Scariest Music Ever Made

In  the great tradition of Halloween, it's time to that special top ten that will freak you out more than Sarah Palin showing up your doorway.  Usually, at this time, I do celebrate the day by playing War Of The Worlds (to which is the 70th anniversary of that infamous broadcast of martians coming to attack and in the mist of an hour managed to take over the world, blow up the armies and destroyed the world only to be killed by antibodies within a whole hour) and sometimes put up a Halloween best of that celebrates the ghost and ghouls.  But in the meantime, trying to figure how to scare the hell out of people by putting a top ten from Hell.  And believe me, there's plenty of songs to choose from.

I've had some suggestions out there, Hoop writes to put in a word for Robert John's Sad Eyes which was a MOR hit back around 1980 but scares the neighborhood dogs with that hi falsetto that gives us images of the forthcoming of Jeff Buckley or that lead singer of flavor band of 2004 The Darkness.  But I will think of sticking with the original ten songs that will clear the room of sane people, or drive me out of the local thrift store if and when they come on. Again, your list of the scariest songs will vary but these ten Zombies will forever haunt your brain, if you let these earworms invade your thought pattern.  It's so easy to add a Mariah Carey song with her twenty octaves and she uses them all on the chorus, or Britney Spears who can never sing and after ten plus years is still around to torture the F out of us.  I'd add a Sheryl Crow to this mess but I tend to agree with her on some things of life so she is spared but that doesn't mean that I will run to the door if I hear her damn songs at Arby's.  Or Carrie Underwood, the manufactured country artist if there ever was one.  Or Mike Bolton, or Kenny G?  Oh we can go on and on but these ten songs that are in this list are the ones that I will forever associate with being in Halloween Radio Hell.  And will forever leave me screaming for a stake through the heart whenever I hear them.  You want We Built This City on this list?  Make up your own please.

 

And now in terms of Halloween we gonna set you up with the Scary Top Ten.

I mean these songs are so scary, they will stand your hair on end.

 

Don't say I didn't warn you.

 

1.   My Heart Will Go On-Celine Dion (ARRRROOOOOOO)

2.   Take On Me-A Ha (OOOOOOOOO earworms from hell)

3.   Broken Wings-Mr Mister (can it be that 1985 was the scariest year ever for this? Will somebody shoot this tuneless bastard now?)

4.   You're Having My Baby-Paul Anka (somebody bring a exorcist)

5.   Boot Scoot Boogie-Brooks N Dunn (BOO dammitt)

6.  Afternoon Delight-Starland Vocal Band (EEEEEEK)

7.   Feelings-Morris Albert (Somebody please make it STOP)

8.   You Light Up My Life-Debby Boone (the inspiration of My Heart Will Go On)

9.  Do You Hear What I Hear-Vanessa Williams (just because it's Halloween doesn't exclude that there are annoying Christmas songs out there, Xmas is coming)

10. And if you read this far

BOOOOOOOOO!

Torn Between Two Lovers-Mary McGregor  (DIE DIE DIE)

 

and watch out for wrong way spooks OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOB.

 

Happy Halloween everybody

 

From RS Pumpkin Bars Crabb

Rock n Roll and Cheap Oil

While driving today, I saw something that I didn't think I was going to see again.

The gas price today was 2.19 a gallon.

It has not been this cheap in two years. Last year at this point it was 2.67 a gallon and back then we thought we were getting a bargain even then.

We are all skeptical that it will remain 2.19 a gallon. Sure it's a nice not having to pay fifty bucks to fill up but this doesn't mean that we should all start going back to driving freaking Hummers and SUVs and clog up the highways with 10 mile a gallon old tanks. Good thing I don't have the old 67 LTD anymore. Heck it would cost me 20 bucks to fill it up back in 1979 when it was 73 cents a gallon.

When my car was in the shop a few years ago, I had to borrow Mom's station wagon and even with 1.74 gas, it took 60 bucks to fill up and it would only last three days at best. At four bucks a gallon this summer it would have cost me a paycheck to fill it up!

So far this month we have seen the gas price fall almost a dollar fifty from 3.64 to 2.19 a gallon. And although the newscast think it could fall under two bucks, you can bet our OPEC buddies and Castro wannabe Hugo Chavez will turn off the oil faucet for that to ever happen. In fact I've seen the barrel price go back up to 67 bucks today, a five dollar increase from yesterday. If it's cheap gas for now, it won't be and we all know it.

So I would suggest to congress to continue to look for alternatives for oil, and not be so cavalier. They had a big chance to change back in 98 when gas was a dollar a gallon and the days for four dollar gas was predicted and the big solution was SUV's and Hummers. I wouldn't mind seeing gas at 2.19 a gallon but one knows that when springtime comes along next year it will once again go up.

We've seen history and the four dollar gas. We know it can and will happen again if we get to conplacement. Be happy for 2.19 a gallon gas but remain skepital.

Top Ten Of The Week-So Much Music So Little Brain Cells

It's funny how we get older that we simply don't remember much of the new music while the old songs of the past get burned inside our minds.  I did read Vinyl King's little blog about that and sometimes the songs that we should know which escapes our minds that we have to research it somewhere else.  The problem of getting old is that we have 50 plus years of music to hear whereas at the same time trying to bring new music into our collection.  Sure I continue to buy more music but at the same time have less time to listen to it and when I do, I don't remember much of what I heard till I have to play it again to write a credible review of it.  And still fail at the end.  But I keep trying.
link of the day.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/

Ten songs of the week from the player.

1.  It's Only Love-ZZ Top 1976  I don't think much of the CDs that had the drums redone.  The London album had a different drum mix and fits in better than the cold sound.  From the most underrated ZZ Top album of the 70s.

2.  Magick-Ryan Adams & The Cardinals 2008  I can't make up my mind if Ryan is the boy genius that the critics heap gracious praise on him or he tends to overkill everything by flooding the market with countless albums of his work.  This year however, he's only issued one album instead of two or three but we're beginning to figure out where he is coming from.  But he certainly has found his best band since Whiskeytown in The Cardinals, somewhere between Wilco and Gram Parsons and honky tonk.  But I hear a bit of Coldplay on the new album.

3.  Neon Street-Atlanta Rhythm Section 1989  Forgotten track off a forgotten album, this record introduced us to Brendan O'Brien, who played guitar on the album and recorded it and would go on to bigger and better things.  Sounds like what 38 Special's been doing but with better success.

