Chrissie Hynde’s one of those people like Madonna for me–I’ve been a swoony fan for over two decades, but never, ever would I want to meet her. What a bitch. But then, she’s a rock star, so she’s supposed to be a bitch and make maddening pronouncements about political issues she doesn’t understand and blow a lot of money on living high.
Anyway, there’s an interview with her in Billboard on-line that, in two passages, tickled my funny bone big-time. The profanities come thick and fast, naturally, so even though they’re bleeped in the original anyway, I’ll put the citations below the jump.
The first is about the gentrification of downtown Akron:
It’s a very American phenomenon what’s happened. In the ’70s, all these cities like Akron tore down their downtown areas. It was all to do with racism, class, economics and all sorts of stuff. Then, thank God for the gay community, which found all the good old houses from Chicago to Akron and said, “Hey, let’s renovate these houses and do something.” If not for that one little segment of society, I think America would be f***ed up its ass right now -— big time. Gays saved America.
I just think the irony in that second-last sentence deserves some kind of award. No wise-cracking queen could have done that one better, and Hynde doesn’t even seem to realize it’s funny.
I also love the locution “racism, class, economics and all sorts of stuff.” You can practically hear the lefty radio-soap organ play a portentous chord in the background. Hynde also appears not to be aware that a lot of people bitch about gentrification because it ends up pricing a lot of old low-income residents out of the housing market. Or maybe that’s what she meant by “all sorts of stuff.”
In the other good part, Chrissie assures us that life without steak and fur coats can still be lived to the fullest:
You know, I’ve never asked how many points I get or what I’m being paid. I don’t give a f***. I’ve got a manager to do that. I feel I owe it to my fans. I mean, my fans paid me. I don’t want my fans to think I’m making wise investments or making any investments or trying to save my money. You gave me that money. I’m having a good f***ing time with it, all right?
Duly noted, honey.
What a freak.
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For what it’s worth, the people in the music business who ought to know her about the best — the pros in the busines from Cleveland — also think Chrissie is a bit of a freak.
Not naming names or anything.
M
Sean, I took a gentle dig at you just now about stuff like this. No offense, but you’re the first person I think of when I think of inane music in Asia …
She was a talented songwriter, before she went crazy: “We (expletive) deserve to get bombed. Bring it on. Let’s get rid of all the economic (expletive) this country represents! Bring it on, I hope the Muslims win!”
Idiot. The 2nd album was a horribly produced mess that sounded more like a demo than a professional followup. I think they were trying to sound raw, but it was just murky, spoiling good songs like “The English Roses” &”Day After Day”.
And long before Shakira was sounding affected, Chrissie was THERE, lol
Mark:
“[T]he pros in the busines from Cleveland — also think Chrissie is a bit of a freak.”
I’m sure. It would frighten me if anyone didn’t consider her a freak.
John:
“No offense, but you’re the first person I think of when I think of inane music in Asia ….”
Well, what’s funny is that usually I get slammed for the opposite–which is to say, I’m always being accused of listening to music that only rock critics like. But seriously, I think Bjork and Liz Phair and Peter Gabriel are fun to sing along with while cooking dinner.
beautifulatrocities:
“The 2nd album was a horribly produced mess that sounded more like a demo than a professional followup. I think they were trying to sound raw, but it was just murky, spoiling good songs like ‘The English Roses’ &’Day After Day.'”
I seem to like Pretenders II more than most other people, even if it does suffer by being sandwiched in between Pretenders and Learning to Crawl. I like the versions of “Message of Love” and “Talk of the Town” on Extended Play, better, though, and I wish they’d included “Cuban Slide.”
But you’re right that it can get plenty annoying: Sweetie, if we’re going to be all working sexually transgressive archetypes, can we learn to spell them? Adulteress has two e‘s.
Heh. But I was teasing about you listening to 老鼠愛大米.
One of my faves of Hynde’s is Thumbelina, which by all rights should have been on the Thelma &Louise soundtrack
Altho at the time, my fave was X Ray Spex. Someone gave me a book about Blondie once that has a group pic of Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, Siouxsie of the Banshees, Poly Styrene, one of the Slits, &Penelope from Selecter