From NoDepression.net: LYNYRD SKYNYRD Street Survivors (Deluxe Edition) (Geffen) by GRANT ALDEN (NODEPRESSION.NET) -- But for the passionate arguments of Patterson Hood, Lynyrd Skynyrd would probably be remembered here only as the music blaring from the bondo camaros the rough smoking guys stood around with their high school girls, who probably did put out. Or as the flames LP, recalled and redesigned after the plane went down, a lower case butcher album on the collector market. Or, and this is the most inexact fate, for its principal single: "What's Your Name," a cavalier -- wonderful word, that, for both meanings fit: its archaic sense as a gentleman, and its present connotation of disrespect -- ode to the rock star life of the 1970s. It is the kind of song which would have kept me from listening to the band, much less the album, for that kind of hedonism has always seemed both below and beyond me. And yet. And yet it is a finely drawn, carefully rendered song, or so it plays today. (So it played then, but I couldn't hear it, too much a fan of Peter Green and Keith Emerson.) Effortless in its simplicity, and deceptive for all that. It's a nasty guitar riff, a nasty, predatory song. And it's not. In 1977 that opening line about a limo driver smelled of debauchery, but now it seems quite self-evident that musicians should not drive themselves around strange towns, particularly when they're achieved a certain iconic status. And "little girl"; man, that plays differently now than I think it was meant when written. "I've done made some plans" and "I've found a little queen/and I know I can treat her right" roots the singer's class, there's been a fight in the hotel bar, and yet the closing line for the one night stand is this: "shouldn't you stay/little girl/though there ain't no shame." Shame. In the end, of course, the singer offers cab fare home, same time next year. A gentleman, despite himself. In addition to himself. The temptation, then, is to let that song frame Street Survivors as an album celebrating the wretched excess of '70s rockstardom, only this simple eight-song LP is far more complex than that. Remember that it was built during the era of rock operas and concept albums, and remember that albums were conceived of as comprehensive statements, as suites. That sequencing was important. Except the second track is "That Smell," Ronnie Van Zant's voyage through the same territory Neil Young explored with "The Needle And The Damage Done," with more preaching and less fury, if that makes any sense. The juxtaposition here cannot have been accidental. And, in passing, I wonder if some of the street jargon -- "'ludes", in particular -- is as impenetrable to most of today's listeners as Billy Joe Shaver's dominecker hen was until I realized it was a specific kind of barnyard animal, and nothing less...nor more). Point being, the balance of the album seems like a meditation on the singer's transition from roving hotel cavalier to family man ("One More Time," "I Never Dreamed," etc.). The second side, of course, opens with "You Got That Right," another one of those feral, fighting songs for which the band was justly famous. But it closes with "Ain't No Good Life," which almost certainly has to be a nod to Willie Nelson's "Night Life," doesn't it? Only it feels more like Haggard: "I want to know/Tell me why is it so?/Well, just 'cause I don't pray/Lord that don't mean I ain't forgiven/Just because I'm alive/that don't mean I'm making a living." (There's a song begging to be recast as southern gospel, should, say, Mike Farris happen by needing material.) And on those terms, as a self-conceived work of art, not simply as an ode to the sybaritic excesses of the road, this is one hell of an album. And, of course, it rocks. This deluxe edition reissue appends the original eight tracks with a second disc, which you will listen to once. It includes the first version of the album, produced by the legendary Tom Dowd, known (apparently) as the Criteria Studios Album. The same eight songs, only they sound as if they were played by a really competent cover band who had learned them note by note from careful tablature. Dowd has a great reputation, though I confess to not really knowing his work. This, too, is a fascinating reminder (Car Wheels On A Gravel Road is another) that musicians aren't simply being petulant artists when they reject all that work because it comes off wrong. Somehow Dowd neutered a band, neutered these songs. It's bizarre to listen to, but no fun at all. And then there are five live tracks from August, 1977, just before the crash. But the sound quality's not much, and I can't make it through them. So you're on your own there. Some of us will always wonder what Jimi Hendrix might have become had he struck up a working relationship with Miles Davis. What Buddy Holly might have made of Sgt. Peppers and Phil Spector, or whether he'd have gotten their first, somehow. (But not, somehow, what Kurdt Cobain might have come up with; he wasn't going to pull through, not that burning ember, though I wasn't clever enough to see that.) I don't often put Ronnie Van Zant and Skynyrd in that same dream world, the one in which he steals Brian Henneman from the Bottle Rockets about 1998 and...oh, that's just silly. And this is a serious album, conflicted, complex, and a whole lot of fun. And sad, for there was no next year.

