Lil’ Wayne + Weezer
The Ceiling: Trey Anastasio and Jay Z managed to shelve (make that “warehouse”) their egos for a similar collaboration on “99 Problems,” and that worked out fine. This time, though, Weezer is calling the shots, and Weezy will be the guest, but if they make it gel it could be just what this all-too-white bunch of white boys needs.
The Floor: Gosh, this could be bad. Weezer guitarist Rivers Cuomo is a Harvard Man now, while I’m not so sure Weezy ever made it out of elementary school, and there might be some divergent interests musically. Plus the album’s cover photo and name are both completely idiotic, which bodes ill.
Verdict: Mr. Carter will only appear on one song, “Can’t Stop Partying,” which would seem well-suited to his unique talents. Plus if it’s a bust, it’s only one song.
Jack White + Keith Richards
The Ceiling: There’s plenty of precedent for this one. Clapton teamed up with BB King for “Riding With The King,” and while that was more of a tribute than anything, it still had a bunch of good covers. While those two are both a lot more talented, White and Richards will make up for it with energy.
The Floor: Is Keith really still alive? I mean, Sir Paul seemed pretty healthy when rumors surfaced that he died and was replaced by a talented imposter. But Keith actually looks and sounds like a talking corpse. Let’s hope Mr. White does the singing.
Verdict: It’s probably going to turn out as a bunch of pretty straightforward, well-executed bluesy rock n’ roll. And that’s OK. These guys both know their stuff (although Keith might not know his way home), and White is fresh off a promising collaboration with The Edge and Jimmy Page for “It Might Get Loud” that may have sparked his creativity.
Thom Yorke + Flea
The Ceiling: OH YEAH! I won’t lie, Thom Yorke could team up with a troop of retarded chimpanzees banging hollow coconuts and I’d still camp out to get the CD first. But Flea only sweetens the deal. He’s everything Yorke’s other collaborators (what are those guys called again?) are not- energetic, funky, lively, and he likes to play in his underpants. This could be awesome.
The Floor: You ever heard that album “The Eraser?” Yeah, like that.
Verdict: If they gets some trippy beats going and Flea starts slapping that bass, this could really go somewhere. Word is Nigel Godrich (the genius producer behind “OK Computer” and “In Rainbows”) will be playing and producing, so watch out for this one.
