Rock Gods

It's been a few days, the outage last week (thanks Virgin Media) messed up my routine, and once my routine is messed it tends to stay that way. What is it with computers, hate them when they 'work' (well I do mine, but only as it hates me more) but it's like losing an arm when they are not around. OK maybe a slight exaggeration, but not by much.

Was watching a programme on BBC4 the other night about Brian Eno. I hadn't realised it was on so missed the beginning. Tony Visconti very much first, But Brian Eno certainly provided a good part of the soundtrack to my youth.

The vampy one (read my attention magnet) at the electronics with Roxy Music, with Ultravox! (note the exclamation mark, the proper original line up with John Foxx and Chris Cross), with David Bowie, with Iggy Pop, Talking Heads, David Byrne, Coldplay, Grace Jones. If I was into them chances are he had had something to do with them, and that doesn't even begin to cover his influence..

(Please note I left U2 off that list, there has to be a blind spot, and they are his #hehe#, never could stand them)

There was this older guy sitting at a keyboard, smart, balding grey hair shaved to a stubble, a manager, exec maybe when I realised with a thrill of horror that *was* Eno. What the hell happened? OK I know what happened but my heroes are *not* allowed to get old, to turn into someones dad, or worse someone who could easily be an exec a major bank..

I guess once upon a time Rock Gods didn't get old, you either lived fast and died young or you quietly retired and stayed that way. Grace Slick of Jeferson Airplane said "all rock-and-rollers over the age of 50 look stupid and should retire."

My god I can see that today it's a whole different ball game and while it may once have been fun, perhaps these days you DO need to be a suited exec not to be trodden into the dust. Suits or not I'm so glad they haven't gone.

If it wasn't for people like Visconti and Eno, still out there, still doing magic we would be left with the likes of cowell inspired corporate pap like the karaoke bag lady or that pair of morons with the sticking up hair.

OK this post is a mess, I'm trying to juggle way too many threads, but I WILL come back to it, count on it when I have sorted out just what in hell I am trying to say :-)