From Madonna to Britney Spears, Nirvana to 'N Sync, Rolling Stone music editor Joe Levy has something to say about all of them, and many other performers.
Levy, also a frequent guest on various VH1 shows, shared his opinions about rock 'n' roll, musical trends and personal anecdotes about his own life when he spoke to approximately 150 students Tuesday night at Hillel, 611 Langdon St.
\The two questions people continually ask me are 'Do you really listen to rap?,' and the answer is 'yes,' and 'Is teen pop really over?,' and I have to say 'not yet,'"" Levy said, adding later his own insights about Britney Spears.
""There isn't a soul in the world who isn't passionate about Britney Spears,"" he said. ""They hate her or they love her.""
Later in the talk Levy also referred to Britney Spears' fellow teen pop-star Christina Aguilera, saying both women sing songs that are often very sexual but without talking directly about sex.
""'I'm a genie in a bottle, come and rub me the right way''was it just me, am I the only one who thought 'For God's sake, Major Healey get in there!'?""
When asked his opinions on Madonna, Levy said a lot of her success came because she never paid attention to what other people thought about her.
""She constantly changed what she was wearing, but she didn't change her image until very recently,"" he said.
He also spoke about what he believed to be the differences between good performers and good singers, saying that the two do not necessarily go hand in hand.
""Dave Matthews does his best work on stage,"" he said, but added that it is difficult for him to listen to an entire Matthews CD in one sitting.
Levy, 38, was born in Porchester, New York, three years before the creation of Rolling Stone Magazine.
""I came from a family of doctors. ... It makes me somewhat of a disappointment,"" he said.
Levy attended Yale University as an undergraduate where he majored in English. At Yale, Levy's developed early talent for writing about music.
""I actually passed a course at Yale using Bruce Springsteen lyrics to explain Walt Whitman poetry,"" he said.
Hillel assistant director Jamie Berman, who helped plan Levy's visit, said besides being entertained by his speech, she was also impressed with the way Levy interacted with students throughout the day, such as meeting journalism students in the afternoon.
""We're always trying to reinvent ourselves by planning diverse programming,"" she said about bringing Levy to speak at Hillel.
In what may have been the most ironic part of the night, the music editor walked over to a stereo to play some songs written by or performed by Jewish artists, but could not figure out how to hit the play button.
