WINNERS MTV It happened on MTV.  It burnishes the brand’s image, that it still happens there.  The fact that an artist was sacrificed in the process?  WHO GIVES A FUCK!  This is what MTV has been doing for eons.  Like some "Twilight Zone" aliens with a book entitled "To Serve Acts", MTV has convinced "artists" […]

Madonna was narcissistic, Kanye demonstrated he knows no limits, the Michael Jackson tribute was lacking oomph, a neutered Russell Brand was strangely unfunny, but none of that truly mattered.  What we saw last night was a television network that was once different, playing to a disenfranchised younger generation, employing the same damn playbook as the […]

The two best Bonnie Raitt albums were produced by Don Was. My favorite is the second, "Give It Up", released in 1972, it’s got an intimacy that was squeezed out of recordings thereafter.  Slick became the norm.  Rough edges denied you airplay.  Just like you had to be beautiful to get on MTV, your music […]

I had a fascinating conversation with Don Was last night. Exiting February’s Grammy tribute to Neil Diamond, we got into a conversation about the new Delbert McClinton record Don was producing.  He was flying to Nashville imminently.  It was supposed to be remakes of Delbert’s classic songs.  I told Don he had to do "Sandy […]