4.  Now I'm Talking About Now-The Swimming Pool Q's 1986  A band from Georgia that sounded a cross between Fairport Convention and the B 52s.  Made a great album called Blue Tomorrow and a couple others but they're still around.

5.  I Love You Yes I Do-Bullmoose Jackson 1947  A blues shouter got a number one hit with this pop number which owes more to Nat King Cole than Louis Jordan.  Later would go on to fame as the original recorder for Big Ten Inch Record.

6.  Burned Like A Rocket-Billy Joe Royal 1986  BJ Royal had pop hits like Down In The Boondocks and Cherry Hill Park and then after the hits dryed up, went country and recorded five albums for Atlantic Country.  I donno, I think I perfer his country period though although his version of Hush is killer.

7.  Take The Skinheads Bowling-Camper Von Beethoven 1985  Before Cracker there was CVB and this was their best known song.  Later got on to Virgin Records and later regretted that decision.

8.  Takin Care Of Business-Big Mouth 1988 Seems like we're stuck in the 80s this week but this was a band that did a remake of the BTO overplayed classic. This band was a one and done band that made ten songs that duplicated the Beastie Boys' You Gotta Fight For Your Right To Party to nine songs and this cover.  Probaly was the inspiration for Bloodhound Gang a few years later.  Another dollar album that I found at the Downtown Discs at Platteville last week.

9.  Good Old Days-Owsley 1999  This track was heard at Del Taco when I was in Prescott back in August and kept forgetting to add it to the Top Ten.  This was a nice power pop number that could have been remembered more fondly if Giant Records didn't fold up soon after this album was released. 

10.  I Really Like Girls-George Thorogood 1988  And finally, this song has fond memories of me hanging at DeSoda's back around the early 90s.  Everytime they played this number all the waitresses would jump on your table and gyrate to the music.  Back in the days when I used to bar hop and go to this meet market to maybe score but never did.  Not with the waitresses anyway.  Russ always thought that this song was annoying anyway.  Perhaps he has a point.  Below best website for your alternative music needs.
http://rscrabb.blogspot.com/
...
Amy sez don't forget me.
http://www.superbowlsinglegirl.com/blog/

Some  Lovin from Lizzy Williams again. :)

Lizzy Williams Love reading your 10 Ten. I always learn. L

Top Ten Of The Week-From The Q City And Platteville

The fall foilage has been a bit late here.  Things are still green although the trees are in varying degrees of yellows and a spotted red among the Mississippi River.  It's supposed to rain the rest of the week so I thought I go see the changing of the leaves around Dubuque and go into Platteville Wisconsin to find what they have for music stores.  Platteville had a very nice store called Downtown Discs in the middle of downtown that the owner was generous enough for me to seek out the bargains under the table and I found about seven more vinyl albums from the 80s that were worth a look.  I'm listening to an Americana band The Black Velvet Band that made a album for Elektra in 1989 to which I'm sure I saw the CD for about a buck elsewhere.  It's called When Justice Came and produced by Pete (Dwight Yoakam) Anderson and usually a Pete Anderson produced album is worth listening to.

It's a task not to drive on through to Madison but the trail ended at Platteville today and it's a 75 minite drive from home and Dubuque is about fifty minites.  Dubuque has a CDs 4 Change, a store that reminds me somewhat of the old Relics and although they had a good selection, I liked Downtown Discs a little bit more in terms.  All goes to show that small town Midwestville, if you look hard and long enough, you can still find the last record store in town.  And if you get up to Dubuque, for good Mexican food try Los Aztecas on highway 20 next to the Super 8.  The portions are a bit smaller but I sat at a table that was very roomy, and probaly could have sit about eight.  In short, I think going to Dubuque was better than the last time I was up there (about five years ago), but downtown has about ten different pawnshops but I got there real late so I didn't go into but one, The American Pawnshop on Central but I did managed to find a couple things worth getting.  Hell, you know me I always find things of note.  I'm a CD junky kno?

And Dubuque still has Little Caesar's Pizza too.  Lucky bastards.  I did managed to find the Goodwill on Asbury and although I did enjoy sorting through four racks of records, I didn't find anything I wanted unless I was into Danny Davis And The Nashville Brass.  Or Floyd Cramer, or Boots Randolph.

This weeks top ten of note (with smartass comments where needed)

1.  As You Go Down-The Black Velvet Band 1989  Sometimes the bargain bins can yield some decent listening for the open mind.  Such as this band led by Kieran Kennedy.  Outside of that, I don't know much about this band.

2.  Crawl-Kings Of Leon 2008  Remember the last blog to which I wasn't going buy the new KOL?  I lied and got it on the recommendation from somebody.  And for the first couple songs I thought that this might be the best album these guys have put out yet.  And then I listened to the rest of the album.  And I want my money back.

3.  Ain't That Just Like A Woman-Louis Jordan 1947  They didn't call it rock and roll back then, they called it boogie woogie and Louis Jordan rocked harder than most of what came out in the 40s.  Anyway, HP Books had this four cd box set called Jivin With Jordan, that has the best rocking of Jordan's Decca years.  Chuck Berry did a cover of this song in the mid 60s.

4.  Sweet Louisiana Sound-Billy Pilgrim 1995 Probaly the biggest hit from this alt country duo who made two albums for Atlantic, back when Atlantic was signing bands left and right.  Kristin Bush, lead guy singer would later grow a goatee and go Nashville with Jennifer Nettles which you know as Sugarland and head toward a more pop Nashvegan sound.  (gawd I need a spell checker)

5.  Still Water (love)-The Four Tops 1970  RIP Levi Stubbs.

6.  Hurt So Bad-The Lettermen 1969  I suppose I'm going to catch flak on this choice but this song sounded pretty good on AM radio when the playlist was liberal as the Crabby Top Ten.  MOR vocal bands of that era was the rage but nowadays when you scope out the vinyl at Goodwill you see a lotta MOR pop bands that nobody wants.  Mantovani, Classical albums, Mitch Miller.  Linda Ronstandt did a note for note version of this in 1978 and got a sizeable hit.

7.  The Way To Salvation-King Missle 1991  A band lead by a poet John S Hall who sounded a bit like Albert Borchard of BOC.  The band that made three albums for Atlantic were the most rocking and best sounding.

