Lightning Jukebox

Γεωργία Συλλαίου/Σάκης Παπαδημητρίου "Ύμνος Ετη Μούσαν"

2012-01-29T09:00:00.002-05:00

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Γεωργία Συλλαίου/Σάκης Παπαδημητρίου
Ανοιχτές Διαδρομές
Εννέα Τραγούδια με Ιστορία
CD
(Ano Kato/ῥεῖ Records, 1997)

Pianist Σάκης Παπαδημητρίου (Sakis Papadimitriou) has been featured on the Jukebox before, but only as a solo artiste. In addition to his solo work and various sessions with other players, he and his wife Γεωργία Συλλαίου (Georgia Sylleou) have recorded three albums together as a duo, with her singing and him tinkling the ivories and tickling the steel.

Today's selection comes from their second album, Ανοιχτές Διαδρομές/Εννέα Τραγούδια με Ιστορία (Open Routes/Nine Storied Songs). The lyrics for "Ύμνος Ετη Μούσαν" (Hymn to the Muse) were written ca. 200 AD by Διονυσίου Αλικαρνασσέως (Dionyssios Halicarnasseas). While the entire album is wonderful, "Ύμνος Ετη Μούσαν" is my favorite track. Παπαδημητρίου's unconventional playing on this piece sets a dark, smokey mood, while Συλλαίου's languorous vocals reassure that, menacing as it sounds, there really is nothing to fear.

Hymn to the Muse

Chant, my dear Muse
and introduce my song
let the breeze
from your groves
vibrate my mind

Come forward and be good to me

Damon Edge "I'm a Gentleman"

2012-01-26T09:00:00.013-05:00

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Damon Edge
I'm a Gentleman
7" single
(New Rose Records, 1985)

There's an old saying about the sum of something being greater than its parts. This is often true of bands, and few more glaringingly so than San Francisco proto cyber punks Chrome. From their early days spitting out ice cold, metallic, chopped up weirdness on albums like Alien Soundtracks and Half Machine Lip Moves, to the final days of doom-laden, danceable whomp on thumpers like 3rd from the Sun and the two volumes of The Chronicles, the duo of Damon Edge and Helios Creed could do little wrong.

Unfortunately, they went their separate ways in the early '80s, with band founder Edge moving to France and retaining the Chrome name 'til his death in 1995 and both releasing music as solo artists. I used to slavishly buy any new release by either, always hoping that something would live up to their past glories. Sadly, nothing I ever heard did. I ended up ditching all that I had by both save this one, kickin' little single by Damon, from his first solo album, Alliance. I love, love, love this song. Maybe one day I'll revist the stuff I sold and discover I was wrong (I won't say things like that have never happened to me), but 'til that happens, I'll be spinning this puppy.

Creed revived the Chrome moniker for a few albums after Edge departed this mortal coil, but what I heard of them was little, if any, better than the near dozen that Edge released without him.

Be·Bop Deluxe "Teenage Archangel"

2012-01-25T09:00:00.027-05:00

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Be·Bop Deluxe
Teenage Archangel
7" single
(Smile Records, 1973)

Be-Bop Deluxe jumped out at me through the FM radio waves back in 1978. I'd heard of them, having seen their records in stores, but had never actually heard them. Their new album at the time was Drastic Plastic, and its hard, new wave sound turned out to be delectable ear candy to 14-year-old me (still is, too), even though I mostly listened to metal at the time (and thought punk rock sucked because Johnny Ramone didn't play any guitar solos when the Ramones were on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert).

The singles Panic in the World and Electrical Language got regular airplay where I lived, and I loved them so much I had to buy the album. It wasn't too long before I snapped up the rest of what was out there on LP, and was a happy, happy camper, despite the earlier albums being quite different: more prog rock than new wave and gobs and gobs and gobs of fantastic guitar.

At some point, I learned that Be·Bop Deluxe had released a single on their own label back in 1973, before signing with Harvest Records, home of Kevin Ayers, Syd Barrett, and other assorted weirdo geniuses. Luckily, in mid-1978 my family moved from northern Louisiana to the Washington, D.C. area, which had much better record stores. I tracked down a copy of the single at Yesterday & Today Records,which was the store in town if you were looking for obscurish punk, new wave, oddball, and/or heavy metal records. There were lots of other good stores, mind you, but Y&T was the epicenter, so to speak. The owner, Skip Groff, was incredibly supportive of the local underground scene. He produced sessions for local bands, had his own label, Limp Records (as opposed to the UK's Stiff Records, you see), and employed many of the local punk rockers of note at the store.

This single wasn't released with a picture sleeve, to the best of my knowledge, so that's my protective plastic sleeve holding it in the pic. I supposed I could've scanned it sans-sleeve, but I didn't want to risk damaging the record. I know the sound is a bit muddy, but that's the way it's sounded since the day I bought it. The song on the b-side, Jets at Dawn, was re-recorded for their first album, Axe Victim, but Teenage Archangel never made it beyond this little slab o' black wax.

NOTA BENE: Your eyes are not deceiving you; the band name above is written both as Be·Bop Deluxe and Be-Bop Deluxe. It changed from release-to-release. It was also written Be+Bop Deluxe, BE BOP deluxe, Be Bop Deluxe, and Funky Phaser and His Unearthly Merchandise (seriously! but just for the song Shine on the b-side of the Kiss of Light single).

I like actual comments . . . not libelous propaganda

2012-01-23T14:40:00.015-05:00

I deleted a comment this morning; I've never done that before in the year-and-a-half that I've been doing this blog.

Like most any blogger out here, I enjoy getting comments. When I got a notification this morning that I had a comment for the first time in three weeks, I was happy. Until I read the comment itself, that is:

Did you know that homosexuals make up only 3% of the population, yet they account for 40 to 50% of all child molestations? True Fact!

Firstly, the jury is still out on what percentage of the population is homosexual. Estimates have ranged from 1% to 10% over the years since Alfred Kinsey first reported the 10% figure in Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, published in 1948. Since there is still considerable social stigma associated with being gay or bisexual, many people hide their orientation. Worse, many attempt to hide it by attacking those who do not. Just take a look at all of the anti-gay politicians and religious leaders who've been, to borrow a song title from the Dead Boys, caught with the meat in [their] mouth[s]. It has long been my gut feeling that, if the stigma was completely eliminated, the 10% estimate may, in fact, be too conservative.

As for the claim that 40 to 50% of all child molestations are commited by homosexuals? From the American Psychological Association's on-line article Child sexual abuse: What parents should know:

Who are the perpetrators of child sexual abuse?
Most children are abused by someone they know and trust.
An estimated 60% of perpetrators of sexual abuse are known to the child but are not family members, e.g., family friends, babysitters, childcare providers, neighbors.
About 30% of perpetrators are family members, e.g., fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins.
Just 10% of perpetrators are strangers to the child.
In most cases, the perpetrator is male regardless of whether the victim is a boy or girl. Heterosexual and gay men are equally likely to sexually abuse children. A perception that most perpetrators are gay men is a myth and harmful stereotype.
Some perpetrators are female -- It is estimated that women are the abusers in about 14% of cases reported among boys and 6% of cases reported among girls.
Child pornographers and other abusers who are strangers may make contact with children via the Internet.
Not all perpetrators are adults - an estimated 23% of reported cases of child sexual abuse are perpetrated by individuals under the age of 18.
Other common characteristics of perpetrators include:
a history of abuse (either physical or sexual)
alcohol or drug abuse
little satisfaction with sexual relationships with adults
lack of control over their emotions
mental illness in some cases

I have no desire to start moderating comments, but any comments of a similar nature (i.e., false propaganda directed toward any group) will be deleted in future with no comment from me.

Juliet "My First Hardcore Song"

2012-01-21T00:30:00.008-05:00

Juliet
My First Hardcore Song
digital single
(self-released via iTunes, 2012)

UPDATE: Holy crap! This thing has exploded! The video below was posted on January 19, and, as of 9:45 a.m. EST January 22, it's rapidly approaching eleven-and-a-half million views on YouTube. The song is now available as a download from iTunes (please, see button above), and there's a already a website where you can buy t-shirts.

The original post:

Sorry for the lack of posts! In the meantime, I've watched this video so many times over the past few days, I should probably see a doctor.

Yes, the unasked question has been answered: What if Carcass had been eight-year-old girls?

Sara Goes Pop "Sexy Terrorist"

2012-01-11T09:00:00.019-05:00

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Sara Goes Pop
Sara Goes Pop
2 x 7" EP
(It's War Boys, 1982)

Poor Sara! I hope popping didn't hurt too much. This was the only Sara Goes Pop record, to the best of my knowledge, so I'm guessing all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Sara together again. Pity the king didn't think to have any, say, surgeons.

Whenever I hear this song, I picture Jack Wild singing it. I do my best to not think about his creepy talking flute, though.

Yes, I loved H.R. Pufnstuf when I was a wee bairn.

Sid and Marty Krofft were the kings of hallucinogenic children's TV back in the 60s and 70s. I watched all their shows, even Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. That one was a bit of a challenge, however, since they chose to cast in the lead role the most horrible boy on TV: Johnny Whitaker, prince of the wussies.

The best Sid and Marty Krofft show, of course, was Land of the Lost. Sleestaks rule!

Jad Fair "Kristy"

2012-01-10T09:00:00.009-05:00

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Jad Fair
Light Bulb Magazine Number Four:
The Emergency Cassette
2 x cassette compilation
(Los Angeles Free Music Society, 1981)

Kristy McNichol came out the other day, and the first thing I thought was, Poor Jad Fair must be crushed.

Here's Kristy today (right) with her other half of two decades, Martie Allen. From the blurb in People magazine:

McNichol, 49, who has lived with her partner Martie Allen, also 49, for the past two decades, decided to make a statement about her sexuality and share this photo because she is approaching 50 and wants to be open about who I am.
She is very sad about kids being bullied, her publicist Jeff Ballard tells PEOPLE. She hopes that coming out can help kids who need support. She would like to help others who feel different.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of very ugly comments in the People article. I'm not going to reprint any of them here, though. I just want to add my 2¢, that celebrities coming out does have a positive effect on young LGBT folk. So, bravo for Kristy!

There were nice comments, however, by folks who mentioned having crushes on Kristy when she was on TV back in the '70s and '80s. Sure, she was cute, but her older brother Jimmy was the one who caught my eye back then. No, I do not own the magazine with this pic. I did a Google image search, thankyouverymuch. If the results are at all indicative of reality, the poor boy owned very few shirts.

The Martha Dumptruck Massacre "Two"

2012-01-08T09:00:00.009-05:00

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The Martha Dumptruck Massacre
The Atomic Plains
CDR EP
(Sleepglue Records, 2004)

Previously, on Lightning Jukebox: The Martha Dumptruck Massacre impressed Lightning (that's me!) with an unexpected, and great, live set at Lenny's.

You know one of the things I really hate? Disreputable club owners.

When The Martha Dumptruck Massacre returned to town a year or so later, they ended up playing at a club run by scumbags. I'm almost positive it was the same charlatans who ran a similar club that had recently closed. They expected bands to do all the promotion, then they paid bands based upon the number of people at the door who indicated they were there to see them. They generally charged $5 at the door and payed bands $1 or $2 for each tick mark at the end of the night. One of my old bands played there twice. First time, we got paid $10. Second time, a massive $4.

For local bands, this is a lousy deal, but, if one busts one's ass promoting, one can theoretically still get a decent turnout. The club did no print ads, by the way, and their website was rarely updated. So, no one would know you're coming, if you depended solely on the club to let people know.

Did the club inform touring bands of this?

I spoke with bands who'd sent promo materials, such as tour posters, to the club, only to have said materials apparently just thrown away. I know there were two shows at that club where I was the entire paying audience for a touring band. When The Martha Dumptruck Massacre played this new club with the same modus operandi, I was, unsurprisingly, their entire paying audience. I felt horrible for them. On top of that, they were on a bill with a couple of (bad) teenage metal bands. Not exactly complementary, you know?

I bought all the merch they had that night (well, one of each thing I didn't already have, not their entire inventory), so they could hopefully at least get some food. The new release they had that night was the bearer of today's tune. It was a nifty three-song CDR EP in a hand letterpressed, gatefold, heavy, cardboard sleeve.

Unlike the Burning Bridge, The Atomic Plains is more of a chamber pop affair, with Joel on guitar and piano backed by viola and cello with minimal percussion. Today's track is the same song as yesterday's, in fact, in a completely new arrangement for this new configuration. This time 'round, however, it's entitled Two, rather than ____________. It's the second track on both releases, you see. Plus, it's version two of the song! :-D

Enjoy!

Sadly, since this release, the only thing I've heard about (and gotten, of course) was a CDR single with a gorgeous version of White Christmas. It even came with a Christmas card and a (probably now stale) candy cane.

the Martha Dumptruck Massacre "____________"

2012-01-07T09:00:00.004-05:00

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the Martha Dumptruck Massacre
the Burning Bridge
CD
(Sleepglue Records, 2003)

Man, I wish I had a copy of the review I wrote of the first time I saw The Martha Dumptruck Massacre. I remember writing something like, Remember that quiet, cute boy at the back of your math class? The one you always wanted to talk to but were too shy? Well, The Martha Dumptruck Massacre is his band.

