Love, Rock 'n' Roll Style

These days more and more people are realizing that the MC5's "Miss X" is the ultimate rock 'n' roll love song. While listening to an original copy of High Time, my friend Paul first made that comment, and upon the slight amount of though needed I realized he was right. Just weeks ago while watching the first episode of Eastbound & Down I saw that show's brilliant producers agreed. ...Enough to make Wayne Kramer the show's composer, so if you still haven't watched that show, there's yet another reason. So, in effect this entry is dedicated to my friends Tommy and Mike who made my love of the show possible... at least at the time at which it happened.

Rob Tyner's voice is at its soulful best and the band channels all its energy into a more focused and elegant sound than previously heard. Like the rest of the album it is rawer than the previous album, but still cleaner and more accessible than Kick Out The Jams. "Miss X" stands out as one for the ages and its sincerity will pull at the heart strings of any true rock fan. Written entirely by Kramer it justifies why he is the man most synonomous with the group even more than the mere fact that he unlike Rob Tyner and Fred "Sonic" Smith are gone and he is still around. I have looked for video footage of them performing this song, curious as to how it would translate and what would be done about the piano and organ parts, but no luck. If you have any link to such footage please share!

This is an essential record for all curious about Detroit rock as it is often considered their best and other classic songs include the opener "Sister Anne," "Poison," and "Future/Now." After a live album and one that was jsut too clean and pithy the MC5's swansong at last captured their legacy. It is perhaps the greatest testament to everything great that the Detroit protopunkers achieved.


The MC5 - High Time (1971)

I'm Gonna Leave This Party Now

The KLF really really knew their shit. If the sample of Arthur Russell (Dinosaur L)'s "Go Bang!" at the end of "Go To Sleep" doesn't prove that I don't know what will.

This group is what happened when two underground rock veterans out of the already unique scene in Liverpool decide to reinvent pop culture for the 90s and succeeded - this album's opener "Kylie Said to Jason" and Drummond's white rapping prove this. While few, at least in this country (where they were in fact pretty successful at the time) remember them, 90s mainstream culture (playing what was often called "stadium house") was in many ways created by this band whose political commentary and postmodern sound basically came from 20 years in the future. ...If only 20 years later could have music this good. If you don't believe that check out their successful mash-up from 1988 below. They made the music Kanye West would wish he could have if he had taste. There is so much to say about the KLF, I could go on forever, so I''ll just stop now and get to this album...

It is hard to imagine just what the film The White Room would have been like had it been made. Certainly like nothing else in history, judging not only by the KLF's bizarre videos but just how epic its unreleased soundtrack is. The power of songs like "No More Tears" and "Build A Fire" is undeniable and the imagine a film that could carry them will simply blow one's mind. Like in much of the KLF's work every style is sampled replicated and perfectly accompanied by standard electronic instruments of the time to create a truly postmodern sound. This could definitely be called the A Wizard, A True Star of the 1990s. This is an engaging trip through a psychedelic 90s disco from beginning to end and will surely change the way you think about music and, really all performing arts. It can stand cheesy at times, but consciously, knowing that in the short term it would be embarassing. The KLF guarenteed a legacy that would come, go, and then stay stronger than ever. One of the top artistic achievements of our time. I'll stop now.

Dedicated to

The KLF - The White Room: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1991)


The Timelords - "Doctorin' the Tardis" (1988)

Dedicated to the people of the Caucasian nations, where it is almost 3 A.M. (Eternal).

Gonna Break You Down, Gonna Pop You In The Mouth!

Just now, a friend of mine who was visiting New York City told me a bout a great concert experience he had there seeing a band called Personal & the Pizzas. It sounded like an amazing show featuring songs with titles like "You = Beat Up" and "Nobody Makes My Girl Cry But Me" and the singer whipping chains around while threatening the sound guy. The group is from San Francisco but their gimmick is being from Hoboken. They are quite similar in image, lyrics, and sound to the Ramones and The Dictators.

Here is a link to their myspace.

In a lot of ways, this is the best parody of the Northeast you could ever ask for and it's a whole lotta fun. The intro to "I Don't Wanna Be No Personal Pizza" says it all. Other great tracks to check out on there are "Brass Knuckles" and "I Don't Feel So Happy Now." "I Can Read," though is perhaps the rebuttal the Dictators would give their detractors after going Girls Crazy.

Flowers Will Spring From Every Grave

While Rain Parade's final album may not be another Emergency Third Rail Power Trip it is no embarrassment. I picked this up for a mere $2.99 (vinyl) just this weekend at Sound Sations in Westchester and was pleasantly surprised.