8.  Black Ice-AC DC 2008  New AC DC record that you can get only at Wal Mart.  At least Brian Johnson sounds more in tune than he did on Stiff Upper Lip.  And for a limited time you can get the AC DC back catalog for 7 bucks and Back In Black for 9 bucks.  But by now, you should have all the AC DC albums but don't let the folks at Sony fool you, the Atlantic remasters sound just as good and have regular jewel cases.  And as you know, I hate digipaks.

9.  Ain't Living Long Like This-Waylon Jennings 2008  Speaking of AC DC, this new version of the Waylon song sounds a lot like It's A Long Way To The Top If You Wanna Rock n Roll.  But then again Waylon didn't care, he's been dead for over six years but son Shooter managed to graff his voice to the 357s music.  Hate to say it, although this song rocks, most of the new Waylon Forever album isn't that great and whoever did the oversinging on I found The Body should be banished to American Idol Hell forever.  Unforgivable.

10.  Doesn't Anybody Believe -The Sidewinders 1990 and finally, Tucson's best band ever made two good to great albums for RCA before some tribute band sued them for rights to the name and then caught fire ever again (although they did make one album for Atlas/Polydor and then regrouped off and on). And The Sidewinders continue to get some kind of Crabb airplay.  Because they f'n rocked.  Rich Hopkins has said that they recorded a new album but I have yet to see it anywhere.  

I wish I could get a radio show, I betcha I would be just as famous as John Peel or Rodney on the KROQ.  Course I wouldn't say too much, I'd just let the music do the talking......

PS, I didn't make much of an effort to seek out Moondog Music in Dubuque.  I'm still a bit miffed at them for driving all the way there and finding they were closed five years ago.  Supposely they're down the road from CDs 4 Change. Ah, maybe next time.

On the subject of most annoying songs from the Amazon blog of same name (or the most hated songs) from JC Roberts.

Basically, I dislike anything popular, because once a song becomes popular, then you hear the bloody thing ALL ... THE ... TIME, no matter where you go, until even just the first few notes of the intro create an inexpressible urge to vomit profusely. Honestly, music should come with expiry dates: DO NOT AIR AFTER (DATE/MONTH/YEAR). It's really unfair to the artist, because it does put people off their music, and increases the liklihood that people will simply tape the thing off the air, rather than make a purchase. Meh, it's the music business. What are you going to do?

Thanks JC, I thought about making a blog about most annoying songs but I have done that about 14 times at the Yardbird's Roost so basically my list of songs are probaly the same as the other folk.  Which is why I like to focus on the lesser known stuff, it's less played and most of the time nobody knows who the hell you're talking about.  But I did cut short a visit at Arby's in Dubuque the other night when Sheryl Crow's First Cut Is the Deepest popped on the box.  Annoyance is what you make of it and getting the hell out is the ultmost importance.  Likewise Mr Mister's annoying Broken Wings.  Or Sammy Davis' Candy Man.  Ugh, I'm doin it again, hashing up crappy songs again........

Comments:

Diggy Kat omg but but but what about the KOL songs Cold Desert and Be Somebody?!?!?! those are near the end of the cd, and i swooooon for those! arg! they're so amazing to me!!! so is the first song Closer!

oooh i got 4 more cds yesterday, Dillard & Clark (2 albums on 1 cd), Gene Clark - Silverado '75, Mark Bryan - 30 On The Rail and the self titled cd by Natalia Lafourcade!

Top Ten:I Am Warning You With Peace And Love

I'm listening to one of the oddest collections that I've come across, a three cd set called OHM: The Early Gurus Of Electronic Music 1948-1980, something that Half Priced Books was selling for three bucks in the clarence section.  They have about 12 more CDs of this box set for your approval but I don't think there's 12 people in Eastern Iowa that could sit through this set.  Amazon is selling this box set for about forty bucks retail.  I think Lou Reed based Metal Machine Music on this set, that's how out there it is.  Anyway, some weird stuff on this and a lot of unlistenable stuff too.

The tunes of the week is as follows.

1.  Crop Circle-Monster Magnet 1998  When I think that this album is ten years old it makes me where the hell the time went. Actually I know, I've spent most of the decade throwing smarty comments to the top ten listings.  Monster Magnet had broke through with Powertrip and was on the bigger and brighter things before the big Universal takeover of Polygram and quit caring about this band.  Dave Wyndorf is still around, he survived a nasty drug overdose and still records as Monster Magent for SPV Records.

2.  Everywhere That I'm Not-Translator 1982  Up in Madison I found their best of album of said title.  This is perhaps the best known song from this band but rest assured all their albums are now on CD.  But nobody really cares much about Translator except well schooled album packrats.  To which I'm sure none of you are.

3.  One Piece At A Time-Johnny Cash 1976 Dedicated to Dennis Pusateri, well schooled smartass and old hippie and a very good friend of mine who I used to trade tapes with when he worked at NCS in the old Pell Department.  He has a very barbed sense of humor to which why I get along fine with him. He's a regular at the Wilson Avenue Hy Vee to which I went up Saturday night and we talked about the good times of long ago.  Appently, he's divorcing his wife and has told her in no uncertain terms that if she wants his motorcycle, she'll get it all right....one piece at a time.  We salute you DP.

4.  Very Best Years-The Grays 1994  Minor supergroup featuring Jason Faulkner and Jon Brion who made only one album but it's probaly one of the best pop albums of the 90s that nobody heard about.  Copies used to sell for about twenty bucks on EBAY but nowadays you can find it for two bucks at Amazon.  This song made it on a Beavis And Butthead clip.  You can guess what they thought of it heh he he heh he he.  Settle down Beavis.

5.  False Alarm-King's X 2001  I get requests from folks to add a King's X song and most of the time they slipped my mind till I moved their albums to the living room so I can check them out.  I think the only album that i didn't care much for was 2000's Please Come Home Mr Bulbous but the followup Manic Moonlight was much much better.  I think I played this song about five times in a row the weekend, very hooky and easy to sing along, King's X remains the best rock band that nobody cares about anymore since they're more real rock than say, Hinder or Jonas Brothers but then again I shouldn't slam the Jonas Bros, at least they play their own instruments.

6.  American Standard-Jordan Zevon 2008  A very good debut album from Warren's son who must have spent most of his childhood listening to Ben Folds, or XTC or even Elvis C.   Recommended for those with a ear for the quirky pop.

