Hey, You Wanna Buy Some Speed?

In a sense created by a record executive, Speed, Glue & Shinki was more or less Japan's first successful super session, and a particularly visually alarming one full of 6-foot plus Eurasians. Journeyman guitarist Shinki Chen, often hailed as Japan's Jimi Hendrix was a mainstay of Japanese sessions, but had failed to make any great music on his own. Vice-heavy bassist Masayoshi "Glue" Kabe had been a founding member of the naturally most cracked-out Groups Sounds band the Golden Cups. The only exception was drummer/vocalist/songwriter Joey "Speed" Smith a virtually unknown half-American Filipino national who at the time was fronting an R&B band playing department stores. With a loud, messy blues concotion that would have sounded msot at home in Detroit only years earlier, the three recorded perhaps the most drugged-out music of all time.

This debut album ranked by Julian Cope as the greatest Japrock album (tied with the Flower Travellin' Band's Satori) is a thirty-five minute tribute to drugs and the futen lifestyle. Immediately in "Mr. Walking Drugstore Man," the band shows that while they are excellent musicians, their life truly does revolve around getting high. While the stringed section's command of English may not have been near that of Smith's, it is doubtful they, especially Kabe would object to their content. While the love of drugs is explicit, so is everything else. "Big Headed Woman" is the rock 'n' roll suicide suggestion the PMRC spent most of the eighties searching for, and a funny one at that. The group's assertion of the futen lifestyle runs rampant especially in the anthemic "Ode to the Bad People" to which we all should relate to.

Tempo changes, the instruments run wild, it's a loud mess, but probably the tightest, most deliberate one you will ever hear. This is punk rock.


Speed, Glue & Shinki - Eve (1971)

Indeed That Heavy, But This Futen Has No Right to Say...

Well, I've been inactive for a long time now. Just wasn't feeling too inspired, but that's changed. Just dicked around in this hopeless post-graduate LA job-market clearing my palate with some old favorites and Rhino's Super Hits of the 70s: Have a Nice Day series thanks to my roommate Tommy. That and getting deeper into Julian Cope's Japrocksampler...

...which of course has been the return of my inspiration, and here is Les Raillezes Denudés. Formed in the late 60s this Japanese band formed out of the folk scene emerging with the radical (mostly communist) left, but eventually took their music in an even more radical direction. After the politics took an equally radical turn for the band's bassist hijacking a plane en route to South Korea with quite a few American passengers and escaping to North Korea, the band faded somewhat into obscurity. At this point the cult legend and the sound only sound worthy of it grew. At this point leaderand sole consistent member Mizutani Takashiheaded off into the mountains to live in isolation and set the standard for generations of futen artists like Ghost and perhaps his most dedicated followers Acid Mothers Temple and the Meltin Paraiso U.F.O. Here the sound was honed, taking the Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray" as the blueprint and turning into a precise art of noise as only the Japanese could. Not to mention it's a whole lot more interesting musically, and I must hope with less-embarrassing lyrics. Likewise, Andy and the Velvets' Exploding Plastic Inevitable Show was the top influence on Mizutani's "total sensory assault," which unfortunately was put to rest in 1997.

This set - a bootleg like all their releases, is ranked as the third greatest of the Japrock movement by Cope is some of the most exciting music I've heard. Starting off with the hypnotic "Strong Out Deeper Than The Night," the band's mastery of noise and atmosphere as well as Mizutani's perfectly executed vocals prove that this unique music demands one's full attention. Luckily, it is well-held for the whole 15:33 with an exploratory experience of jazz with the unity of a classic rock song. "The Night Collectors" rocks out the hardest and catchiest, but not without the Tarkovskyesque approach of "sculpting in time." Moments, or long stretches of them of softness come through as well most notably in "Enter The Mirror," making this psychedelic experience particularly dreamlike. For those looking for the most hardcore psychedelia, here it is, one that evokes the full-body brain-piercing experience of an Acid Mothers show even though these busted laptop speakers - full-blast, full-attention, life-changing.


Les Rallizes Denudés - Heavier Than A Death In The Family (1995?)

*I have a few more suspicions than usual this file may not have uploaded properly, so please let me know if there's an issue!

Here's a great video - the true title of this gorgeous song is "Romance of the Black Grief"

Now I'm So Happy I Have To Let My Song Outside

so I have been wrapped up lately with attempts at professional stuff and personal struggles and I am forced to do what I try so hard to avoid... re-post what I have found from the internet's best music blog - ZAMBONI Soundtracks.

