EL the Famous

I guess I can just cite examples from a personal and professional perspective that sort of deflate the whole 'en masse' effect that brand advertising/marketing play in our buying decisions. My company took drastic cultural changes to focus more on or brand and it did indeed help. However, at the end of the day, it's our product design and quality that determines our success in the marketplace. On a personal level, you may lure me in to at least consider a particular product...but if the taste/performance/design/etc. isn't worth the price tag you've attached to it and I can get the same t

See, really it's not...or maybe not in the way your looking at it in context to your displeasure over this whole thing. The section of that book that discusses and provides examples of how advertising/marketing has become so intrusive as companies look towards more non-traditional approaches to increase brand visibility is severely flawed. Is painting an entire block pink (from the Barbie example) intrusive because the purpose is to sell more Barbie dolls or is it intrusive because THE ENTIRE BLOCK IS PINK? My point is, that there are thousands of examples of performance or guerilla or what

what's your stance on anal bleaching?

Indeed...the gall. Harumph.

City-State

...but your assuming everybody is buying it. If you were to say 'pitched an image' i'd agree with you to some extent.

I would have dissapointed had you not capitalized on that. that e-ball was an e-lob.

i'm sad to say you accomplished in several minutes what i couldn't for an hour and a half last night.

Yeah, I could see how this would get boring to some...especially to those who are more of a fan of the hip-hop stuff. Personally, I dig listening to the occasional instrumental album varying from Sean Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra to Los Straitjackets to Man or Astroman?...this has elements of all of those w/ that trademark Beastie's brand of deep dish funk thrown in for good measure. I mean, I hope this isn't a permanent change in direction but (like I said earlier) a harbringer of that turntable/organic hybrid sound from CYH.

if somebody can find me the video for 'Couple Days Off' i'll make you a sandwich.

That is interesting. As a sidebar, this album also makes me want to put on some fresh tube socks w/ the stripes uptop like the professionals wear and shoot some hoops.

I hear what you're saying and can't really disagree. I was just saying that it's not really easy to compare the two. Personally, I thought Check Your Head came close to Paul's and thinking of that album in the context of talking about this one, this would have been even better w/ a few choice turntable moments and a side of rhymes. Promising thing is, this shows they've still got the instrumental chops to put something like that together again should they decide to. Until then, this is some fine Summertime headphone lounge on the deck or BBQ tuneage. Me most definitely likey.

Apples & Oranges...Paul's had a gazillion samples on it, this has none.

I had the exact opposite direction...I really like this a lot more than I thought I would. Some of these tunes have a groove so thick you could put it over your mashed potatos.

to be clear, i don't mean nudes of myself. rather, adrienne barbeau.

Can we post nudes again or is that still of limits?

i remember i was pretty upset when styx sold out and let VW use Mr. Roboto in a commerical, but i've come to terms. also, the mcdonald's commercial w/ larry bird and michael jordan was pretty awesome...a commercial w/ andrew bird and mikael jorgensen where they have a duel w/ weird looking sweaters or trade licks on an oboe for a big mac would be interesting or, most likely, something i wouldn't care to see. vee-dub represent!

the posts on Charles Nelson Reilly and Jeff/Don Rickles are fantastic...great blog.

That's not really accurate and completely based in opinion. There are plenty of advertisments of things you do actually need...but they are done by different companies trying to make you understand where their version of said product is the one you need to buy. I'm also of the opinion that some advertisements could be considered art themselves and to put them all into the same bucket is a discredit to all the people who actually churn out some really genuinely creative things. Some advertisements, for both good and bad reasons, have actually inspired other artists to make everything from mus