7.  Cohesion-The Minutemen 1985  The late D Boon made this double album called Double Nickels On A Dime and it features no less than 43 songs on a CD.  Robert Christgau says there was 46 songs and perhaps so, but most of the songs on this album are only one to two minites long and not a wasted note ever. I like this little guitar piece right before the song that was the theme to MTV's Jackass show. Ya learn something new each day, even if you're close to fifty like me. =P (Side note: Corona, the track used for the Jackass theme song is track 19.

8.  The Shock Of The Lightning-Oasis 2008  New Oasis and it's pretty good.  Don't give up on the Gallaghers just yet, they've made two damn good albums in a row.  Almost makes you forgive them for Be Here Now or Heathen Chemistry.

9.  Come On-Joe Jackson 1980  This was the B side to I'm The Man and was on a out of print Live Compliation till Universal remastered I'm The Man and put this song as a bonus track.  The original Joe Jackson band rocked hard as this song.

10.  Rock On-David Essex 1973  A big one hit wonder, David was somewhat a glam popper I think judging by what I heard on the Best Of CD that I found for two bucks at Goodwill.  Yup, this is overplayed on the radio for sure but when I heard the forty five version of it, I still enjoy it fine myself.  REM kinda rewrote the song for their 1993 song Drive.  But not as good as the original.

More meaningless stuff:

John Richardson is sitting in on drums with the Gin Blossoms.  JR is better known for playing drums for Tommy Keene and Joey Molland's Badfinger Tribute Band.

I've heard some unflattering things bout the new Secret Machines album that it may not be worth the time of effort to review.  Perhaps we have to wait till somebody brings it in used somewhere.  I am also sure the new AC DC will be in a freaking digipak.

Madonna divorcing again?  Really?


And finally I gave up on Kings Of Leon and have no intention of reviewing their latest album.  Like the Strokes I find KOL overrated and although I did give their last album a B grade, history has shown they tend to meddle a bit too much.  Out of all their albums, only one I still have was their Holy Roller Novacaine EP and I think that's all the Kings Of Leon I can listen to.  They don't need me anyway, their latest did crack the top ten when it debuted and then dropped like a stone into the lake.  And so it goes............

Some comment love:

MARGARET Check out WE JAM ECONO--a MINUTEMEN DVD w/ bonus disc. XLNT!
D. Boone died when he fell out of the van door years ago.

Crabb Bits: Stupid People, Oasis, Jordan Zevon

To the dumb son of a bitch who threw their fucking bar b q sauce after eating their chicken McNuggets on my car in the Hy Vee parking lot, bad karma is coming to you.  And especially after washing my car off.  Just another reminder that there are still dumb fucks in Cedar Rapids Iowa.  Here's hoping a cinderblock comes out of the big blue sky and whop you upside the head Junior.

Amazes me how ignorant people get anymore.  And by the way here's a note from Ringo Starr about signing no more autographs after October 20th. (the preceeding paragraph is probaly from some disgrunted fan who heard Liverpool 8.  But basically it's a Ringo FU note to the world.

In an utterly bizarre footnote of Beatles history, Ringo Starr has sent a video update to his fans telling them to stop sending fanmail. It's available to see on the drummer's official website now, but it turns out that Ringo's had enough of signing things. He's clearly far too busy singing out of tune and playing drums badly…
"This is a serious message to everyone… after the 20th of October, do not send fan mail to any address that you have. Nothing will be signed after the 20th of October. If that's the date on the envelope, it's going to be tossed. I'm warning you with peace and love, I have too much to do"

Oasis-Dig Out Your Soul (Big Brother/Reprise)

I know you know that you don't care about the Gallagher brothers but they have gotten back to the sound of their early successful Epic albums and this is the second straight very good album following the underappreciated Don't Believe The Truth album.  I still think Zak Starkey remains the secret behind the Beatlesque songs (Zak is son of said mentioned orge Ringo) and Liam can write them alongside Noel when they're on the same page.  This will probaly bomb on the Billboard charts and it's a shame that the buying public can accept that Oasis can still write and play them as good as Morning Glory or Definitely Maybe.  Still around and still good.
Grade A minus
Request these:  Waiting For The Rapture, The Shock Of The Lightning, The Nature Of Reality

Jordan Zevon-Insides Out (New West)

Warren's son vertures out on his own and owes more to Ben Folds or Fountains Of Wayne than his father.  He's very quirky, very why on some of his songs and does Poppa proud on Dad's Studebaker song.  And still can make his own identity with the hilarious American Standard, the wistful Just Do That and Camelia Rhodes is the song that would have fitted on Owlsey's album from 1999.  You remember Owlsey don't ya?  Made a great album for Giant and then a stinkeroo a couple years later on a independent label and has disappeared.  I think Jordan might have a bit more staying power, at least that's what I think on his debut.
Grade A minus

Request these: Camelia Rhodes, American Standard, Just Do That

COMMENT Love from Lenny!

 Lenard Wong Hi ya Crabby,

Yes there are plenty of stupid people breathing air and taking up space. Inbreeding has a way of diluting the gene pool and it is unfortunate that some people didn't know enough to not have sex with siblings or offsprings. Stupid people should throw a primate into their blood line just to elevate their ancestry a notch or two. Hope you have a great day and a better tomorrow

Crabb Bits;Redeye,Levi Stubbs, Waylon Forever, Gene Hickerson

Some people are giving Mark Prindle flack for appearing on the Redeye show, namely Steve Albini who blasted him big time in a blog..... I try to be objective in a way to support people who I enjoy reading music reviews.  Mark remains one of the few people that I continue to read reviews and sometimes he comes across over the top, I find Mark to be dead on and very entertaining.  I can't stand Greg Gutfield but he was objective enough to add Mark to the Redeye program and even if Mark is regulated to a single five minite segment, I'll make every effort to watch Mark and hope that some music magazine will pick up Mark for perhaps bigger and better things.  Perhaps Steve Albini was way off in terms of calling Mark a turncoat since he appears on a FOX news program.  Give the man the break Steve.  He's trying to add some color to a black and while Conservative world that's coming more socialist each day.  BTW Mr Albini, your mix on the Robert Plant/Jimmy Page album isn't exactly no cuppa tea either, in fact it sucks.