The first time I saw The Martha Dumptruck Massacre, it was not intentional. I'd gone to a now defunct local dive called Lenny's to see one of my favorite, also now defunct, local bands, Made in China. They were set to open, so I was going to watch them then head across town to another club to see another band who were doing a headlining set. As it turned out, the schedule got flipped (I think one of the MiC guys was late arriving or something, perhaps that was the night bassist/vocalist Rob Solomon auditioned for American Idol).

As a result, I ended up watching The Martha Dumptruck Massacre and being blown away. Many of their songs were low key indie rock, and some were more aggressiver (like today's song), but the one they played last, the nine minute epic Somewhere in the movie, had usually shyly reserved and slightly awkward leader/vocalist/guitar Joel Alter on his knees, banging the crap outta his guitar by the end. It was cathartic as a deleted expletive. I have my reasons for not posting it; they shall be revealed at a future date!

I bought the CD pictured above, the one containing today's song, that night plus a 7" EP.

Yes, the title of this song really is ____________, though I must admit I have estimated at the correct number of underscores (that estimate being 12, if you're keeping score).

They came back to town the next year, under very different circumstances.

To be continued . . .

Rob's big moment! Apparently, the song shown here is the one he used at the pre-audition. He sang something else for Simon and the gang; reality TV, my ass! His singing in Made in China was pretty cool; it reminded me a bit of the vocalist for '70s UK art punkers The Homosexuals.

Double-O "You've Lost"

2012-01-06T09:00:00.018-05:00

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OO
OO
7" EP
(R&B Records/Dischord Records, 1983)

Sometimes, OK often, bands fall through the cracks of history. OO is one of them. They featured former members of bands that appeared on the seminal harDCore (i.e., hardcore from Washington, D.C.) compilation album Flex Your Head*, and all four members went on to later bands of varying success**. Aside from this one lil' 7" record, though, their recorded legacy is somewhat . . . scant.

photo: Sharon Cheslow

Sure, the band name on the cover is Double-O, but OO is the way they wrote it. That's OO as in two interlocking circles, as in unity. Yeah, they were emo-ish before the advent of emo. Back when emo was a music thing, that is, rather than a skinny jeans & guyliner thing. They explain it in more detail in this interview from the zine If This Goes On.

Musically, OO were one of the earlier bands in the harDCore scene to incorporate such a marked heavy metal influence to their sound. They were also the first, to the best of my knowledge, to have a ballad in their repertoire: Funeral for a Friend. It's quite maudlin and far-and-away my least favorite track on this record. Still, I guess it has some historical significance, if nothing else. Sorta like smallpox. The other four songs on this platter are all ragers, though, and I picked my favorite for today's jukebox track.

NOTA BENE: As was traditional in D.C. at the time, the record was not released 'til after the band broke up.

VANTARSI: I was at the show from whence the above live pic comes. Prior to that, I'd never even heard of them.

*Vocalist Eric L. had been in Red C and the rhythm section (Rich Moore & Bert Queiroz) had been in The Untouchables, as opposed to The Untouchables. Bert had also been in Youth Brigade, not to be confused with Youth Brigade.

**Eric went on to E.N.B. (aka Eric's New Band) who eventually settled on the name Dove and got really mersh. Rich & Bert started Minor Threat Jr., aka Second Wind. Guitarist Jason went on to play with grating artpunkers 9353.

Tom Jones "Act of Mercy"

2012-01-04T09:00:00.007-05:00

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Tom Jones
Do You Take This Man
LP
(EMI Columbia, 1979)

Yeah, I know . . . I've posted two Tom Jones songs already. I can't help it; I am obsessed.

The lil' goodie today comes from what would appear to be Tom's rarest album, Do You Take This Man. As you might guess from the cover, it's quite discofied. Normally, I can't stand disco, but I'll make the occasional exception.

It's impossible for me to say with absolute certainty that this his Tom's rarest, but I can say that it took me years to find a copy. For the longest time, based on the lack of information about it on the 'net, I thought it might be one of the 57 bazillion compilation albums out there. In addition, it was released in 1979, the same year that Rescue Me was released over here on my side of the pond from Wales. If you think the front cover's something, you should see the picture inside the gatefold. Tom is resplendent in chesty hirsuteness, and that belt buckle you can see on the front? It's enormous! The cover pic does not do it justice. It'd probably be quite handy for hand-to-hand combat. Oop! Pun not intended.

Much as I love Tom, I'm not sure if I would be able to decide between Do You Take This Man and Rescue Me which has the ickiest cover.

Anyhow, today's track was apparently originally done either by disco queen Vicki Sue Ring My Bell Robinson or Hamilton, Joe Frank & Dennison, formerly known as Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds; both released versions in 1976. I listened to a bit of a clip of VSR's recording on YouTube, and I have to say Tom's version is better. Then again, with Tom, that's usually the case.

Now, I'm just not familar enough with disco to know if the repeating string figure is common, or if Madonna flat out stole it for Vogue. I'll let you be the judge. Sorry the clip below isn't the original video, and is a different mix. Madonna won't allow embedding from YouTube, so we head to Vimeo for Robert Jeffrey's version:

I performed to MADONNA's VOGUE in the Summer of 1991 when my parents took me to Hampton Beach Casino in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. A business in the casino at the time gave tourists the chance to lip-synch to their favorite pop songs in front of a blue screen background, and I was lucky enough to partake that summer.

Alchemical Rowdies "Tour de Convulse"

2012-01-03T09:00:00.006-05:00

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Alchemical Rowdies
Trans-Idio
LP
(Trans Museq, 1981)

Free improvisation! Yea! None's been featured for a while, so here's a nice selection from a fine platter from the Alchemical Rowdies. I'm guessing the album is entitled Trans-Idio 'cause it's a collaboration of Alabama's Davey Williams and LaDonna Smith, who've run the Trans Museq label since the mid-'70s, and ¾ of Virginia's Idio Savant, whom I featured here early last year (all of them are here but Marty McCavitt, who I suppose was too busy mutilating cattle).

This probably sounds like random noise to a lot of people; it sure did to me, at first. In fact, I sold my first copy of this 'cause I couldn't stand it. I'd bought it 'cause the same ¾ of Idio Savant that play on it were later in the fabulous Orthotonics, also featured here in the past. It sounded nothing like the Orthos, though, and my brain was still too small and unprepared. Full disclosure: I'd never even heard of Idio Savant at that point. It was several more years before I was able to really wrap my head around free improv.

Explaining why I like stuff like this isn't easy. I noticed when I was around nineteen or twenty that I was starting to really like music that was full of chaos, but chaos that had some sort of anchor, like a good beat amidst the noise, or that gelled in some other way. Good free improvisation is a dialog between musicians, the gel comes from the conversation: the players are listening and responding to each other. On the other hand, people in their own little worlds, playing away, and not paying attention to each other, tend to be considerably less interesting.

Line-up:

J. Pippin Barnett - percussion
Danny Finney - saxophones
LaDonna Smith - violin, viola, voice
Paul Watson - trumpets, alto horn
Davey Williams - electric guitar

Donald Shirley "Secret Love"

2011-12-30T09:00:00.012-05:00

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Donald Shirley
Tonal Expressions
LP
(Cadence Records, 1955)

Back in the days before I was borned, or even close to it, my mother bought records. Sure, my dad did, too, and most of their collection he likely acquired, but I found several albums with her maiden name written across the fronts when I raided their obsolete-to-them record collection several months ago. Ha! I deftly, electronically erased it from this one, however; no stealing my identity!

Donald Shirley was not a name I had heard before, but something about the title, Tonal Expressions, and the cover intrigued me. Unfortunately, when I returned home to my beloved (and my) turntable, I discovered it was in rather terrible condition. The little snippets on which I decided to risk my stylus sounded interesting, however. I took a gander on-line, and found a super cheap used copy of a double-CD, pairing it with his next-and-second album, Piano Perspectives. Woohoo!

My initial visual impression was, indeed, warranted; it's a wonderful album (and Piano Perspectives is no slouch, either). It's mostly a mellow affair, as Shirley primarily plays jazz standards, Tin Pan Alley numbers, and show tunes. He doesn't just play them, however; he plays in and around them. Arrangements go out the window and bits of other tunes often slip in and out and through the pieces. It's a sumptuous yet understated affair, lush but never saccharine.

My favorite piece, and today's jukebox selection, Secret Love, was a bit young to be a standard yet, as it was written only a couple of short years earlier for the 1953 film Calamity Jane (see below), starring Doris Day, whose TV show, the imaginatively named The Doris Day Show, I loved as a child.

And now, let's give the album's liner notes the floor for a bit, shall we?

Let us begin simply by saying that Don Shirley is a pianist. With all that this term implies, it is used here in its fullness to designate the stature of this musician. The kind of piano he ploys may now be, and most certainly and more acutely will be in the future, open to debate.
We would not be inclined to categorize him as a classical or as a jazz musician although with the public that is likely to happen. We would go further and say that his kind of music does not seem to hinge between the two although this is the designation he is likely to receive by many. We would go one step further and say that of all the things that might be consigned him, he is most nearly to become the artist embodying the suffusion of the classics and the modern.
These are strong statements to make. They would be so if the artist here considered were an established one. It is dangerous to claim them when he is beginning the ascent. We allow his musical history and what you will hear in this and forthcoming albums to be the proof.
In considering his background, you should know that his first teacher was his mother, that he was born in Kingston, Jamaica on January 27, 1927, that at the age of nine he was extended on invitation to study theory with Mittolovski at the Leningrad Conservatory of Music, that he later studied with the famous organist Conrad Bernier, and that he studied advanced composition with both Bernier and Dr. Thaddeus Jones at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D. C.
Shirley mode his concert debut with the Boston Pops Symphony Orchestra in Boston June 25, 1945, with Dean Dixon as guest conductor. In 1949 he received an invitation from the Haitian government to play at the Exposition Internationale du Bi-Centenaire De Port-au-Prince followed by a request from Archbishop Le Goise and President Estime for a repeat performance the following week. Upon Arthur Fiedler's recent trip to Chicago, Shirley was again extended on invitation to appear with the orchestra in June 1954.
With such a background, it is evident that Shirley is a highly respected legitimate musician possessing great technical skill and an innate musical ability. He displays also great tenderness and emotional depth which render his performances inspiring.

Yeah, Secret Love may not sound like something you'd expect from this blog, but I absolutely adore this album! Sadly, my mother is getting up in years, and, when I asked her about it, hoping to please her by my liking it, she only vaguely remembered Shirley's name.

Ian Lloyd "One More Chance (Sha La La)"

2011-12-29T09:00:00.062-05:00

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Ian Lloyd
Ian Lloyd
LP
(Polydor, 1976)

Roughly a fortnight after I became a teenager, I attended my first rock concert. Yes, that's the actual ticket stub from said show! Not long after that show, I started buying records with my own money. My parents had given me a copy of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band that they found at a yard sale when I was twelve, but that was the only record I had that wasn't a children's record.

Even during this early phase of record buying, I was already doing the buy-it-'cause-it-looks-interesting-and-it's-cheap thing. I found this Ian Lloyd album at a huge rummage sale held at the same place I'd seen Kiss earlier. I bought it and Slayed? by Slade, who looked a bit thuggish (this was a positive; I wanted loud, tough music); I think they were 25¢ each (the albums, not the members of Slade). I hated the Slade album (love it now, though), but the LLoyd one I listened to a lot. It certainly didn't rock as hard as Kiss (especially not on this track!), but the songs were catchy, and I liked it.

Some time in college, I sold off a ton of records when I was getting heavily into hardcore punk, and this was one of the casualties. A few months ago, I started getting a hankering to hear it again. This urge was partially inspired by my obsession for all things Starz (featured here this past October), as Starz guitarist Richie Ranno had played briefly in Lloyd's pre-solo group Stories before becoming a Star(z), but not on their huge 1973 hit Brother Louie (please, see below). My interest was also piqued 'cause I couldn't even remember what it sounded like!

Looking around town proved fruitless, so I turned to the 'net. It didn't take very long for a sealed copy to appear on eBay for a reasonable price, and off a-bidding I went. When it arrived, the songs sounded only vaguely familiar, but I still liked many of them, lo these many decades later. I debated between a few, and this song kept popping into my head, so here 'tis.

Geez, I even saved the newspaper ad for the above concert! But hey, it was my first (not counting my daddy taking me to see the Jackson 5 when I was eight), and Kiss were the hottest band in the land! A pack rat at an early age . . .

NOTA BENE: Today's entry gets the before they were famous tag, in addition to after, as it was writ by Mick Jones, who played guitar here and not long after shot to megastardom with ~~The Clash~~ Foreigner, whom I never particularly liked (but they were at least more palatable than Boston).