Unless you're a fan of Emmylou Harris, alternative country and/or have seen the CMT Crossroads special with Plant/Krauss you probably haven't heard of Buddy Miller. In any event, he was named No Depression magazine's Artist of the Decade and is featured in the final issue which should be hitting newsstands any day now. In the interview he relates how he met Plant at an Emmylou show and how he came to play in Plant & Krauss' backing band. The interview is a must for any fan of the new record that wishes to learn more about this wonderful musician.

A R.E.M. fan has uploaded a shit ton of rare performance footage including a long sought after show from The Pier in Raleigh, NC from 1982, promo clips, etc. to YouTube. You can check it out here.

Not to be rude (so please don't take it that way) but the whole idea of "The YouTube Thread" is to post music clips from YouTube.

From CNN.com: E Street Band's Danny Federici dies NEW YORK (AP) -- Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen whose stylish work helped define the E Street Band's sound on hits from "Hungry Heart" through "The Rising," died Thursday. He was 58. Federici, who battled melanoma for three years, died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. News of his death was posted late Thursday on Springsteen's official Web site. According to published reports, Federici last performed with Springsteen and the band March 20, appearing during portions of a show in Indianapolis, Indiana. Springsteen concerts scheduled for Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Saturday in Orlando, Florida, were postponed after news of Federici's death. He was born in Flemington, New Jersey, a long car ride from the Jersey shore haunts where he first met kindred musical spirit Springsteen in the late 1960s. The pair often jammed at the Upstage Club in Asbury Park, New Jersey, a now-defunct after-hours club that hosted the best musicians in the state. It was Federici, along with original E Street Band drummer Vini Lopez, who first invited Springsteen to join their band. By 1969, the self-effacing Federici -- often introduced in concert by Springsteen as "Phantom Dan" -- was playing with the Boss in a band called Child. Over the years, Federici joined his friend in acclaimed shore bands Steel Mill, Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom and the Bruce Springsteen Band. Federici became a stalwart in the E Street Band as Springsteen rocketed from the boardwalk to international stardom. Springsteen split from the E Streeters in the late '80s, but they reunited for a hugely successful tour in 1999. "Bruce has been supportive throughout my life," Federici said in a recent interview with Backstreets magazine. "I've had my ups and downs, and I've certainly given him a run for his money, and he's always been there for me." Federici played accordion on the wistful "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" from Springsteen's second album, and his organ solo was a highlight of Springsteen's first top 10 hit, "Hungry Heart." His organ coda on the 9/11-inspired Springsteen song "You're Missing" provided one of the more heart-wrenching moments on "The Rising" in 2002. In a band with larger-than-life characters such as saxophonist Clarence Clemons and bandana-wrapped guitarist "Little" Steven Van Zandt, Federici was content to play in his familiar position to the side of the stage. But his playing was as vital to Springsteen's live show as any instrument in the band. Federici released a pair of solo albums that veered from the E Street sound and into soft jazz. Bandmates Nils Lofgren on guitar and Garry Tallent on bass joined Federici on his 1997 debut, "Flemington." In 2005, Federici released its follow-up, "Out of a Dream." Federici took a leave of absence during the band's tour in November 2007 to pursue treatment for melanoma, and was temporarily replaced by veteran musician Charles Giordano. At the time, Springsteen described Federici as "one of the pillars of our sound and has played beside me as a great friend for more than 40 years. We all eagerly await his healthy and speedy return." Besides his work with Springsteen, Federici played on albums by an impressive roster of other artists: Van Zandt, Joan Armatrading, Graham Parker, Gary U.S. Bonds and Garland Jeffreys.

