http://www.rollingstone.c...617?page=2

Pretty vapid interview but some highlights:

You collaborated with Prince a couple of times. What was that like?
He was such a genius that you can't believe he existed. I was onstage with No Doubt in Minneapolis in the Nineties, and I saw his silhouette in the audience. I was like, "How is this happening?" Later, I sent him the demo to this song "Waiting Room" – he called and said, "Hey, I had to rewrite the song, but I think you're going to like it." He played on the version you hear on [No Doubt's] Rock Steady, and I sang on his album. He sat at the board and sang me every single note. I was in there for, like, eight hours.

You worked so hard on the last No Doubt record, and it didn't connect. Is that band over?
I don't know what's going to happen with No Doubt. When Tony [Kanal] and I are connected creatively, it's magic. But I think we've grown apart as far as what kind of music we want to make. I was really drained and burned out when we recorded that album [2012's Push and Shove]. And I had a lot of guilt: "I have to do it." That's not the right setting to make music. There's some really great writing on that record. But the production felt really conflicted. It was sad how we all waited that long to put something out and it didn't get heard.

Do you have any issue with the other members of No Doubt working with Davey Havok from AFI?
Of course I don't care. Those are my homeys from when I was a little girl! I want them to be happy and do whatever they need to do to fulfill whatever creative place they need to fill.

The Nineties were such a dude-heavy time in music. Is it fun to see women dominating pop?
It's such a weird time in music. Everyone is listening to whatever their playlist is. Whereas before, we were kind of told what we were all going to be into. There's some really great stuff out there, and some really horrible stuff. I feel sorry for some people that these are the songs they have to grow up listening to. But doesn't every generation end up feeling that?

----

Interesting that she indirectly blames Diplo/Major Lazer "the production" for the last ND album bombing. I thought it was a horrible decision to hire them despite their ragga influence.

.

Also the last quote about feeling sorry for people about modern pop music is a revelation that many "of the moment" stars kind of ignore.

In regards to the last question, she's kind of right. The thing is back then even if we were sorta being told what to like by labels via radio and later, music videos, there was much more variety to be had on the mainstream front than there is presently. Besides, the music that got popular back then was popular because we as music listeners made it popular with little corporate intereference to boost chart positions/ airplay and video rotation.

If anything, it feels more like we're being told what to like now than back when the only way to hear music was by radio or hitting up your local record store.

Here is the song they did w/Prince if anyone cares. Not great.

I love Waiting Room! Its one of Prince's strongest "electronic" tracks, IMHO. Up there with Electric Chair and Strange But True. I also love "So Far So Pleased", I thought these two made lovely harmonies together.

MotownSubdivision said:

In regards to the last question, she's kind of right. The thing is back then even if we were sorta being told what to like by labels via radio and later, music videos, there was much more variety to be had on the mainstream front than there is presently. Besides, the music that got popular back then was popular because we as music listeners made it popular with little corporate intereference to boost chart positions/ airplay and video rotation.

If anything, it feels more like we're being told what to like now than back when the only way to hear music was by radio or hitting up your local record store.

Excellent post

In this era, the industry decides what gets played on the radio and who becomes popular.....not the public. Everything is fake and contrived now.

mjscarousal said:

MotownSubdivision said:

In regards to the last question, she's kind of right. The thing is back then even if we were sorta being told what to like by labels via radio and later, music videos, there was much more variety to be had on the mainstream front than there is presently. Besides, the music that got popular back then was popular because we as music listeners made it popular with little corporate intereference to boost chart positions/ airplay and video rotation.

If anything, it feels more like we're being told what to like now than back when the only way to hear music was by radio or hitting up your local record store.

Excellent post

In this era, the industry decides what gets played on the radio and who becomes popular.....not the public. Everything is fake and contrived now.

yuuuuuup cookie cutter crap

mjscarousal said:

MotownSubdivision said:

In regards to the last question, she's kind of right. The thing is back then even if we were sorta being told what to like by labels via radio and later, music videos, there was much more variety to be had on the mainstream front than there is presently. Besides, the music that got popular back then was popular because we as music listeners made it popular with little corporate intereference to boost chart positions/ airplay and video rotation.