Levi Stubbs, the voice of the Four Tops passed away, he was 72 and had been in frail health.  Levi was probaly the best vocalist of the Motown era and had many many hits for them and ABC Dunhill later on.  Also Levi played Audrey 2, the man eating plant in 1988's Little Shop Of Horrors.  Basically Levi's passing brings the original Four Tops down to One Top.

Waylon Jennings-Wayon Forever (Vagrant)

More of a Shooter Jennings project, these are some of Waylon's final demos put to the music of Shooter's band The 357s.  Certainly I like the way that Shooter incoporates images of AC DC Long Way To The Top riff on the remake of Ain't Living Long Like This and Are You Ready For The Country will be as close to Crazy Horse as Shooter will get. But the problem is that although the album is only 38 minites long, Shooter and bandmates drag some of the songs on forever.  And Outlaw Shit sounds too nice and a bit cliched with the strings in the background.  But the nadir of this album is a cover of White Room which reminds me how dumb the original lyrics were by Jack Brown and Pete Brown and I Found The Body, is a grand statement in pompousness that is forever ruined by a some screaming gospel chick who must have gotten her inspriation from Great gig in the Sky or American Idol.

In answer to the question, no I don't think Waylon wanted it that way and probaly does think the outlaw shit got way out of hand too.  Like on this album.

Grade C plus
Picks: Ain't Living Long Like This, Are You Ready For The Country.

Chet Flippo thinks otherwise: Counterpoint.

Waylon Forever by Waylon Jennings is the project the late country legend began recording with his son Shooter years ago. It's now been finished by Shooter with the assistance of his band, the .357's, with added vocals from Lee Ann Womack and Waylon's widow (and Shooter's mother) Jessi Colter. And it's a mind-blower. In a very good way. We'll print more about it in days to come here. Here's a questionnaire: Are you ready for a Waylon quasi-psychedelic-outlaw version of Cream's "White Room"? Do you know what Cream's "White Room" is? Do you know who Cream was? Do you know what psychedelic is? Do you care? Answers will be forthcoming.

Crabb's answers:  Nope, yep,yep,yup, not really.  But I'll listen to it again if need be.

Did I pass the test?
 
I'm not surprised. :-(


To those in Cedar Rapids, yes that was me at Half Priced Books last night around seven.  I keep promising myself that I won't go overboard in terms of buying bargain cds but had to get the Jivin With Louis Jordan box set for 18 bucks since it goes deeper into Jordan's Decca years to which MCA or Geffen only gave us two bests of and a collection of number ones.  Seems like the British cares more about the forgotten artists before rock and roll and Louis Jordan was as close to rock as they came in the 40s.  I'm sure I would have discovered him eventually but Joe Jackson put together a tribute album to Louis in 1981 called Jumpin' Jive that gave us a glimpse into the pre war music of Jordan and Fats Waller and Cab Calloway.  Since most new music sucks anyway, the cd listener can always go into HP Books in their neighborhood and seek out some of the box sets from Proper UK. So far the mastering has been better than expected from a budget label and perhaps my next buy will be a Bullmoose Jackson retrospective.  The guy that did the original Big Ten Inch Record that Aerosmith covered, you know that guy?  Later Proper comps are digipackized but at least they gave Jordan royality buy giving him jewel cases.  Another foreign label JSP also have been putting out 4 cd box sets of forgotten artists at around 30 bucks and maybe I might check that out if i find something that I like.

Hard a nice chat with Mark Prindle, the man behind Prindle's Record Review which he somehow managed to get a segment on FOX's ridiculous Redeye show. In fact Mark Prindle remains the only reason why I turned into that show. Greg Gutfield has to be twice annoying than Billy Mays.  Sarah Palin must have gotten her ideas from Rachel, the dumb bimbo who makes so absolute sense whatsoever.  So I had to mute the sound before the segment came on with Mark talking about the new Guns And Roses and AC DC albums that were coming out in the fall.  Compared to the bimbo and Greg, it was finally a relief to have Mark come on.   Which is why we love You Tube for that there are some out there that did put on Mark's first report on for the world to see.  But Mark did tell me that the link that was seen on You Tube was from the first report and not this week.  Which means, now I gotta sit through the the whole Redeye show once again to see Mark's segment.  Gawd, I need to look into TiVo.  I promise to keep watching you Mark if you're back on Redeye.

Looks like Sav A Lot food will be reopening four and half months after the flood.  But the old neighborhood around that area still remains dark.  But I do see alot of Winnebagos and sleepers outside people's residence.  Life is a bit different in the flood area four months later.  But winter's coming folks I'm sure going to be pretty cold in the sleepers.



BTW, what do Tampa Bay, The Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins have that the Cubs don't have?
A) They made the world series in my lifetime unlike the Chicago Chokers.

Finally, Gene Hickerson was one of the greatest blockers in the history of the NFL.  He played for the Cleveland Browns and opened up holes for the likes of Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, Leroy Kelly and if memory serves me well, Greg Pruitt. A hard working player, Gene usually had the most muddiest uniform back in the days of when stadiums were grass and hardly maintained.  Always seemed like Cleveland Stadium was always a mudbowl back in the 60s and 70s.  Two years ago, the NFL finally inducted Gene into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  He wore number 66.  He was 73.

AC/DC-Black Ice (Columbia)

More three chord rock and roll from the boys down under and although the album goes on a bit too long, this is actually their most inspired album since Flick Of The Switch.  Brian Johnson sounds a bit more in tune than he did on Stiff Upper Lip but perhaps Brendan OBrien put the Young boys's guitars out more in front.  Heck they even add a power pop song (Anything Goes) in a different chord.  But certainly OBrien doesn't add much to the production like Rick Rubin did with Ballbreaker or Bruce Fairbairn on The Razor's Edge, with AC DC what you hear is what you get.  This would be a much stronger album had they edited the songs down to a workable ten or eleven but for the most part they do rock as hard as ever.
Grade B plus
Faves: Black Ice, Skies On Fire, Big Jack

Can't Review Them All-Passing Interests

Once in a while I like to compile reviews for bands and artists that I like to hear but some of those artists are worthy of one to two albums and then after that, I may have lost interest. The problem is that is so much music out there but we never have the time to take it all in. Although having car CD player has enabled me to at least listen to them whereas I was at home, the CD would be stacked up gathering dust. The Passing Interest Series takes a gander of some folk who was worthy of a look or two.