So, here is Todd. A high school nerd who put together a whole album of music that could only, and most definitively be called "heartfelt." It comes from 1979 like it could come from no time else, but where, I am not totally sure. I would think somewhere in the suburbs of New York: Jersey, Long Island, Staten Island... something like that. It is clear that Todd put is all into this. He had to hire or beg the services of other and record in in a rush as the talent of his backers is arguable and their best defense is that they are playing with no familiarity with Todd's vision and their best attempt to follow it on the spot. The bass player is clearly the most lost and it seems like the drummer may just lack talent. Todd's piano is strong, and his vocals are weak - it is evident that here was a kid with the vision and the passion and hey, he did what he could, so let's give it some credit!

Regardless, you can feel what Todd is going for even if it comes from the superficial standpoint of Me = Good, Jock = Bad. Bottom line, it's like emo of the late 70s... back when that kind of thing was unacceptable. Either way, it's interesting to hear that kind of thing without the influence of the likes of hardcore and the Replacements. Rather the influences are more along the lines of show tunes and Hermit of Mink Hollow-era Todd Rundgren. Yet, still there are the topics of suicide and a-bit-too-unrequited love. There is nothing else like this. Give it a chance, as I am sure anyone who actually reads this kind of thing can relate to it. "Alone" and the title track can resonate the most while "Miracle Whip" is pure Vince Guraldi fun, and "Christ's Love Song" eliminates all the nice Jewish boy context I would assume. "Before It's Too Late," though while not one of the best songs is significant for the "believe it or not" factor of this. So, here is...

Todd - With Love... From Me To You (1979)

Party In The Pines - Big Sur

Thanks to my friend (whose more-professional-than-mine review is available here) I was able to attend this great event.

We arrived as Wooden Ships were playing. They were pretty cool - heavy instrumental psych-rock with the years there to do it quite well. Next there was Vietnam and Farmer Dave. Neither of them did it for me, personally, but with some good, but expensive New Orleans barbecue and some good, and modestly priced local beer who cares? Then, at last there was Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. His set consisted mainly of new stuff and the obscure. Some of these highlights were "Bevery Kills (Freaks with the Golden Heirs)" and "Psychodrama City." The new stuff is fantastic and I really can't wait for the next LP, which if released on time could rank as one of the best of this decade. He also gave an obvious(ly great) rendition of "Among Dreams" and my wish from the last time I saw him of hearing "Higher and Higher" was granted.

Following Pink was Gang Gang dance. I had never heard them before, but they put on a really cool show, which even more than the other sets I wished had been in a different setting. I would not listen to their records, but when they play LA next I will attend that show, especially if it is at the Echo, where their sound would fit perfectly.

Dungen was the star of the show in my eyes, and while they played mostly cuts from he last two albums, it was everything I could have asked for. Gustav Ejstes' genius was in plain view as he demonstrated his skills on mainly piano, plus vocals, flute, guitar... and tambourine. Also on display was his amazing ability to find talented musicians who can play just like him. The band also matched the forest setting best and their sound on classics like "Festival" and "Panda" was more subdued, yet no less powerful than on Ta Det Lugnt. Never miss the chance to see Dungen.

Another star of the show was the DJ who gave us music during the painfully long transitions. Her set consisted heavily of Anatolian rock, even with a cut from Benimle Oynar Mısın - the awesome "Sen Varsin". Gustav Ejstes was enjoying it a whole lot and why not because many of those artists are a clear influence on him.

And of course, who could discuss Anatolian rock without Erkin Koray...

Starting as early as the late 50s, Erkin Koray was the definitive voice of the Anatolian Rock movement, which while less famous was as unique and strong as similar prog/psych rock movements of the time in West Germany and Japan.

Since I have been so unreliable lately, here are his first two solo albums, which despite the increasing availability of Anatolian Rock since the successful Obsession compilation are really not "widely" available. Both of them are very strong and solid and serve as a great introduction to the style which melded Western psych rock with traditional sounds from the crossroads of the Old World. The self-titled is the one that is most in tune with that side, while Elektronik Türküler, much cleaner, is a little but more on par with the West, despite the exotic language. Okay, enough words.


