if any guy on the planet deserves to harbor an inferiority complex, it’s this guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XEM6zNfIZccheck out the video. does the face look a little familiar? sure it does. it looks a little like this:
michael penn is the brother of famous actor and apparently chronically-perterbed person sean penn. (whose acting i enjoy, so don’t be a hater.) he is also the brother of the late actor chris penn (whom you may remember from footloose or reservoir dogs, among other movies.) his dad leo penn was an actor and director who courageously refused to point fingers at other actors and directors during the happy-go-lucky mccarthy era and was blacklisted (but certainly made a ton of contributions in spite of that.) his mom, eileen ryan, also an actor, has shown up in all sorts of films as well.
oh, and don’t forget his missus.
(but we won’t even begin to talk about how i worship at the altar for aimee mann…)
yep, michael penn is definitely surrounded by amazingly creative, principled people who aren’t afraid of taking stands on issues, whether one agrees with them or not. but penn has consistently held his own for years and years, a songwriter who crafts works carefully. he’s not necessarily the guy who will make that 3:05 hit radio-friendly single. but who the hell wants that when you can have literate, musical masterpieces?
anyway, i especially adore seen the doctor. it even has a killer hook: in fact, it sounds like one of those holy grail radio-friendly singles to me. but whatever. the lyrics are so clever (even though watch him get bleeped for the f-bomb.) seriously, how can you not love lines like:
You’re just a fucking bore
like Dorothy Lamour
dolled up in Singapore
to meet the Commodores
Don’t call me anymore
the imagery alone is worth the price of admission.
anyway, michael penn, while maybe not a household name like, say, ke$hia (Dog help us — gah), is a busy guy, making music for film and television. along with his wife and michael hausman, he is a founder of united musicians, a group formed to help musicians retain the ownership of their own music. which, to me, makes perfect sense.
anyway, i love his melty, earnest voice. i love his thoughtful lyrics. i love it even more when he and mann sing together.
but for today’s guilty pleasure monday, i wanted him to shine on his own.