The Lost Trailers-These guys were very good Americana artists when they were signed to Universal Republic and made a decent debut Welcome To The Woods to which they had a right amount of twang to make them a bit country and a bit of Wilco. In some ways that album reminds me of the now forgotten Old Pike, whose album should have sounded this good rather than being strained. Welcome To The Woods didn't much of a dent on any chart and Universal bounced them. And then The Trailers sold themselves out to the big Nashville music machine and returned with a very stale and cliched self titled album that didn't sound like the preceeding album, they became Emerson Drive in our very eyes. The rule of thumb is that beware of signing to BNA Records, one of the most crappy labels this side of Curb. The good news for them was that this album sold twice more. But the bad news is that their follow up album Holler Back was even more cliched than the last Lynyrd Synyrd album. No longer the up and coming Americana rock band, The Trailers never sounded more Lost in their polished Nashville sound. So far Holler Back has bombed on the charts. So much for selling out and losing your fan base.  BNA would drop them soon after.

Wilco-The more successful of the life after Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy has managed to carve out a decent following although once he discovered Radiohead's OK Computer, Wilco's music went even more wilder and less listenable. For them I still perfer AM, their 1995 debut overall but with each album Tweety led them more into a Crazy Horse indulgence sound (Being There), sunny Brian Wilson like pop (Summerteeth) before making their granditose Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, an album so off the wall that Reprise rejected it and then Tweedy shopped it around till Nonesuch took it, which was a part of Warner Music Group. And people wonder why the music industry is a joke. I find Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, while put together fine, very boring and too over the map for me to listen all the way through and A Ghost Is Born, their answer to Kid A. Once they started acting too much like Radiohead, I tuned out. I heard that Sky Blue Sky is their most accesible since AM but it doesn't rank high on my list to check out. It's either AM or the Mermaid Avenue albums with Billy Bragg to which showcases their smarts of rewriting the Woody Guthrie songbook. But Jeff Tweedy has managed to do better than the Jay Farrar led bands since Uncle Tupelo.

Frank Sinatra-The voice of seven decades and define pop music as we know it. The man could sing a song and make it his own but I find trying to find the ultimate Frank album is like trying to find an honest Republican, non existant even among the 100 albums that he had put out. He did very well in the Columbia years to which ladies of the 40s would swoon over All Or Nothing At All and then moved over to Capitol for his glorious 50s period. And then got to know him quite well on the AM pop side with the Reprise hits of the 60s. Even with his best concept albums, I couldn't get through his masterpiece Only The Lonely although his version of One For My Baby (and one more for the road) remains definitive. Perhaps out of the big three of The Rat Pack, I perferred the more hipper Dean Martin who seemed to be more updated than Frankie. Capitol did put together a good Frank overview and so did Reprise (The Very Good Years) but so far Rhino's latest Frankthology left off key songs. So I guess I'll listen to Frank when the oldies station plays That's Life or Summer Wind or One For My Baby. But I still can't bring myself to buy a Frank Sinatra album without people thinking I'm a old fuddyduddy.  I did eventually settled on the Frank Sinatra Greatest Hits that Reprise put out and it's all the Frank that I need.  Till I get old and senile and start looking for more of his classic albums.

Sammy Davis Jr. Which leads to Sammy. I think the best Sammy overview was a best of on Garland/DCC to which Steve Hoffman (CD mastering expert) made Sammy sound like he was in your living room. Anything mastered by Steve Hoffman is worth getting since he doesn't believe in compressing the sound till it's only suitable for IPODs. But for every good song such as I Gotta Be Me or a faithful Mr. Bojangles, we have to sort through his gastly and best charting The Candy Man to which made me turn off when I was in 5th grade and Craig Rothmeyer, being the rock and roll expert he was, called up the radio station to request The Candy Man. Again, Rhino put out a exhaustive four cd box set that has everything but so did most of the hits on the Garland label. Warner also had a nice retrospective of the Reprise years too and even up till 1977 when he had a hit with Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow with Rhythm Heritge. Makes me wonder if Gamble and Huff could have done anything with Sammy, since Sammy could do pop and then soul as well before going back to the fluff. And everytime I do see him on that All In The Family show, I still get a kick out of him.

Taylor Swift-Country's sweetheart of the moment, Taylor kinda reminds me of my old high school crush who was a cheerleader and honors student but I don't think my high school crush could sing or write like Taylor does. She struck it big with her debut album and for the last couple years still sells. Unlike the other Nashville harlot Carrie (I can do it all) Underwood, Taylor is a good songwriter and for a being a teenager has more creado than Carrie. Sure she can stand there and look pretty, but so far unlike Carrie, Swift does have a heart and cares a bit more about the fans too. At the first concert in Cedar Rapids since the historic 2008 flood she donated part of the gate for flood relief. And she did put on a great show. I don't tend to write her off, her album's very good but too pop Nashville for me with the usual cliche fiddles and steel guitar. And I can't believe that the boy interest in Teardrops On My Guitar would drop her in favor of some skanky looking chick (sometimes it happens in real life), the guy oughta hung up by his gonads for that. It should be interesting to see how her next album fares, and I have doubts about teenaged country stars (remember Lila McCann or Alicia Elliott anyone?) but here's hoping that Taylor can keep her audience. Myself I'd love to see her get paired up with Miranda Lambert's studio band. Betcha the results would be a bit more rocking. 2014 Update:  Taylor remains the scorn of Country's old school as she continues to go more pop and top forty than actual country and the fact that she's survived this long in the spotlight is a miracle upon itself.  I have no use for her music and sometimes she gets compared to the crap Bro Country monstrosity that has made new country radio unlistenable to this day.  But as long as she remains on Big Machine Records, she's not going to go away.  She's already made it this far down the line. 

Crabb Bores You With Another Story About Homecoming 1978

I read tonight that Marion smacked Union 43-23 for their homecoming win.  Funny how things don't change, some guard got to be King and the coach's daughter homecoming Queen.  Ironic to see that the coach's daughter, Tony Perkins her dad, was a year behind me in high school.

I don't have much fond memories about high school.  I wasn't the pretty boy and most of the time I was fighting somebody or someone everyday.  Yup, even the eccentric Crabbass had someone who had the misfortune to have a crush on me.  I did things differently back then, if I was interested in somebody I'd walk them home.  Actually did that as a freshman, walked Lisa Baumbarger home and then quit doing that, and she remains pissed off at me to this date.  Then again, I got to see her in the music section in Target.  Always seems like the jilted ones always got revenge on me.

