool, Prison Sex (banned from MTV, VH1, and others)

Nirvana, Heart Shaped Box

Soundgarden, Black Hole Sun

Metallica, One

Nine Inch Nails, Closer (seriously censored)

Snoop Dogg, Gin ‘n Juice

banned/censored videos

Duran Duran, Girls on Film: for full frontal nudity

Cher, If I Could Turn Back Time: for her revealing lingerie

Michael Jackson, They Don’t Care About Us: for images in the background of the video

Madonna, Justify My Love: graphic sexuality

Madonna, What It Feels Like For A Girl: graphic violence

Madonna, Erotica: Graphic sexuality.

Madonna, American Life: for images deemed controversial after the commencement of the Iraq war. That’s 4 for Madge!

Prodigy, Smack My Bitch Up: for violence, and a misunderstanding of the meaning of the song (smack as in heroin)

Jay-Z, 99 Problems: for violence

Marilyn Manson, Saint: for violence and sexuality

Motley Crue, Girls Girls, Girls: censored for sexual content

Nine Inch Nails, Happiness in Slavery: extreme graphic violence and sexual content, probably the most deserving on the list to at least be limited in release.

Sir Mix-A-Lot, Baby Got Back: for sexual images (please, a plastic gigantic ass? come on)

Scissor Sisters, Filthy/Gorgeous: censored for sexual content

Cannibal Corpse, Sentenced to Burn: censored for violence

NYT has a very interesting article today on government funded bands in other countries. Apparently, there are a lot of other countries that value music as an important export, both for monetary and cultural identity reasons. In a nutshell, bands can apply for government funds that are used to tour in America or record music to be released in America. Sweden, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Finland are all countries discussed as doing this. My first thought is that these countries must really support the arts. I mean, can you imagine the U.S. funding a band like The Killers to send them overseas as American ambassadors? Well, maybe The Killers was a bad choice. My second thought is the effect that this might have on creative freedom of artists. The article briefly mentions Pearl Jam and Green Day’s speaking out against the government, and how that wouldn’t exactly gel with obtaining funds from the government. But what about these exported bands? Are their lyrics checked for content before they are handed their checks? I certainly don’t think that the government of Norway is supporting Death Metal. But then again, I could be wrong.

I’m way behind…

Placebo/She Wants Revenge: The Warfield, October 24th, 2006

I honestly don’t know why I don’t like Placebo. Everyone else in the room does, but I am bored. However, it works in my favor as a lot of people leave after their set, in true SF fashion. SWR was lots of fun. I was there with Donnie and 2 friends. It was a great set as they played their 2 ‘unreleased songs’, and I particularly like ‘Black Liner Run’. It is even better live.

Gomez: The Warfield, October 25th, 2006

Whoa. Walking into the room when Rodrigo y Gabriela are playing is very surprising. Calling them guitar virtuosos would be an understatement. Too bad they were followed by a mega shitty band called Matt Pond PA. Ick. So, Gomez is a good band, maybe even great, but they are much more Donnie’s style. We are ‘in the front row’ by this crazy security guard. It’s a really long sit with encores galore and a shoeless guy. They have this one really tall guy play a horn that is…interesting. Donnie got a guitar pick out of it, so he was particularly happy with this show.

Snoop Dogg: Bill Graham Civic Center, October 29, 2006

San Francisco: The Amsterdam of the U.S. This should be the new tourism slogan. So this might go down as one of the weirder shows I’ve been to….at least until Tuesday night when I go to GWAR. There was so much pot here that the fire alarms went off. I saw a guy in a wheel chair smoking a pipe. I was suprised there weren’t bongs….at least that I saw. Damien Jr. Gong Marley opened the show. He was pretty good. We were happy that he didn’t play only his daddy’s songs- well, just a couple to please the audience. Then we waited about 2 hours for Snoop. During this waiting period, we saw at least three people pass out- one was carrie dout on a stretcher. I don’t know what was going on- some laced weed was going around or something. You weren’t allowed to drink in the auditorium that night, so perhaps people were throwing back drinks outside and it made them pass out when they got inside. The crowd was pissed, but I think Snoop made it pretty worth it. He was in full form- stoned out of his mind, smoking blunts on stage. We got a lot of good oldies. His uncle was an absolute hoot, ‘dancing around on stage’ and making eyes at the ladies. Too short came out for a little bit. There was a rap off. Snoop did a Tupac song which was super cool. The set seemed short, but after that wait I think everyone was okay with it. We all had to go home and air out before work the next morning anyways.

my other pictures from this were terrible.

Shooter Jennings: Irving Plaza, November 4th, 2006

Yes, country music in NYC! Little venue+not a huge crowd+ a very weird crowd+ a very late set= a good time. It’s 1 am in NYC and the night is just getting started. Two guys are passed out against the barrier, another drunk guy is trying to country dance with my friend, and there are some people waving a confederate flag. Where am I? Odessa, TX? Wait- NYC? What???? It was a phenomenal set…I think he played every song from both albums. He must really like this place because his third album, a live one, was recorded here at Irving Plaza. Shooter was wobbly as usual, though seemingly less so than the last time I saw him. People are so drunk in the crowd, and everyone knows every word. The highlight: Busted in Baylor County. Now, how many people there really have ever been to Baylor county? Probably not many.