Blue Ice "Power Play"

2011-12-28T09:00:00.011-05:00

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Blue Ice
Power Play
7" single
(Cracked Records, 1977)

I have no idea what the significance of blue ice is, but there are currently four different groups with that name on Discogs.com. What the heck? Is it a drug thing? I'm straightedge as a very bad word, so I'm not hip to all the controlled substance vernacular. Of course, being hip is an old term for smoking opium.

Regardless, this particular Blue Ice was a hard rockin' band from Harrisburg, PA. This was the lone record they released, before new wave had made its way to the wilds of Pennsylvania. They clearly were influenced by the psychedelic sounds of the 6T's, as the flip of this lil' disc is a nice cover of The Electric Prunes' I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night), though they killed the parentheses for some no doubt nefarious, unknown reason. Or it was just a mistake. Evil is more fun than error, though. So there!

So . . .

Power Play

Power Play is what brings us together today.

Power Play, that blessed event. That dream within a dream.

Sorry! Got distracted . . .

While Power Play is, indeed, a slammin' little number, what really sets it apart and above and such is the insane synth solo near the end. The player of said instrument (and second vocalist on this track) was Bill Stump. After new wave came into being (to use his words), he changed his name to Billy Synth and has been sporadically active both solo and with various groups ever since. I highly recommend the two albums recorded as Billy Synth and The Turn Ups.

NOTA BENE: The bass player on this is Roger Deller, who kept his surname and his bass and played on the (Billy-less) Turn Ups' Crack My Face featured here last year.

Cee Jay "Take Your Love and Shove It"

2011-12-27T09:00:00.013-05:00

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Cee Jay
Take Your Love and Shove It
7" single
(Amoura Records, 1980)

As I mentioned earlier this year, my folks moved to a retirement home just over a year ago. Amongst the classical, jazz, Gilbert & Sullivan, and childrens' records (mine and my sister's), I found this 45. I'm guessing it belonged to my sis*, as I can't imagine our folks ever buying or listening to country music. Plus, she likes it (more than I, I mean). When I saw the title, I was compelled to stick it in the pile of stuff headed southward to my house.

It turned out to be a fun song, sung by a woman sporting some impressive mom jeans on the album cover I found on-line.

According to the listing on Amazon for the album itself, Pure Country, it dates from 1980. It sure doesn't sound like contemporary country music. That's a compliment.

*I will, of course, return it; if it's hers and she wants it back.

Workdogs "I Saw Momma Kissing Santa Claus Thing"

2011-12-25T09:00:00.006-05:00

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Workdogs
No Two Flakes the Same
compilation LP
(Penny for the Guy Records, 1988)

How 'bout a nice, naughty song for Christmas?

Yes?

Here ya' go! Man, this gonna throw a monkey wrench into Santa's nice and naughty lists, eh? Maybe I'll get an extra pretty, magic lump of coal.

From what I recall, the rest of this compilation is pretty forgettable. The Workdogs were the only reason I bought it, in fact.

Thralldom "The Expiration is Sweeter Than Death"

2011-12-24T09:00:00.017-05:00

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Thralldom
The Seven Heads of the Lion-Serpent
7" EP
(Deathstrike Records, 2005)

One of the things I loved about Thralldom was their use of shotgun blasts for percussion. They used more standard drummy/percussiony things, too, mind you, but the explosion of gunpowder and buckshot is a beautiful thing to behold. Or maybe it's evil. People like to refer to Thralldom as a black metal band, but they don't wish to be pigeonholed; they will kill you, if you call them black metal. In fact, one of them is named KILLUSION (I'm not shouting–that's the way he writes it). The other one is Jaldagar, btw. Duos are the bestest!

Thralldom split five years or so ago, unfortunately, but KILLUSION manages to keep himself plenty busy. He followed-up Thralldom with Drifting Collision, who were renamed The Howling Wind after their first release. He also played guitar in Villains, but left them and now plays with Pollution. Oh, and he's part of the noise duo Abandoner. He's best known, though, as the guitarist & vocalist for the astonishingly heavy Unearthly Trance. He's also known as Ryan Lipynsky, if you ask to see his driver's license. Ask nicely, though.

Captain Kangaroo "Happy Hands"

2011-12-19T09:00:00.006-05:00

Captain Kangaroo
The Horse in Striped Pajamas
6" single
(Golden Records, 1959)

Hey! Hey! Hey!

I'm finally back!

Today, it's time for happy fun time. Or, more accurately, happy hands time. Now, maybe it's just the dirty perv that lives in my brain, but Happy Hands is a rather suggestive song title, in my opinion.

I'm sure it's all completely innocent, but still . . .

Then again, my brother's hands are working fits rhythmically much better than my brother's hands are masturbating. Of course, my brother's hands are sinning would fit, but perhaps the good Captain was wise enough to know that 99% of males beat off, and the other 1% are either lying, in comas, or bereft of hands. Not even sad hands.

:'(

But we must also take into account the fact that the Captain's viewing audience, which once included lil' ol' [young] me, was a bit young to be risking impotence and insanity, via the dread evil that is self-pleasure.

On a personal note, our TV died one morning while I was eating breakfast and watching Captain Kangaroo. It was quite traumatic. I was two or three years old at the time, and still remember the screen unexpectedly going dead black.

For those too young and/or gaijin to know who the heck Captain Kangaroo was, he was Bob Keeshan, the titular host of a long-running morning TV show that I adored. The best parts were when Mr. Moose would dump copious deluges of ping pong balls on the Captain, and when the mysterious Dancing Bear would appear for a few moments to dance for us.

Polls! Polls! Polls!

2011-11-17T04:45:00.005-05:00

After chatting with some folk about my blog, I've decided to put up a few polls. I respect honest feedback, so I've decided to ask for some before I consider making changes to the blog. Please, feel free to comment, in addition to voting in the polls.

In the meantime, there will continue to be a lack of posts for a few more days, as I am trying to better learn CSS, to improve both the blog and the contents of my swelling, itching brain.

Axehandle "Pulp"

2011-11-11T09:00:00.060-05:00

Axehandle
Axehandle
CDR
(self-released, 2003)

In honor of today being National Metal Day, or something, I will be featuring one of my favorite lesser-known metallic ensembles. On a side note, why the Hell is 11-11-11 a metal day? All I can think is because the numbers add up to 6, as in 666, the number of the beastie. But, if that's the reasoning, then today should be International Patrick McGoohan Day. Hmph.

Math time!

Don't'cha' love Venn Diagrams?

I do! Or, I should say, I did when I was a wee schoolboy. I think. That was a while ago.

Anyhow . . .

My friend Elizabeth, whom I've mentioned before, informed me sometime in the late '80s that she'd seen God. As it turned out, she meant she'd seen Avail play in Richmond, Virginia (an hour away) the night before. Embarrassed as I am to admit this, I have to admit I've never heard them. I've heard plenty of positive stuff about them, however, and Elizabeth generally has excellent taste. One day, I will check them out. I promise.

What does this have to do with anything?

Well, Richmond musician Erik Larson first made a name for himself as Avail's drummer, Erik Larson (see above diagram). Yes, I wrote that intentionally. I don't think he was playing with Avail when Elizabeth saw them, but that is beside the point, dammit. He went on to play guitar in the stoner metal band Alabama Thunderpussy, who were also from Richmond, which is not now and has never in Alabama. Unless someone has been lying to me.

'Round about 2003, three fifths of ATP started the side project Axehandle (see above diagram). They toured a bit and released one album, the eponymously-titled Axehandle. They originally released it themselves as a professionally duplicated CDR, and I bought a copy when I saw them that year. Their setup was rather unique, I must add. The aforementioned Erik sang and played rhythm drums, ATP drummer Big Shirley (AKA Bryan Cox) played lead drums, and ATP guitarist Ryan Lake stood behind them, playing a single guitar (a Les Paul, if I remember correctly) through two massive Marshall stacks. It was awesome, so I bought their CDR. The CDR also turned out to be awesome, and Small Stone Records apparently agreed, as they did a proper release on regular, regulation CD the following year. I've chosen to use the cover from the CDR version above, though, as I bought it first, and I like it better than the new cover down here. A lot better, actually.

Tragically, Axehandle never released anything else. Tragically 2 (The Electric Boogaloo), they never released their horrific cover of Phil Collins' I Don't Care Anymore. Seriously, it was menacing as Hell when they performed it at that show. Lyrically, it fit right in with their other anger-and-psychosis-and-violence drenched material; it was a good fit percussively, as well.

BTW, I saw Brass Castle for the first time that same night. They rapidly became my favorite local band, amidst a ton of great local bands, and will most definitely be featured here at some point.

Terror at the Opera "Masquerade"

2011-11-07T09:00:00.008-05:00

Terror at the Opera
I'm in the Eye
7" single
(Ypsilanti Records, 2004)

The cover for Terror at the Opera's album Snake Bird Blue intrigued me. The duo (Gretchen and Faith) are pictured in what looks like a color Polaroid from the 1950s.

No, I don't know when Polaroid introduced color film! Get off my back!!

Anyhow, it reminded me of my all-time favorite pop vocal duo, the fabulous Barry Sisters! The CD was in a bargain bin for only $3, so there was no way I was gonna pass it up. It turned out to be a rather haunting, lo-fi and low-key affair, that actually sounded more like Yoko Ono (her often charming, slightly off-key singing voice, rather than her amazing, shrieking, ululating voice) singing gypsy folk songs than The Barry Sisters. No matter. I adore Yoko (and now Terror at the Opera, too)!

Terror at the Opera's now defunct website turned me on to this single, released sometime after the album. It took until just a few weeks ago to finally find a copy, though! It turned out to be limited to only 300 copies (on clear vinyl, to boot), so I'm not entirely surprised.

Today's song is either the B-side, if you go by the back cover and/or label's long ignored MySpace page (which I found after I found the single), or it's the A-side, if you look at the mastering numbers in the matrix. Imma go with B-side. Enjoy!

Jimi Hendrix "She Went to Bed with My Guitar"

2011-11-04T09:00:00.010-04:00

Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix at his Best
VOLUME 1
bootleg LP
(SagaPan, 1972)

Sometimes, I swear I'm a mind reader! I just know that some of you dear readers out there want to explore the music of Jimi Hendrix, but you don't know where to start, what with all the studio albums, 8-tracks, live albums, cereal boxes, box sets, etc.

Well . . .

Problem solved!

According to the cover of this album, it's Jimi at his best, and they couldn't call it that if it wasn't true. Right? Right???

No doubt, you've heard of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, featuring Jimi on guitar and vocals (yep, just like today's song) along with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell (did he have unimaginitive parents, or what?). I'm not sure who is drumming on this session, but Mitch absolutely pales in comparison! There's no bass, so I can't really comment on the lack of Noel Redding. However, there seems to be a cat walking on an Ace Tone organ in a few spots, and that's far more exciting than just a buncha old notes that have probably already been used elsewhere.

I'm going to stop here and let the man responsible for getting this excellent release (plus two more volumes!) out into the world. Take it away, Mike!

It was Autumn 1964. A cruel wind, freezing and sullen, ripped the profuse scum and garbage off Bleeker Street and sent it flying out of sight above the houses. Sharp pieces of grit lodged in my legs and spattered my eyes. Even soda cans went crashing down the street. Behind me a howl went up. My friend and I turned round fast. Behind us, someone had been hit in the face by a flying soda can.
"Hey Jimi, are you alright?" said my friend Jake (former lead guitar with the Jugs). He knew everyone in the village. "Sure you're okay?"
"Yeh, Yeh" said Jimi. "Long as my guitar's cool, I'm cool." "In New York City, it's law of the jungle, fittest survive, you dig."
We laughed. All the while I was staring hard at this strange figure. It was the first time I had seen him. In those days, extreme poverty kept him on the streets, sometimes even sleeping there a few hours in the early morning in someone's back doorway. He would carry his guitar on his shoulders always. His jacket was black and frayed. His bowler hat was perched on his huge mass of hair.
I was to see Jimi several times more that winter. Usually he rushed past me on his way, unseeing. In those days, he was totally unknown in New York. Only he and a handful of others were aware of his incredible musical power. Back and forth among that handful Jimi would come and go, all day and night, seeking, learning to refine and re-define, grasp his powers and master them, develop and explore his talents upon the highest apex he could achieve.
And among the several places where he jammed running from one jam to the next, he met those musicians who could contribute to his search. One night coming out of Stanley's Bar on Avenue B, I bumped into Jimi.
"Come over to my pad and play some music," I said. He fell in with me silently. He was always quiet, almost shy, so different from the Jimi on stage.
I am a piano player unknown except among musicians, mostly those of the New York avant-garde music scene, though I had always felt there could be a meeting between this form and rock.
That night we played far into the dawn and it was the most astonishing experience of my life. Eagerly I awaited more. Jimi came round many more times that winter, playing sounds that shattered all conventions and traditions exploring areas with feedback and electronic effects that had never before been touched. This was the pure Jimi, the pristine musician, resplendent in his crystalline form, unsullied by fame and unstained by fortune.
Sometimes I would turn on the borrowed Sony to get an idea of where the music was leading to. Everytime we played back we would laugh and shake our heads in amazement and exhilaration. Occasionally, too, a Conga drummer would sit in with us, not always able to follow the intricacies of the rhythms I patterned out with my chords and la la la's. And so these recordings came about.
Jimi, just before his death, talked to me about them. He felt there was a spontaniety there he had been unable to achieve with his trio; something he had sought ever since but never again experienced. He would like to see them turned into records. He told me this two weeks before his death. We were both in New York. We spent a long time talking old times. He remembered our free form experiments done in my East 11th St. pad when we had both been kids with musical stars in our eyes.
"They'd make better records," he said. "Than some of the shit that's making me so much bread."
"I still have the tapes Jimi", I said. "Okay, why don't you come to London," he pleaded quietly. "That was real music." I asked him if this meant he was no longer playing real music. He did not answer. I asked him if he remembered how he had played to my chords and the two of us had achieved a spontaneous rapport so quickly and smoothly under my youthful direction. He laughed. He remembered only too well.
"Your structures, Mike," he said, "were your own. You were great. But you didn't make it. I did. Strange, Mike, you never made it. And strange I feel jealous of you."
Two weeks later, in London, he was dead.
Mike Ephron

Fallen Angels "The Kid Gets Hot"

2011-11-01T09:00:00.006-04:00

Fallen Angels
The Kid Gets Hot
7" promo single
(Arista Records, 1975)

I know what you're all saying, now that LGBT History Month is over; "Hey, Lightning, so Looking Glass eventually evolved into Starz, right? What was the missing link? What transitional fossil can you provide to prove your claim? How do we know Starz didn't just spring, fully-formed from the fingertips of God?"

