“Let’s face it. Nobody’s selling records anymore. The record industry died before you did. Congratulations, John.”

Billy Joel inducting John Mellencamp
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

“I think that the time when music could change the world is past. I think it would be very naive to think that in this day and age. I think the world today is a different place.”

Neil Young in an interview at the Berlin International Film Festival premier of his documentary “CSNY Deja Vu”

“I can’t think of probably a single issue in which I am even remotely in the same universe as that guy and yet, he was kind of charming and self-deprecating. He was actually kind of a good sport, and funny, and I don’t know what that means. Maybe it’s a good thing that’s he’s being lauded right now by the right. He’s an evangelical. May God bless all living creatures but my god, how weird.”

Michael Stipe, of REM on Republican presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee

“Certainly, country is one of the last bastions of good songwriting — and of singing in tune. As long as we’re on the charts. Any chart will do. Country music is now akin to what my generation was listening to in the ’60s and ’70s.”

Don Henley in Rolling Stone on the Eagles shift in sound to country

Related breaking music news: The Eagles turn down an offer to play at next year’s Super Bowl (maybe they can get the Dixie Chicks to fill their slot).

“We knew the room we had on “Sgt. Pepper,” and our idea was to cram it full of value. Because what I particularly remembered is I used to go to a record store in Liverpool city center called Louis’, and I used to buy my record and then I had a half-hour bus journey back home, and I’d slip it out of its little bag and study it for the half hour. The more that was on there to study, the better. We designed “Sgt. Pepper” so there was always something for you to find. It’s doable now, but it’s not so obvious. The options have closed down in some ways. The space you’re designing for is smaller. On an iPod, the record cover is the size of a postage job. But the kids who listen to it have good eyes.”

Paul McCartney on the declining use of album cover art

“It’s like you made a poorly worded deal with the devil to be a rock star.”

Stephen Colbert, observations on bass players from his book “I Am America (And So Can You!)

“They had this vendetta going with all of the British bands. These bands were playing blues in Detroit, and the 5 were not going for it. They would harass the British bands so much they wanted to leave as soon as they were done.”

Scott Morgan, former singer for the Rationals in a Rolling Stone interview in reference to the MC5, the Grande Ballroom and the music scene in Detroit in 1967

“Finally, perhaps my favorite part of this campaign is the music. It’s by Charlie Campbell, a composer in Portland, Ore., (where Wieden & Kennedy is based), and he wrote each piece specifically for the spot it’s used in. His sweetly quirky sound is in large part what makes these ads so charming.”

-Seth Stevenson. Describing his favorite anti-pot PSA.

http://www.slate.com/id/2168471/?GT1=10238

“Hey Party-People,

Weezer is just polishing up a batch of songs for a recording session that is going to start at the beginning of July. This will be the final recording session for our 6th album which we aim to put out in the first half of 2008. We hope you are all having good times.

Love,

R-dawg”

-from Weezer.com

“To meet the real thing–to see Sonny Boy (Williamson)–blew a lot of the myth away because he was incredibly interested in money and women. I set myself up to think that a bluesman was far, far above these kinds of earthly pursuits. I thought a bluesman would be dedicated to his music and nothing else would matter. It really wasn’t like that at all. It was flashy suits and fast cars. And it shook me up.”

Eric Clapton, on the first time he performed with a black blues musician when he was only 18 years old playing guitar for the famed British blues band, The Yardbirds. From the book, “All I Did Was Ask,” by Terry Gross.