"Feeble claims to fame"

Some funny Word magazine reader submissions to the theme "Feeble claims to fame."

I like the guy who said Andy Summers of The Police stopped him on the street to ask him where Sting lived. This was during the heyday of the band! Or this brush with Rick Wakeman of Yes, which I can so imagine happening:

"Rick Wakeman came into the bar of a pub in Hull (The Punch) looking for some heavy refreshment before playing the City Hall that night. He looked around and said "This is a shithole" and left."

My "feeble" submission? I've met more than a few famous musicians and newsmakers through work and music, but one in particular stands out because it was so unexpected:

I was walking into the Fresno State amphitheater for a Tom Petty concert back in the early 80s when I spied someone I thought I recognized hanging out by the sound board (the board was actually in the seating area a ways from the stage). Yep, that had to be Stan Lynch, the Heartbreakers drummer and a prime inspiration to my playing.

So, I get up my nerve and go over to this shaggy-haired guy and ask, "Hey, are you Stan Lynch?" He looks at me, looks at his buddies at the sound board, then says, "No. I'm his brother." I stare for a second, then reply, "Um, you look just like him. ... Anyway, I know this sounds weird but I thought you were him, so can you say 'hey' for me? I'm a drummer too and he really inspires me. Thanks."

I rejoin my friends and we resume walking closer to the stage. I walk about 20-30 yards when I feel a tap on my shoulder. It's Stan's "brother." "Hey, what's up?" I ask. "Hey, sorry I was a dickhead back there. I'm really Stan Lynch. I didn't mean to blow you off but I didn't want the girls around there to know."

I'm dumbstruck, shake his hand, and mumble a few words (I was a bit slow anyway from the pre-show beers with friends). At this point, he asks, "So, what exactly am I doing that inspires you?" That leads to a 5-minute conversation in the middle of an amphitheater where we talked about stuff like what drumsticks he used, how much he practiced, how he pulled off a particular fill in "Century City" and what kind of shoes he wore while playing (I asked because I preferred to play barefoot). We left with him smiling and saying, "Thanks for liking my playing."

Yeah, kinda sappy, but it was really cool. Most musicians are nice when you get time with them away from the cameras or the PR people or the groupies. I've had good conversations with Bryan Adams, John Waite and Charlie Sexton), and while I treasure moments from each of those, none stick with me like Lynch making the second effort to reach out and BS with a true fan.

So, what's your feeble claim to fame?

New Muse not a winner ... yet

I'm still trying to get my arms around the new Muse CD, “The Resistance.”

I love the band's anthemic sound -- think next-generation Queen -- and approach to production. And I really liked 2006's "Black Holes and Revelations. But none of the new songs are jumping out at me. It’s pleasant enough, but I'm still trying to find the heart of the album. To other ears, "The Resistance" is getting "generally favorable reviews," so I'll keep trying.

Humorous sidelight: On release day, I wanted to buy one of the “deluxe editions” with bonus DVD, so went to Best Buy, which priced it $2 less than other places. So, I get there, and am scouring the racks, and a guy next to me asks, “You looking for the new Muse?” I gave him an odd look -- I was dressed for work, not wearing a band T-shirt -- and replied, “Yeah, are they out already?” Sure enough, Best Buy was already sold out. The guy says, “I think I’m gonna go to Target and pay the $2 more just to get a copy.” I said, “Good idea” ... then made a beeline for the door. No way dude was going to beat me to Target, just in case there was only one copy. Turns out Target had a half-dozen copies, so my guiltiness faded quickly. But it’s been a loooooong time since I ran into other music fans fighting for copies of a hot release. 

Update on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 11:13 AM by Logan Molen

Quick follow-up: I had been listening to this new disc on my computer or on my iPod. Stupid me. The real experience is with a good stereo system. So when I heard it in the car, whoa, it's a whole new experience. I still think some of the songs meander but the production reaches an entirely different plane on a good sound system.

Unbelievable day in Formula 1

It’s hard to top Formula 1 for off-the-track drama, but Tuesday’s developments were jaw-dropping for the world’s premier soap opera, I mean, motorsports series.

First we hear that the grand name of Lotus – my favorite team for many years -- will return to the series, funded by the Malaysian government and some investors from the country. WTF? A government in the team sport business? Lotus’ entry fills the 13th and final slot on the F1 grid, meaning we’ll have 26 cars next year. Sweet!

But wait, BMW-Sauber – on the rocks since BMW opted to pull out of the sport earlier this summer – finally found a buyer, and says it deserves to be on the F1 grid. If you believe this story, F1 may make room for the team and its two cars for next season. Good for Peter Sauber.

Then came the real bombshell: Renault admits it ordered driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to purposely crash at a race last year in order to help teammate Fernando Alonso. Team principal Flavio Briatore – the old dude well-known for dating supermodels like Heidi Klum – and chief engineer Pay Symonds have admitted their guilt in trying to fix the race and have left the team! I always thought Symonds was a good guy, so this news surprised me. Given the weak economy and the pullout of manufacturers BMW and Honda, and rumors that Toyota is next, Tuesday’s black eye makes you wonder whether Renault will see a window to pull the plug on the hundreds of millions it’s spending each year on the F1.

I also learned Tuesday that Montreal is getting its race back, meaning F1 is returning to North America after several years. Given that Peter Windsor’s American team will debut next season, I may have to start saving for a trip to see the action first hand. I'll certainly need a program to follow all the changes.