If anybody has known my history of life, they know too much about Janice who had a big sized crush on me in my sophmore year and though I did like her too, we never seem to get on the same page in terms of dating or even going out.  If anybody could be a steady GF at that time (and that's debateable) it was my good friend Steve's sister Penny.  A tale of two different women, whereas Janice was the honor student, high school cheerleader bla bla, Penny was more down to earth although a bit on the chubby side.  But of course back then she was a total sweetheart and Mr. Crabb was basically a screwed up teenager back then.

Anyway, homecoming 1978, after last year of not asking Janice out, she proceeded to make my years a uncomfortible two years.  She didn't have to do much, just shoot her eyes my way and give me a look and I pussed out.  And just to prove a point with me, seemed like God made her a cook at Applegate's Landing and yours truly a dishwasher.  So bascially asking her to homecoming, she'd probaly say no but maybe she would have said yes.  But I do believe it was Penny that actually asked me first so I said yes to her.

Applegate's Landing was a pasta place with a waterwheel in the bar area and had a maze of tables and chairs and cubbyholes for people to eat at.  Everybody I knew worked there.  Janice, my best friend Russ, Cindy, a old girlfriend that moved to the other side of town but somehow managed to come work as a dishwasher too.  I was a senior that was pretty much flunking out of six courses that I had to take and thus working something like 25 to 30 hours dishwashing.  I think I'd rather pick cotton than try to wash dishes and getting splattered by the beverage stockers that the waiters and waitress would fill up and then move over to the other side.  Fucking degrating work, I worked alone half the time and trying to keep up with shitloads upon shitloads of dishes and silverware.  So since Penny was dressing up for the occasion, I tried to ask for that night off.  And of course the bigshots said no.  Nevermind the fact that senior homecoming dances are once a lifetime they didn't want me to have the night off, so unfortly my night was washing fucking dishes while everybody else got to go to homecoming.

I think I did go to the game to which Marion won 48-14 over Vinton.  Kim Ryan was the queen and Joe Ickes was the king.  I've known Joe over the years and Joe is a fine guy though he lives in town I haven't seen much of him.  Kim moved to Iowa City and became a realtor. 

So here I was the next night washing fucking dishes and cussing out the powers to be.  But the one thing I do remember was that Penny waited for me in the front of the area for about two hours till I got off from work and she actually dressed up and looked pretty nice.  And here I was, covered in grease and a dirty pasta splattered shirt and pants and we managed to spend a night over at Steve's apartment watching movies till about four AM to which I drove Penny home and kissed her on the cheek and thanked her for waiting and for putting up with a greasy dishwasher.  It was a nice night, I think the harvest moon was out.

Thirty years later.....Applegate's was brought out by Carlos O'Kellys and usually the place is packed.  I wasn't much into pizza so I went up there and they stuck me way in the back in a cubbyhole next to the kitchen area.  They changed the building somewhat but it's still a maze of seatings and remains a nice place to go eat.  Of course, i had the usual solitary fly that seem to bother me whereever I go but I thought about the times of 30 years ago and what should have been a special night for a senior and his date.  I do think had me and Penny stayed together how things might be different.  She went on, got married to somebody and then got divorced and I caught up with her on my 10 year reunion and spent a trumatic three weeks together, broke up and then somehow got back together one more time in 93 but you can't go back to the past.  I wished it could have been that girl who was waiting for two hours for me to get off work.  There are ghosts from the past that are still there in that building from the Applegate years, the patiently waiting girl and the overworked dishwasher.

After Penny and I went seperate ways in 94, she eventually got married to another guy and they are still together. When we broke up a second time I was very angry at her for the way things went the second time around but again you can't make somebody love you.   Anyway, Penny still lives in town and gets her car worked on by my brother and on some days when I go visit him theres a chance I might run into her but I'd rather not.  She did ask about my whereabouts and I'm sure Rick told her about my life and being a bargain hunter.   I think we'll civil now but I did see her over at Villa's Patio one night when I was eating in the smoking section for reasons unknown.  But she didn't see me.  She has a son that plays football for Linn Mar I think and he's a senior but I do remember playing cars with him when he was about three years old.
As for Janice, she left town sometime in the 80s and got married and probaly is living the life that she wanted.  I haven't seen her since high school and if we ever did meet again I'm sure we wouldn't know it. 


Perhaps it's better that way. 

It's a small world if you think about it.  Although Penny and I didn't couldn't make things work in the two times we got together since Homecoming, I rather much perfer remembering her as she was, dressed up in the full moon light waiting.

And as I paid my bill for the mexican food at Carlos O'Kellys and left for the door, I could picture her still waiting for me to get off work.  I wish we could have gone to Homecoming Dance but that was 30 years ago and it's all a mind dream.  But it reminds me still that Penny is a good woman.

I think life is better since leaving Applegate's.  And I hope that I never have to deal with being a dishwasher ever again.

Especially, in a place where an ex GF is a cook and giving all these pots and pans delievered to you with a smirk.

Happy Homecoming!

Mad City 2008-The Third Time Not The Charm

A few notes on Mad City 3.

The weather was perfect and the skies were blue and just in time for the foilage but the best part was seeing the harvest half moon rise over Lake Monona

I spent most of yesterday bike riding and rode around Lake Monona which meant going way over into the town of Monona and back around.  Madison has a network of bike trails that you won't believe.  I can basically ride all day to my heart's content or when my legs gave out which was the latter.  If you want to spare yourself the nightmare of nagivating through Madison, rent a bike and follow the signs on Broom and you get there.  I'm not sure of the freedom of riding alongside cars on bike designated roadways and I still enjoy the privacy of the bike trails but I saved a few cuss words just by bike riding up to State Street.  Kudos to the bike rental on Williamson to which I was spared this time of the evil fatbitch student who must have moved on to other things in life.  However, in the seven hours of bike riding, I managed to check out the beauty of Lake Monona but I didn't do too well on the big hills around town.  But I did get a good chuckle out of seeing my bike speed of 12 miles an hour, but I'm sure there were others passing me like I was standing still.

Then I went up and down the UW campus and got to see the UW Marching Band do some songs.  I was also taken by all these good looking women up and down the bike trail jogging or bike riding and wish I was twenty years younger.  Growing old sucks but I managed to find the right trail back to Lake Monona and John Nolen Drive and took the bike back.  I think I got my twenty bucks out of the rental, I could have had it till the next day but it didn't fit into the car.

