??!! In Other Lionel Richie News
posted by on May 18 at 14:45 PM
Aja West, the subject of this week’s music lead, has enough whacked-out anecdotes to fill a book—a trippy, not-for-kids comic book drawn by R. Crumb and colored by Salvador Dali, maybe. One ridiculous bit that didn’t make it into the story in the paper came from an experience West had years ago, when he was living in L.A., working at the Conan O’Brien Show, running a fledgling on-line music store for a major Internet portal, and producing music.
“Lionel Richie wanted to do a comeback album. One of the concepts was he wanted to do an old-school funk album. So I’m over at his studio, and we were just sitting there talking, bullshitting around. I had met him a few times before, he’s a really cool guy. At one point he got up and opened up a closet and I couldn’t believe it… There in Lionel Richie’s studio, in the closet, he’s got the head from the “Hello” video. The closet opens and the head is just there, staring out at you. I offered him my son for that thing.”
West had other far-out tales (besides Lionel Richie, giant hamster wheels, Microsoft mushrooms, and the North Sea island of Vlieland) that maybe we’ll get to later on. They’re worth it.
As an aside, in Google-searching for that freakish image up above, I found this pretty hilarious page about a couple guys trying to reproduce their own Lionel Richie head. A sample:
April 24, 2003 (Barbara Streisand/Shirley MacLaine’s birthday)
Today, I went to Lloyd’s house to begin the Lionel Ritchie head project. First, Lloyd and I enjoyed a beer as Lloyd showed me his pottery, his house, and explained different kinds of glazings, firings and techniques. What I remember most vividly from our conversation is that we had lite beer.
Brilliant.
I must say that I think it's pretty cool you went back and listened to the CD and got in touch with the guy and wrote a pretty damn cool story about him after all this: http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/04/how_not_to_get_your_cd_reviewed
I think it shows class. Well done.
"We're all grains of sand"
This was my second favorite part of that encounter; another deep lesson and another reason the man should have more statues and busts made of him. As I entered his crib with his assistant and began to survey the landscape of Lionel, I immediately noticed the classic cascading halls of platinum plaques that any song man of his nature would be sure to accumulate.
A beautiful grand piano graced the foyer and a plethora of rare African art covered his walls. As I closed the door behind me something totally unique caught my eye… In the most prime of locations next to the entrance was what appeared to be a shiny framed painting with a very small image in the middle. The painting was something like three feet by three feet and totally blank except for a small object in the middle surrounded by an ocean of white negative space. Stepping closer, there was a very stylized hanging "Return to Oz" magnifying glass hanging by chain from the edge of this centerpiece. Gripping the handle, I moved the ocular piece towards the middle with great anticipation… sitting alone on the canvas was a single grain of rice with the word "Lionel" written on it. Dope.
Here, not among the man’s possessions but standing before the man’s illustrious awards collection was an object on display that would cost around 10 pesos to have made on any Mexican spring break destination from Mazatlan to Puerto Vallarta and anywhere serving liquor to minors in between. The philosophical implications of the human as a grain of rice are incredibly clear, but I felt it extra genius to manifest the metaphor in the doorway of ones home.
So my friend, if the day ever comes to cut that funk album, you have my number and you know how I feel.
"Hello Lionel… is it me you looking for?" – Aja West
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