From The Boston Globe: New folks at Newport rock festival's traditions Jug bands, fiddlers left out of '08 lineup By Joan Anderman Globe Staff In 1965, Bob Dylan turned the folk world on its ear when he plugged in an electric guitar at the Newport Folk Festival. In 2008, things are going to get a whole lot louder. Under new management and with a young producer at the helm, the venerable Newport Folk Festival is stepping out of the past and into the rock 'n' roll mainstream. Gone are the jug bands, Cape Breton fiddlers, and bluegrass patriarch Ralph Stanley. This year's lineup features good-time tunesmith Jimmy Buffett, swaggering rockers The Black Crowes, and indie-soul chanteuse Cat Power. "For me the theme was bridging the gap," says Jay Sweet, a 37-year-old editor at Paste, an indie-oriented music magazine. Sweet is coproducer of this year's event, which takes place Aug. 1-3 at Fort Adams State Park. "We're going to try to bring in more sizzle, in the artistic sense. We're creating a festival for musical omnivores." In the bargain, they're creating New England's first real rock festival, which Sweet hopes will someday rival the genre-spanning sprawl of Tennessee's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. "If we do it right and book it right, the kids will come," he says. Newport has long been known for pushing the boundaries of folk by booking unexpected artists, from '60s screamer Janis Joplin and punky troubadour Ani DiFranco to jazzy hitmaker Norah Jones and alt-rock heroes the Pixies, while presenting a vibrant blend of new and old-school styles. It's what is not on the roster for this year's event - straight, traditional folk music of any stripe - that signals a dramatic reinvention of the Newport Folk Festival. "I don't like the idea that it's just dissipating into another festival like so many others," says Joan Baez, who launched her career at the 1959 festival. "It seems that it's all about money and not much about holding onto something that's been pretty precious for a lot of years." In the past decade, attendance at the Newport Folk Festival, founded in 1959 by live-music impresario George Wein and managed until last year by Wein's Festival Productions, has averaged only half to two-thirds of the site's capacity of 10,000 concertgoers a day. With alt-country collective Calexico, reggae royalty Damian and Stephen Marley, My Morning Jacket howler Jim James, and second-generation folk-rocker Jakob Dylan on the bill, the event's new owners expect 2008 to sell out. (Tickets go on sale April 23.) "This year should mark a turning point in revitalizing Newport Folk," says Tom Shepard, chief executive officer of Festival Network, a San Francisco-based company that purchased Festival Productions last year. "In these economic times, when you can spend less in a day on an unforgettable experience for the entire family at Newport than you would going out on the golf course, I'd say we've developed a value proposition." But at what cost? "This signifies the death knell for traditionalists," says Betsy Siggins, executive director of Passim Center, the Harvard Square folk-music institution. "But I see a constant broadening at Passim of the music you can hear in a folk setting, and, personally, I think this is a strong concert. Would I love to see [85-year-old guitarist] Doc Watson and people I still think have great value? Yes. Do I hope they bring in more traditional music down the line? Yes. But it's a tough time for folk; they're looking for a home run the first time out of the gate, and I wouldn't miss it for anything." The graying of the core folk audience is sparking similar reinventions nationwide, as traditional festivals strategize ways to reach younger listeners. On Monday organizers of the Philadelphia Folk Festival, now in its 47th year, unveiled the lineup for this summer's event, which includes fringe singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson, psychedelic folk band Espers, and roots-rocker Steve Earle as well as heritage acts such as Tom Paxton and the Cajun dance band Beausoleil. The legacy artists at Newport are Levon Helm, longtime drummer for the influential rock outfit the Band, and Gillian Welch, an L.A.-bred musician who channels the sounds of Appalachia and is equally at home on bluegrass bills and cutting-edge rock stages. Welch doesn't believe the influx of contemporary music threatens the festival's legacy, but rather that the spirit of Newport will imbue the artists who play there. "I live in Nashville, and a lot of acts come through Ryman Auditorium who have nothing to do with old-time country music, but it's famous enough and has a deep enough tradition that it invariably affects the shows there," Welch says. "Performers are very aware of the legacy, and I can envision the legacy at Newport having the same effect. I know that Jimmy Buffett will have at least one folk song in his set because he just cut one of mine on his last album." Indeed, Buffett - whose "Margaritaville" is a staple at arenas and tailgate parties - is considering playing a stripped-down set with just two acoustic guitars at his Newport debut. "I threatened to do Newport before I was gone, and I seriously want to honor the heritage of the festival," Buffett says. "I came up as a folk singer. I've always loved the idea of being a balladeer. You know, I might do Gordon Lightfoot's 'Canadian Railroad Trilogy.' I am not going to do a Parrothead show." Even if he did, it wouldn't worry Bob Jones, the longtime producer of the Newport Folk Festival, who like several of his Festival Productions colleagues is now working at Festival Networks. "We've always stretched the limits, and there are always people saying, 'What are these people doing here?' " notes Jones, who acknowledges that this year's lineup is skewed heavily toward rock and pop. "Yes, it feels a little unbalanced. Next year, which is going to be the 50th anniversary, we'll see a wider range of traditional acts. But there are so many other festivals that cover that. We might have bluegrass, but it'll be out on the edge of bluegrass. And I think that will be more interesting to the young listeners we have," he says. "Or hope to have."

