Rolling Stone chock full of goodness
“GIRL, what you need is a wig!”
That’s what Tina Turner, who certainly knows her hairpieces, said to Joan Baez, back in the ‘80s when Tina was making her big comeback as a solo act, and Joan was struggling somewhat through a decade in which she couldn’t find her footing.
This tasty tidbit comes out of David Browne’s big profile on Ms. Baez, in the current issue of Rolling Stone. If the magazine held only the Baez piece (the legendary folk/protest singer is really quite funny) it would be worth the newsstand or subscription price. But this issue is packed with great stuff.
Chuck Berry, who recently passed away, is on the cover, and inside is a brilliant, massive tribute — written by Mikal Gilmore — to this genius musician and sometimes difficult man. (Keith Richards and Marc Jacobson also contribute significant essays on Berry.) The result? Amazon is already on order with a number of Chuck Berry discs heading my way. Including Berry’s last, out now, “Chuck.” Writer Gilmore describes the work on this final Berry record so evocatively that it was impossible to resist. (I already have plenty of Joan Baez albums.)
Also, if you’ve never watched HBO’s “Veep,” Rob Sheffield’s review of the new season would be enough to make even the uninitiated binge-watch to catch up. As Sheffield writes, ‘”Veep’ remains swifter, nastier and spikier than any other comedy on the air, a nonstop firestorm of bile…”
Kudos to all the journalists mentioned here, and to editor/publisher Jann Wenner, who continues to put out a fascinating, informative magazine, now half a century on newsstands.
Oh, on the Random Notes pages, we do get Justin Bieber, stripping down in a bar, in Australia. Hey, it’s still rock n’ roll. Sort of.
THIS N’ THAT:
■ PIERCE BROSNAN looking so good in April issue of Esquire. I hate to use the old fine wine analogy, but he is really getting better with time. It’s hard to reconcile the handsomely weathered, and increasing facile actor he is now, with his smooth “Remington Steel” days, or even his tenure as James Bond. I feel similarly about Hugh Grant, and still think he should have been nominated for an Oscar for his “Florence Foster Jenkins” performance opposite Meryl Streep.
■ Since the election, sales of George Orwell’s “1984” have soared, along with the Sinclair Lewis classic, “It Can’t Hap- pen Here.” People are anxious, and apparently want to be more anxious. But according to Charles McGrath and Siddhartha Deb in the Sunday New York Times Book Review, the dystopian novel that “gets it right” is Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World.” So, all you nailbiters, get to your bookstores, or turn to Amazon. Since it’s been years since I’ve read the Huxley book, I’ll probably dip into it again. But, really, I’d rather read the new James Patterson thriller.
■ RECENTLY, Botox turned 15. That is, it’s been 15 years since the FDA approved the wrinkle-smoothing toxin. Although Botox is effective in treating chronic migraines, excessive sweating, Raynaud’s disease and other ailments, it is most famous for its cosmetic benefits. It is used with a finer hand these days; the old paralyzed Botox face is not nearly as common a sight. Fillers and plumpers, laser treatments, etc., combined with Botox, have altered what the current generation think people over the age of 30 or 40 or 50 should look like. Certainly NOT 30, 40 or 50! The ironic sidebar for those in the public eye is high-definition cameras, which can cruelly reverse/ expose all that expensive effort. (The red carpet is a harsh place in the 21st century!) Heloise
Dear Readers: Today’s Sound Off is about calling service people:
“Dear Heloise: I recently called for tech support at a computer company and got the worst service I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve had service people who were sarcastic or rude. The background noise was so loud, with people laughing and shouting, that I couldn’t
It’s a great, walkable city.”
“Gifted” is set in central Florida, where Frank has been raising Mary following the death of his sister, Mary’s mom. Because Mary is lightyears ahead of her peers in math, Roberta warns Frank not to enroll her in the local elementary school, worried that her skills will attract unwanted attention. Sure enough, before long, Mary’s estranged grandmother rolls into town with her lawyer, seeking custody so she can place the young prodigy in an academic environment befitting her gifts.
Fans who have admired Evans as Captain America in Atlanta-filmed “Captain America: Civil War,” a role he’ll play in two upcoming “Ave n ge r s ” movi e s , wi l l appreciate a new meaning of the word “superhero” after seeing him as Frank in “Gifted.”
S p e n c e r d r e w o n h e r own experiences in bringing Frank’s friend and confidante Roberta to life.
“I c an relate to having empathy and compassion for people. I can also relate to the legal side of things,” Spencer said. “I don’t know that I’m the person who has that t ype of wisdom. I’m just a purveyor of life. That’s where wisdom comes from.”