Well . . . here it is! The second (of two) promo-only singles released by the Fallen Angels way back in 1975 on Arista Records. The first was a cover of "(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet", by the way, except they slyly dropped the parentheses.

First, note the songwriting credits: P. Sweval and M.L. Smith. Those are Pieter Sweval and Michael Lee Smith, respectively. Pieter had been been the bassist (and writer of several songs) of Looking Glass, and Michael was the future vocalist for Starz. Now, you can't tell from this single, but the other members of Fallen Angels were drummer Joe Dube and keyboardist Larry Gonsky, both ex-Looking Glass, and guitarist Brenden Harkin, future Starzer. For historicity's sake, I must divulge that Smith and Harkin were both members of the final line-up of Looking Glass, after vocalist/guitarist Elliot Lurie (the one who wrote and sang their mega-smash hit "Brandy") left to go solo. Gonsky was replaced with a smokin' guitarist named Richie Ranno, Joe added the mysterious middle initial X, and the Fallen Angels became Starz.

I know of at least one Looking Glass single recorded with the final, post-Lurie line-up, but I can't tell you much about it 'cause I only just bought it off eBay a few minutes ago. The A-side is "Highway to Hollywood," written by Gonsky, and the b-side is "Rock This Town," which was later recorded by Starz for a demo in 1975. Maybe I'll post the single after it comes in the mail.

According to an interview that I skimmed an hour or so ago with Starz guitarist Richie Ranno, there were two post-Lurie Looking Glass singles; no info yet on what the other was, sadly.

Happy Flowers "Razors in My Apple"

2011-10-31T09:00:00.006-04:00

Happy Flowers
Now We Are Six
7" EP
(Catch Trout Records, 1986)

Sorry, sorry, sorry!

I know I posted a song by this band just last week, but, well, I've not been able to think of any other Halloween-releated songs by LGBT folk and/or bands!

:'-(

This litle ditty was from their second 7" EP, and was one of the first of their songs to feature actual percussion . . . of a sort. Mr. Anus played two cookie tins with contact mics taped to them. As with the other Happy Flowers song I posted, it was improvised live in the studio with no overdubbing or mixing afterward.

Dead Fingers Talk "Nobody Loves You When You're Old and Gay"

2011-10-30T09:00:00.009-04:00

Dead Fingers Talk
Storm the Reality Studios
LP
(Pye Records, 1978)

I'd been aware of this band for many years when I read Naked Lunch in 1991. One of the many things that jumped out at me was all the band names and song titles therein.

There it was, near the top of page 199 of my copy: "Only dead fingers talk in braille. . . ."

Seven or eight years later, my friend Aaron was thinning his record collection a bit while I was visiting. He offered me his copy of Storm the Reality Studios, and I excitedly took it. From what I'd read, they were one of the few punk/new wave bands that sang about gay life in the mid/late-1970s (the only other one I know of was the Tom Robinson Band, and DFT were far better, in my opinion). Other than that, I knew nothing about them. As it turned out, the album is fantastic!

Like many other bands of the mid/late-70s punk era, their formation pre-dated 1976 by quite a stretch. The core of the band started playing together in the band Bone in 1969! This probably accounts for the obvious Lou Reed and David Bowie influences, as opposed to, say, Iggy and the Stooges and/or the MC5.

Though lead singer/primary songwriter Bobo Phoenix wrote and sang about gay life, guitarist Jeff Parsons says in the liner notes to the (absolutely essential) 2000 CD reissue:

None of the band were gay, but there was a sense of relating to those who were out of society's norm. It was powerful, and in those days still quite shocking subject and we felt we tapped into something in the minds of our audience who could relate to that.

Bobo was not interviewed for the liner notes, however, so there's no way of knowing for certain if Parsons is correct.

About the aforementioned reissue: It adds both sides of the non-LP "This Crazy World" single, plus another six previously unreleased tunes. Had I made a "favorite reissues" list in 2000, it probably would've been at the top.

Honor Role "Swing It / Interlude"

2011-10-29T09:00:00.002-04:00

Honor Role
Rictus
LP
(Homestead Records, 1989)

Longer write-up to come . . .

In the meantime, amazing guitarist Pen Rollings came out sometime in the 90s or 00s. When Merge Records released a compilation CD of all Honor Role's releases, this song was the only one omitted, not counting the songs from the split cassette they released with Graven Image in the early 80s, Your Skull Is My Bowl.

Phil Dooley and his Orchestra "Can't Do without His Love"

2011-10-23T09:00:00.013-04:00

Phil Dooley and his Orchestra
Can't Do without His Love
10" single
(Victor, 1932)

In his liner notes to the fun and frisky collection Can't Help Lovin' That Man, (very) openly gay critic Michael Musto wrote:

Listen to this compilation and listen hard honey, because you won't believe your ears. It's not just that it's a bunch of old 20s and 30s love songs directed irrevocably at men; it's that they also happen to be sung by men. The result is a sexually titillating aural felt that staggers the queer imagination.
And why did these musical Don Juans choose to sing such homoerotic odes? Because they felt "that way" with such burning urgency that they just couldn't wait to put their emotions on shellac 78s? No, dear. Because back then, song publishers had such a stranglehold on the popular music industry that you didn't dare tamper with a song lyric—even if you were a guy singing a tune written for a gal. Change the words and they'd cut off your dingaling, and then you could go back to the original words with no problem.

Here's the thing, though: in this instance, the singer wrote the darn song!, so it's not like he was crooning someone else's lascivious lyrics. On top of that, his vocal is quite campy and outrageous, two big hallmarks of gay entertainment. Of course, it's possible that he wrote it for a female singer, but I've not been able to find any evidence that it was ever recorded by anyone else!

I've not been able to turn up much about Phil Dooley other than he wrote and sang this paen to his man. It was originally released under his own name, as you can in the above pic, but was later issued 1n 1977 on a compilation LP on RCA/Bluebird of material by Joe Haymes & His Orchestra. Dooley appears to have been given proper credit there, but when Can't Help Lovin' That Man was released, Haymes somehow became the primary artiste. The Victor release number in the liner notes, 24060, however, matches the image above.

This is another case of me cheating, by the way. I ripped the song from the aforementioned compilation CD. Google turned up precisely one instance of an image for the record, itself: a 10", shellac, 78 rpm disc. That image came from a 2007 eBay auction, where the record sold for $325! Unfortunately, the picture was just the label, so I got super creative and found a full image of another Victor 78 of similar vintage, then pasted the label over the top. I think it looks pretty good.

Important Note for Vegetarian and Vegan Listeners: Shellac is made from the dried excretions of female lac bugs, so do not eat 78s, no matter how tempting they may be!

It should go without saying that Steve Albini is made of meat and also should not be eaten.

Happy Flowers "Jenny Tried to Kiss Me at Recess"

2011-10-21T09:00:00.003-04:00

Happy Flowers
My Skin Covers My Body
LP
(Homestead Records, 1987)

The . . . um . . . vocalist on this "tune," Mr. Horribly-Charred-Infant, didn't come out 'til a few years after the band split in mid-1990. This track is probably their gayest, in retrospect.

Random facts:

All Happy Flowers songs were recorded live in the studio, with no mixing or overdubbing done afterward. In addition, the majority were improvised on the spot.
Mr. HCI is playing bass and guitar at the same time on this song. The bass was strapped on over the guitar, which mostly just provided feedback.
Mr. Anus is playing the drums. He does like girls.
The song is mostly a true story. In reality, however, Jenny never caught and kissed him, and her name was actually Amanda.

(The) Razz "You Can Run (But You Can't Hide)"

2011-10-19T09:00:00.002-04:00

(The) Razz
You Can Run
7" single
(O'Rourke/Limp, 1979)

Yeah, yeah, yeah . . . yet another band I've already featured in the past.

:-P

Truth is, when I posted "Love Is Love" a little over a year ago, it was a toss-up between that song and this one, 'cause I love both. Anyhow, guitarist and co-writer of this tune and long-running solo artiste, Tommy Keene, came out sometime in the last decade, so I felt it appropriate to feature them again for LGBT History Month, and for writing yet another killer tune.

Cecil Taylor "Sperichill on Calling"

2011-10-16T09:00:00.001-04:00

Cecil Taylor
Live in the Black Forest
LP
(Pausa Records, 1979)

Man, sometimes a bit of good, blasting free jazz is just what I need. Today's man of the . . . um . . . day, Cecil Taylor was outed as gay in 1982 by critic Stanley Crouch, who apparently asserted that Cecil couldn't play piano properly because he is gay. Uhhhh . . . whatever. Cecil is a genius and Stanley is just a critic. Nuf said.

The Players:

Cecil Taylor - piano
Raphé Malik - trumpet
Jimmy Lyons - alto saxophone
Ramsey Ameen - violin
Sirone - bass
Ron Jackson - drums

Recorded June 3rd, 1978 in SWF-Radio JazzConcert in Kirchzarten/Black Forest/West Germany

NOTA BENE: I've taken the liberty of excising the applause that follows the performance so I could keep the file size under 20MB (my MP3 host's size limit) while keeping the bit-rate as high as possible (112kbps).

Pansy Division "Bunnies"

2011-10-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

Pansy Division
Undressed
cassette
(self-released, 1991)

Such an inocuous title!

Such naughty lyrics!

Germs "Lexicon Devil"

2011-10-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

Germs
What We Do Is Secret
12" EP
(Slash Records, 1981)

Germs vocalist/lyricist Darby Crash, namedchecked in "Homosexual" by the Angry Samoans, was, in fact, a homosexual. The AngSams credited the song to "J. Fallwell," however, so I don't think there was malice intended. Darby was full of charisma, but apparently also full of shame and self-hatred for his sexual orientation. Tragically, this led to self-destructive behavior, drug abuse, and eventually suicide.

Despite there being two versions of "Lexicon Devil" on the (MIA) The Complete Anthology CD, this is not one of them. I'm not sure if this was the original single version or is exclusive to this release, however (I've never owned the original single). The version on (MIA) The Complete Anthology presented as being from the single has prominent saxophone that, unfortunately, robs the song of a good deal of its sonic power. The version from their lone album, (GI), is much faster and loses the infectious pop appeal of this take. This one is perfect. That's probably why it's my favorite Germs song.

Styx "Witch Wolf"

2011-10-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

Styx
The Serpent Is Rising
LP
(Wooden Nickel, 1973)

Man, Cornerstone really ticked me the heck off! Sure, Styx had been going downhill since John Curulewski left (after their fifth album, Equinox), but this was beyond the pale! Not only was there the execrable "Babe," there was not a single song that even slightly rocked! I sold it in absolute disgust, then sold all the rest of my Styx albums (I had the first eight). OK, I held on to Equinox for a couple more years; so sue me.

Years later (like, decades), I rebought the first five albums and was able to dig 'em once again. Guitarist James Young, aka JY, had a knack for hard hard rockers, and "Witch Wolf" from The Serpent Is Rising, their third album, kicks ass quite nicely. Back then, they had yet to devolve from a rock'n'roll band to a crappy Broadway musical about a crappy rock'n'roll band.

So why are they here today, you demand to know? Bassist Chuck Panozzo came out several years back as gay and HIV-positive and, sadly, no longer plays with the band. Then again, Styx've been utter crap since the late '70s, so it's not like he's missing out or anything.

