Kate given very tiny mention in long tirade in local newspaper

[aruss@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu (Andrew Russ)]

    There was an interesting article in a recent issue of The Athens 
News, the local weekly "alternative" paper--it may have appeared in some 
other papers too, being taken from "Westwood/AlterNet" (i guess that's an 
alternative wire service).  There's a brief mention of KaTe and a lot of 
other stuff, and, well, read on.  
    "What becomes a legend most?  An effective press agent.  Just ask 
Sting."  
    The article is about four overrated rock stars and how overly hyped 
they are.  There is some criticism of each.  The article is also 
supposed to include "some long overdue attention for their opposite 
numbers--artists underrated by the press and the public at large."  It 
falls short on this count, but we do get one brief paragraph about KaTe.  
    The four overrated stars singled out here are Sting, Bono (of U2), 
Sinead O'Connor, and David Byrne.  Basically these stars, the critic 
claims, are glorified more on the basis of their ambitions than for their 
achievements.  For instance while Sting "has a knack for memorable 
reggae-bubblegum songwriting, ...his experiments in funk and jazz mark 
him as the worst kind of dilettante:  an egomaniacal one."  "So why have 
media types put this self-procalimed King of Pain (his worst song) on a 
pedestal?"   Bono is castigated for being egocentric:  "Bono may not 
think he's the Messiah, exactly,"  and The Edge is given credit for the 
aesthetic successes of the first three albums.  David Byrne is given 
credit for the first four Talking Heads albums, but then unfortunately 
"he beacme less and less interested in making rock records and more and 
more intrested in proving himself a renaissance man"--collaborating with 
choreographer Twyla Tharp and others, directing a movie, etc.  
    Lastly, Sinead O'Connor is treated this way:  "Rock critics were so 
happy to finally have a provocative female performer other than the 
Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde to write about that they catapulted O'Connor 
into the reputation stratosphere almost immediately, but few noticed the 
slenderness of her achievements"--only two albums in four years and her 
best known song was written by Prince.  Also "for every worthy stand she 
takes (Andrew Dice Clay), she takes another that reveals misplaced 
immaturity" (Star Spangled Banner).  And:
    "Just as important, her music is hugely influenced by the work of 
Kate Bush, who is a lot more worthy of superlatives than O'Connor.  But 
rather than right this wrong, critics continue to shower O'Connor with 
exaggerated applause while the shy, reclusive, artistically craggy Bush 
is left out in the cold.  Maybe she should shave her head."  
    The article doesn't mention any other of the "artists underrated by 
the press and the public at large" that we were promised--perhaps they 
were edited out.  
    What's interesting about this article is how it continues to discuss 
these artists that are overhyped (there are those who claim anything 
about you in the papers is good publicity).  Over 95% of the article is 
about these four artists and less than 5% about KaTe (and 0% about anyone 
else).  It's a pretty whiny article, though perhaps right about its 
targets.  I can understand the complaint about Bono, i mean what do you 
make of someone who says onstage "In the name of Martin Luther King, 
sing!"  It's biggest flaw is that the author seems to take rock 
journalism seriously, which i suppose is another instance of self-serving 
egotism.  
    On the other hand, i really liked the phrase "artistically craggy." 

    Also, on Athens's own part-time alternative radio station, WOUB-AM, 
someone played "Be Kind To My Mistakes" (short version).  When the DJ 
came on, she did not mention what any of the songs she had just played 
were, opting instead to give the results of her informal poll--"What is 
your favorite thing to do when it's raining out?"  The number one answer-
-"Sex".  A more interesting answer--"Dance beneath the diamond sky with 
one hand waving free."  

    
                                   endwar