Comments on: For the old time fans, let me know if this is interesting please… http://dylanhicks.com/blog2/archives/121 Still the Official Website of Dylan Hicks, despite content usurption from his wife Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:26:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Wes http://dylanhicks.com/blog2/archives/121#comment-87 Tue, 16 May 2006 03:40:22 +0000 http://dylanhicks.com/blog2/archives/121#comment-87 Geez, Nina I can't say I'm much of an old timer or a fan but I dont' know if this is interesting or not. Oh- and I guess "Rocketship" What do I win? Oh and I heard about some tour van stories that were kind of interesting, but- don't ask, you know, road rules. Just never ever mention Portland. Geez, Nina I can’t say I’m much of an old timer or a fan but I dont’ know if this is interesting or not. Oh- and I guess “Rocketship” What do I win? Oh and I heard about some tour van stories that were kind of interesting, but- don’t ask, you know, road rules. Just never ever mention Portland.

]]> by: Dylan http://dylanhicks.com/blog2/archives/121#comment-84 Thu, 11 May 2006 14:49:07 +0000 http://dylanhicks.com/blog2/archives/121#comment-84 Oh, and the milk commissioner thing: The editor or at least an editor of the Twin Cities Reader wanted a hook for a cover story they had assigned James Diers to write on me, and I think they wanted to frame the story around a gag bid for governor, inspired by the song. Which I thought was kind of played out and altogether too literal, but then again, I needed the press. The milk commissioner thing I'm pretty sure was Nina's idea. We just thought it'd be funnier to make a bid for some lowly, fictitious office. But really that whole thing was driven by the Reader. Now, having worked as an editor, I realize that I probably didn't need to be so compliant. Oh, and the milk commissioner thing: The editor or at least an editor of the Twin Cities Reader wanted a hook for a cover story they had assigned James Diers to write on me, and I think they wanted to frame the story around a gag bid for governor, inspired by the song. Which I thought was kind of played out and altogether too literal, but then again, I needed the press. The milk commissioner thing I’m pretty sure was Nina’s idea. We just thought it’d be funnier to make a bid for some lowly, fictitious office. But really that whole thing was driven by the Reader. Now, having worked as an editor, I realize that I probably didn’t need to be so compliant.

]]> by: Dylan http://dylanhicks.com/blog2/archives/121#comment-83 Thu, 11 May 2006 14:40:10 +0000 http://dylanhicks.com/blog2/archives/121#comment-83 I think I wrote "Hal Blaine" coming out of a heavy Beach Boys faze. It was probably 1993. I was listening to the Phil Spector boxed set a fair amount then, too. No particular performance inspired the song, though for the recording we did quote the "Be My Baby" intro. But that, I'm almost certain, was Brian Hanna the producer's idea. He spent a fair amount of time using a big plate reverb to approximate the sound of the original. "Governor of Fun" was written during the same period, during which I was listening to a lot of '60s soul and Brill Building stuff and craftsman-like rock or formalist pop of all eras. So with that one I was trying to write a bragging, lover-man song in a mid- to late-'60s mode, though I suppose filtered through Ben Vaughan or someone like that--someone who, like me, loves old records and doesn't have a particularly strong singing voice--and of course playing with the irony of a nerdy, non-lover man singing a bragging, lover-man song. I had done an earlier version of that joke with the obscure "Danz U Down." I think I wrote “Hal Blaine” coming out of a heavy Beach Boys faze. It was probably 1993. I was listening to the Phil Spector boxed set a fair amount then, too. No particular performance inspired the song, though for the recording we did quote the “Be My Baby” intro. But that, I’m almost certain, was Brian Hanna the producer’s idea. He spent a fair amount of time using a big plate reverb to approximate the sound of the original.

“Governor of Fun” was written during the same period, during which I was listening to a lot of ’60s soul and Brill Building stuff and craftsman-like rock or formalist pop of all eras. So with that one I was trying to write a bragging, lover-man song in a mid- to late-’60s mode, though I suppose filtered through Ben Vaughan or someone like that–someone who, like me, loves old records and doesn’t have a particularly strong singing voice–and of course playing with the irony of a nerdy, non-lover man singing a bragging, lover-man song. I had done an earlier version of that joke with the obscure “Danz U Down.”

]]> by: John http://dylanhicks.com/blog2/archives/121#comment-82 Wed, 10 May 2006 02:24:46 +0000 http://dylanhicks.com/blog2/archives/121#comment-82 Yes, it's always fun to hear about the origins of good songs. I thought of Hal Blaine when we were visiting my mother-in-law in LA a few years ago. Was there any particular old LA song on the stereo that inspired that one? Did anything in particular inspire Governor of Fun? I remember the bid for another public office around that time: Commissioner of Milk. Is there a particular public-office fascination going on there? Yes, it’s always fun to hear about the origins of good songs. I thought of Hal Blaine when we were visiting my mother-in-law in LA a few years ago. Was there any particular old LA song on the stereo that inspired that one?

Did anything in particular inspire Governor of Fun? I remember the bid for another public office around that time: Commissioner of Milk. Is there a particular public-office fascination going on there?

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