Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

From Famous Fathers
by Gregg Shapiro
2003-04-16

This article shared 1481 times since Wed Apr 16, 2003
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


** Ben Taylor Band @ The Vic (312/559-1212) on 4.25

** The Wallflowers @ The Vic (312/559-1212) on 5.2 & 3

First things first; Lisa Marie Presley can sing! In fact, she can purr, growl, or belt it out with the best of them on her debut CD To Whom It May Concern (Capitol). She can also curse like a trucker, but that's another story. So, what took her so long? It couldn't have been her short-lived marriages to Michael Jackson or Nicolas Cage, could it? Whatever it was, I'm glad she put it behind her and that she has a promising musical career in front of her. Four years after we first heard about the proposed album, Presley borrows her father's sneer on 'S.O.B.' and then sings about her musical heritage on 'Lights Out' ('Someone turned the lights out in Memphis/ that's where my family's buried and gone'). A gritty Sheryl Crow quality permeates the album and songs such as 'The Road Between,' 'Better Beware,' 'So Lovely' (with its 'Theme From Midnight Cowboy'), 'Sinking In,' and 'Indifferent,' should have no trouble getting radio play and earning Lisa Marie the audience she deserves. Sadly, 'Savior,' the song she co-wrote with Zwan man Billy Corgan may only be available on the Japanese version of the album, but the 11 songs on To Whom It May Concern are a fitting musical letter of introduction.

Amanda Green, daughter of Adolph Green and Phyllis Newman, has theater coursing through her veins. On the live recording, Put A Little Love In Your Mouth (By Hook), Green lets all the voices in her head out in 'the fantasy opening number sequence' which begins with the suitably titled 'Voices In My Head.' For a New Yorker, Green has a knack for writing country-inspired tunes as she proves on 'A Ladies' Man' (which she co-wrote with, as she puts it, 'that old sidewinder John Bucchino') and 'Blind Again' (sung by Jonathan Dokuchitz). The recording gets positively theatrical over the course of the next few songs, 'Oops! My Bad' (a phrase I positively abhor), 'Put A Little Love In Your Mouth,' and the obi/gyney tune 'The 'V' Song,' which tell the story of Nora, a woman who is pregnant with her best gay friend Dennis's sperm. Dennis is uneasy about the prospect and his dentist lover Dr. Dennis and Nora's doctor also pipe in for some musical amusement. Other hilarious and harmonious highlights include 'Marcie From Canarsie,' 'If You Leave Me…?' (with the chorus 'If you leave me … can I come too?'), the Mario Cantone/Jonathan Dokuchitz duet 'Over-Estimated,' Green's duet with Billy Stritch on 'Together, Just Like This,' the touching 'Daddys's Shoulders' and the closing group number 'When You Know Me Better.'

The late Ian Dury's son, Baxter Dury, has released one of the most unusual and distinctive albums of 2003. Len Parrot's Memorial Lift (Rough Trade) is a sumptuous affair, reminiscent of The Flaming Lips, Beck and Pink Floyd at their most pink. With assistance from Portishead's Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley and Pulp's Richard Hawley, Dury has constructed a haunting musical landscape on songs such as 'Oscar Brown' (which contains elements of Velvet Underground's 'Oh Sweet Nuthin'), 'Auntie Jane,' 'Bachelor,' and the titular track. Echoes of Dury's father, famous for such classics as 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll,' 'Wake Up And Make Love To Me,' 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick,' and 'Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3,' can be heard on 'Gingham Smalls 2.'

Of all the progeny of famous fathers in this column, it is Ben Taylor who sounds the most like his father James Taylor. So much so that it borders on being scary. Famous Among The Barns (Iris), the full-length debut disc by The Ben Taylor Band, features both of Taylor's parents, including mother Carly Simon on backing vocals. Older sister Sally has already released a couple of albums and it's nice to hear what Ben is up to. From his unique cover of The Zombies' 'Time Of The Season,' which exhibits a distinguished taste in musical and the will to take a risk, to his original tunes, Taylor appears ready to step out of his famous family's shadow. With songs such as the front porch stomp of 'Just Like Everyone Else,' the hazy 'I Am The Sun,' the upbeat pop of 'Day After Day,' the reassuring 'Safe Enough To Wake Up,' and the mellow narcotic of 'Mushroom Dance,' Taylor's fame has the potential to reach beyond the barns.

