Bob Seger -- "Travelin' Man" (1976)

Travelin' man

Love when I can
Turn loose my hand 'cause I'm goin'

I've done a lot of traveling this year.  In the words of another practitioner of 100%-pure American music, John Fogerty, my September has consisted mostly of

Seven-thirty-seven
Comin' out of the sky
Won't you take me down to . . . 

Well, not Memphis, actually – but Las Vegas, Kansas City, Baltimore, and Providence.  

All those flights were on Southwest Airlines, which flies only 737s.  I wonder if Fogerty's reference to a 737 in "Travelin' Band" means that he, too, is a loyal Southwest customer.

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The Wynn Las Vegas

Sin City – in particular, the Wynn Las Vegas hotel – was the first place my September wanderings took me.  

The CEO of Wynn Resorts is Steve Wynn, who Forbes magazine says is the 428th richest man in the world.

Wynn is also a lover of fine art, albeit a rather clumsy one.  

The centerpiece of his art collection is Picasso's Le Rêve ("The Dream").  In 2006, Wynn cut a deal to sell the painting to hedge-fund manager Steven A. Cohen (the 106th richest man in the world) for $139 million, which would have been the highest price ever paid for a work of art.

"Le Rêve" at auction

But while showing the painting off at a party – the guests included Barbara Walters, author Nora Ephron (who wrote the screenplays for When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle), and famed litigator David Boies – Wynn accidentally put his elbow through the painting.

It seems that Wynn is in the habit of gesticulating dramatically when he speaks.  He also has retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that has limited his vision.

Steve Wynn

An art restorer repaired the six-inch gash for $90,000.  But the estimated value of the repaired painting was only $85 million.  Wynn sued his insurance company when they wouldn't cough up the $54 million difference.  In 2012, he sold the painting to Cohen for $155 million.  (Don't cry for Steve Wynn, Argentina.)

Wynn used some of that money to buy a Jeff Koons sculpture titled Tulips for a mere $33.6 million.  (Plenty more where that came from, boys and girls.)

"Tulips"

I loved Tulips when I saw it on a previous stay at the Wynn, but had no clue that is was worth $33.6 million.  

This year, I saw another Jeff Koons sculpture on display at the Wynn.  Earlier this year, Steve Wynn dropped $28 million at a Sotheby's auction to obtain Popeye:

"Popeye"

When I was looking Popeye over, I noted a small sign next to it that stated it was for sale.  I asked a salesclerk at the Wynn's gift shop what the price tag for Popeye was, and she told me $60 million.

I guess Mr. Wynn is not what you would call a motivated seller.

I saw one other rather extraordinary work of art at Wynn last month – this floral merry-go-round:

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"Travelin' Man" was originally released on Bob Seger's eighth studio album, Beautiful Loser.  But I don't think I ever heard the studio version of that song until today.

The version I'm familiar with is a live version that appears on 'Live' Bullet, which was recorded over the course of a two-night show in Detroit in 1975 and released in 1976.  Rock critic Dave Marsh called it "one of the best live albums ever made."

Click here to listen to the live version of "Travelin' Man."  (Be prepared for a rather abrupt ending.  On the album, the song goes right into "Beautiful Loser" without a break.)

Click below to buy the song from Amazon:

10cc -- "Art for Art's Sake" (1976)

Art for art's sake

Money for God's sake

Jeff Koons lives at the intersection of Art Street and Money Avenue -- that's in Manhattan, by the way.

Earlier this month, his "Balloon Dog (Orange)" sold at a Christie's auction for $58.4 million, a record for a work by a living artist sold at auction:

About a year ago, Las Vegas hotel tycoon Steve Wynn bought Koons's "Tulips" for $33.6 million and installed it in the Wynn Hotel.  I stayed at the Wynn in Septemeber, and walked by that sculpture (which is made of stainless steel and weighs more than three tons) -- I had no idea what the price tag was:  

What do critics think of Koons?  According to Wikipedia, 

Critics are sharply divided in their views of Koons.  Some view his work as pioneering and of major art-historical importance.  Others dismiss his work as kitsch: crass and based on cynical self-merchandising.

I have nothing of any value to say about the merits of Koons's work.  (I didn't take an art history class in college -- which was a mistake -- and the bits and pieces of knowledge I've picked up over the years falls far short of allowing me to play art critic.)  Personally, I enjoy it -- it's a little silly, but it's cute and amusing.  What's not to like?

Is it art?  Yes, although I have no clue if it is great art (or if it will be considered great art in 100 years). 

Would I have paid $33.6 million for "Tulips"?  If I had Steve Wynn's bankroll, sure -- why not?  (Hot chicks would like it a lot more than some gloomy Rembrandt painting, right?)

Koons recently collaborated with a famous French manufacturer of Limoges china, Bernardaud, which produced a line of porcelain dinnerware based on his "Banality" sculpture series.  

You might not think a guy like Koons would be into fine china, but he has said that he "was always intrigued by porcelain, by both the economic and the sexual aspect of the material."  (Say what?)

I happened on Bernardaud's Park Avenue store while prowling the streets of midtown Manhattan on a brief trip there a couple of weeks ago.  I don't know about you, but when I see a display of dinner plates featuring the late Michael Jackson and his pet chimpanzee (Bubbles) in gold faux-military uniforms, I've just gotta stop and take a closer look:

Here's the original Koons sculpture:

Here's the plate based on that sculpture:

The "King of Pop"-and-his-monkey dinnerware is pretty pricey.  For one thing, the "Banality" series has six different designs, and to get one 16-cm Jackson bread-and-butter plates you have to buy a set containing all six designs -- which retails for $380.

If you want a single Jackson-and-Bubbles place setting -- a dinner plate, salad plate, bread-and-butter plate, and coffee cup and saucer -- you'll need to shell out a total of $2300.  (Plus tax and tip, of course.)

After telling the Bernardaud folks "Thanks, but no thanks," I crossed the street to do a little window-shopping at the Phillips gallery, which was about to hold an auction of contemporary art.

Once of the pieces that was most prominently displayed was "Laugh Now," a 2002 stencil painting by the wacky British artist known as Banksy, who started out as a graffiti artist.  It features a bunch of identical stenciled chimpanzees, some of which are wearing signboards that read "Laugh now, but one day we'll be in charge":

Here's a closeup of one of the Banksy chimps:

The presale estimate for "Laugh Now" was $300,000 to $400,00, but it eventually sold for $485,000.

I couldn't find any other chimp-related fine art works, so I went back to my hotel.

"Art for Art's Sake" was released on 10cc's 1976 album, How Dare You!, which was the last album featuring the group's original lineup.  I bought that album while I was in law school -- I had a real weakness for the arch, precious songs that 10cc, Sparks, and other bands of that ilk were putting out in the seventies.

The How Dare You! album jacket is pretty interesting.  Here's the front panel:

Here's the back panel:  

Here's the gatefold:

This link takes you to a page that discusses what those photos are all about.  

I'm not sure who sings the bridge of "Art for Art's Sake":

Money talks, so listen to it

Money talks to me

Anyone can understand it

Money can't be beat, oh no!

Maybe Jeff Koons?

Here's "Art for Art's Sake":

Click below to order the song from Amazon: