The Album Review Club - Week #144 - (page 1893) - XO - Elliot Smith

RobMCFC said:
That is cool. Feel free to tell it now! (If you have time).

Enjoyed the first listen to The Tubes - not what I expected and there's definitely something theatrical about the sound. My knowledge of 70s American bands isn't great so my instant comparisons are Supertramp (yes I know they're British) and Steely Dan.
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I was invited to play golf with a friend at his club (this was the mid-90s). We get there and the pro asks if we'd mind having two guests tag along. It's a guy who is an entertainment lawyer (later I find out he's Huey's lawyer), and another guy named "Mike", who I instantly recognize as a caddy on the PGA Tour. It's none other than Mike Cowan, better known as Fluff, who was caddying for Peter Jacobsen then, but not long after our round would be Tiger Woods' first caddy.

We tee off and it's clear Mike is a stick -- about 1 or 2 index. We ask him lots of questions about the Tour, and he's pretty circumspect, though when we asked who the largest partier among the pros was he says: "That's easy: Payne Stewart." He smokes one Marlboro per hole, but then runs out of cigarettes. So instead he lights up a joint. This is at a pretty exclusive private club mind you! He asks if we want a puff, and we politely decline. Then as I am walking I think to myself, "What am I doing? I could get high with Fluff!" So I say yes. I've never played golf high before, nor since. The last few holes didn't go well.

Anyhow, we finish and go into the clubhouse for a drink, and there sits Huey Lewis, who is also a member of this club. He couldn't play last minute because he hurt his back on the driving range, which is why the pro paired Huey's lawyer and Fluff with me and my friend. Huey has a big glass of something alcoholic, and a HUGE wad of chewing tobacco in his mouth at the same time. Apparently he doesn't use a spitoon -- he just gulps it down. Very Alabama of him.

So we all sit down and talk about golf and sports and music and he is just an absolutely regular guy who asks us questions about our lives and families. Not a whiff of celebrity in him whatsoever. He said he'd been losing his hearing and he and the band were having more fun loafing with their money than writing or playing. Really fun day and a nice reminder that a lot of the folks we look up to for their entertainment value (musicians, athletes, actors) are just normal people.

Later I realize Huey's long-time AT&T Pro-Am partner (down at Pebble Beach) is Peter Jacobsen, which is how Huey and Fluff were friends.
 
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FogBlueInSanFran said:
I was invited to play golf with a friend at his club (this was the mid-90s). We get there and the pro asks if we'd mind having two guests tag along. It's a guy who is an entertainment lawyer (later I find out he's Huey's lawyer), and another guy named "Mike", who I instantly recognize as a caddy on the PGA Tour. It's none other than Mike Cowan, better known as Fluff, who was caddying for Peter Jacobsen then, but not long after our round would be Tiger Woods' first caddy.

We tee off and it's clear Mike is a stick -- about 1 or 2 index. We ask him lots of questions about the Tour, and he's pretty circumspect, though when we asked who the largest partier among the pros was he says: "That's easy: Payne Stewart." He smokes one Marlboro per hole, but then runs out of cigarettes. So instead he lights up a joint. This is at a pretty exclusive private club mind you! He asks if we want a puff, and we politely decline. Then as I am walking I think to myself, "What am I doing? I could get high with Fluff!" So I say yes. I've never played golf high before, nor since. The last few holes didn't go well.

Anyhow, we finish and go into the clubhouse for a drink, and there sits Huey Lewis, who is also a member of this club. He couldn't play last minute because he hurt his back on the driving range, which is why the pro paired Huey's lawyer and Fluff with me and my friend. Huey has a big glass of something alcoholic, and a HUGE wad of chewing tobacco in his mouth at the same time. Apparently he doesn't use a spitoon -- he just gulps it down. Very Alabama of him.

