Random Thoughts: When Will Rock Singers Stop Trying To Sing “The National Anthem”? Why Can’t Rock Stars Tell The Truth About Money & Just How Great Is Eric Clapton Anyway?

For the love of God Vince please don’t do it.

Shout At The Devil, Not At A Sporting Event: I just heard today that Mötley Crüe front man Vince Neil will be singing “The Star Spangled Banner” tonight at the Las Vegas Outlaws’ Arena Football game tonight. How many times have we been through this nightmare? How many rock singers are called upon to sing “The National Anthem” or “The Star Spangled Banner” and make a complete ass of themselves?

I remember when Steven Tyler sang “God Bless America” at Fenway Park about five years ago and my co-workers were laughing saying he’s a terrible singer. I had to defend Tyler for the rest of the day. Steven Tyler is a legendary singer but singing “Dream On” and “The National Anthem” are two very different things. Ask Luciano Pavarotti to sing “Walk This Way” and I guarantee you it ain’t gonna sound good. Then again you can’t ask Pavarotti to sing it because he’s dead but you get my point.

It IS About The Money And That's O.K.: Guys I’m a big Mötley Crüe fan but I gotta call out another member of the band here. I recently read an article at Ultimate Classic Rock which quoted bassist Nikki Sixx as saying the band’s farewell tour is not about the money, it’s all about the issue of the band’s credibility.

“If it was just about money, it would be different. But it’s not about money,” said Sixx. “It’s about credibility.”

Nikki, are you kidding me? You know that's not true and, ya know what? It’s o.k. for it to be about the money. Why is that something famous rock musicians feel they can’t admit to?

If that were really the case than I say to Nikki Sixx the following: Take all the profits from this tour and donate it all to charity. Don’t take a penny. Otherwise just say we’re obviously in this for the massive amounts of money that we’ll be making but we’re not going to go out on the road and take people’s money if we feel we’re past our prime. We’re gonna go out and do everything we can to earn the fan’s hard earned dollars.

Just How Great Is Eric Clapton Anyway? You didn’t think I was gonna say Eric Clapton isn’t as great as people say are you? HELL NO!!!! Clapton is every bit as good. The Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek & The Dominos, his solo catalogue…..He’s in a league of his own brotha! I wish I was old enough to have experienced his music in the 60s and 70s but I have been a fan since my older brother Marty let me listen to “Slowhand” on cassette around 1989. I went on many car rides with that album played front to back. From that point on I was a fan.

Picking a favorite Clapton song is really impossible so I'm just gonna go with one from my favorite Clapton album: Derek & The Dominos 'Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'. Here's "Keep On Growing". A happy 70^th birthday to the one and only Eric Clapton and thank you, sir, for all the great music over the years.

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