I hear it may have never been released on CD, which made it surprising that, even while released on Island it was so cheap (I had never seen a copy before). The most noticeable difference between this and the group's previous work is not the absence of David Roback, which in truth did not make that much difference even on Explosions in the Glass Palace, but the slicker production. It is a big change, but not one that ruins anything. In fact, I believe this album could ahve had some hits if released about seven to ten years later (rare thing to say about anything Paisley Underground). Matt Piucci and Stephen Roback's songwriting chops may have been even stronger than ever at this point, and their vocals are as great as ever. While radically different, "Don't Feel Bad" and "Fertile Crescent" - both sung by Roback, are as great as a lot of the group's stellar debut. The band plays tighter as well, which sounds great, even when compared to their previous loose sound, and it is much easier to know that they have a keyboad player than ever before. "Mystic Green" and "My Secret Country" are some great tracks as well, and this album is overall quite as enjoyable. It is ideal for anyone who thought that Rain Parade could get a little too drony on previous albums. For the others, it may be a challenge to get through the synthy intro of "Depending on You," but if you can you will be surprised at how far from grace the band fell (not far at all). Rain Parade started great and ended great, as far as I am concerned, that is not arguable.


Rain Parade - Crashing Dream (1986)

The Ultimate Rock 'N' Roll Legend

On August 15, 1990, the U.S.S.R.'s top musician Viktor Tsoi died in an massive car wreck after fishing in Latvia. Miraculously, the one thing that survived intact was a tape of his vocal tracks for the next album. With those tracks his surviving band members recorded KINO's posthumous masterpiece known typically as "The Black Album."

This is often considered the band's greatest work despite the entire musical tracks being recorded after Tsoi's death. However, it sounds as good, if not better than all the other records and it is hard to beleive it was recorded under such conditions. Like in all KINO's other works, that power to transcend not only the language, but their language's poor aesthetics (sorry) is there. However, it is at its most powerful here and every song is a winner. The band's post-New Wave sound is tighter than ever and Yuriy Kasparyan's guitar excels. These catchy and hypnotic songs stick into one's subconscious forever and permanently capture the last days of Glasnost and Parastroika. It makes you really wonder whether Tsoi's death before the fall of the U.S.S.R. was tragic, lucky for him, or even how he could have altered the Russia's unfortunate future. The dark yet hopeful lyrics reflect this unique time in world history on two of the album's best songs, opener "Кончится Лето (Summer Will Soon Be Over)" and (Красно-желтые Дни )Red and Yellow Days)," as does the plaintive "Кукушка (Cuckoo)," one of their best songs. "Звезда (Star)" is one of their best songs and has a cool, simple beat that any fan of New Order or Duran Duran would have to love. "Когда твоя девушка больна (When Your Girlfriend is Sick)" is one of the band's sweetest pop songs yet somehow fits in this heavy set quite well showing how much of a range Tsoi had as a songwriter, hinting at what kind of music he may have made if he lived to see the overly optomistic years following his death. This is perhaps KINO's best work and in many ways the best place to start with this remarkable band and proves that had Tsoi survived they would most likely have caught on outside the Eastern Block.


Кино (KINO) - Кино (KINO) a.k.a. Чёрный альбом (The Black Album) (1990)


Now, on a totally unrelated note, I had the unusual privelige to see 90s pop favorites Sugar Ray at Best Buy on Pico here in Los Angeles last night. I was informed about this by my friend Tommy who is working for Rocket Science, who works for the band. It was a fun way to relive 1999, and the band knew it would hardly be more than that and htey seemd to be enjoying themselves. The set even began with Mark "Mr. Ray" McGrath asking "who wants to hear the number one song of 1999?!" before going straight into "Every Morning." The set consisted of only a few songs including just one from the new album, one cover, and on top of "Every Morning," "Fly" and "Someday." I am sure no one was disappointed... well maybe the band was hoping for a bigger turnout, but they sure didn't show it. As tiresome as it may have gotten ten years ago, you gotta give the band some credit for doing what they know they do well, enjoying themselves, and having a good attitude. After all, weren't all thsoe hits better than anything that's been on pop radio since?

You Better Shut Up and Listen!!

If you talk to anyone who was actually on the Sunset Strip during the brief days of L.A. punk the names that will appear the most are always the Germs, X, the Weirdos, and the Screamers. Unfortunately, one of those bands didn't leave us behind with any classic records.

