Breaking Up Is Slow To Do

"Breaking Up is Hard to Do" was my favorite Partridge Family song when I was a kid. I played it over and over. Neil Sedaka's composition was just so peppy - how could I not like it? But wait a minute. Breaking up isn't only hard to do, it's often sad! Why am I smiling when I'm listening to a song about breaking up?!

Perhaps this is what David Cassidy was wondering when he went on his world tour in 1974. He played the song but in a much slower tempo. (Bye-bye peppiness. Hello bluesyness. I'm think I'm going cry.) It became a bluesy, achy number that seduced many fans who heard it live and many more who heard it captured on his Cassidy Live! album. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find that live version on YT (call to action, people!). However, he's recently played the slow version live. Trust me though, it gives you but an inkling of that first slow interpretation. In the live 1974 version, I swear you can hear his heart breaking.

Back to Mr. Sedaka, the song's composer. From what I understand, he liked Cassidy's slow version so much that he re-recorded the song in that tempo in 1975 and got another hit out of it.

First up is The Partridge Family's uptempo version. Second, Cassidy's recent live slow version and finally, Mr. Sedaka's slow version.

What say you? Uptempo or sloooow?

Also, does anyone know if it's really Cassidy who changed the arrangement of the song or if he discovered the slow one from Sedaka and decided to play it live that way? If Cassidy did change the arrangement (and that's how he expressed it in his bio, IIRC), he should get the credit for it on those YT Sedaka uploads. The one I embedded here mentions Cassidy but none of the others do.

So Cool! I'm a Believer Again

Doesn't our Mr. Cassidy look and sound great here? I love how easily I can pick out his voice. And yes, a non-white shirt! bless his heart.

All I've found so far...

is a picture of one of David Cassidy's show at Epcot. (I think he's wearing his white shirt again.) Perhaps the social networks are buzzing with reviews? I don't have a clue because I don't frequent them. No worries though, this blogger's getting up to date with technology. When I found this picture with the title "Keith's posterous", I thought it was a typo. Keith Partridge's posterior! I am so there. Thank goodness I thought it was too good to be true. I now know that Posterous is a blogging platform. ;-) Who comes up with these names!? (They do realize that Twitter starts with "twit", don't they?)

Lucky Scots!

He does play the less obvious songs in concert. Just not this side of the pond, I guess.

A Forgotten Partridge Family Gem

Wow! Isn't it nice to hear him play "One Night Stand" during a concert? He should include it in his playlist today - it really stands the test of time and is a refreshing change of pace from "Echo Valley" and "ITILY". Would people be that disappointed not to hear "ITILY" during a concert? It's been done to death and beyond. Nothing tops the initial recorded version and fiddling with it mars its innocence. So many other Partridge Family songs to re-discover.

This clip was REALLY fabulous. Thank you Clodyne for sharing, once again.

By the way, is that THE shrieker we hear? The one who bugs in recent concert clips? Surely not!?!?

Yeesh! And you think I'm harsh?

I've got nothing on Australian fans. This is what one had to say about an "ageing diva" (oh yeah, she's ancient at 46) who performed recently in Brisbane:

"She couldn't entertain a dead rat, to be honest."

Read about the superstar's dismal comeback attempt in the land Down Under here.

What's Going On?

David Cassidy's recent concert reviews - from journalists and fans - are hardly congratulatory this week and the exchange between "River of Music" and "Derek" at this blog reminded me of Janice Turner's insightful article about fandom that appeared in Times Online when a certain superstar passed away last summer. She had this to say about David Cassidy:

"The most troubled person I ever met was David Cassidy, the teen idol of Jackson’s era, unhinged long ago by his fans. For five years girls slept outside his house, followed him everywhere, ripped his clothing, forced him into isolation, made his life empty and lonely. And then, abruptly, when he was no longer the pretty boy du jour they deserted him. Now, two divorces later, he loathes meeting old fans, because they will say, with no regard for his feelings, how old he looks — though they are mostly portly matrons themselves — or get drunk and take a grab at him. To them, he isn’t a man, just an odd manifestation of their teenage years: they own him and they let him know it."

Read the rest of "The fans killed their idol. They always do" here.

I don't believe fans who respond to claims of "very off" performances by Cassidy with "we accept him as he is, an imperfect human being." No, they are still adulating him as someone they'll "love" no matter what he does. He has said in the past that he never felt worthy of all that adulation during those teen idol years (and in his own words, "Really, who is? No one is.") yet they persist in seeing him as a god on stage instead of an actual human being who might need actual help.

Love is an abused word in fandom. Fans unabashedly proclaim love for their idol but it's simply lust and greed masquerading as love: "We want more, more, MORE of you!" That "you" is a mythical being in their heart and a stranger in their life. Loving a celebrity is a bit absurd. Love his looks, talents or wares? Oh, yes! But claim to love HIM? You don't know him. You think you know him. It doesn't really matter because it's a one-way street. He'll never love you the same way. To quote Janice Turner again:

"Fandom is so grossly unequal, so self-abasing. Even when you are closest to your Special One you are humiliated by his — at best — polite indifference to your pathetic, onanistic, unreturned love."