Chris Bell "You and Your Sister"

2011-10-07T09:00:00.003-04:00

Chris Bell
I Am the Cosmos
7" single
(Car Records, 1978)

OK, I admit it . . . I cheated on this one. I don't own this single, but I wish I did! I ripped the song from the I Am the Cosmos CD released by Rykodisc in 1992. It came out as I was trying to get over a boy for whom I'd fallen quite hard. In my case, however, his sister didn't say I was "no good;" rather, I felt like she was trying to push us together. I was still struggling with my orientation, and I had no idea what his was; it's been twenty years since then, and I still have no idea (nothing ever happened between us). Regardless, this song really got to me, and it was a long time before I could listen to it without bursting into tears.

Chris was one third of the legendary Memphis power poppers Big Star. He left after their first album, #1 Record, however. In 1978, he released this solo single then died in a car wreck, which may have been suicide. There's a fair amount of debate over whether or not Bell was definitely gay, but it's seems highly unlikely that he was not, based on what I've read.

The above-mentioned CD of Bell's post-Big Star recordings is well-worth the money, in my opinion. Rhino Handmade released an expanded version last year, but it's quite expensive ($40 for a two-CD set!) and the bonus material is mainly alternate versions of the songs on the album. I've not heard it, however, so take my comment as you may.

Kitchens of Distinction "The Last Gasp Death Shuffle"

2011-10-05T09:00:00.002-04:00

Kitchens of Distinction
The Last Gasp Death Shuffle
7" single
(Gold Rush Records, 1987)

I've featured Kitchens of Distinction before, but neglected to mention (as it was not relevant to that post) that leader Patrick Fitzgerald is openly gay. I remember when we got their debut LP, Love Is Hell, at my college radio station; there were drawings of naked men on the cover! I was only just in the midst of admitting to myself that I might not be straight, and that was more than I was prepared to handle; I never even listened to it.

v_v

When their next album, Strange Free World, arrived, however, I did listen, and it took roughly one listen for me to fall in love with it. I often disregard lyrics in music, but Fitzgerald's were far too powerful to miss, and guitarist Julian Swales's, uh, guitar is absolutely enveloping. Today's selection is their debut single, released on the tiny Gold Rush Records imprint. It's rather a bit more post-punk than their later sound, and nowhere near as polished, but it's every bit as insistent.

Antony and the Johnsons "I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy"

2011-10-03T09:00:00.003-04:00

Antony and the Johnsons
I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy
CD single
(Rebis Music, 2001)

I first (consciously) heard Antony (Hegarty) sing on Lou Reed's live Animal Serenade album. My mental image was a tall, lithe, black drag queen wearing gold eyeshadow, and fanning herself with a Japanese, folding, hand fan. The visage that greeted me when I opened the copy I later bought of Antony and the Johnsons's second album, I Am a Bird Now, was rather unexpected, to say the least. That's really entirely beside the point, however. Antony has an absolutely amazing voice and has become a powerful trans icon the world over, with good reason.

Judas Priest "Evil Fantasies" (live)

2011-10-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

Judas Priest
Living after Midnight
12" single
(CBS, 1980)

Do Judas Priest need an introduction? It's been a decade or so since lead vocalist Rob Halford came out, and he's still the only major player in the world of heavy metal to do so. Anyhow, today's song is one of their few rarities. It was recorded at the same time as their killer live album Unleashed in the East, but didn't appear on the album or the bonus four-track EP that came with the Japanese pressing or the bonus three-track EP that came with the Dutch version. Halford's voice was shot when the concerts were recorded (he was ill), so he rerecorded his vocals later, hence the long-running joke album title Unleashed in the Studio. You can hear his voice cracking quite badly on the intro to this one. XD

Unleashed in the East is one third of the holy triumvariat of 1970s live heavy metal albums. The other two are, of course, UFO's Strangers in the Night and Thin Lizzy's Live and Dangerous.

Starz "Boys in Action"

2011-10-01T09:00:00.004-04:00

Starz
Starz
LP
(Capitol, 1976)

October is LGBT History Month, so I've decided to make it an entire theme month! All the songs I post this month will either be by LGBT artists or about LGBT issues. As per usual for Lightning Jukebox, the music will be eclectic; it will not be a month of show tunes, dance music, and lesbians with acoustic guitars. I say that not to denigrate those genres, but because those are the stereotypical ones associated with us, yet we are a varied bunch.

When I was a kid, I was a metalhead. If it wasn't loud 'n' heavy, I wasn't all that interested, usually. Starz was one of my favorite bands then (and still are), and their 1976, eponymous debut album had a very gay sounding song title: "Boys in Action." Now, I pretty much knew I was gay by the time I was 11, but I was in deep denial. I also knew the song was really about boys in action with girls (ew!), not other boys. Still, it was a turn-on to 14-year-old me; plus, it was the hardest rocking, fastest song on the album.

It wasn't 'til decades later that I discovered that bassist and song co-writer Peter Sweval was gay. Sadly, he passed away from "cancer" (i.e., complications due to AIDS) in 1990. There's scant information on the web about this, so my conclusion that he was gay may be wrong. I've read articles that make vague references to his sexuality, however, so it seems unlikely that I'm off the mark.

After he left Starz, Peter was a member of the Canadian band The Skatt Brothers, who were supposed to be the "straight" answer to the Village People, but who had a gay dance club hit with "Walk the Night." I don't know; it sounds pretty gay to me. :-P

Before all this, he was a member of the band Looking Glass, who had a massive hit with "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" back in 1972. I've always loved that song. That's Pete on bass, backing vocals, and beard in the video.

Baylies Band "Pissing on a Dying Man"

2011-09-16T09:00:00.003-04:00

Baylies Band
Risibility and Discourse
CDR
(75 or Less Records, 2007)

OK, perhaps it's cheesy to make a suicidal play on Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский's classic novel, Записки из подполья, but the debut by Baylies Band, Suicide Notes from the Underground, caught my eye in the dollar bin at my second favorite local store several years ago.

The album proved to be a cool and bizarre mix of post-punk, noise, and weirdness. Leader Eric Baylies saw me mention listening to them on a message board and sent me copies of their two newest releases: Risibility and Discourse and Fort Thunder Flashback. The former begins with an 18 minute prog rock piece followed by several shorter and noisier punkers, including five versions of "Let's Get Stabbed" and today's jukebox selection. The latter is a mix of free improvisation, radio static, and noise. It's clearly not without reason that Baylies Band were voted Best Category-Defying Act in Providence in 2010!

Unfortunately, I lost all my saved e-mails not long after receiving the discs from Mr. Baylies, and was never able to properly thank him. Initial research for this post a few weeks ago led me to the above-mentioned award article and the website for 75 or Less Records, the label that released the CDR albums Eric had sent to me. Baylies Band have released two more CDRs (Man Ray & Vague Knitting and All Clowns No Lions) since the two I was gifted; I ordered copies, of course. The label happened to include a copy Fort Thunder Flashback, as well, so I am instituting the first Lightning Giveaway! The first commenter to request a copy of FTF will win my extra copy! I'll contact said winner, so, please, no address info in the comments.

The PB Army "A Hole in the New Leaf"

2011-09-14T09:00:00.003-04:00

The PB Army
Spine for the Snapback
CD
(Sin Klub Entertainment, 2005)

Hey, let's have more coincidences, OK!?

This one has nothing to do with me or this blog, however.

Mighty Ohio rockers The PB Army (apparently something from a Pabst Blue Ribbon advertising campaign, as opposed to yummy, yummy peanut butter) (can you tell I don't drink?) got sidelined for a while in between their first* and second albums. See, vocalist-lyricist-drummer-super nice guy Keith Bergman got slammed with medical problems that ended up requiring open heart surgery. Yow!

So, what's the coincidence this time 'round? Well, today's song opens with the line, "I do not recognize this heart." I asked Keith about it when they came through town in support of the new album, 'cause I was able to actually make out some of the words (hadn't heard the new stuff prior to the show), and I knew he'd had some really serious heart problems. As it turned out, they'd been playing the song live for around a year before he succumbed and went under the knife.

O_O

Sadly, sometime after the tour, bassist Mahlon left the band. They got a new guy but still slowly disintegrated. Thanks to doing this post, though, I found their Facebook page and they are back and rockin'! YES!

*Inebriates Equivocators and Mockers of the Devil Himself

7 or 8 Worm Hearts "Shack of Hate"

2011-09-13T09:00:00.003-04:00

7 or 8 Worm Hearts
All Writhe
cassette
(self-released, 1989)

What is it with my blog and bizarre coincidences lately?

I was on the phone with my friend James on Sunday, right? And he mentioned that Glenn Jones and his (James's) band had played a show the night before. We got to talking about this and he mentioned that Jones had been in a band with Phil Milstein when James moved to the Boston area in the late 80s, and they'd released a cassette. "I think I have that!" says I. So, I went to the shelf and pulled down my copy of the source of today's song to confirm band membership. "7 or 8 Worm Hearts?" asked I. "That's it!" confirmed James.

Why is this a coincidence? Well, I'd already ripped said tape to a wav file for use on this here blogger device; I just hadn't yet picked a song. So, without further ado, I present "Shack of Hate" by 7 or 8 Worm Hearts (not to be confused with the also great song of the same title by White Zombie on their 1987 debut LP, Soul Crusher).

Jim Copp and Ed Brown "The Hen with the Low I.Q."

2011-09-10T09:00:00.003-04:00

Jim Copp and Ed Brown
Gumdrop Follies
LP
(Playhouse Records, 1965)

I grew up in northwestern Louisiana, in the 1960s and '70s. Every year, my family would make a four-hour or so trip to Dallas, TX to Neimann Marcus's flagship store's annual Fortnight event.

Of course, me being a wee bairn, my favorite place was the amazing toy department. It's been over 30 years since the last time we went, but I still have some of the toys and things purchased on those trips. Sadly, my archaeopteryx, which flew by flapping its rubber band-driven, cellophane wings, is long gone, and my helicopter's rotor blades all eventually broke, as flying high into the sky then crashing to the ground repeatedly was not particularly friendly to plastic.

I have some tiny building toys, however, that came in matchboxes (I was obsessed with anything-and-everything miniature), and I have both Jim Copp and Ed Brown records we bought, direct from the men themselves! Both were autographed personally to me, much to my delight! Decades later, internet searches turned up the website for Playhouse Records, and I called the phone number listed. Even as an adult, I was starstruck to be speaking to Jim Copp himself on the phone! Sadly, Mr. Brown had passed away many years before.

See, Jim Copp and Ed Brown were the kings of children's records. While most kids records were simple songs and stories, and usually had a moral to convey along with some adult condescension, Jim and Ed's records were hilarious and subversive. The humor was absurdist, adults (both human and anthropomorphous non-human) were portrayed in an often unflattering light, and the stories were rather dark.

Today's selection comes from their seventh album, Gumdrop Follies, which is presented as a show, complete with backstage talk and the sounds of the audience. As it's a show, the cover folds out into a stage with proscenium arch. The album also came with several sheets of cardboard characters and scenery, so listeners could perform the record as it played. Below, the Agatha, the mentally challenged hen, and her foollowers act out their tale of stupidity and a brush with death. Yes, I've owned this record for forty plus years, yet I still have all of the scenery, props, and actors!

Quite a few of Copp and Brown's albums can now be purchased on CD, but Gumdrop Follies has yet to be reissued in digital format. It is available direct from the label on cassette, however, along with all their other albums, in various formats, and a book of stories by Jim! Here's the order form. You're welcome.

Stalaggh untitled

2011-09-08T09:00:00.002-04:00

Stalaggh
Stalaggh
7" EP
(New Era Productions, 2001)

I think I'll let the insert speak for this one:

Stalaggh is a Misanthropik-Nihilistik projekt of leading Individuals from both the Dutch and Belgian Black Metal and Elektro/Ambient scenes, with as prior aim propagating the sonic ideology of human genocide. With among it's members a murder convict and mental-institution patient, STALAGGH is bound to awaken emotions of depression, hate, nihilism, misanthropy and to drag you deeper down into it's pits and voids. :STALAGGH:'s :projekt nihil: was improvised and directly recorded Ina 24 track studio, driving the producer to Insanity. "Never again" were his words... Excessive self-mutilation took place while recording these streams of black emotions, evolving into a 35 minutes piece of Art, which is to be considered the soundtrack to humanities global suicide... We will destroy, we will hate, and we will spread our misanthropic audio-terror until there Is nothing left but scorched earth.
...KILL YOURSELF!!!

They followed this lovely little record (today's piece is side A) with three albums of considerably less musical material, Projekt Nihil, Projekt Terrror, Projekt Misanthropia), plus variations on the same, like the remix album Nihilistik Terrror (not dance remixes, mind you). They've now changed their name and sound, to a degree, to Gulaggh and have released one CD, so far, Vorkuta. I quite like it.

Motörhead "Ace of Spades" (The CCN Remix)

2011-09-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

Motörhead
Ace of Spades
CD single
(WGAF, 1993)

A bit of fun today. I'm sure to many, a techno remix of a Motörhead song is utter blasphemy, especially when it's their signature tune. Well, too bad! I love this!