So we all sit down and talk about golf and sports and music and he is just an absolutely regular guy who asks us questions about our lives and families. Not a whiff of celebrity in him whatsoever. He said he'd been losing his hearing and he and the band were having more fun loafing with their money than writing or playing. Really fun day and a nice reminder that a lot of the folks we look up to for their entertainment value (musicians, athletes, actors) are just normal people.

Later I realize Huey's long-time AT&T Pro-Am partner (down at Pebble Beach) is Peter Jacobsen, which is how Huey and Fluff were friends.
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Great story, and nice to hear that someone who appears to be a regular guy is actually a regular guy.

Interesting that you mention about him losing his hearing - and that was in the mid-90s! I haven’t kept up with his music since the early 90s, but I read not long ago that he’s basically retired because he is suffering from Menieres decease.

As noted, his was the first concert I ever went to - October 1986 - and when I came out of the Apollo, my ears were ringing like a bastard. It took three days for the ringing to go. That being my first concert, I assumed that it was normal, but my doctor said, no, basically, you could go deaf. I have worn earplugs to some concerts since, but it’s fair to say that it has made me wary of putting myself in places with too much volume.

Peter Jacobsen sang back-up vocals, along with some of the SF 49ers on one of Huey’s albums.
 
RobMCFC said:
As noted, his was the first concert I ever went to - October 1986 - and when I came out of the Apollo, my ears were ringing like a bastard. It took three days for the ringing to go. That being my first concert, I assumed that it was normal, but my doctor said, no, basically, you could go deaf. I have worn earplugs to some concerts since, but it’s fair to say that it has made me wary of putting myself in places with too much volume.
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Only time I've thought 'fuck I'm properly damaging my health here', was Motorhead at the Mayfair in the mid 80s. Only gig I've ever been to that physically hurt!
 
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RobMCFC said:
Great story, and nice to hear that someone who appears to be a regular guy is actually a regular guy.

Interesting that you mention about him losing his hearing - and that was in the mid-90s! I haven’t kept up with his music since the early 90s, but I read not long ago that he’s basically retired because he is suffering from Menieres decease.

As noted, his was the first concert I ever went to - October 1986 - and when I came out of the Apollo, my ears were ringing like a bastard. It took three days for the ringing to go. That being my first concert, I assumed that it was normal, but my doctor said, no, basically, you could go deaf. I have worn earplugs to some concerts since, but it’s fair to say that it has made me wary of putting myself in places with too much volume.

Peter Jacobsen sang back-up vocals, along with some of the SF 49ers on one of Huey’s albums.
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I was at that gig too.
 
Apologies but a bit late with the response to The Yawpers. Once again working in Manchester didnt really allow much time listening to an album.
Overall enjoyed, country rock/punk. Thought on a few occasions Green Day/The Pogues with a Steel Guitar on a couple. Quite enjoyed, "Walter"/ "Kiss it" / "Declan Brodie".
Will def give it a few more listens.
7/10 from me although a bit late
 
RobMCFC said:
Great story, and nice to hear that someone who appears to be a regular guy is actually a regular guy.

Interesting that you mention about him losing his hearing - and that was in the mid-90s! I haven’t kept up with his music since the early 90s, but I read not long ago that he’s basically retired because he is suffering from Menieres decease.

As noted, his was the first concert I ever went to - October 1986 - and when I came out of the Apollo, my ears were ringing like a bastard. It took three days for the ringing to go. That being my first concert, I assumed that it was normal, but my doctor said, no, basically, you could go deaf. I have worn earplugs to some concerts since, but it’s fair to say that it has made me wary of putting myself in places with too much volume.

Peter Jacobsen sang back-up vocals, along with some of the SF 49ers on one of Huey’s albums.
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Huey actually released a new album realtively recently. It's on the short side, for obvious reasons, but a decent addition to his canon of work.

I like Huey. First time I saw him perform was in the band Clover, who were supporting Thin Lizzy.

Saw The News once - possibly same gig as you.
 
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