From Billboard.com: Jimmy Buffett Mitchell Peters, L.A. Jimmy Buffett, the Black Crowes, Cat Power and Jakob Dylan are among the artists performing at this year's Newport Folk Festival, to be held Aug. 1-3 at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, R.I. Other artists include the Avett Brothers, Levon Helm, Stephen and Damian Marley, Gillian Welch, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, She & Him, Calexico, Kaki King, Cowboy Junkies, Willy Mason, Over the Rhine, the Felice Brothers, Jake Shimabukuro, Kate Taylor, Richard Julian and Jesca Hoop, among others. The Newport Folk Festival is booked and produced by Festival Network, which also overseas such jazz/folk-themed festivals as JVC Jazz Festival Miami, Los Angeles' Playboy Jazz Festival and JVC Jazz Festival New York. "We're consolidating all of our brainpower and trying to come up with some of the most progressive and creative programming going forward, so all of our Festival Network events are sprinkled with new and exciting events that differentiate ourselves from other music festivals," Jason Olaine, VP of programming at Festival Network, tells Billboard.com. Tickets for the Newport Folk Festival go on sale April 23 via festivalnetwork.com. Ticket prices and package options are still being confirmed and will be announced in the coming days.

From Billboard.com Widespread Panic Subs For Allmans At Bonnaroo Widespread Panic Ray Waddell, Nashville Widespread Panic has been named as the closing main stage act of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, set for June 12-15 in Manchester, Tenn. The lineup was shuffled in the wake of a cancellation by the Allman Brothers Band due to health issues with founding member Gregg Allman. "We're thrilled that Widespread is joining the Bonnaroo lineup again this year," Ashley Capps, president of A.C. Entertainment, producer of Bonnaroo with Superfly Presents, tells Billboard.com. "It was very disappointing that the Allman Brothers had to cancel, but we feel lucky that Panic could step in. They've been at the heart and soul of Bonnaroo from its inception and their Bonnaroo sets never fail to be an extraordinary experience for the fans." Jack Johnson will now precede Pearl Jam on the main stage Saturday night, stepping into the slot vacated by the Allmans. Johnson, who had originally been scheduled to close the fest on Sunday, will perform beginning at sunset on Saturday, to be followed by Pearl Jam's closing main stage set. Bonnaroo also has added Les Claypool, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, Superdrag, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Adele, Grand Ole Party and the Postelles to this year's festival lineup.

From her mailing list: Today (Thursday), Tift will be appearing on Morning Becomes Eclectic on KCRW radio, Santa Monica, California at 11:15am Pacific Time. The program can also be streamed on the world wide web at www.kcrw.com NEW VIDEO: When Mark Borthwick shot the wonderful photos for Tift's Another Country album, he brought along a video camera to the beach. Tift hijacked the tape, gave it to film editor Andrew Hafitz who turned it into a video for the song Keep You Happy. You can see it here: Keep You Happy

I heard a cut from this the other day on XM, sounded pretty damn good to me. Same for what I've heard of the new Van Morrison. And some say the old guys no longer have it. Looking forward to seeing Winwood with Tom Petty this summer except Petty should be opening for him not the other way around. Can't say I'm much of a Petty fan but it should be worth it for the Winwood factor.

