I find the "grumpy Bob" thing a bit strange, because on his radio show he is hilarious, outgoing and articulate.
But he wouldn't accept any callers!
I don't know who Mark really is in private and don't want to know. I just want to admire him as an artist, and as a personal drug, only his music count.
you don't really know, that's true, me neither, but he appears to be nice chap. But OK, it wouldn't matter to you.
I am like Fieneke on this one, I don't think his music would have the same effect on me if he appeared (again we wouldn't know for sure) to be a bastard. I would still like it I think but it wouldn't be that intense.
It's probably a girly thing, what do you think?
Well, I don't know about girly things, but let me tell you my wife back in the early nineties used to like Guns 'n' roses. I still like a couple of their albums, even though I was always disapproved with their fake revolutionary act. Metallica were bad boys and I lost any respect for them when they sued Napster, but I still like some of their albums, as well. Rage against the machine was a different act altogether, somehow they stood up for their beliefs. But you know the image (either of a tough or glamorous or whatever guy) is very important for artists in order to sell more than the power of the recorded work. Dire straits never really relied on it, so their music must be damn good.
Phil Collins on the other hand, had his face on all covers, as if he was a super model. And Sting is going through this phase from time to time. Of course if the music contained was superb I wouldn't have any problem, like the John Lennon or Paul Simon cases. But I can tell you that Madonna did it in order to boost sales of her good album True blue, even Michael Jackson (Bad) or George Michael (freedom). Now there is the other side like Kylie or Jason Donovan. I remember an episode of Fry and Laurie, where Hue goes into a shop and asks with a loud voice for condoms and with a shy voice for the latest Jason Donovan CD. When Stephen Fry says out loud "The new Jason Donovan CD?" Hue says Hush and walks away in shame...