Erkin Koray - Erkin Koray (1973)


Erkin Koray - Elektronik Türküler (1974)

Over, and Over, and Over I'm Really Not Ready At All

Sorry It's been so long. Been feeling uninspired. However, I've been on a big post-punk kick. Specifically the branch of first-wave UK punk rock that really set the stage for "indie pop."

The Mekons have had one unique career and their legions of extremely dedicated fans and their highly unusual path from post-punk to more straightforward punk certainly prove this.

Often considered their masterpiece, this album is one of the first to be called "alt-country" - quite a feat for a British band. One member tells that prior to making this album he had been listening heavily to classic country and after a certain point the three chords of punk and the three chords of country became the same three chords. This album's sound is surely the result of that, and the addition to fiddle to the roster makes it even more prominent. This is not to say the punk has not been lost, particularly in the shambolic "Hard To Be Human Again." That song is the perfect gateway for the punk fan that will leaves them wanting more of this countrified mess.

Fear And Whiskey is also one of the great post-punk concept albums with the likes of Hüsker Dü's best works. The story here is one of a city in a somewhat post-apocalyptic world fighting a war (brought hauntingly to life in "Trouble Down South") and struggling to hold on to everything that makes life worth living: love, culture, community, and of course a good party. With that in mind, opening track "Chivalry," is the perfect intro as the ultimate anthem to a drunken, embarrassing night coupled with a hint of the depth that will follow on the rest of the record. "Country," perhaps the album's best sums up the album's whole concept as the lose souls of this city hold on.

People always make once-relevant political connections with this record about the Thatcher/Regan era. Honestly I don't hear it all that much, but that may just be because I neither really lived through that era, nor consider myself a liberal. So, if you see it that way,, great. You are probably all the more enlightened.


The Mekons - Fear and Whiskey (1985)

plus, for good measure, here's a classic early single.


The Mekons - "Where Were You?"

What About The Problems of Our Society?

Ever since I first acquired this via New Jersey's Vintage Vinyl I had wanted to attend a dance party featuring the music of A Certain Ratio. Sunday I will finally have my way. So, if you are an Angelino and already a fan, or I am just about to make you one, be at the Echo Sunday night at 10 for Factory Night. I will no doubt be there (as well as Funky Sole the night before).

The initiated often have a poor idea of ACR based on their portrayal as Tony Wilson's boy band in 24 Hour Party People but they are actually contenders with the rest of the bunch. Appropriately named after a Brian Eno song ("The True Wheel"), ACR sounds like that artist making a Latin funk album and succeeding (although their LPs are admittedly not strong). This band put a dark ambiance around percussive dance music and pulled it off with impeccable musicianship - especially from drummer Donald Johnson. A Certain Ratio was in many ways the most definitive Factory band that ushered in the transition from atmospheric Joy Division and Durutti Column into New Order and eventually the burgeoning rave scene. This is most evident in their longer, loosely structured dance tracks like "Knife Slits Water" and "Sounds Like Something Dirty." Their more pop-like tracks are some of their best work such as the classic "Du the Du," "Shack Up," and my personal favorite "Faceless (Graveyard and Ballroom)." The explosive intsrumental, "Blown Away," is so great I am tempted to put a second pun in this sentence. White (well, 80%) funk does not get any better than this, and all for one reason: they never lost touch with the fact that they were teenage Bowie/Eno devotees from Manchester. That and an unbelievably creative sense of rhythm.


A Certain Ratio - Early (2002)

"B-Sides, Rarities, & Sessions" is not another album, but simply the second disc.

It is an enhanced CD that includes this video, which by request of poster I am not allowed to imbed, but is absolutely worth watching.

See you Sunday!

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)

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?)

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)

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)

We're Leaving at Five In The Morning - We Could Get Better Mileage

I write this in my second hotel room of the trip in Western Colorado. Today's drive was made even more transcendent through repeated listening of Popol Vuh's Coeur de Verre, which could not leave my CD player as ventured through the Rockies. One listen, even without seeing the movie would explain why. Download it!


Yesterday's drive, though, was through Iowa. Probably my least favorite state thus far, but I would never have dared say that to Arthur Russell!