...And it's a shame, because the Screamers, known for their tall hair styles, may have been the best. They did have one of the most innovative sounds and performance styles of any punk band, regardless of location. Relying on synthesizer and Fender Rhodes rather than guitar and bass the band did not even broach on New Wave/Postpunk/Synth Pop and really had much more in common with the Germs than any artist of those styles. That coupled with Tomata du Plenty and Tommy Gear's drag past in SF and Seattle (where the roots of the band began as the Tupperwears) which heavily shows in the du Plenty's emphasis on performance and costume. The Screamers reflect just how all-inclusive the Los Angeles Punk scene was and, as a result, how it was one of the most important music scenes of the 1970s. To appreciate the Screamers, one must see them:


As you can see, it's pretty incredible - especially those dance moves! The big problem with the L.A. punk scene, was the despite it's proximity to the labels, it was completely ignored by the labels. The Screamers sound, in particular, was believed to not be able to translate well to recording. The music of the proceeding ten years, I believe, proved that entirely wrong. All that is left in that was are these very rough demos which are really not particularly listenable, but are the best we can do. I would just recommend watching them over and over again.

I believe both Gear and du Plenty died of AIDS, but the other two members went on to pretty significant careers. Paul Roessler played keys for the death-rock pseudo-supergroup 45 Grave (with the Germs Don Bolles and future Dream Syndicate guitarist Paul B. Cutler), while drummer K.K. Barrett works as a Production designer and has worked on all of Spike Jonze's films.


The Screamers - Demos 1977-78

Don't Search for Love, Make It

There's definitely nothing like this.

Within the first few weeks of high school George Brady, a talented musician in his own right was bringing in extra large photos of his father proving that Jimi Hendrix had stolen his Caribbean look. It was pretty convincing. The saga continued two years ago as two friends of mine, while enrolled in an NYU documentary course, made a documentary (whcih I wish were online almost as much as Brady himself does) about the musician at the suggestion of one of his neighbors who was in the same group. That was when I first discovered this remarkable album art. It was about a year later, though, that I managed to hear the music, and I think it's pretty cool. My friend Sam Park strongly agrees.

Think CAN with a steel drum. That is probalby the best short description I cna give, but a strong one regardless. The steel drum is what makes this so unique and such a fascinating listen. The drum works in this psychedelic milieu much like the organ does, but with a more abrasive, organic, and exotic tone. The album kicks off really hard with "Glass House," maybe the best song on the album and the band jams out quite well, honestly, on par with a lot of the artists of the same time in West Germany. The energy on this track does not wane through the rest of the album especially on "Once Upon a Candle." The band functions well, letting Brady's unusual talents shine through while accompanying him perfectly. Brady's lyrics and vocals play a massive part into this album being so otherworldly, as his voice is not the greatest and his lyrics tilt rapidly between psychedellic psychobabble (see "Halucinodream") and stream-of-consciousness preaching. However it all works well and as hard as it would be to believe after seeing some of this documentary, Brady's "It's a Good World Outside" sounds sincere and is pretty effective.


Victor Brady - Brown Rain (197?)

AFFORDABLE FIREPOWER!

The Ultimate Product!

By 1986 members of the original punk explosion had moved onto the broad category of "postpunk." Members of the Sex Pistols and the Buzzcocks had embraced their Krautrock and Dub influences, while others were experimenting with funky dance music. Billy Idol, for one brought punk the middle America by selling out a little while his former cohort Tony James sold out so much that Middle America could never hope to handle it. That is, except for one Chicago teen by the name of Ferris Beuller.

"Love Missle F1-11" was featured in that character's day off, but that is just a warm up for this masterpiece of Musique-Concrète and 1980s hedonistic debauchery that could only be produced by Giorgio Moroder. The videos Sigue Sigue Sputnik left behind show what this album plays - the ultimate 80s experience: Consumerism, glam, video games, cable TV, Transformers, Terminator, and Tokyo. The band's use of samples predates the DJs of the 90s all without moving into dance category, just high art for fun's sake. As I mentioned months ago on the topic of Hanoi Rocks, do not expect anything metal from this despite the band's image - this is something totally unique, hip, absolutely hilarious and often called the first (and probably only) truly "cyberpunk" album. By simply listening to this album you can almost say you lived through the 80s. The album is really one to play through as it flows together really well with long samples in intros (the kind that produce negative numbers on CD players making is hard to track on the PC.) However there are some tracks that do stand out on their own like the aforementioned one, along with "Atari Baby," "Rockit Miss U.S.A.," and "21st Century Boy." With the heavy presence of classical samples, Sigue Sigue Sputnik made an album for the future that was in tough with the past, and could only come from the present in 1986.


Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Flaunt It (1986)

I beleive I was lucky enough to have found this CD at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ.

I'm The Man With the Cabbage Head

With the deluxe American re-issue of his masterpiece Histoire de Melody Nelson, and subsequently arranger Jean-Claude Vannier's L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches Serge Gainsbourg's name has become a household world not only of the knowledgeable hipsters, but all of them. Obviously, though, they don't know much else about him, and that's where we differ.

This album, like the aforementioned one, is conceptual. Rather than Serge's own obsession with an Englsih teenager, this one is about another man. One with a cabbage for a head, and like the Kids in the Hall woudl years later, he really pulls it off. While it may not reach the same level of transcendent perfection like Histoire... this record dives into more styles rather than just funky orchestral porno music. Serge, as he would continue to, dives into the world of reggae and straightforward pop in addition to the psychedelic prog the dominates, all with his cinematic bend. With the complexity of the character's story it is a bit harder to follow, at least without knowldege of French, than Histoire..., but the music picks it up even when it can be a little jammy at times. While the music is not as perfectly arranged and there are some throwaway tracks, there overall Serge-ness is prevailent as always, and the music has a way of really carrying you away into the sleazy, sleazy Seventies. Standout tracks include the epic opening title track, "Aéroplanes," which with a little punchier of a mix could be your ultimate action-sexploitation film theme. "Flash Foward," with it's repetitive acousitc guitars and analog synths is the blueprint for much of what AIR became famous for, particularly on The Virgin Suicides, so much that you hardly notice the presence of a track called "Premiers Symptômes"! However, it is "Marilou sous La Neige," which is the real star and was an early favorite of his for me. Definitely a good next step for those already infatuated with Histoire de Melody Nelson and Initials B.B. but wary of something too loungey or Afro-Cuban.


Serge Gainsbourg - L'Homme À Tête de Chou (1976)

Beautiful Babies and Runaway Daughters

To continue on this tear for synth-pop (which I think will continue for quite a bit after this as well) I give you perhaps the United States' best, and definitely most under appreciated contribution.

Coming from San Diego, a city which is only now getting a musical voice, Dane Conover managed to not only get signed by MCA, but also produce a slew of low-budget videos such as the one above. Unfortunately, success did not find its way to this great album. Considering the sound of the record (produced by Earle Mankey), the major label, the rise of MTV, and the outstanding quality of the music, it is hard to believe this even happened. Perhaps the public was not ready for its own synthy weirdos... Regardless, we have it now, and this is a real masterpiece that may even outdo synth-pop classics like The Pleasure Principle, Dare!, and Rio. Trees has the same kind of cold and eerie depth of his British counterparts, but is delivered with something of Southern California carefree vibe rather than the bleak English roots. This, however does not mean the lyrics are any less foreboding and apocalyptic. The majestic "Red Car" and "Midnight In America" are prime examples of a U.S. response to Gary Numan's works like "M.E." and "Metal," while "Shock of the New" - which really kicks the album into gear, may be the greatest unsung anthem of the New Wave era. Yet, it may be "Wildwood" that is the true showstopper with Conover's vocals and haiku-esque lyrics somehow submerging bright California pop into the cold and dark world of synth-pop.

It seems to me that Conover has remained busy since, but this is the only Trees record. It's a shame, but at least he gave this style a unique masterpiece.


Trees - Sleep Convention (1982)

The Heavenly Touch of the Synthesizer

After seeing their album and hearing their name so much I was assuming that Black Moth Super Rainbow was just like Animal Collective at their worst (at a time when I was "washing my hands" of them). I finally gave them a chance and was pleasantly proven wrong and they became a part of my every day life for a few weeks last summer. What is so amazing about them is that they are the first band since the synth-pop explosion to really show the beauty of the synthesizer. By the time of BMSR's breakthrough, their primary instrument had become much-maligned as a music machine with no depth and nothing but artificiality. We all know that the instrument of Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, and Dane Conover could never be such a thing! Where AIR had made the analog synth hip and pretty, this group from Pittsburgh reminded everyone just why Walter (at the time) Carlos' Switched On works were so popular. BMSR shows just why these great tools were invented- to eliminate all restrictions of live music creation, and through their dedication to vintage instruments proves just how much the likes of Robert Moog succeded. This is a brilliant and transcendent record that comes as much from the woods of Western Pennsylvania, as it does from the blissed-out mind of a modern music geek. Great for almost any occasion.


Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum (2007)

We Got Road, We Got Time, So We're Outta Here...

So, as much as I dislike posting two albums by the same artist close together, I promised something of a section on desert rock, so here's another one. Most likely the last one for a while.

This one went out of print later than the other two London releases from the Puppets, but that's not why it is so easy to find. This is available in any used CD section in the United States thanks to Nirvana. Released in early 1994 after the tour and famous MTV Unplugged set, this was unarguably the Puppets' most mainstream and most successful work. That is not to say it is not great as well. Cleaner and grungier (wtf?) than even the previous album, this one does in fact carry their tradition well and modern rock radio hit "Backwater" is awesome, no matter what some detractors may say. In many ways other tracks like "Never to Be Found" really pick up where Forbidden Places left off and "Evil Love" really wails. As hard rock as the band can get on the album, the Southwestern sound is never completely buried by 90s production and preciesely distorted guitars. "Flaming Heart," probably the strongest song on the set is the ultimate testament to the matured band that brought us all their masterpieces in the previous decade. The grunge era was in fact kind to the Meat Puppets, unlike some of their other comtemporaries, the only exception being the hidden track - a re-recording of "Lake of Fire" done in the style of the Nirvana cover, which of course, was maybe the album's biggest mainstream draw. If you ask me, Mr. Cobain certainly did not do those classics justice. This is just another worthy Meat Puppets album, and in many ways the perfect 1994 rock album.


The Meat Puppets - Too High to Die (1994)

Tomorrow You Could Start Anew

The first time I heard "Confusion is Nothing New" - the first real song on this album I listened to it about 70 times in in a row. I am not even sure how I managed to procure it on my dying low-tech 2004 computer, but something in it really spoke to me.

This is some very Los Angeles music. The band's name comes from an intersection here (I've heard, though I used to think it was a play on the Zombies song), and there sound is full of good vibrations and the local tradition (check out the Forever Changes-esque album art), mainly that of Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Additionally, their sound owes a debt to previous California cowboys Camper Van Beethoven. The band's silence and eventual and very recent official demise was jsut another reason for the shortage of good music in this decade. This album, though does leave them with a pretty strong legacy. This is perfect psychedelic country rock, and perhaps even more than Gilded Palace of Sin lives up to Parsons' title of "Cosmic American Music." The perfect laid-back Saturday afternoon in the sun sound complete with alternating Western lap steel and trippy organ. The indie kid vocals could be tedious to some, but they are delivered with an alarming amount of sincerity for the sound and at times even excel. Inaddition to the aforementioned track other standouts include the harmonica melody of "The Hustler," the blissed-out "The Sun Surrounds Me," and the successfully romanitc Sade (!?) cover "By Your Side." This is the ultimate soundtrack to a bike cruise along the Pacific Coast, or a day spent folicking in Griffith Park, or even just floating in a broken-into Beverly Hills pool blazed. Enjoy.


Beachwood Sparks - Once We Were Trees (2001)

All We Wanted to Do Was Eat Cucumber Sandwiches

This is where Robyn Hitchcock's long an remarkable career begins. While it is not one of his best, especially when compared to the Soft Boys' masterpiece follow-up, it is still essential for any fan, and has an amazing cover.

This can be pretty hard to track down, unfortunately, and has been out of print in this country for god knows how long. The Boys really are beginning to get their sound together here, particularly in Hitchcock and Kiberly Rew's dynamic guitar interplay. Their place in the punk movement is much more evident here than on Underwater Moonlight, as is the diverese roster of influences far beyond the sixties psych-pop and postpunk most evident on the follow-up. Regardless of retrospective comparison, this is a pretty solid album, especially at the beginning. "Give it to the Soft Boys" is a great theme song for such a unique (especially in their time and place) group. "Pigworker" is like a real, though no less humorous version of Spinal Tap's "Sex Farm," and a whole five years earlier. "Human Music"'s slowed-down melody forshadows some of Kitchcock's prettier moments in later solo/Egyptians work, while "Sandra's Her Brain Out," may have the quintessential Hitchcock title and lyrics. In many ways this is the ultimate Hitchcock testament as it set the stage for the next thirty years (and probably the rest of his career) in every imaginable way.

Though there are few artists hailing from Cambridge, the Soft Boys are one of the best examples. Hitchcock's voice is enough to carry that city's own tradition and that in addition to his music continues the tradition of Syd Barret, the man who gave the place its original Rock 'n' Roll voice.

