Norman's Rockwell

Hey Soul Mates, Roger Daltrey once said, "Gimme a bum note and a bead of sweat!" There may have been lots of sweat in Miami, and a few bum notes, but there was little that was authentic or interesting about this year's MTV VMA's. The show got off to a mediocre start with the otherwise exciting Usher lipsynching in a rainstorm. It's bad enough that he's lipsynching, but anyone with a brain knows that you would be thoroughly electrocuted attempting to sing with a live mic in a shower. They let Usher perform 3 songs to start the show and I don't think we heard him perform a note of it live. There was so much non-singing that when people with live mics showed up the mix was so bad that even Chaka Khan sounded awful (the producers should publicly apologize to her). Poor Yellowcard and Hoobastank were affected by bad sound, too. The crowd was only into it enough to boo John Kerry's daughters and Carson Daly for encouraging "young people" ...

Hey Soul Mates, just a short plug for a friend and esteemed colleague who has finished a major new work. Check out the website for the details of his new short film "Hand To Hand." The filmmaker is a visionary and a new voice to be reckoned with. I personally cannot wait to experience "Hand To Hand" on the big screen. I guarantee we'll be hearing more and bigger things from him. Love, Power, Peace And register to vote. I just re-upped after an address change. Now that's power.

Thanks for the positive energy everyone. With all of those good vibes heading this way the recording sessions have been a smash. Today we were back at Smartso digital working on our new sessions. Let me tell you, it's also a joy working with a producer who is nuturing and creative. Richard Bosworth's energy is perpetually positive. He's challenging, though, and makes me work to achieve some really great results. Our primary focus today was "Excommunication." I know what you are thinking: shouldn't that song have been completed before they shot the music video? Well, sometimes up is down and out is in. When it comes to art, there's little logic. The song came together nicely and I've been listening to the rough mix non-stop. I think you are really going to enjoy dancing and singing along to this one. The vocal tracking went very well. I managed to keep my voice intact for the whole day. Lots of tea & honey and a handmade wool scarf (Yes, even i...

Hey Soul Mates, I don't normally have to be a first-nighter or buy something the day it arrives in stores. But, today was like Christmas in August. All 3 of Prince's theatrical films for Warner Bros. were released today. Graffiti Bridge was probably unnecessary, but the other two: Purple Rain and Under The Cherry Moon rank among my favorite films of all time. They influenced the way I viewed music/performance and the possibilities of having dreams and making them come true. Hard to believe it's the 20th anniversary of Purple Rain. I can remember going to see it with my older brother, Nate in East Lansing. Nice to sneak into an R rated movie. Of course, the musical numbers are what stay with you and what holds up to time (no pun intended). Under The Cherry Moon is an indulgence, a guilty pleasure. I think my old DC posse and I could recite the entire thing from "Once upon a time in France" to "Nope, I'm throwing you out onto the Miami streets!" ...

Hey Soul Mates, we have great news. Next week we will be back in studio with our producer, Richard Bosworth , working on our latest recording sessions. We will once again be in the Smartso Digital Studio where we laid down the basic tracks. The songs we are working on are: 1. "Excommunication" 2. "Fall Out" 3. "Majestic Rejection" 4. "Saffron Dancer" As you probably know, "Excommunication" is the track that we used for filming the promotional video. It's an uptempo number about heartbreak. How's that!? "Fall Out" is a real funk workout and we emphasize the work and the out. And it's an ode to love and joy. "Majestic Rejection" is a recent song that is seriously about heartbreak. It's done as a waltz and the tracking was quite effective. Bryan did a guitar part that sounds just like an electric piano. Dennis and I played acoustic instruments. It was fun for me, 'cause it was the firs...

Hey, just back from the Earth, Wind & Fire/Chicago double headlining bill at the Greek. The show used an interesting concept. Even though they were filming the whole night for a DVD, both bands came on stage together and ran through a couple of songs. Then they actually flipped a coin to see who would "headline" and who would "open." EW&F lost the toss and took the stage first. Their set was pure joy. Lots of exuberance from their wild bass player, Verdine White and stratospheric vocals from Phillip Bailey. Sadly no appearance from founder Maurice White (Although, I did see Maurice last month at a screening of Fahrenheit 9/11). The songlist included "Fantasy," "Reasons," "Got To Get You Into My Life," & "Let's Groove." Intermission was spent in the VIP lounge (better known as the "Cheese Room"); chatted briefly with "Smallville's" Michael Rosenbaum. He plays Lex Luthor on the show a...

Hope you can stand my review of last night's feature. Seeing the TAMI Show on a big screen at the Arclight was fun. The film was presented as a glorified kinescope (it basically looks like a videotape of what was playing on a TV screen). Steve Binder, the film's director was on hand to tell some stories about the 3 days it took to film. The print we watched, he told us, was donated to the festival by none other than Quentin Tarantino. It's really a time capsule of a film. The line up included legends James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, The Beach Boys (who appear briefly, but actually had their performance removed from the film because their manager thought it was beneath them), Chuck Berry, Jan & Dean and the Supremes; one-hit wonders Leslie Gore, Gerry & The Pacemakers; and no-hit wonders like the Barbarians. It was fun seeing Smokey, Marvin, The Stones and the Supremes on the verge of superstardom. This was 1964, so no ...