David Cassidy fans, if you think you love him, care for his well-being. His performances are declining in quality, upsetting fans and turning off critics. What's going on?

No One Here Is Surprised.

Still disappointed though. Every time David Cassidy has a concert date, I hold a glimmer of hope that he'll pull out all the stops and actually deliver something good this time. Because I think he still can. But, nope. Another missed opportunity at the Nokia Theater last night. All the more reason to "cherish" those albums.

If you attended the concert and want to bitch and moan, you can do it here. If you want to praise his performance, you can do that too but you better make it believable. Claiming "spontaneity" ain't going to cut it.

UPDATE: First uploaded video. A bit bizarre, no? Sounds more like a performance you'd catch in a bar-type venue than in a seated one. Double-click on the video to access the YT page. I'm sure the user will post additional footage of the concert.

Sure Looks Sincere, Doesn't He?

Guess they underestimated his acting talent.



Can anyone tell me what the frig John Lennon had to do with the question? Aside from the random "John Lennon was my BFF, now do you believe I'm cool?!" factor.

Who else is hoping the über-fan dinner guest regales the DC fandom with her meeting come Sunday morning? Who doesn't give a flying fig?

And here's my open letter to David Cassidy, because, well, you saw the video too:

David, I'm so, so, sorry I lost track of you all these years. You hate me because I dropped you like a hot potato, but what did I know? I was twelve. Your show had already been off the air for over four years - I discovered you through reruns, for pete's sake! There were no Partridge Family albums left in the stores when my mother did her Christmas shopping - all she could find for me was "The World of the Partridge Family". But you could have tried harder to reach us, no? You had these great RCA albums you could have hawked. (I was still too young to watch "Police Story".) I'm so sorry I was a fair weather fan. I'm back now. I have seen the light: your voice was unparalleled (no offense but I have trouble saying "is" - you have to admit, it has declined in some respects) and I hate - not as much as you do, of course - that people don't credit your talent beyond being a heart throb. And we know that's not talent, that's genetics. So I'm doing what I can to right my wrongs: I'm blogging my little heart out to get the word out that you are talented and all that mania was deserved. It wasn't just hype. It was your talent and your charisma that shone through and touched us. I've been re-discovering your career for the past ten months now and have yet to tire of your albums (well, not all of them - a couple were crap on a disc, sorry).

But please, you have to do your part. You have to respect your fans enough to realize that we know how conflicted you are about that teen idol business. Don't pander to this overblown fake nostalgia bit and go on about how you love your fans for what they've given you (you went this route to promote "Ruby" and we all know how that turned out...wince.) The majority of us abandoned you! We gave you heartache. We made it so that casting agents didn't give you the time of day. We thought we were too cool for you. I'll even admit to some eye rolling when a friend reminded my teenage self of my young crush on you. "The Harder They Fall" indeed.

But now, I've seen the errors of my ways and I won't stand for anyone disrespecting you or The Partridge Family. Today, I am unapologetic in my stance: "the guy has his issues but he had one of the most beautiful male voices in popular music and he's recorded a sublime version of "Ain't No Sunshine"". I can rattle off your accomplishments almost as well as your hundreds of loyal fans who never abandoned you throughout the decades. I am a born again believer. I'm not alone either. Please. Trust us. No more of these uncomfortable interviews with fake fawning from "on-air personalities". We are above that.

While I'm at it, might as well ask you: can you make your records easier to obtain? I'm trying my darnedest to buy some of your albums but they are OUT OF PRINT. The online store showed stock, I clicked "buy" and waited and waited and waited and finally, I received an email advising me it was OUT OF PRINT and I was out of luck. And how about all those unreleased Partridge Family songs tucked away in vaults? Wouldn't it just be the bees' knees to release those gems for the 40th anniversary of the PF? One last thing: that movie coming up? Once it's wrapped and you're actively promoting it, can you NOT say it's the best work you've ever done? Cause that line is getting, like all of us, kind of old.

"Come on baby, let's start anew..."

Suite tickets available for Grande Prairie Nokia concert

Seller's info here.

Never. Sure, buddy, whatever you say....

"He's starred on Broadway and London's West End – with Laurence Olivier, no less. He co-starred, with both his brothers, on Ruby & the Rockits , the most expensive television show ever produced by ABC Family. He received an Emmy nomination for "A Chance to Live," the highest-rated episode of Police Story that ever aired. He revamped and starred in the Las Vegas extravaganza EFX.

But with all that, David Cassidy understands – and appreciates – that when people hear his name, the first thing that still comes to mind is The Partridge Family, a television show that appeared in 1970, ran for four seasons and garnered not one Emmy nomination. It was seen as fluff, but its fans were, and remain, fervently loyal.

"It'll never bother me that I'm best-known for that," Cassidy says with a laugh during a phone interview from Los Angeles.""

Bolding mine, of course. From the article here.