Russell, who died of AIDS in 1992 was a genius, and if you don't beleive me beleive the likes of Jens Lekman, the Talking Heads, and even the K.L.F. who sampled his "Go Bang!" while he was still alive! He is the unifiying force of all the great music that was happening in Manhattan in the late seventies with punk/new wave, the avant-garde, disco, and minimalism. All of their influences are heard on this record, like most of his available releases is a posthumous compilation. This one may not be the best, but its general sound unifies his vast skills better than others while still remaining cohesive. That, and it contains what I would consider one of the greatest pieces of music of all time, "That's Us/Wild Combination." That piece, like many of his songs is made up of two very distinct parts that gradually unify and then disassemble, also heard in his disco classic "Is It All Over My Face?" The record also includes some great dronier tunes that still have his kind of pop and disco sensibility like the title tracks and "The Platform on the Ocean." Others are a New Wave dance party for the eccentricly genius, most notably, "Calling All Kids."

Russell was a legendary perfectionist who spent nearly all his time working on and recording his music, especially in his last days. That being said, anything you think could be better in these songs probably has been done and recorded. Hoprefully it will be released one day as well.


Arthur Russell - Calling Out Of Context (2004)

The cover photo may have been perfect for the release's time, but Russell's trucker hat is not the result of a prescient sense of fasion, but rather a relic of his Iowa roots which he always held dear.

Will You Play With Me?

To call Bülent Ortaçgil (pronounced Boo-lent Or-tach-geel) the Turkish Cat Stevens would be an oversimplification, but it is a good indicator of what to expect from this album.

About two and a half years ago my friend Will gave me the track "Suna Abla," which within about a week was played over a hundred times (that being from whenever I finally got around to listening to it.) Naturally, I had some trouble acquiring any more of the artists work until I was lucky enough to find an actual CD copy of this at Amoeba in Berkley (notably, I also found a vinyl copy at Amoeba in Hollywood which I somewhat regret not buying.) After that purchase the same kind of obsessive rotation occured because this album is a masterpiece. Every tracks is a hypnotic winner which more than just language to distinguish it from English language folk of the same era. Unlike some of his later work made years later after his return to chemistry the arrangements are very simple usually just with acousitc guitar, and some piano and bass. Some *heavier* tracks like the wonderful "Olmalı Mı Olmamalı Mı" and "Şık Latife" do add a bit of a change of pace. Despite the exotic language Ortaçgil conveys not only remarkably powerful emotion but a rare kind of childlike innocence in both vocals and instruments. Simply put this is an album of transcendant beauty, even if you are for some reason put off by music in other languages. Along with the others previously mentioned, the title track and "Dört Kisili Düs" are just otherworldly gorgeousity. The album is brilliantly structured with bookend tracks that pull you in and in most cases leave you ready for yet another spin.


Bülent Ortaçgil - Benimle Oynar Mısın (1974)

In other news, Jeff Hanson, one of the few recent artists that I like died recently. It was some kind of freak accident - I don't know what, that occurred in his apartment. He was only 31. I recommend his self-titled second album from 2005. Maybe I will put it up later.

God In Heaven, Won't You Help Us, Please

The most surprising thing that I ever heard about Emitt Rhodes was that this very album was EVERYWHERE at one point in time. Of course, the guy telling me this may have just been being a jerk as he charged me something like $15-20 for a not-quite-spectacular condition at Cheapo Records in Cambridge. However, considering the four years I had spent absorbing this rare masterpiece I hold no regrets on that purchase.

This album is often described as what Paul McCartney's solo records should have sounded like - I would agree, despite no negative feelings about many of his solo albums. There is a definite specifically McCartney Beatles vibe here and if you have a problem with McCartney even within the Beatles you really have to leave... obviously. This is the perfect pop album of its time, as it should be considering Rhodes' pedigree with L.A. pop group Merry-Go-Round (whose influence is heard directly on The Bangles) he splices the major influences of UK and Los Angeles guitar pop of the era here. What is extra cool is that Rhodes played and "produced" everything on here on a four-track, placing him among the likes of early one-man bands as Todd Trundgren, R. Stevie Moore, and yes, McCartney himself.

It is a true shame that these days the only people that know Rhodes are the geekiest of music lovers and die-hard Wes Anderson fans (myself both), whose The Royal Tenenbaums featured the short "Lullabye" (as per recomendation of Jason Schwartzman!?). The rest of the songs are of that quality, in particular "Promises I've Made" and the one-two punh of "With My Face On The Floor" and "Somebody Made For Me," so be sure to pick this up becasue it's either here or a long, expensive search... or another blog, I'm sure. Essential for fans of Big Star, The Beatles, and the Yelllow Pills series.