Ben Taylor and his mother Carly Simon (herself the daughter of a famous father, Richard Simon, co-founder of publishing house Simon & Schuster) also perform together on the soundtrack to the Disney animated feature Piglet's Big Movie (Walt Disney Records). Separated into three 'chapters' ('the songs,' 'the score,' 'the bonus tracks'), the first chapter features two songs performed by Carly and Ben ('With A Few Good Friends' and 'Comforting To Know'), as well as a few songs sung by Carly, as well as Carly, Winnie The Pooh (Jim Cummings), Piglet (John Fiedler) and some of the other cartoon characters.

Red Letter Days (Interscope), the fourth full-length album by The Wallflowers, was released 10 years after the band's self-titled debut disc, and six years after their breakthrough disc Bringing Down The Horse. The Wallflowers have earned a reputation for being a solid live band and Jakob Dylan, son of Bob, is developing into a respectable songwriter, as you can hear on standout tracks such as 'When You're On Top,' 'How Good It Can Get,' the back-to-back 'If You Never Got Sick' and 'Health And Happiness,' and the gorgeous 'Three Ways.' The disc also includes the unlisted bonus track 'The Empire In My Mind,' which is the theme song to the CBS drama series The Guardian, starring the very cute Australian actor Simon Baker.

Thicke (first name Robin, although he's not currently using it) is the son of sitcom dad Alan Thicke. His debut disc Cherry Blue Skies (NuAmerica/Interscope) was originally scheduled for release in 2002, but for some reason was postponed until Spring of 2003. Thicke, who fancies himself a blue-eyed nu-soul singer along the lines of Jamiroquai's Jason Kay and Remy Shand, recreates a Prince vibe on the opening track 'Oh Shooter' and aims for and hits Prince's high-notes on 'I'm 'A Be Alright' and 'Suga Mama.' He also shows a healthy respect for vintage soul and dance music on the 'Fifth of Beethoven' sampled 'Alone' and the flying funk of 'Lazy Bones,' and an ear for '60s pop on 'Make A Baby.'

On her third album, Cinema Paradiso (Concord Jazz), Monica Mancini (daughter of Henry) does her own renditions of her favorite songs from movies. Fittingly, she includes a song by her father ('Soldier In The Rain' from the movie of the same title), as well as several by his one-time contemporaries including Ennio Morricone ('Cinema Paradiso'), Michel LeGrand and Alan and Marilyn Bergman ('The Summer Knows' from Summer of '42), Burt Bacharach and Hal David ('Alfie' from the movie of the same name), Johnny Mandel ('The Shadow of Your Smile' from The Sandpiper), and David Shire ('I'll Never Say Goodbye' from The Promise). Mancini also performs a nice mix of classic Hollywood material ('Over The Rainbow,' 'Baby Mine') and more recent selections including 'A Love Before Time' from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

I was counting on my review of Shut Up (Epic), the debut disc by Kelly Osborne (daughter of Ozzy) to be super brief. Something to the effect of, 'Kelly, dear, why don't you do what your album title suggests?' However, I was unexpectedly taken by Osbourne's natural sneer and punk pose. Sure, it's an act, but it's entertaining. Easily as annoying as fellow poseur Avril Lavigne (Avril, dear, Annie Hall called and she wants her tie back), Osbourne is pure show business. With the aid of a competent commercial record producer (Ric Wake) and a team of songwriters, Osbourne delivers a jolt, like a spike heel in the toe, on songs such as 'Come Dig Me Out,' 'Contradiction,' 'Right Here,' and 'Too Much of You.'