It's cool, I was just referring to your misspelling of "sombersault". I'm pretty sure it's "somersault" so you were just one letter off.

From Pitchfork.com: Thurston, MacKaye, Watt in Record Store Documentary Also: Glenn Branca, Noam Chomsky, members of Talking Heads, Of Montreal, Black Keys Did you know that corporations tend to disregard the interests of small businesses, that people want to buy fewer physical copies of musical artifacts when they can get them on the internet for free, or that Fugazi frontman Ian MacKaye tends to interview for documentaries in kitchens while wearing a hoodie and a black beanie? If any of these things catches you by surprise, then a forthcoming documentary called I Need That Record! The Death (or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store will probably be very informative for you. The movie, directed by Brendan Toller, explores the reasons why independently owned record shops are getting scarcer through interviews with MacKaye, Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Mike Watt (Minutemen), Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), Glenn Branca, Chris Frantz (Talking Heads), Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group), Bryan Poole (Of Montreal), writer Legs McNeil, smart dude Noam Chomsky, and plenty of music business folk across the U.S. The rough cut of I Need That Record! premieres May 3 at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, but the final cut and theatrical/DVD release are still forthcoming. I Need That Record! Blog

Can't say I've ever heard of a "sombersault" before. Is that like doing a cartwheel when you're sad?

When it comes to the pioneers of "country rock" I'd sooner take groups like Poco, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Bird, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Goose Creek Symphony, Pure Prairie League, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, the New Riders of the Purple Sage, etc. over corporate crap like the fucking Eagles. Even the early Eagles records (which I don't mind so much) still don't even come close to holding a candle to artists like Gram Parsons. It's long overdue to add to my CD collection but the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Will the Circle Be Unbroken is a must for any fan of that type of music. It received the remastered treatment on the occasion of it's 30th anniversary back in 2002.

Yep, that's the scene depicted on the cover artwork. If that doesn't bring a tear to your eye you don't have a heart. If you haven't seen it yet, I very highly recommend the Townes documentary Be Here To Love Me.

I don't believe any of those things, I just don't think it's any more of a detriment to society than rock n' roll or any other form of music. Look back to the early days of rock n' roll and how the establishment tried to have it banned, burned records, wouldn't allow Elvis to be shown from the waist up on TV, etc. That's the same sort of unwarranted reaction rap and hip hop have been subject to. A lot of people put down rap because some of the artists sing about the mistreatment of women and "bling". Well, rock n' roll has also always been about those very same subjects. The very earliest rock n' roll was hardly anything but singing about girls and cars. It was also considered extremely violent and many thought it would lead to the downfall of society so the powers that be tried to have it banished from the airwaves. Sound familiar? I understand what the Cos is up to but it won't work anymore than Pat Boone and his ilk trying to clean up rock n' roll for mass consumption back in the formative days of rock n' roll.

From Blabbermouth.net GUNS N' ROSES Will Not Be Appearing In Any Reality TV Show GUNS N' ROSES has dismissed as false a recent Internet report that a TV network has proposed an idea for a reality series involving the group's frontman Axl Rose. In an official statement released via the group's web site, longtime Rose associate Del James writes, "Despite rumors floating around the Internet, GUNS N' ROSES will not be appearing on any reality TV program to promote their forthcoming album, 'Chinese Democracy', or for any other reason. "The reality TV rumors started a little while ago and have taken on an Internet life of their own, but there is no truth to any of this." A report at AllYourTV.com recently stated that a "major music-oriented television channel" had proposed an idea for a reality series revolving around Rose. Sources close to the project told the web site that the show would focus on the reclusive singer's efforts to complete and release the long-delayed GUNS N' ROSES album, "Chinese Democracy". The series would reportedly follow Rose and the other members of the current GUNS lineup through behind-the-scenes rehearsal and studio footage as well as interviews. Sources at Rose's label, Geffen Records, reportedly said that a finished version of "Chinese Democracy" has been delivered to the company. Rose and the label, however, are still reportedly haggling over money and rights issues. Rose recently announced that he and GN'R had signed with powerhouse managers Irving Azoff and Andy Gould, leading to speculation that the arrival of "Chinese Democracy" was imminent.