Emitt Rhodes - Emitt Rhodes (1970)

The Sound Track Of My Dreams

I first heard this group about three years ago when this album's "Sound Track" was included on a MOJO compilation called The Roots of Punk which also included CAN, the Stooges, The Groundhogs, and Mott the Hoople. When this track came on, though, my first thought was "Is this arena rock?" My second was "I don't care if it is - it rules!" The third: "This is the most Vincent Gallo thing I've ever heard."

Later my friends and I found this video:

which is constantly taken off and then put back on youtube.

Not much later I managed to find this album at the local Borders... and SHIT was it amazing!!

Bill Nelson is a guitar virtuoso. Unlike everyone else who fits that description, though, he writes good songs. This is an amazing pop album with wonderful instrumentation that for prog-rock is somehow very un-pretentious. This is over-the-top 70s rock at its finest - big, fun, and showy. The two aforementioned songs are both fantastic - "Sound Track" for its epic qualities and "Maid in Heaven" for its catchy pop accessibility. Both emit all the energy you could want from the style. The big production deserves as much credit as the songwriting, instrumentation, and energetic band, and why not as it was produced by Roy Thomas Baker (of "Bohemian Rhapsody" fame)? Naturally, there are a lot of similarities in the big sound, so this should not be missed by any fan of that style.

Also, be sure to COMPLETELY disregard the AMG review.

Be Bop Deluxe - Futurama (1975)

It may never be known if Matt Greoning is a fan.

I'm From Brisbane and I'm Quite Plain

The Late Grant McLellan and Robert Forster, looking unusually foppish.

Perhaps the one good thing about music in this decade has been the return of a lot of classic artists of the 70s and 80s. The Go-Betweens were one such band and their final album is one of the best. Released in 2005 this was an unexpected final masterpiece due to McLellan's unexpected death by heart attack three years ago at the age of 48.

There is a noticeable maturity to the already precocious band, which at that point only featured the original duo of McLellan and Forster from the classic lineup. That said, it's clearly the same artists and the classic sound is intact - at least that of the later, and often considered best, period. Both songwriters are in top form, but despite highlights like the opner "Here Comes A City," McLellan really dominates. His composition "Finding You" stands amongst "Cattle & Cane" and "Streets of Your Town," as one of his absolute finest and "Boundary Rider" was in fact the song that turned me into a Go-Betweens fan. His death was a true tragedy, but at least McLellan left on a very high note.


The Go-Betweens - Oceans Apart (2005)

Also, here is the first single the band about the original The Omen starlet. It is very rare, very good, and a great way to bookend this amazing band's career. Also, it is from where this article's title comes.

The Go-Betweens - "Lee Remick" (1978)

Pushed To A Wall The First "Punk" Record.

That is mostly because, perhaps only since I am from New Jersey, that the word "punk" evokes the image of a fat, middle-aged New York area man yelling at a bunch of overgrown teenagers something like "get off my car punk!" The Dictators, straight out of the outer Burroughs (including some of the last whites to live in the Bronx!) certainly were who this man would be yelling at.

Some of the best elements of punk rock are found here including an unbeatable and racy sense of humor in tracks with in-your face titles like "Back to Africa" (catch the Clash's inspiration at the end) and "Master Race Rock." The lyrics end up not carrying the white supremacist message one may assume from the titles. The band carried on some Nazi imagery later in their career with a flair that their UK counterparts could only dream of since many of the members were Jews. Other song topics cover the punk way of life stemming back to the Beach Boys with the classic closer "(I Live For) Cars and Girls" being the prime example along with any street punk theme song "Teengenerate." The band covers much of the same topics of New York artists not typically associate with punk rock like doo-wop, but with a hilarious way of not sugar-coating it best seen in the Friday-night anthem "Weekend." Pop covers are another wonderful element here with "I Got You Babe" being done by two men with enough sense of humor to highlight a true love for the song. Basically, they were coming from the same exact place as the Ramones, but with less image construction, and in my opinion, a bit more sincerity. This record is pure fun.

However, the Dictators cannot be mentioned without "Handsome" Dick Manitoba. The band's mascot and "secret weapon" serves mainly as a background vocalist on this record, but his energy is what propels the band into greatness, as the cover should show you. Think Rob Tyner with the flair of a pro-wrestler. The Dictators can also be connected to metal to a certian degree, not only in the fact that in 1975, this album was surely placed in that catergory. During one of the band's many long hiatuses lead guitarist Ross "The Boss" formed humor-metal band Man-O-War.

