First of all, if you're not reading David Lowery's excellent 300 Songs, you're really doing yourself a disservice as a music fan. In it, Lowery recounts the songs, one at a time, from his solo, Camper Van Beethoven, and Cracker albums. He'll talk about their meanings, their inspiration, or what was going on in his life at the time he wrote them. As if this weren't enough, Lowery will often include the lyrics and an mp3 download of the song.In a recent entry where he tries to explain the success of "Take The Skinheads Bowling," he talks about how totally unpredictable the music industry is. He talks about the proof by contradiction he gives his students at UGA that shows that success in the music industry cannot be duplicated, compares Camper Van Beethoven's career to that of The Dead Milkmen, how the BBC is partially responsible for the success of "Take The Skinheads Bowling," and the power of a handwritten note. He also uses the pulpit to take this not-a-jab at Kid Rock:
And the opposite is also true. Sometimes fairly untalented artists have big hits. Sometimes it’s the strange one hit wonders like Right Said Fred. Other times fairly untalented artists can have long and successful careers. Take for instance Kid Rock. This is not a jab. I believe there exists a scientific proof that can establish that Kid Rock is fairly untalented. I’m just stating facts. I have a feeling that Kid Rock might admit that he is fairly untalented and extremely lucky.