Two decade tags, btw, as the song is from 1980 while the remix is from 1993.

Sarah Kernochan "Feeding Time at the Zoo"

2011-09-03T09:00:00.004-04:00

Sarah Kernochan
House of Pain
LP
(RCA Records, 1974)

The world is chock full ~~o' nuts~~ of weird coincidences. Listener VirginiaM requested the other day that I post some S.K. Thoth. Well, I do have his first CD, so it's a possibility.

So, what's the coincidence, you ask? Well, I already had today's post ready to go save for the write-up. I knew Sarah Kernochan has worked in film (due to research done previously, after I purchased today's song source), so I went to find her entry on IMDb.com and, holy crap, she produced and directed the Academy Award-winning documentary short that Ms. M and I saw several years ago, Thoth, about none other than S.K. Thoth! She also wrote that filthy, sex movie 9½ Weeks, which I've never seen and am therefore able to pre-judge.

I knew none of this when I spied her album House of Pain in the used racks at my favorite local record store a few months ago, however. With that title and cover and price tag ($4, I think), I had to buy it, even though I had no clue who she was. Well, it turned out she was, at the time, a singer/songwriter with a bit of a demented edge. Carole King off her meds and brandishing a meat cleaver, if you will. House of Pain was her first album of two, and it's quite a lot of twisted fun. Now, I must find that second one . . .

NO "12:34"

2011-09-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

NO
Relax
LP
(Tsunami Records, 2005)

Not much I can you about this one, sadly. With a name as short as NO, it's rather tough to do research, y'know? I know from the back cover that Jason played drums and sang, while Scott played guitar and sang. I know from seeing them open for Unpersons at a squat that Jason had a red beard and big red afro, whereas Scott had straight, brown hair and played a blue, I think, guitar. I'm pretty sure they were listed on the flyer that night as NO!, though the record front cover shows them as NØ, whereas elsewhere on the cover they are simply NO. They were from Athens, GA, and this was their only release, as far as I am aware. It's on snazzy white vinyl, too. If anyone has further details they can share, that'd be just ducky! The website for the record label is full of dead links, sadly, including the one to info on them.

:'-(

Moondog "Logründr No. XVII in E Major"

2011-08-31T09:00:00.005-04:00

Moondog
Instrumental Music by Louis Hardin
LP
(Musical Heritage Society, 1978)

Moondog (née Louis Hardin) was a blind, homeless, Viking-garbed musician and composer who lived on the streets of Manhattan in the mid twentieth century. Probably not what you'd expect of the composer of this beautiful piece for pipe organ. He recorded and released scads of records from the late 1940s until his death in the late 1990s.

The parent of today's piece is an album of instrumental classical compositions, though Moondog also dabbled in jazz, madrigal, big band music, and stuff that's much harder to genrefy other than to call it Moondogesque. I first heard of him when I bought a 7" EP of all Moondog covers by the band Love Child in the late 1980s. I picked up a CD compiling his two major label albums for Columbia Records not long after, and was hooked.

NOTA BENE: I tagged this West Germany, in addition to USA, as Moondog moved there in 1974, a few years before this was recorded.

Love "Who Are You?"

2011-08-30T09:00:00.001-04:00

Love
Reel-to-Real
LP
(RSO Records, 1974)

Love are known primarily for two rather disparate things: their incendiary, 1966, garage punk hit "Seven and Seven Is"† and their lush, 1967, psychedelic pop, masterpiece Forever Changes.

Forever Changes was far from the end of their career, however, even though the four albums that followed it are generally given short shrift. The first three of those, Four Sail, Out Here, and False Start, have all been reissued on CD and LP multiple times over the years. The 1974 reunion‡ album Reel-to-Real, however, has never been reissued in any format, to the best of my knowledge. Perhaps that's because it's an even more eclectic mishmash of styles than their earlier albums, or mayhaps 'cause it was released by RSO Records, best known for things about which I'm not especially wild, like disco-era Bee Gees and Eric Clapton.

Reel-to-Real is not a great album, but it is a good one. For some reason, it features a new recording of "Singing Cowboy," originally on Four Sail, and a couple of songs, "Busted Feet" and "Everybody's Gotta Live," that appeared earlier on leader Arthur Lee's solo album, 1972's Vindicator.

Today's song is straight-up funk, a definite anomoly in the Love ~~Gun~~ cannon. I think it's pretty darn great. I almost went with "Busted Feet," as it's a taught, hard rocker that sounds more like Thin Lizzy or early Aerosmith. The version on Reel-to-Real is shorter, faster and more metallic than the one on Vindicator; I'll post it, if y'all're in'erested.

† b-side title: "No. Fourteen" XD

‡Love split in the early 70s, and Arthur released Vindicator before putting together a new, revamped Love. A further album, Black Beauty, was recorded between Vindicator and Reel-to-Real, but it got shelved and never released. It's been announced for release by High Noon Records sometime this year, but the date keeps getting pushed back, sadly.

Tom Jones "Little by Little" (live)

2011-08-06T09:00:00.003-04:00

Tom Jones
On Stage
7" EP
(Decca Records, 1965)

Today's number is a song from Tom's third 7" for Decca Records, a nifty lil' four-song live EP released wayyyyy back in the mid-60's. This track has since appeared on the killer triple-CD set Velvet + Steel = Gold, but in stereo and with no crowd noise (same for the first track from the EP, "Bama Lama Bama Loo"). Now, I'm not sure if that's 'cause it was really a studio recording to which that they added fake applause (à la the 13th Floor Elevators Live album), or if they simply mixed out the audience when preparing the stereo version. Regardless, this is how it sounded when pressed on shiny black vinyl in 1965.

Gotta love liner notes from back then!

The name's the same; but there any similarity ends between Tom Jones, the dynamic Pontypridd 'Tiger' and Henry Fielding's swashbuckling hero.
Tom began singing in the traditional Welsh manner – in the chapel choir. In his mid-teens he learned to play the drums and sat in with local groups. When did he first feel the call of the spotlight? "The moment I realised how heavy a hod was!" declares Tom, who worked for a time on a building site. Tom was spotted by his manager Gordon Mills, former member of the Viscounts, when he deputised at short notice for Mandy Rice Davies on a cabaret date. His first disc was Chills and Fever. It's Not Unusual, Tom's second record and number one hit, was penned for him by Gordon Mills.
Tom is now backed by the Squires. He has been known to deliver marathon two-and-a-half hour acts, leaving his audience in a state of fan frenzy seldom witnessed in this country. Although R and B influenced, Tom Jones is far from being just a shouter; he really sings. The bluesy element in his voice adds depth to his unique style, and makes him one of the most original singers to appear on the British musical scene for many years. Just listen to these four tracks and you're bound to agree.

Anyone know what on Earth a "hod" is?

Where are you going to profile some Duran Duran? ;)

2011-08-06T00:00:00.001-04:00

Here, this is as close as you're gonna get.

>:-P

That's Milo O'Shea and his eyebrows as the mad genius Durand Durand.

Carl Stone "Wave Heat"

2011-08-05T09:00:00.003-04:00

Carl Stone
L.A. Mantra II
2 x cassette compilation
(Trance Port Tapes, 1984)

So a good deal of the USA has been suffering through a heat wave as of late, and where we live is no exception. In celebration of this, our HVAC unit decided it was time to give up the ghost sometime early Saturday morning. Oh, the AC worked fine, but the fan that actually blows the cool (or warm, in winter) air through the ducts and into the house crapped out. I.e., it stopped moving.

According to the thermostat, the temperature has hovered around 89°F (32°C) inside our house for the past several days! At night, it would cool to a positively frigid 88°F. It's amazing the difference a single degree can make, really. That difference is, of course, NONE.

>:-(

Sitting in the sweltering heat outside on the porch, where it was cooler than inside, the song "Heat Wave," popularized by Martha and the Vandellas the year I was borned, started coursing through my weary brain. Just the chorus, though. Over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-over . . . You get the point.

At some point, I remembered Carl Stone's sliced'n'diced version of "Heat Wave" from the L.A. Mantra II cassette compilation, released the year I hit the big two one. Now that we have a completely new HVAC unit, and finally have inside conditions cool enough for me to sit at the tape deck and computer, I present it to you, my loyal listeners, as a gift.

Slinger 「微笑の季節」

2011-07-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Slinger
『沈黙が飛んでいる』
CD
(SSE Communications, 1998)

OK, this is another one I really know nothing about, other than they were the duo of Kazuki Futuba on bass and Masaaki Niizeki on everything else. As far as I know, this was their only release.

Why do I have it, then? Well, it's on SSE Communications, my favorite label!

I decided a while back that I wanted everything on SSE (and its earlier incarnation as Transrecords). I searched for this one on-line, and ended up getting it (and many other SSE releases) via Yahoo! Japan Auctions at a price that made the risk worth it. Today's song is the noisiest on the CD, which is rather an odd mix of fairly mainstream J-rock with lil' bits o' throb and aggression. Enjoy!

Translations:

微笑の季節 = Seasonal Smile
沈黙が飛んでいる = Flying Silence
Slinger = one who slings

Convertible "No Thoughts"

2011-07-27T09:00:00.001-04:00

Convertible
3
CD
(monkey., 2007)

I've featured the music of Hans Platzgumer a couple of times already, so please see the entries for Capers and Böhm ohne Köb for more info about the man, himself.

Convertible started life as a reincarnation of his power trio H.P. Zinker. It was to be a mixture of live instruments (à la HPZ) and electronica (his main thrust since the demise of HPZ). Somewhere along the way, however, the decision was made to change the name to Convertible. It was the right thing to do, as they shared no former members of HPZ and the sound was utterly different (no traces of metal, for example).

The first two Convertible albums, Convertible and Frailty of Win – Strength of Defeat, followed the initial design. With the home of today's song, 3, however, the electronics were ditched completely. The change took me some getting used to, but I now love it.

Convertible's fourth album, ALH84001, was released late last year, and further strips things down by unplugging the amps. It's completely acoustic, and completely fantastic. I only got it a couple of weeks ago, and it's quickly become one of my faves of 2010.

I really must work on my post of 2010 faves, huh?

Faceless Werewolves "(Yeah) (Yeah) Come On"

2011-07-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Faceless Werewolves
Faceless Werewolves
CD
(Already Gone Records, 2003)

I saw these folks at SXSW back in 2006. I'd never heard of them before, and I was blown away. Today's song is from their first CD, which is a super secret release, as they don't include it in their official discography, unlike the two albums that have followed on Super Secret Records. I guess they probably consider it a demo or something. Most of the 12 songs have been re-recorded for the albums that followed, but this one was not.

After no activity for quite a while (their most recent album, Pardon Me, Are Those Your Claws On My Back?, was released in 2008), their MySpace now says, "Faceless Werewolves are back!" and they logged to their account very recently. I, for one, am pleased.

The Vigs "Evil Eyes"

2011-07-20T09:00:00.012-04:00

The Vigs
Somebody Loves Me
LP
(Dobre Records, 1976)

Ever buy a record/CD/whatever just because it looks terrible?

Me, too!

Today's tune comes from an album I bought at BestBuy a number of years ago. They had several boxes of vinyl LPs all priced at 25¢, and further marked down another 50%! I saw the cover of this one and it jabbed a barbed icepick in my eye, forcing me to pick it up. When I flipped it over and read the liner notes, well, it was just a given that it would be mine!

Mia and Tommy met on the revolving stage at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas where she was headlining and generally having a fabulous show business career, appearing on national television many times, and he was featured soloist and arranger with Esquivel. Tommy started to write musical arrangements for her while he continued working with other top stars as conductor, instrumental soloist and orchestrator. They were married and eventually moved to Los Angeles where Roger Vig was born, and weighing in at 10 lbs. 7 oz. he started to play the drums almost immediately . . . This is their first album together.

Not long after, I headed back to the office with a lovely pile of dreck*.

Leader Tommy Vig (still active 35 years later!) penned most of the material on the album, but, sadly, 3½-year-old Roger appears only on a "special arrangement" of the "Theme from S.W.A.T." (his favorite song). I'll let the liner notes fill y'all in on today's song:

Mia is featured on this movie theme song. Tommy composed it for his original score for the Gerald Cormier film, "The Barn of the Naked Dead" starring Andrew Pine. (The film is about a satanic psycho who terrorizes innocent young women in an abandoned barn somewhere in the Nevada desert.)

Sounds like a lovely family film.

Now, here's the freaky thing . . . this record is somewhat collectible! It apparently goes for around $30 on eBay, according to PopSike. I can't imagine the folks who've paid that much have actually heard it in advance. I mean, my 12½¢ (plus tax) was well-spent, but I would not have been happy had I spent 240 times that.

*It wasn't all bad. I got the second Dwight Twilley Band album, Twilley Don't Mind, 'cause I remembered seeing him on Saturday morning TV when I was a kid, with Luanne Platter's then mostly unknown future husband Lucky on bass, and bought it for the heck of it. I've been a big fan ever since.

