Odds & Ends: Bob Dylan, Bad Company, Joy Division

This isn’t the first time Bob Dylan has been nominated for France’s highest honor.

Reuters points out that French satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaine reported in May that Legion d’Honneur’s grand chancellor, Jean-Louis Georgelin, had dismissed the singer’s previous nomination because of Dylan’s view on the Vietnam war and “presumed pot smoking.”

Georgelin has changed his tune, telling Le Monde that Dylan is an “exceptional artist” and a “tremendous singer and great poet.” As for the previous nomination, he simply says there was a “controversy.”

The 17-member Legion d’Honneur’s council has now approved Dylan’s nomination from Culture Minister Aurelie Filipetti. According to Reuters, the council must give its OK that nominations from government ministers meet the institution’s principles.

Dylan was given a lower rank of the Legion d’Honneur in 1990.  

It’s hard to believe that Bad Company is just now making its network late night debut.

That just goes to show you that even after four decades, there are still some firsts to look forward to.

Before the band kicks off its 40th anniversary tour next weekend, Paul Rodgers and the gang will take the stage on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” June 10. The show airs on NBC, starting at 11:35 p.m. (10:35 Central).

The next stop for the band is the Grammy Museum is Los Angeles June 11 for an intimate set and a rare Q&A with fans.

The tour launches June 15 in Rancho Mirage, Calif., with dates booked through late September.

Joy Division’s 1980 tune “Love Will Tear Us Apart” has been turned into a video game called “Will Love Tear Us Apart?”

The game, which is made up of levels represented by each verse in the song, was created by Gordon Calleja and developed by independent Maltest game company Mighty Box Games (via Paste Magazine).

If you’re looking for something that will put you in a good mood, this might not be the game for you.

“WLTUA encourages players to reflect on the darker side of love: mis-communication, emotional impasse and the sadness of separation. Solace may be found in the brief moment of lightness that comes over us when we come to terms with the reality of an irreconcilable relationship.”

Check out the trailer below and play for free at WillLoveTearUsApart.com.