If anything, it feels more like we're being told what to like now than back when the only way to hear music was by radio or hitting up your local record store.

Excellent post

In this era, the industry decides what gets played on the radio and who becomes popular.....not the public. Everything is fake and contrived now.

Why listen to the radio? Streaming services have millions of tracks, these days you can listen to whatever you want where you are.

nextedition said:

mjscarousal said:

Excellent post

In this era, the industry decides what gets played on the radio and who becomes popular.....not the public. Everything is fake and contrived now.

Why listen to the radio? Streaming services have millions of tracks, these days you can listen to whatever you want where you are.

Not at work. Gotta listen to the radio.

I find her answer to the last question a little odd. Isn't she making modern pop music so how can she be against it?

She has incorporated a lot of modern pop trends into her albums.

Also the whole question that the 90's was dominated by men is just wrong. The pop music of the 90's that was on radio leaned more towards rock/alternative and they were a lot of strong outspoken women in the 1990's.

Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Shirley Manson, Courtney Love, PJ Harvey, Bjork etc.

So both the question and the answer seem a bit off to me.

Glindathegood said:

I find her answer to the last question a little odd. Isn't she making modern pop music so how can she be against it?

She has incorporated a lot of modern pop trends into her albums.

Also the whole question that the 90's was dominated by men is just wrong. The pop music of the 90's that was on radio leaned more towards rock/alternative and they were a lot of strong outspoken women in the 1990's.

Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Shirley Manson, Courtney Love, PJ Harvey, Bjork etc.

So both the question and the answer seem a bit off to me.

Both comments aren't just off, both are bogus. And I was a fan of Tori, Shirley, Fiona, P.J., Bjork, Sarah (McLachlan), and a few others.

[Edited 6/18/16 11:36am]

Glindathegood said:

nextedition said:

mjscarousal said:

Excellent post

In this era, the industry decides what gets played on the radio and who becomes popular.....not the public. Everything is fake and contrived now.

Why listen to the radio? Streaming services have millions of tracks, these days you can listen to whatever you want where you are.

I've said it before and I'll say it again to you Americans: get your radio back! Get your radio back and re-regulate it-hard. Only then will you get back the variety that everybody had in the early 1990's.

nextedition said:

mjscarousal said:

Excellent post

In this era, the industry decides what gets played on the radio and who becomes popular.....not the public. Everything is fake and contrived now.

Why listen to the radio? Streaming services have millions of tracks, these days you can listen to whatever you want where you are.

I dont listen to the radio. I am making an observation on the quality of Top 40 radio. Its not good overall and hasn't been for some time.

MotownSubdivision said:

Glindathegood said:

I find her answer to the last question a little odd. Isn't she making modern pop music so how can she be against it?

She has incorporated a lot of modern pop trends into her albums.

Also the whole question that the 90's was dominated by men is just wrong. The pop music of the 90's that was on radio leaned more towards rock/alternative and they were a lot of strong outspoken women in the 1990's.

Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Shirley Manson, Courtney Love, PJ Harvey, Bjork etc.

So both the question and the answer seem a bit off to me.

R&B and new jack swing was doing big Top 40 business as well. Shoot, as much as musical outlets and critics seem to say that grunge music took over radio and the music scene with 1991's release of Nevermind and how it replaced MJ's Dangerous at the top of the charts, the year end singles chart of 1992 paints quite a different picture. First off, Dangerous didn't just come and go. It debuted and stayed in the #1 spot for 4 weeks before Nevermind took its place for a week. It returned to #1 2 weeks later where it once again stayed for only a week. Subsequently, there were only 2 rock albums that year that hit #1 and neither were grunge (Def Leppard and Black Crowes). The remaining #1 albums were pop, hip hop and country, the third of which dominated 1992. Now in regards to the year end singles: https://en.wikipedia.org/...es_of_1992 7 of the top 10 singles were R&B and hip hop songs, with 5 of those 7 occupying the top 5 spots. You look at the remainder of the chart, especially the upper half and rock songs are in the minority compared to the mass collection ofthe aforementioned R&B and hip hop but also new jack swing, dance and of course, country. Yeah, grunge took over all right. Not to say that it wasn't very popular but it wasn't really the massive, unavoidable sensation that people make it out to have been. [Edited 6/18/16 11:34am]

Great break down!

