catfishvegas and kdotdammit have already spilled the legumes on this one, but I thought I'd better wait until the new Tucson Weekly was officially live before directing you to my presence within its pages. Thanks to the graciousness of music writer Annie Holub, I have become the latest individual subjected to "Nine Questions." Not only that, I'm sporting my best deranged rabbinical student look, from a self-portrait taken this past winter, when I was beset with maleficient maladies. I'm hoping that even those of you who know me well will be surprised -- whether pleasantly or not -- with some of my responses. I'm not going to tell you how long I held that proverbial gun to my head for the final question, but rest assured that I gave it tremendous thought. I'm happy with my choice of the 2-CD reissue of Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted as my favorite album of all time. Runners-up included two other Pavement albums, The Beatles' Revolver (which would have annoyed Steven no end), Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation, The Cure's Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Wilco's Being There, The Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet, Prince's 1999, and -- I almost picked this one in Joel's honor -- Fleetwood Mac's Rumors. There would have been something from Joy Division and New Order in the list of finalists as well, but I'd want a greatest hits selection from either band and felt that, while I could cheat a little by picking an expanded reissue, I couldn't cheat a lot by opting for something that was never released as an album. Besides, if I started going down the greatest hits path, I would have to have thrown in The Clash. And if I'd thrown in The Clash, I would have to have thrown in Buddy Holly. And if I'd thrown in Buddy Holly, I would have to have thrown in Elvis. How does that children's book go? "If you give a mouse a cookie..."