What a bloody hypocrite. Guess it wouldn't do to verbally admit it STILL bothers him. At least not outright, in an interview publicizing an upcoming show, where fans can expect to hear "a lot of songs from the Partridge Family catalog" no less. Wonder how soon we can expect another "that was then, this is now" outburst?

Gotta love the intro to the article. A list of his accomplishments phrased in a way to make us realize that they are vastly superior to the fluff show that was "The Partridge Family". By gosh, ""Ruby & the Rockits" was the most expensive television show ever produced by ABC Family"! Can you imagine how good it must have been?!

By the way, that spring project he'll discuss during next week's radio chat is a movie.

Pretty sure I've already featured "Lyin' to Myself" in one of my posts, so here's "Living a Lie" from his third RCA album from the mid-seventies, "Gettin' it in the Street". That other voice you hear is Gerry Buckley's. "Doesn't really matter" indeed as I doubt he'll play anything from those RCA albums.

Radio Chat with David - Mark your calendar!

Casey Parker of Penn's Peak Radio will chat with David Cassidy during her show "Afternoons with Casey" on Wednesday, February 10. You can listen live to the station online. Cassidy is to perform at Penn's Peak February 12.

They "will be talking about his past and present success, how much he enjoys giving back and a special sneek peak into a new venture coming in the spring."(bolding mine)

Ms Parker has a comment form on her blog. Use it wisely ;-)

Same Old, Same Old

This is the first fan review (Sheriffswell at 12:21) that I've come across of David Cassidy's show in New York last night. Sounds like a yawn fest to me. Same old, same old save for a couple of songs on the list that I've never heard him perform but they're not from his stuff. "Brass in Pocket" again? Have pity, we beg you.

First clip up on You Tube below. And to female-fan-who-shrieks-so? Cool your jets, please. This awful remix is hardly worth the voice strain and saliva. Oh, you're screaming to prove your attraction to him and not your appreciation of the music? Silly me. Go right ahead then. I'm sure he'll appreciate the novelty.

Live Wishlist

We all seem to think it would be great if David Cassidy sung some of his overlooked gems (solo and PF) during his concerts. I'll admit I have never seen him in concert and I'd hesitate to go knowing he'd be playing the same old, same old. I thought I'd dedicate an entry to the songs we wish he'd play in concert. What are some of the songs you'd like to hear him perform live? Heck, if you're enterprising, do a whole concert play list. That's what, six songs with all his banter? ;-)

My top choices from the Partridge Family repertoire:

"One Night Stand"
One night stand here refers to a musician's life on the road, not to a relationship. Written by Paul Anka ("My Way") and Wes Farrell, it's a bit more adult than the usual Partridge Family fare.

"Every Little Bit O'You"
From the songwriters who brought the world "Tie a Yellow Ribbon...", this often forgotten PF gem might be a bit sophomoric lyric-wise, but it's so catchy and upbeat, do we really care? Bonus: it was featured in that "I Can Get it to You for Retail" episode from Season 2 that many fans rank as their favorite. You know, the one where they're performing this song on top of the bus and Keith's hair is blowing so sexily in the wind? What? Keith's hair has nothing to do with the music? Hey, it's my blog. If I want to mention Keith's sexy hair when I discuss music, I'll write about Keith's sexy hair. ;-)

From David Cassidy's solo stuff, how about taking these out for a spin:

"Some Old Woman"
Posted about this one recently.

"Fix of Your Love"
I know he sometimes plays "Common Thief" as a nod to that period in his life. This one would be a change of pace. It's a great funky tune that sounds like disco at first listen.

"Junked Heart Blues"
Could he still hit all those notes? There's something breathtaking about this song. And he wrote it.

Finally, here is his version of a Partridge Family favorite. No clue how this person found this lost treasure but I'm forever grateful.



Looking forward to reading and hearing your suggestions!

David-bashing? I don't think so

Some David Cassidy fans seem to think that if we criticize him or his work, we are bashing him. I thought I'd address this in a separate blog entry rather than in a comment buried in a thread.

I truly believe that you can be an objective fan. We are not twelve years old anymore and have developed some critical thinking along the way. Some of his stuff is great; some of it is bad. Sometimes he's gracious with fans; other times, he's an ass. I would think that David Cassidy, of all people, would appreciate some objectivity from fans seeing as he complained of the fanaticism in his heyday. Try and find some critical coverage on his performances or work back then. Apart from that Rolling Stone article - and even that focused more on the phenomenon that he was, rather than his actual talent - there really isn't much. He wasn't a god then (just looked like one...) and isn't a god now. Objectively critiquing his work and public behavior is not David-bashing. It's appreciating him as a real person, with talents, faults and qualities.

Not properly rehearsing "Mae" before a performance? You can call that lazy. You can also call it self-sabotage. There are not many other rational explanations for that fact seeing as he knew this was a top song request from fans for months prior to that tour. Seriously, what's up with that? To use an analogy the twelve year old in us will understand, that's like skipping class, not doing any homework all semester and studying the material for the first time the night before the final exam.