Ah yes, good ol’ Howard Stern. Back in the day (the day being the 1990s) I worked in the same building as Howard Stern, 600 Madison Avenue, and took the elevator with him from time to time, a tall, gangly shy ish guy with no attitude, and, get this, NO BODYGUARDS AROUND HIM. I work for an advertising company and I was invited to have a meet and greet because he was trying to get us to advertise… which we did, of course, though I got disinvited to the lunch.
I was a huge fan then but not anymore. As good as Stern still is, and he is a master interviewer, what is missing is the two things that made him great
1 – His marriage to a civilian. At the heart of the Stern myth 1.0 was a marriage to his High School sweetheart –and two daughters, which forced an ongoing battle internal fight between his desires and his vows. The man who was putting lesbians on the radio making out, was a perpetual teenager trapped in an adults body with an adults life. It gave him a touch of the everyman.
2- Terrestrial radio’s censorship. On Sirius XM, Stern can say and do whatever he wants, but the limits of radio forced him to be very creative and that creativity lead him into legend.
Today, Stern is a happy man and on the occasions I listen to his show I don’t regret it, so a happy man who didn’t sell out. But he is also a minor player. He has removed himself from the zeitgeist and has stopped being an innovative force I the world of radio. He is rich and smart, but he isn’t powerful and he isn’t a force of life. America may have talent but it doesn’t have genius.
All of which leads me to this press release from Warner Brothers. Wherein the ghastly Flaming Lips follow in the footsteps of Cheap Trick and perform Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heartclub’s Band live… in LA…
April 22, 2015 – (Burbank, CA.) – The lunatics are taking over the asylum! Howard Stern is surrendering his SiriusXM radio studio to THE FLAMING LIPS on Friday, April 24th. Portlandia star Fred Armisen will host the show, which will feature the Lips doing songs from their Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band tribute album With A Little Help From My Fwends as well as other surprises. This being The Flaming Lips, expect the unexpected. The special premieres at 11pm ET / 8pm PT on Howard Stern’s exclusive SiriusXM channel Howard 101 and through the SiriusXM App on smartphones and other connected devises, as well as online at http://www.siriusxm.com/.
With A Little Help From My Fwends, was released October 28th from Warner Bros. Records. The band has recorded their own versions of each track on The Beatles’ 1967 classic in their own inimitable style, with help from special friends Miley Cyrus, Moby, My Morning Jacket, J. Mascis, Dr. Dog, Phantogram, Tegan and Sara, Grace Potter, Electric Würms(THE LIPS side project, who recently released their 6-song debut album titled, Musik, Die Shwer Zu Twerk) and many others. Click here to purchase.
All proceeds from sales of With A Little Help From My Fwends, will be donated to The Bella Foundation, a non-profit organization based in the band’s hometown of Oklahoma City that assists low-income, elderly, or terminally ill pet owners with the cost of veterinary care.
The track-listing for With A Little Help From My Fwends is as follows:
01. SGT. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
MY MORNING JACKET & FEVER THE GHOST & J. MASCIS
02. With A Little Help From My Friends
THE FLAMING LIPS & BLACK PUS & THE AUTUMN DEFENSE
03. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
THE FLAMING LIPS & MILEY CYRUS & MOBY
04. Getting Better
DR. DOG & CHUCK INGLISH & MORGAN DELT
05. Fixing A Hole
ELECTRIC WÜRMS
06. She’s Leaving Home
PHANTOGRAM & JULIANNA BARWICK & SPACEFACE
07. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
THE FLAMING LIPS & MJ KEENAN & PUSCIFER & SUNBEARS!
08. Within You Without You
BIRDFLOWER & THE FLAMING LIPS & MORGAN DELT
09. When I’m Sixty-Four”
DEF RAIN & THE FLAMING LIPS & PITCHWAFUZZ
10. Lovely Rita
TEGAN AND SARA & STARDEATH AND WHITE DWARFS
11. Good Morning Good Morning
ZORCH & GRACE POTTER & TREASURE MAMMAL
12. SGT. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
FOXYGEN & BEN GOLDWASSER
13. A Day In The Life
THE FLAMING LIPS & MILEY CYRUS & NEW FUMES