The Buffalo News > Listening Post (10/09/2005)

[fugitive247]

The review below can be found at:
www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20051009/1024337.asp

"Rock Star: Music From the Hit Television Show" (Epic). What a load of dross this is. It was bad enough watching INXS - a decent band when fronted by the late Michael Hutchence, who surely did a few back-flips in his grave when his former bandmates started making fools of themselves in a televised talent contest to find his replacement - stoop to the level of "American Idol." It's far worse to sit through this collection of mutilated classic rock covers by contestants who, for the most part, sing like the models they clearly wish they were. Jordis Unga destroys the Who's "Baba O'Riley"; Marty Casey clearly thinks Van Halen wrote the Kinks' "You Really Got Me"; Dana Robbins prefaces her take on Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - a song about death, for god's sake - with a wholly inappropriate "Yo, what's up Los Angeles!"; J.D. Fortune - the guy who INXS actually picked, believe it or not - slaughters the Guess Who's "American Woman." And so forth. This would all be pretty funny, if it wasn't so shamefully awful. Hope none of these folks quit their day job. Hey, here's an idea: Wanna be a rock star? Write some songs of your own! And INXS? They've disgraced the memory of Hutchence, who was a great frontman and a unique singer. Shame on you blokes. No stars (Jeff Miers)

I did some digging to find contact info for Jeff Miers. Judging from the columnist directory at The Buffalo News, he's not a regular. I want to know just WTF makes him even remotely qualified to trash any of the Rock Star: INXS contestants, don't you? We may not be able to confront this drivel spewing ersatz columnist directly, but I found the next best person. Mary Kunz, TBN's entertainment maven, can be reached via email at [e-mail], or phoned directly at [phone].

[penny74]

What a load of drivel.

[anajat1]

Ya know, that is one person's opinion and doesn't reflect my views at all of the talent each of the Rockers have. Whoever this Jeff Miers is, he needs to get a life. I for one loved each and every show and am so glad it brought Marty to all of us! Just watch, Marty'll be HUGE!