Orchestre Tout Puissant Likembé Konono Nº1 "Mungua-Muanga"

2011-07-19T09:00:00.005-04:00

Orchestre Tout Puissant Likembé Konono Nº1
Zaïre : Musiques Urbaines à Kinshasa
compilation CD
(Ocora - Radio France, 1987)

The African band Konono Nº1 take homemade instruments to a whole new level. They play likembés (thumb pianos) of differing sizes that are amplified with pickups and speakers made from car parts and other scrap metal. They play them extremely loud, which intensifies the sound with distortion. Or so I've read; they have yet to make it to Atlanta. :(

Konono Nº1 made a big splash back in 2004 with the release of their second album (and first studio recording), Congotronics. They'd actually been around since the 1960s, however! They originally went by the somewhat unwieldy moniker Orchestre Tout Puissant Likembé Konono Nº1 (Mighty Likembé Orchestra Konono Nº1).

Today's piece is a recording from 1978, under that original, lengthy name, from a compilation of urban bands from Kinshasa, Zaïre. They sounded pretty much the same then as they do now, the only difference being a lack of bass; I think that was a limitation of the original recording, however, as it was made on cassette.

NOTA BENE: Due to the length of this song (just under 27 minutes!), it is 96Kbps, rather than 320Kbps, as my MP3 hosting site will not allow files larger than 20MB. It still sounds good, in my opinion.

The Way We Live "Call Him"

2011-07-18T09:00:00.004-04:00

The Way We Live
Steve's Hungarian Novel
double-LP
(Psygressive Records/OZit Records, 1999)

As I think I've said before, I've got a thing for duos. When I read about The Way We Live (and their next nom de musique, Tractor), I had to check them out. Come on! A duo from the early '70's who played psychedelic hard rock? How could I resist that?

I couldn't!

As luck would have it, I found a bargain-priced CD containing the sole albums by each band, even though they're the same band. The story is legendary BBC disc jockey John Peel was a fan but suggested they change their name. They asked to what and he allegedly was looking out the window at some heavy equipment and said, "Tractor." Peel was more than a fan, actually, and released both albums on his own imprint, Dandelion Records.

After the Tractor album was released, they stayed together but stayed out of the studio. They released a single in 1977, "No More Rock 'n' Roll," and another in 1981, "Average Man's Hero," but that was it. Starting in the early 90s, however, collections of unreleased material started appearing in dribs and drabs. Today's song is from a collection released on double-LP in 1999 and limited to a mere 200 copies (each signed by each half of the band). It comprises recordings by both band name variants spanning 1969 up through 1998, and today's selection is a tasty hard rocker from 1969.

I'm not sure what's up with the band now. The 30th Anniversary reissue of the Tractor album included bonus live and studio tracks recorded in 2001/2, but I'm not aware of any activity since. More would be nice!

3 Teens Kill 4 "Tell Me Something Good"

2011-06-29T09:00:00.001-04:00

3 Teens Kill 4
No Motive
LP
(L'Invitation au Suicide, 1984)

I can't think of what to write. I love the song, but I'm not inspired at all. This post has been sitting here for days waiting for me to finish it, though, so, here it is.

Slow Horse "Wicked Game"

2011-06-25T09:00:00.005-04:00

Slow Horse
Slow Horse
CD
(Freebird Records, 1999)

What a long, strange week it's been, eh? I got stuck on the write-up for the next piece I'd chosen, and hit a mental roadblock. More like smashed into it and declared totaled by my insurance company. So, I finally decided to ditch it, and go with something else.

I featured a song from Slow Horse's eponymous, doomtastic debut album a while back, and Devil Dick, of the awesome blog The Devil's Music, requested I post their cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game,", from that same album. So, without further ado, here 'tis.

Fraser & DeBolt "Don't Let Me Down"

2011-06-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

Fraser & DeBolt
Fraser & DeBolt (with Ian Guenther)
LP
(Columbia Records, 1971)

Sometimes, artists make cover songs their own so convincingly, one begins to wonder if perhaps it's an original after all, and one is simply mistaken about its genesis. OK, no, today's song is not a Genesis cover*.

I remember listening to today's song for the first time, and thinking, "That's a Beatles song!" By the time it was done, however, I started to doubt myself. I checked the songwriting credits on the label, and, indeed, it was the Lenny Mac half of the Fab Four. Sure, it was "just" a b-side, but it's a pretty great song, nonetheless. This interpretation, however, replaces the electric rock band plus guest ~~future sex offender~~ keyboardist backing with two acoustic guitars and a fiddle, played by guest Ian Guenther. It also boasts a rather different arrangement (surprise!). It's the final track on Fraser & DeBolt's stunning debut album, and is a beautiful closer. The whole album is an impressive mélange of acoustic, folk rock and atonal, avant garde experimentation. I can honestly say I've heard little else similar to it, as their second album, With Pleasure, was recorded with a full backing band and a reigning in of atonality (it's still a wonderful album).

When I bought my first device for burning CDRs from my stereo ('twas a stereo component CD player/recorder), the very first things I burnt were the two Fraser & DeBolt albums and the first two Hanatarash albums. Fallout Records released a pirate version of the first album on CD and LP a few years back, if you want to find a relatively inexpensive copy. I was all excited when it came out 'cause I thought it was legit. It arrived in the mail and looked suspicious to me, and my suspicions were confirmed when the first song on side two was preceded by a very loud needle drop. Great quality control there, bozos; you should be crushed. Fallout was the successor to Radioactive Records, after they got busted. I guess Fallout got busted, too, as they now release stuff under the name Phoenix Records.

*I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone cover Genesis, come to think of it. On the other hand, the lone time I saw Axehandle they did a devastatingly heavy and acrimonious cover of Phil Collins' "I Don't Care Anymore." I was bummed that it didn't end up on their sole album. Or their soul album, which does not exist.

Today's selection gets the friend recommendation tag as my friend Marlo Donahue suggested I check them out when I told her 15 years or so ago that I was getting heavily into Tim Buckley. I kept my eyes peeled and came across a copy of With Pleasure a year or two later, and loved it.

Kim Salmon and The Surrealists "Je t'aime"

2011-06-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

Kim Salmon and The Surrealists
Just Because You Can't See It . . .
. . . Doesn't Mean It Isn't There
LP
(Black Eye Records, 1989)

I'm finally starting to hopefully feel a bit better, so onward with the very long "week" of cover tunes. Today's selection was inspired by one of my reader/listeners asking recently at a dinner party if the original version of this song was for real, since it's rather stupid. I think that's the word she used. She knows who she is, so she's most welcome to correct me here. We were discussing French pop music, btw, and the original of this was written by Serge Gainsbourg.

I've got three different versions of this tune by Kim Salmon and The Surrealists, and I decided to go with the studio version from their second album. There are also live versions on the St. Valentine's Day Massacre EP, which came as a bonus disc with initial copies of the Australian pressing of their Sin Factory album, and on the Kneel Down at the Altar of Pop reunion show CDR from a few years back.

Gumball "A Love Supreme"

2011-05-30T09:00:00.003-04:00

Gumball
Revolution on Ice
CD
(Sony Records [Japan], 1994)

"A Love Supreme" is one of those jazz covers that's been done enough that it's pretty much a cliché. Well, too bad! Today's piece is a cover of it, featuring some lovely, screaming psychedelic guitar skree from ax-meister Don Fleming. As you may know, these days many CDs come out in Japan with extra songs for the Japanese market; that was the case with this one. I already had the album in question, Revolution on Ice, when I stumbled across a Japanese pressing in a bargain bin. Hooray!

Gumball arose from the demise of the somewhat similarly named B.A.L.L., who had also featured Fleming on guitar and Jay Spiegel on drums. On their 1989 European tour, however, bassist Kramer just up and quit. They soldiered on for a bit longer, I guess, as I saw them with bassist Guy Pinhas at the Circus in Gammelsforf, near Munich, West Germany. It was an insane show. I'm not sure if Guy knew the songs or not, but he played like a madman. Don shredded away on the guit, and Jay held down the rhythm. The highlight of the show was the encore; roadie Joey Pea came out in a green lamé dress and feather boa, and they did a slammin' cover of The Stooges' "Funhouse."

Slaraffenland "Take on Me"

2011-05-29T09:00:00.001-04:00

Slaraffenland
Sunshine
CD EP
(Home Tapes, 2008)

To quote The Damned, I'm "Sick of Being Sick." I've had the flu, or something similar, for the last week, hence the lack of posts. I'm still sick, but feeling up to posting at the moment, so you get one! No kisses, though. I'm not sharing my germs; they're MINE MINE MINE!!!

One of the things I love about covers, is a cover can take a song one absolutely loathes and make it listenable, nay, even enjoyable! Today's example comes courtesy of Denmark's Slaraffenland, from their fourth release, the Sunshine EP. Now, I'm not gonna say who did the original, but I'll link the video after the jump. I just searched it out on YouTube, and, yep, I still hate it. Were it not for the innovative video techniques, including ripping off Altered States, I doubt it would've been the massive hit it was.

I discovered Slaraffenland, btw, via the bargain bin at my favorite local record store. Their second album (and third release, overall), Private Cinema, was in the bin of oddly shapped stuff and it really grabbed my eye and pulled. Hard. See, it was packaged in a little hardback book, rather than a jewelcase or digipak. On top of that, the band name was interesting, the artwork was neat, and IT WAS PINK! Sold!

Job's Daughters "The Prophecy of Daniel and John the Divine (Six-Six-Six)"

2011-05-22T09:00:00.003-04:00

Job's Daughters
The Prophecy of Daniel and John the Divine/Sinner Man
7" single
(Nuf Sed Southwestern Radio Church, 1991)

And so we begin covers week! Now, as I was driving around town on Saturday (i.e., yesterday), I was writing down ideas in my cute lil' notepad app in my HTC Tilt 2 smartass phone. I did this, of course, only at stop lights and when waiting at the drive-through window at my dealer. Ninth on my list of idears was this little platter, which I first heard on a mix tape my buddy James made for me eons ago (like, probably twenty years ago, seeing as this record is almost old enough to drink in the USA). When I pulled it out of one of my many crates of little records, the cover made it disturbingly obvious that it had to be today's song.

Anyhow, I fell in love with the song, and the first copy I saw for sale, I snapped up. As you can tell by the price sticker, it was in a bargain bin; yes, it took me well over a decade to stumble across one. So, anyhow, I looked at the credits, and it's a COVER! And it was originally recorded by ~~The Partridge Family~~ The Cowsills, at that! How crazy is that? I've still never heard the original, so my apologies if this adds nothing new to it. Six more goodies in store in the next few days! And next month will be an entire theme month! Unless I change my mind, of course.

Sorry . . . No Post Today

2011-05-21T16:45:00.002-04:00

I've been sitting here all damn day waiting to get Raptured. It's nearly 5 p.m. (EDT), and I'm still here. I guess I better go ahead and pay some bills, then.

>:-(

Tomorrow starts another theme week, btw. Not tellin' what it is, though. Of course, if I do get Raptured before I write tomorrow's post, well, I guess you'll never know what my theme was gonna be.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

>:-D

Nazoo "James Brown Is Burst"

2011-05-16T09:00:00.005-04:00

Nazoo
Sim House
2001 Daisy Groove
compilation CD
(SSE Communications, 1992)

OK, so it's been a while since I featured any techno. Oh, wait . . . I've never featured techno on this blog. Time for that to change, then! So, "James Brown is Burst" is one of the greatest titles ever. I'm not sure if they meant it literally, as in his stomach exploded, or if they're referring to him getting out of prison. Personally, I prefer the former scenario; well, visually at least. Then again, I was certainly guilty of referring to Mr. Brown as "Cell Brother #1" during his incarceration in the late 80s.

Nazoo are a bit of an enigma. I've got tracks on three different compilations (this one, Galax3 and D.A.N.C.E.2.N.O.I.S.E.0.0.3), and they're all pretty great. Naturally, because of this I decided to buy their lone album, Dear Heavens, Children In His Twilight. Who knows why, but they dropped the hard techno from their sound almost entirely and the damn thing is borderline new age at points. Oh, well. Regardless, today's track rocks, imo.

Gold Sparkle Band "G.S."

2011-05-12T14:45:00.001-04:00

Gold Sparkle Band
Can't U C ↓ The Sea?
cassette
(Old Gold, 1994)

When these cats first started playing around town, all the local critics could muster to write about was their choice of attire, and that the Gold Sparkle in their name was a reference to drummer Andrew Barker's kit. I guess the concept of jazz being played by . . . gasp! . . . dudes who'd been in rock bands was too much for their little minds to grasp. You see, Barker had pounded the skins with Melts, featured here last August, and bassist Andrew Burnes had bassed with Barrel, whom I mentioned in my post for San Agustin, since they were his next destination after leaving the GSB. The other three guys in this lineup of the band had formerly been members of Menudo*.

This nifty little cassette was their debut release. Three of the five songs were re-recorded for their first CD, Earthmover. Today's piece, however, is not one of them.

