Dear Iggy:I got a chance to see you and the rest of the Stooges the other night on the 2008 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies. You looked good, I mean you always look good, but you looked better than usual for some reason. Did they put some make up on you? I’m just asking.
Anyway, I originally thought the idea of Madonna inviting you, a fellow Michigan badass, to perform on stage instead of her was kind of cool. It was like she was acknowledging that you should have been inducted before her, which I totally agree with.
But I started to feel differently. She lives in England, which shouldn’t mean anything I know, but I get this incredible feeling of pretentiousness when I see Madge lately. And when I placed that feeling with the vision of you on stage singing her songs, it looked like she was pleased with her selection of white trash minstrels, punking up the festivities like it was somehow relevant.
It isn’t anymore, and you above anyone else should understand this.
So I’m not sure of the motivation here, because Madonna’s past has been littered with people who have served her well before getting disposed of after they’ve served their purpose.
I’m not suggesting that she’s some kind of succubus and, having read I Need More, I’m confident that you can handle yourself around the ladies. I just think the idea was a poor one and the performance itself was shitty.
I’m starting to worry about you.
It started with that album that you did with Good Charlotte or whoever, and then it really magnified itself with that piece of shit Stooges reunion album that shouldn’t have gone beyond the drawing boards or at the very least, the obligatory reunion tour.
The last few years have started to feel like that incredibly awful dry spell that was most of the 80’s with you and I’m concerned that you’re thinking about calling up Don Was again for another round. With that being said, even that album is better than The Weirdness.
So if you need some free career advice Jimmy, I’m your man. Let’s face it: you’re not getting younger and there is a shelf life to all of this as I’m sure your body is beginning to tell you. It is critical that you start exiting with a keen eye on your legacy instead of potentially ruining it with ill-advised reunions, frighteningly bad late-period albums, and just plain silly cameos for institutions that haven’t even acknowledged your greatness yet.
It’s only a matter of time, probably this year in fact, when you’ll finally make the cut. But really, who gives a shit at this point? Fuck Jann Wenner! Get your head out of the Carnival Cruise Line and back into the trailer!
Your pal,
Todd Totale
2 comments:
Hear! Hear! I was thinking something similar yesterday when I saw the video for one of his 80's poopfests "High on You." I remember laughing at that tune when it came out and at the time I was in to some pretty horrendous shit. Hell, I'd take it even farther than you did...since the original Stooges stuff & some of his solo 70's work, he's had at least 25 years worth of bullshit output. That could be part of the reasonfor no induction. On a side note, I read somewhere that Jann Wenner said that as long as he's alive neither Rush nor Kiss shall be inducted.
For the record, I'm all for Rush and Kiss being inducted. As much as I hate 'em, I can't argue that the fuckers in Kiss managed to influence a ton of people, including rock acts that I admire. There are some gems in Iggy's solo output, even in the last quarter century, but yes, there are some duds too. None of which, btw, are as bad as The Elder. So if you're going to hold a band's/artist's catalog as reason for not being inducted, then you gotta consider the tripe that Kiss has laid on the world. As a matter of fact, if you did that, you may want to demand that Stevie Wonder give his award back too.
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