Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz has responded to a perceived slight against his band, penned by the one and only Bob Dylan in his recent book of essays, The Philosophy of Modern Song.
In the book's second entry, Dylan writes about Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up," expressing that he thinks Costello and the Attractions "were a better band than any of their contemporaries. Light years better" — and Frantz took that personally.
"When I read that, I just thought, 'Jesus, Bob,'" Frantz said [via Rolling Stone]. "I understand you dig Elvis Costello, but did you have to put it that way?"
He shared on Facebook: "I love Bob Dylan's new book The Philosophy of Modern Song. But I have one little bone to pick with the author when he writes 'Elvis Costello and the Attractions were a better band than any of their contemporaries. Light years better.' With all due respect to the Attractions and to drummer Pete Thomas in particular, I'd like to say to Bob something he once said to a buddy of mine. 'Suck a dick.'"
The drummer later admitted that he got "a bee in my bonnet" over the essay, explaining that his dick-sucking suggestion was a callback to an encounter a friend of his had with Dylan in the '80s. The friend was apparently trying to chase the singer-songwriter down to pay him a compliment, when Dylan "turned around and looked at him and said, 'Do I know you? No, I don't know you. Suck a dick,'" Frantz explained.
"I'm not trying to pit the Heads against any of the bands of that era," Frantz explained further. "There were so many good bands then, and I spent many nights at CBGB and saw a lot of superior performances. But I would say to Bob, 'How are you [making] such a sweeping generalization?' I think it's a very good book — despite that one chapter."
In the book's second entry, Dylan writes about Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up," expressing that he thinks Costello and the Attractions "were a better band than any of their contemporaries. Light years better" — and Frantz took that personally.
"When I read that, I just thought, 'Jesus, Bob,'" Frantz said [via Rolling Stone]. "I understand you dig Elvis Costello, but did you have to put it that way?"
He shared on Facebook: "I love Bob Dylan's new book The Philosophy of Modern Song. But I have one little bone to pick with the author when he writes 'Elvis Costello and the Attractions were a better band than any of their contemporaries. Light years better.' With all due respect to the Attractions and to drummer Pete Thomas in particular, I'd like to say to Bob something he once said to a buddy of mine. 'Suck a dick.'"
The drummer later admitted that he got "a bee in my bonnet" over the essay, explaining that his dick-sucking suggestion was a callback to an encounter a friend of his had with Dylan in the '80s. The friend was apparently trying to chase the singer-songwriter down to pay him a compliment, when Dylan "turned around and looked at him and said, 'Do I know you? No, I don't know you. Suck a dick,'" Frantz explained.
"I'm not trying to pit the Heads against any of the bands of that era," Frantz explained further. "There were so many good bands then, and I spent many nights at CBGB and saw a lot of superior performances. But I would say to Bob, 'How are you [making] such a sweeping generalization?' I think it's a very good book — despite that one chapter."