*this is a lie

The Spectre's Revenge "No Moon at Midnight"

2011-05-11T09:00:00.001-04:00

The Spectre's Revenge
No Moon at Midnight
7" single
(Au-go-go Records, 1985)

Back in the 1980's, when the Internet was still operated by hand-crank, and no one could really afford it, mailorder was done via printed-and-mailed catalogues and phone calls. I know; weird, right? A group of friends and myself used to place huge orders with Au-go-go Records on the other side of the planet, in Australia. I'd make the call, when the rates went down at two a.m., and around two months later, our order would show up at my PO box (airmail was prohibitively expensive, at the time). Whenever I'd call in our order, I'd ask if there was anything they recommended. One of those times, I ended up with this snazzy lil' single by The Spectre's Revenge. I wish I knew more about them, but I do not; other than they also released a (live?) cassette which Au-go-go Records never seemed to get back in stock, much to my chagrin.

The Velvet Underground "I Heard Her Call My Name"

2011-05-07T09:00:00.002-04:00

The Velvet Underground
White Light/White Heat
LP
(Verve Records, 1968)

And then my mind split open . . .

Favorite Guitar Solos Week draws to a close with the greatest guitar solo ever in the history of recorded music, from the second album by The Velvet Underground, 1968's White Light/White Heat. Now, there's crazy soloing all over the place here, so, to be more specific, I mean the solo starting at roughly the -2:20 mark, right after Lou "Walk on the Wild Side" Reed says the above line.

UFO "Reasons Love"

2011-05-06T09:00:00.004-04:00

UFO
No Heavy Petting
LP
(Chrysalis Records, 1976)

So, yeah, I'm a metalhead. Deal with it.

It was 8th grade when Jeff B______ asked me one day in Spanish class, snidely, "Baltimore, do you like anything besides heavy metal?" He was a dick, and not the good kind. The following year, I rationalized to myself that I couldn't possibly be gay, 'cause I liked "such tough music." Amongst bands making said tough music, UFO was already one of my favorites. I even managed to see them that school year, with godlike guitarist Michael Schenker still in the band. It wasn't 'til 11th or 12th grade that I got this album, however. His soloing on this song floored me. I couldn't believe how fast he was playing! Sadly, he only lasted two more studio albums and left after the recording of their second live album, the classic Strangers in the Night.

NOTE: The intro to this song is my primary ringtone. Yeah, I make my own ringtones, bitch.

NOTE2: Schenker was the replacement for guitarist Bernie Marsden, who replaced Larry Wallis, who replaced Mick Bolton, who played on the previous UFO song I posted, "Timothy."

NOTE3: Larry Wallis was the original guitarist for Motörhead, featured here just two days ago. Yes, the world of rock'n'roll is rampant with the sin of incest.

NOTE4: Schenker may be godlike, but his work outside UFO ranges from OK to awful. Be forewarned.

NOTE5: Astute listeners may realize that, if you take the main riff here and slow it down . . . Voilà! You get Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song." Bitches. I've never liked them; I'm not even gonna hyperlink to 'em. HA!

Black Flag "Damaged II"

2011-05-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

Black Flag
Damaged
LP
(Unicorn/SST Records, 1981)

Black Flag's Greg Ginn . . .

Whereas Snakefinger played the wrong notes in the right places and Ollie Halsall was unhinged, Ginn was just . . . alien. On the one hand, his solos sound almost like completely random collections of notes. On the other, they work! I watched him closely a few times at shows; it may have seemed like chaos, but I think he knew exactly what he was doing. I also observed him practicing scales before soundcheck when a friend of mine promoted a Black Flag show.

Picking a single song wasn't easy, so I went with this one as it's one of my favorites and he solos just about non-stop for the entire thing.

I cheated on the pic again. I own the original pressing of this album, with the tiny Unicorn logo in the lower right as in the photo, but it's the middle of the night. I get my best results photographing album covers (since they are too big for my scanner) on bright, sunny days, when I can use natural light. I'd not had a chance in the last few days to go take pictures, so I was naughty. Please, forgive me. Or don't. Whatever.

:-P

Motörhead "(We Are) The Road Crew"

2011-05-04T09:00:00.002-04:00

Motörhead
Ace of Spades
LP
(Bronze Records, 1980)

Why do I love this solo? Well, for starters, it's nice and noisy. I love a good wha-wha workout, and guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke can't keep his foot off the darn thing on this song. What sends it over the top for me, though, is what happens at roughly the -0:45 mark. Eddie stops playing, but his guitar is still on and emitting howls of feedback for 15 or so seconds before he starts playing again. I can't help but picture him jamming away then momentarily passing out, mid-solo, when the speed in his bloodstream wears off.

This album was one of my Christmas presents from my dad when I was 17. I knew it was due to be released sometime not too long beforehand, so I begged him for it, and he came through. A few months later, they came to America for the first time, touring with Ozzy Osbourne's Blizzard of Ozz. They were the openers, of course, but they blew Ozzy off the stage.

This is tagged magazine discovery because I first heard of Motörhead when I was 16 and their second album, Overkill, was reviewed alongside the lone Hawklords album, in issue 39 of Trouser Press. The reviewer savaged them, so when I found one of their records not long after, of course, I had to buy it. 'Twas a wise decision, though I had to check the speed on my first listen, 'cause there was just no way humans could play that fast!

Kevin Ayers "Didn't Feel Lonely Till I Thought of You"

2011-05-03T09:00:00.001-04:00

Kevin Ayers
First Show in the Appearance Business
The BBC Sessions 1973-76
CD
(Band of Joy, 1997)

Unhinged

I really can't think of a better word to describe the playing of guitarist Ollie Halsall with Kevin Ayers. I've featured Kev before, and Ollie was most likely the soloist on that song, in addition to this one, but there are no musician credits on the wee 7" record or sleeve.

Ollie's soloing on the original studio version of this song on Kevin's fifth album, The Confessions of Dr Dream and other stories, was certainly out there, but this version, recorded for BBC1's John Peel Show on July 9, 1974, makes it almost sound tame, in comparison. The studio recording, btw, was his first work with Kev. The two ended up working together until Ollie's untimely death in 1992.

I'd actually known Ollie's name since 1978, thanks to his being a studio Rutle, but never heard him really let loose 'til I started listening to Kev in the early '90's, thanks to my friend Audrey. He was also in other bands, like Tempest and Patto, but I must confess I have not yet checked them out. I only have so many ears, you know.

Kitchens of Distinction "Prince of Mars"

2011-05-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

Kitchens of Distinction
Cowboys and Aliens
CD
(One Little Indian, 1994)

So, this one's a bit more conventional than yesterday's, I suppose. Hey, man, I have feelings, you know? Guitarist Julian Swales' solo on this song may be simple, but it's emotionally devastating. It makes me want to grit my teeth, close my eyes, rock back-and-forth, cry, etc.

Sadly, "Prince of Mars" proved to the the final song on Kitchens of Distinction's final album. They did release a final single, but it was under the name Kitchen O.D. (no, I don't know why). Leader Patrick Fitzgerald went on to record a few singles and an album under the name Fruit. He followed those with a couple of EPs and an album under the name Stephen Hero, then developed a fear of spaces (or the malevolent spirit of James Joyce) and released two albums under the name stephenhero.

No matter the name, everything he's done is genius, imo.

The Residents "Satisfaction"

2011-05-01T09:00:00.002-04:00

The Residents
Satisfaction
7" single
(Ralph Records, 1976)

So, I'm back!

I've decided to start doing the occasional (or maybe frequent) (it's my blog–you can't stop me) theme week, starting today.

So . . .

This week's theme is Lightning's (that's me) favorite guitar solos. 'Cause, like, I'm a guitarist. Of sorts. Well, I own several guitars. Sometimes I even touch them.

First out of the box has one of my favorite solos and also happens to be my favorite cover song of all time. I bought this as I was easing into punk rock in my 17th year, and it was an ear opener, all right. Up until then, I'm not sure I'd ever heard anything so gloriously ugly. The guitarist on this charming piece is Phil Lithman, better known as Snakefinger. I can't remember where I read this, or who wrote it, but it's a perfect description: Snakefinger plays all the wrong notes in all the right places.

I've flagged this as both USA/Louisiana and England for a good reason. Firstly, The Residents are originally from Shreveport, LA, as am I. Secondly, Snakefinger is a Brit, and he's the soloist. So there. He was formerly a pub rocker in the UK, btw. His playing and singing with Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers is not the sort of thing that would lead one to expect . . . this.

I cheated on the cover for this one. The pictured cover is the original 1976 issue, which was something like 200 copies. I ripped this from my 1978 repress, which was 30,000 units, allegedly.

May Day! May Day!

2011-04-23T09:00:00.001-04:00

In other words, I'm hoping to fire this puppy up again on May 1st.

^_^

Hiatus, Again

2011-04-07T18:00:00.003-04:00

Too much stuff going on at the moment to keep this up on a regular basis. Stay tuned . . . or don't.

Puya "Mere Niño"

2011-04-01T09:00:00.001-04:00

Puya
Fundamental
advance promo CD
(MCA Records, 1998)

I first heard Puya on the Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack. I'd purchased it 'cause Queens of the Stone Age had an exclusive track on it, "Infinity." The QotSA track rocked, naturally, but most of the rest of it was rather forgettable poo-poo. OK, sure, the Monster Magnet track was decent, but it was also on (the US version of) their most recent album, God Says No, which happens to be my least favorite of their releases. And, now that I think about it, "Immortally Insane" is probably the best Pantera song I've heard; then again, I don't particularly like them.

Then, there was Puya. Their track, "Tirale," was what could be called nü-metal, but it featured Latin percussion, some very tasty lead guitar (generally a no-no in the nü-metal crapiverse), and horn charts. They sounded like no one else on the soundtrack, and like no one else I'd ever heard. When I came across their second album, Fundamental, a bit later, I snapped it up, and it proved to me that "Tirale" was not a fluke. I eventually found out there was a pre-release version with some differences, so off to eBay I went, and tracked down a copy. As it turned out, for whatever reason, someone decided to resequence the album and pull two songs. Today's song, therefore, is one of those unfairly deleted songs ("Ventana" was the other victim). Neither song appeared on their next album, Union, and neither appears on their excellent reunion EP from a few months ago, Areyto, which you can order on CD direct from the band.

NOTA BENE: Their first album, Puya, was released on the tiny, poorly named Noiz Boiz Records. It's pretty kickin', too. There's also a promo EP, Live in Puerto Rico. It's good, but please don't spend $195 on a copy (the current low price on Amazon for a used copy).

Boredoms "Super Go!!!!!"

2011-03-27T09:00:00.004-04:00

Boredoms
2001 Boredoms
12" promo EP
(Warner Bros, 1996)

Boredoms are one of my favorite groups. Favorite to the point of crazy collecting. Today's piece is from a limited edition of 500, promo-only 12" EP that was offered via mail to purchasers of the original Japanese pressings of their Super Roots 5 and Super Roots 6 CDs. I don't read Japanese, and my copies of those releases did not contain the coupons needed to aquire a copy of this record, so I was reduced to searching the 'net and putting in saved searches on eBay and GEMM, to no avail.

Finally, after several years of searching, I hit paydirt! I found a Japanese record store on-line that had something I was wanting. I decided to ask if they had a handful of other items I was seeking and, holy crap, they had most of them! In addition to snagging this puppy, I got the first ゆらゆら帝国 CD, the second LP by 水玉消防団, 『満天に赤い花びら』, a couple of live flexi-discs by YBO², and maybe something else I forgotted. We'll not discuss how much I spent, OK?

So, this 12" is comprised of reductions/remixes of the 64 minute piece "GO!!!!!" from Super Roots 5. Today's track takes up all of side one, while side two features "Super Future," "Super Now," and "Super Old." Enjoy!

TRANSLATIONS:

ゆらゆら帝国 = Yura Yura Teikoku = Swinging Empire
水玉消防団 = Mizutama-Shobohdan = Polka Dot Fire Brigade
満天に赤い花びら = Sky Full of Red Petals

Square Root of Margaret "The 3-D Breeze"

2011-03-25T09:00:00.006-04:00

Square Root of Margaret
Levitation Days
CD EP
(33⅓ Recordings, 2004)

What is it with Canada and weird band names? Broken Social Scene? Chilliwack? Voïvod? Max Webster? Do you know how many times I've had to move Max Webster albums from the W section to the Ms at stores where I don't even work? Yes, I'm just that anal retentive . . . and saintly.

How the heck do CDs by obscure-ish Canadian bands end up in bargain & free bins way down in the Deep South? I featured free bin discovery Raising the Fawn back in November of last year, and today it's bargain bin find Square Root of Margaret. I found their most recent, at the time, album, Teragram Photeur, a few years back and was immediately attracted by the weird band name and odd album title. I snapped it up and fell in love with their poppy psychedelic space rock. Naturally, I checked on-line and found they had several other releases out, and I snagged everything I could. Today's song is from their fourth release, a limited edition EP called Levitation Days. They re-recorded it a couple of releases later, for their next full-length album, Cloud Nine Revisited. Both versions are snazzy, but this one is a bit more muscular.