I understand there is a deluxe, bonus-tracks version of this album, but I have never seen it in any format... yet.


The Soft Boys - A Can of Bees (1979)

The Weight Was Wasted

It may seem hard to believe now, but in the mid-90s the Archers of Loaf were considered about as vital to the landscape of American Indie rock as Pavement, Guided by Voices, and Built to Spill. The Chapel Hill group definitely brought their own sound to the table and really reflected the times.

Considering how much heavier than their peers the band should have probably fared better in the grunge 90s, but either way those who really know their music know this album is an essential part of the era. The ironic-aggressive lyrics and sound delivered with a generours dose of fun (see "Learo, You're a Hole") could only come out of a college town in the 90s and rather than being really timeless, the album serves as a perfect time capsule, and that should be remembered when listening to it. That being said, the songwriting is very tight especially on the classic opening track "Web In Front" and "Wrong." While their certain, hardcore-like (the connection is as strong on as macho-man group Give Up the Ghost even covered this album's "You and Me") energy makes them quite distinguishable, this is a place to hear some ultimate 90s indie guitar riffs, especially on "Might" and "Plumb Line."

This, I believe, is in print, but for a long time - like when I got it for a whole lot of money on eBay six years ago, was out, or at least not being well-distributed. For uninitiated Eric Bachmann fans, it must be noted that this sounds nothing like his solo work or Crooked Fingers.


Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle (1993)

I'm Not Easy, I Know...

In continuation of my section on desert rock and my arrival in the Paradise City, I today give you Green on Red.

I originally heard of the band in 2003 when I was becoming a massive Pavement fan. I found a page that listed each member of the group's top 10 records. I do not know what year it was from. This one held a very high position on Bob Nostanovich's and was one of the year I had not even heard of at that point.

Despite hailing entirely from Tuscon Green on Red were an essential and arguable part of the Paisley Underground. In fact, both Matt Piucci (Rain Parade) and Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate) get specific shout outs on the sleeve. They did, of course have their very own sound, though, in having a very prevalent country sound, while retaining more psychedelia than a group like the Long Ryders. If one is to compare all of the Paisley Underground artists to an earlier group, Green On Red's would be to the Doors all thank to the dominant organ. Lyrically, though, things get heavier with them than most of the others, but their often bouncy rhythms make up for it. Two of such examples are the title track and "That What You're Here For." Other highlights include the 70s cinema (coincidence?) one-two punch of "5 Easy Pieces" and "Deliverence," and the Southwestern downer "Old Chief." With that said, one needs to also give credit to the anthemic "Brave Generation," which is a supportive voice at this age in this time, but that's nothing...

Like many other great re-issues, this version has bonus tracks placed in between the two sides.


Green On Red - Gravity Talks (1983)

Maybe I Had A Different Opinion That Nobdy Ever Considered Important

Well it's been a hectic past few days, hence the pause in updates. Just been very busy with my arrival in Los Angeles living the "J" Fantasy, moving, and ultimately having all the difficulties with wireless and other equipment affected by such things.


Along the cross-country drive, which has been a noticeable theme as of late I spent a lot of time in the desert, which as a Northeast kid is really something new. It certainly made an impact, especially the brief turn in I-15 through Arizona. I had plenty of desert rock in tow for this portion. Tonight I begin what will be a noticeable, but not exclusive feature on that style.

I have always been a Meat Puppets fan, but seeing the group's home turf really added even more to that. This album, one that has been out of print for many years, and as a major label debut - stemming from a deal that caused the then-defunct band to reunite, is not uncommonly maligned. However, it is one of my favorites - perhaps the most after the legendary II and Up On The Sun. Many people are not familiar with it, unfortunately, but the Kirkwoods lived out my ultimate dream (for the context) and opned their mind-blowing perfomance at the Middle East downstars September 2007 with this album's opener "Sam." The fast-paced blast of cowpunk energy was the perfect way to start a legendary show.

The album does not wane from there one bit. "This Day" is reminiscent of the feel-good psychedelia of Up On The Sun even as the next track shows the band outdoing their own straightforward hard rock style heard in their later 80s work. The pattern continues through the whimsical psychobabble of "Whirlpool," and rockers like "Popskull," but what is a Meat Puppets record without the cowboy campfire sound of "That's How It Goes" or frenetic insturmental "Six Gallon Pie"?

Essential for even casual listners of the group.

Meat Puppuets - Forbidden Places (1991)