There was way more diversity back in the day on the radio.

mjscarousal said:

nextedition said:

Why listen to the radio? Streaming services have millions of tracks, these days you can listen to whatever you want where you are.

I dont listen to the radio. I am making an observation on the quality of Top 40 radio. Its not good overall and hasn't been for some time.

I stick with the oldies stations when I have nothing else to listen to.

mjscarousal said:

purplethunder3121 said:

mjscarousal said:

I dont listen to the radio. I am making an observation on the quality of Top 40 radio. Its not good overall and hasn't been for some time.

I stick with the oldies stations when I have nothing else to listen to.

Public stations are my jam on the radio today--Pacifica Network!

purplethunder3121 said:

nextedition said:

Why listen to the radio? Streaming services have millions of tracks, these days you can listen to whatever you want where you are.

Not at work. Gotta listen to the radio.

Use your phone--bluetooth speaker or 'phones + playlist or streaming app = all YOUR jams on cue.

Glindathegood said:

I find her answer to the last question a little odd. Isn't she making modern pop music so how can she be against it?

She has incorporated a lot of modern pop trends into her albums.

Also the whole question that the 90's was dominated by men is just wrong. The pop music of the 90's that was on radio leaned more towards rock/alternative and they were a lot of strong outspoken women in the 1990's.

Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Shirley Manson, Courtney Love, PJ Harvey, Bjork etc.

So both the question and the answer seem a bit off to me.

plus, can anyone say "Lillith Fair," women's rock festival big in the 90s like never before or since?

Germanegro said:

purplethunder3121 said:

Not at work. Gotta listen to the radio.

Use your phone--bluetooth speaker or 'phones + playlist or streaming app = all YOUR jams on cue.

Not on my phone--I still use a flip phone. I still play my music on Ipods. So, at work that leaves the hands-free radio. The oldies station is fine for that.

StrangeButTrue said:

I gave her new album the speaker treatment and I couldn't really get down to any of it. Its too bad because she was a really compelling rock chick.

----Gwen's solo work sucks big time! Absolutely terrible stuff, which is too bad as she has some great music with ND.

Empress said:

StrangeButTrue said:

I gave her new album the speaker treatment and I couldn't really get down to any of it. Its too bad because she was a really compelling rock chick.

----Gwen's solo work sucks big time! Absolutely terrible stuff, which is too bad as she has some great music with ND.

Her first solo album was really good, and even on her second one had some decent songs, but the new album is horrible. It just seems she has lost her passion for music, and is more into reality television.

She was never a true rock chick, her heart was never really into that type of music. She was always way more into pop.

She's not a true rocker at heart like Courtney Love, Shirley Manson or PJ Harvey.

ND's biggest hits weren't really rock, but ballads or reggae based.

Glindathegood said:

Empress said:

----Gwen's solo work sucks big time! Absolutely terrible stuff, which is too bad as she has some great music with ND.

Her first solo album was really good, and even on her second one had some decent songs, but the new album is horrible. It just seems she has lost her passion for music, and is more into reality television.

She was never a true rock chick, her heart was never really into that type of music. She was always way more into pop.

She's not a true rocker at heart like Courtney Love, Shirley Manson or PJ Harvey.

ND's biggest hits weren't really rock, but ballads or reggae based.

--it's great that you enjoy her solo work. I do not. It's way too sugary for me. Holler back girl...WTF??

Empress said:

--it's great that you enjoy her solo work. I do not. It's way too sugary for me. Holler back girl...WTF??

Not all of her solo work is sugary. One of my favorite songs is Early Winter which has more of the pop/rock sound of No Doubt.