Speaking of Kelly Osbourne and her famous father, the 'totally uncensored' edition of MTV's reality series The Osbournes: The First Season (Miramax) is currently available on a two-disc DVD set. Thoroughly entertaining and consistently very funny (and occasionally scary), I found myself admiring Ozzy (although I still can't take the music he makes seriously) and wishing that Sharon Osbourne was my mother. The often-warring Kelly and her brother Jack don't come off nearly as well as their parents. The DVD contains games including 'Name That Dookie,' in which viewers pair up the dog with its respective bowel movement, cast interviews and a bizarre blooper real. Not everyone's taste, to be sure, but you have to give this twenty-first century Ozzie and Harriet credit for exposing themselves in this way. Besides, how can you fault a family of dog-lovers for their erratic behavior?


This article shared 1481 times since Wed Apr 16, 2003
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

'Rumors' performers create alternative drag playground 2024-03-24
- At first glance, Dorian's Through The Record Shop (1939 W. North Ave.) looks like a brightly-lit shop with a handful of records on the wall, but there's a secret world behind those unassuming shelves. Visitors are ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman 2024-03-21
- Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...


Gay News

THEATER Chicago's City Lit has anxiety on tap with 'Two Hours in a Bar' 2024-03-21
- Two Hours in a Bar Waiting for Tina Meyer by Kristine Thatcher with material by Larry Shue Text Me by Kingsley Day (Book, Music and Lyrics). At: City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.. Tickets: ...


Gay News

Lollapalooza announces lineup; SZA, Skrillex among headliners 2024-03-19
- Lollapalooza has released its line-up for the event that's taking place Aug. 1-4 at Grant Park. Headliners include SZA, Blink-182, Skrillex, The Killers, Hozier, Melanie Martinez and Stray Kids, among others. Some of the other acts ...


Gay News

Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance 2024-03-18
- Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, 'P-Valley,' Wendy Williams, Luke Evans, 'Queer Eye,' 'Transition' 2024-03-15
- Lady Gaga came to the defense of Dylan Mulvaney after a post with the trans influencer/activist for International Women's Day received hateful responses, People Magazine noted. On Instagram, Gaga stated, "It's appalling to me that a ...


Gay News

House-music festival on Aug. 30-Sept. 1; icons, Idris Elba to be part of it 2024-03-13
- The ARC Music Festival—an event celebrating house music—will take place Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Chicago's Union Park, per WGN-TV. This will mark the fourth year that the festival will celebrate the genre at Union Park—less than ...


Gay News

COBRAH slithers into Chicago and brings Feminine Energy 2024-03-08
- COBRAH snaked her way into Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., for two nights March 7 and 8 for her Succubus Tour. This Swedish-born talent has a way with naughty words and ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer 2024-03-08
- Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret 2024-03-05
- Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare 2024-03-05
- Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

THEATER When growth is paramount: Jim Corti helps fuel Aurora theater expansion 2024-03-01
- Out actor/director/choreographer Jim Corti made his Broadway debut in 1974, in the ensemble of Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide. Director Harold Prince's acclaimed Tony Award-winning revival is often cited as a ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer actors, icons duet, Hunter Schafer, Oscars, Elizabeth Taylor 2024-03-01
- Queer actor Kal Penn is set to star in Trust Me, I'm a Doctor—a film that chronicles the final days of actress/model Anna Nicole Smith, whose overdose death in 2007 at age 39 sparked a tabloid ...


Gay News

'Always Olivia' celebrates Olivia Newton-John at Raue Center 2024-02-26
- From a press release: Always Olivia, a tribute to one of the most celebrated and beloved pop culture icons of all time, the late Olivia Newton-John comes to Raue Center in Crystal Lake on Saturday, May ...


Gay News

Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams's violin stylings help COH mark Black History Month 2024-02-23
- As part of its celebration of Black History Month, Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., presented a solo jazz performance by violinist Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams on Feb. 21. The two-hour long performance presented a showcase ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.