A journalist's job often entails predicting, chronicling, and analyzing fads. Sometimes, however, events call for more: Lately, a host of possible trends in the making have crossed our desks, each of them frightening enough to demand preemptive action.
1. Opera stars dueting with pop stars. On the forthcoming Pavarotti & Friends 2, the Italian tenor will join Bryan Adams for a rendition of the raspy rocker's ''All for Love,'' as well as more old-school, old-world pop faves like ''O Sole Mio.'' If only Luciano would stay sole.
2. Actors making videos. Thanks (but no thanks) to Ethan Hawke: His success with Lisa Loeb has prompted Mercury to hire fellow Gen X pinup Stephen Dorff to lens a video for artsy rockers Catherine Wheel. Reality does bite.
3. Virtual touring. Apparently, ex-Replacements drummer Chris Mars has delusions of diva-hood; to support his new album, he has asked label mates The Wallmen to tour for him, accompanied by a cardboard stand-up of Mars.
4. Establishing street cred by valorizing welfare. Near platinum-selling Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard allegedly continued to accept government assistance after receiving a $45,000 advance from Elektra, and emblazons the cover of his solo Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version with a fake welfare ID. More like Ol' Tacky Bastard.
5. Exhuming dead band mates. Not only will the reunited Beatles accompany old vocals of a defenseless John Lennon on two demo tracks, but both the Doors and Queen will revive their frontmen for upcoming albums. (Memo to Courtney Love: Don't even think about it!)
6. Artists making albums. It's bad enough when rockers pull a Picasso. Now Island is releasing painter-sculptor Julian Schnabel's faux-U2 debut, Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud, including ''Gary's Song,'' written for Gary Oldman.
— Nisid Hajari, Ethan Smith
Add your comment
The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.