From Billboard.com Judas Priest Greg Prato, N.Y. Over two years in the making, Judas Priest will finally unveil its 16th studio album, "Nostradamus," June 17 via Epic in North America and a day earlier internationally. A double-disc set that tells the story of the 16th century prophet, Michel de Nostredame (whose name is often 'Latinized' as Nostradamus), the release is Priest's first-ever concept album, and was recorded throughout 2006 and 2007 at Old Smithy Studio in the U.K. "Making 'Nostradamus' was a new experience for us in Judas Priest, insomuch as this was going to be a conceptual writing and recording event," Priest singer Rob Halford tells Billboard.com. "His life is well-documented, so for us it was all about taking the significant episodes he went through, and then with the right emotion, create music and lyrics that would convey them." On the album, Halford, guitarists K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis spread their stylistic wings, experimenting with symphonic orchestration and choirs. Three configurations of "Nostradamus," which was produced by Downing and Tipton, will be issued. The most common will be a regular jewel-cased double CD, but there will also be a "CD deluxe hardbound version," which features a 48-page booklet, while a "super deluxe version" will include three vinyl records (in addition to the CD deluxe packaging, plus a poster). While there have been some European dates announced in support of "Nostradamus" (the chief one being a performance as part of this year's Download Festival in England, which also features Kiss and Motorhead, among others), there will soon be an announcement about Priest's plans for a U.S. tour. In the meantime, Halford dropped a hint as to what's in store for the group's later headline dates. "As we recorded and listened to the music, and much like a lot of Priest songs, you cannot help but see images in your mind. We constantly thought about special effects and visual elements that will connect musically that we want to use onstage when we will perform all of 'Nostradamus' live," he says. "Again, like every song we compose, the transition from studio to concert is one we think about and make sure we can deliver the goods." Here is the track list for "Nostradamus": Dawn of Creation "PROPHECY" Awakening "REVELATIONS" The Four Horsemen "WAR" Sands of Time "PESTILENCE AND PLAGUE" "DEATH" Peace "CONQUEST" "LOST LOVE" "PERSECUTION" Solitude "EXILED" "ALONE" Shadows In the Flame "VISIONS" Hope "NEW BEGINNINGS" Calm Before the Storm "NOSTRADAMUS" "FUTURE OF MANKIND"

Not really a "purchase" per se, I won this off of WGWG in Boiling Springs, NC last weekend. http://www.gardner-webb.edu/oms/wgwg/underwriting.html

Thurston, MacKaye, Watt in Record Store Documentary Also: Glenn Branca, Noam Chomsky, members of Talking Heads, Of Montreal, Black Keys Did you know that corporations tend to disregard the interests of small businesses, that people want to buy fewer physical copies of musical artifacts when they can get them on the internet for free, or that Fugazi frontman Ian MacKaye tends to interview for documentaries in kitchens while wearing a hoodie and a black beanie? If any of these things catches you by surprise, then a forthcoming documentary called I Need That Record! The Death (or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store will probably be very informative for you. The movie, directed by Brendan Toller, explores the reasons why independently owned record shops are getting scarcer through interviews with MacKaye, Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Mike Watt (Minutemen), Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), Glenn Branca, Chris Frantz (Talking Heads), Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group), Bryan Poole (Of Montreal), writer Legs McNeil, smart dude Noam Chomsky, and plenty of music business folk across the U.S. The rough cut of I Need That Record! premieres May 3 at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, but the final cut and theatrical/DVD release are still forthcoming.

I didn't ever know there was an attempt by the Fat Albert cartoon to make funk less popular. If so, why? I don't think it had any affect on it's popularity whatsoever. Neither will this hip hop album, nor should it. Do you think rock n' roll, country and other forms of music should also be sanitized for the masses? What about movies and video games?

So Parliment Funkadelic and other pioneers of the genre owe their success to Fat Albert? I think not. I also don't agree with what Pat Boone and similar artists tried to do to rock n' roll by cleaning it up for mass consumption. Rock n' roll's true essence was just fine like it was, same thing for rap and hip hop. Trying to water it down isn't going to benefit anyone.

With all due respect to Bill Cosby, I liken it to Pat Boone (and others) attempts to sanitize rock n' roll for the masses by absolutely massacring classics like Little Richard's Tutti Frutti.