Perhaps needless to say the other "Boss" Bruce Springsteen is a huge fan.


The Dictators - The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! (1975)

A Truly Royal Scam...

I was told by a friend tonight that the legend R. Stevie Moore had recently passed away, and while his myspace has been re-named "R. STEVIE MOORE R.I.P.," I believe this has to do with his plan to not play live again and death rumors seem false. I know he may not matter as much to everyone has he does to me and my friends, but I think there would be some easily accessible obituary on the man, who if in fact alive is only 57.

Regardless of whether or not it would be in memoriam, I needed to put up some more of his work.

Here is his second "proper" LP, which some people, including the friend who gave it to me, even prefer to Phonography, but to be honest I have yet to absorb it enough to say. Regardless it is a solid set that continues to prove his immense talent. His signiture sound and songwriting skill is on display as much as ever and there is indeed some growth, and some very bold moves including the title "Don't Blame The Niggers." His humor comes out even more on the songs, although the wonderful skits are absent here. This album also marks his move to New Jersey and the WFMU clip that he samples shows the warm welcome we gave him up here despite his perpexling move. The album begins with a bang in "Cool Daddio," which like "Funny Child" may hint at domestic issues that caused the artist's move out of Nashville. Like it or not (as easy on both sides) his love songs are not quite as sincere, but what is lost is replaced with an acerbic whit in the sub-legal "Schoolgirl" and pre-SNL ambiguity of "Oh Pat." It is all delightful, and hopefully so is R. Stevie's future.


R. Stevie Moore - Delicate Tension (1978)

Every Time I Hear Your Music You're Still Thousands of Miles Away

John Cale really had a way with covers. This is in both senses of the word as his most classic records present him on the sleeve with impeccable style and humor, and this record is clearly no exception. Also, it has got an amazing, perhaps proto-goth cover of "Heartbreak Hotel" on it.

Slow Dazzle presents all of Cale's skills, from pop to heavy rock, to the avant-garde. Keeping up with style, mood changes as frequently, from the bright oping tribute to Brian Wilson, which keeps up with much of that fellow's style to the bitter "Guts," about the backstage disaster the night of the legendary June 1, 1974 concert. Then, of course, he takes it to weepy ballad "I'm not the Loving Kind." Other highlights include the Springsteen-esque "Ski Patrol" and the punk attitude of "Dirty-Ass Rock 'n' Roll." Admittedly not everything is as perfect as on albums like Paris 1919 and Vintage Violence, but it highlights the full expanse of Cale's brilliance and creativity. At times, this is exactly what someone may expect from Cale knowing him only as the number two guy on the first two Velvet Underground records. At others, it can only be appreciated that understand Cale as the artist he is - a true enigma not as easy to peg as former collaborator Lou Reed.

Like many of Cale's 70s work, the UK über-elite play on this album, though in this case (considering Phil Collins and Robert Fripp's absences) it could be described as simply Roxy Music. This means he is joined by Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (sax), and Brian Eno (synths), so it would be recommended to anyone curious about their work outside of Eno and Roxy.


John Cale - Slow Dazzle (1975)

He's So Fine, He's Like Me...

The power of Chris Knox!

Toy Love was it in the way of kiwi pop. We all know the Clean, but Toy Love was first. The band marked, even more so the transition from imitating UK punk and featured both members of Tall Dwarfs as well as one of my favorite bassists Paul Kean, later of the Bats. They formed out of NZ's original punk band the enemy and were quite a show. After forming in Dunedin they relocated to Australia expecting it as a route for more success. Unfortunately they were wrong. They recorded one poorly mixed self-titled record which has been re-mastered and sounds pretty great on the first disc. However it is some of the earliest singles like "Rebel," "Squeeze" and "Sheep" that stand out the most. These songs can really speak to anyone, anywhere in the world who knows what being a hipster or a true rock 'n' roller is all about. If you are reading this I am sure they should connect with you. Frontman Chris Knox is an incredible performer and the whole band is really switched on as well. It's a whole lot of fun and if you are interested in the history of New Zealand rock this as just as, if not as important as "Tally Ho!," "Pink Frost," and The Dunedin Double EP.


Toy Love - Cuts (Disc 1)