Artist Mark Ryden is a pretty successful painter, having created album art for Aerosmith and the Red Hot Chili Peppers before concentrating on art full time. And with his new showing, The Gay ’90s, having opened this past Saturday at the Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles, he’s doing something a little unconventional. He spoke to the Hollywood Reporter about an album that’s being released in conjunction with the opening. The Gay Nineties Old Tyme Music: Daisy Bell is a pretty unconventional album.
First of all, the album, which went on sale at the opening on Saturday, May 3, costs $99.99. Secondly, there’s the material on it. Every artist on it cpvers the same song, “Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two).” That song was a huge hit in the ’90s – the 1890’s that is. Fans of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey might remember HAL singing it. Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett is among those playing a version of the song. Also, Katy Perry, Tyler the Creator, Weird Al Yankovic, Danny Elfman and Nick Cave will be doing their renditions of the song on the 999 copies of the red vinyl, which were numbered and signed by Ryden. While half went on sale (and sold out) on Saturday, the remaining copies will be made available on his website starting on May 13th. Proceeds from the album will benefit Little Kids Rock, a non-profit supporting musical education in disadvantaged elementary schools.