However when I got to HP Books on the east side, i have a really bad leg cramp that locked my body into place after I got out of the car, I couldn't move. Eventually I did get some feeling back into my thighs and continuing doing the thing I do best.  The night got worse.  I had no fewer than 15 fucking idiots trying to hit my car or ride my bumper while I was driving down the road and then trying to turn left, I hit a goddam curve and guess what?  My fucking tire ended getting a bulge on the right side of the car.  Yup this is the third tire this year that went bad on me but the woman at the Micotel Inn suggested a space over by Sun Prairie called Weber Tires that would give me a good deal on tires. I knew I couldn't ride home on a tire with a big Zit on the whitewall, so I managed to drive the 15 minites up to this place and the told the guy of my plight so he gave me a good deal on a tire for fifty bucks.  That's Weber Tire Inc. in Sun Prairie on hwy V folks.  You can't miss it, it's the only place in town.

So I spent a very sleepless night at the Micotel with a sore body and very pissed off about another tire being ruined thanks to the dumbass drivers out in Madison and still wasn't moving very well when I went to the Old Country Buffet.  Had to, the Yummy Buffet to which I made a effort to eat when I got into town is out of business (after all we are in a depression kiddies, judging from the 679 points off Dow Jones/Wall Street) so Old Country was the target. Then I got stuck behind a couple gang banger baggy pants thug wannabees and had this Snoop Dog lookalike trying to give me a evil eye to which I shot back my patented Fuck Off look.   Again I didn't ask for the privledge of the imitation Snoop Dog wannbe in my presence so take your look away Tupuck and pull up your pants dumbass.  Go back to Chicago and do your drive by there, thank you and piss off.  And then after that, my guts gave me trouble. So much for vacation time.

Another complaint that if i can attract women like I can attract that solitary fly in the stores I would be Hugh Hefner.  Every fucking place i went to, every music store I hung out, every damn food place i ate at there was a goddam fly in my face or in my hair.  Too damn bad the fucking flies didn't hang out on Snoop Dog Lite and his cousin.  Didn't matter, place could be packed or it could be my self in the dollar bins, there'll be a buzzing fly in my ear.  I think next fucking time I should get a damn fly swatter or newspaper.  In my old age I'm getting to be very paranoid when I get flying bugs in my face.  When the sun was setting down last night I took my sunglasses off only to get a fucking bug trying to get into my eyes.  But you know you can be at the local McDonald's trying to get a McSkillet breakfast burrito and have somebody and their 3 year old wearing a grilled cheese sandwich but the fucking flies would be hanging out in my area.

I think by the time my last trip at the last Goodwill was done, I was so tired of the screaming kid to which you can hear across the room and this comfirms my reason why I perfer going there before closing time.  You rarely get that screaming brat or the brats that run up and down the aisles and momma sits there doing nothing.  It's like hurry up Crabb, check the music, and go.  You don't have the stomach to sit through a screaming baby and Momma ready to pop out another one that she can't discipline very well.  Which also plays into part why I only stayed up there one night instead of two.  Again, if I was 28 and into drinking and partying, Madison is the place to be.  I'm sure that's why my old comptuer teacher PJ Trombley was raving about it.  And she's right, if I had a choice between here and UW, I probaly would go Bucky Badger too.
I think in some ways Madison is a love hate thing.  For when I get to love it, something will make me hate it and the traffic is ridiclous.  Plus I didn't know this but they have a serial robber on the bike trails around the UW and in the last week they have something like 10 incidents.  Know your surrounding but even that you still get some Jive fuck trying to rob you.  I figure if I ever lived up there, I'd be bikeriding more often than driving a car but even the bike trails are full of riders too. 

And yup, I did find a few CDs of note and Madison remains the best place to find things. But I have fulfilled my three times of going up there this year and doubt if I will return till springtime next year.  But I think next time I'll forgo the CD bargain hunts and just go ride the bike up and down the area.  I think I enjoyed it a lot, even though I'm barely walking today.  And I did hear the new Bob Dylan Bootleg album Tell Tale Signs and I could live without it.

Again, thanks be to the HP Book Store, PrePlayed Music, Strictly Discs, Mad City Music X, Frugal Muse and Weber Tire Inc for having bargains and getting me home in one piece.

Gas prices up there are 3.49 but I did see it come down to 3.38 the next day.  However here in Iowa, it's now 3 bucks a gallon and OPEC is worried bout output so I'm sure they'll be cutting production within a week.  Not much you can do in the Great Depression Two kids but I find this time of year is perfect to go someplace.  But if nothing else, going home I had the pleasure to see the Harvest Moon light up the highway, a small consolation in a trip that was half fun and half pain in the arse.  And almost get hit about 15 times, I think the angels were working overtime to protect the car from the idiots and the fucking curb that damn near give me another tire blowout.  You think after three times that would be enough.

So I think my vacation for this year is over.  I thought bout going to the 61 Drive In next week to watch that Samuel Jackson movie and perhaps St Louis next month but I don't think I will. Last time I went to St louis, the winter was shit and the last time I went to St Louis eight years ago, the winter was shit.  We need a decent winter and not 61 inches of snow and ice.

Well back home again.  And wonder why I even left in the first place.

Top Ten Of The Week-For Your Entertainment

Madison anyone?

1.  Just One More Time-The Derailers 1996  One of the best honky tonk bands that was thirty years too late, these guys would have been on top of the country charts in the era of Johnny Cash and Buck.  Made two decent releases for Sire after Seymour Stein bought out Watermelon Records, then signed up with Sony and lost their music and vision.  Tony Villanueva retired to become a preacher but the Derailers have continued with Brian Hofeldt leading them fine with a couple of independent releases that shows their love of Buck and the honky tonks.

2.  Guess Who's Coming To Dinner-Black Uhuru 1982 They been around forever but their glory period was when Michael Rose was lead singer and the late great Puma Jones added sweet harmonies.  Their love of dub music has been the type of music to smoke herb by.

3.   Plenty Of Sunshine-Mellow The Band 2007 Fellow My Spacers made this album last year and then latched on to Renassiance Records this year but didn't make much of a dent in the music charts.  This song recalls lots of Pet Sounds era Beach Boys.  Renassiance Records have been selling this through EBAY for about four bucks and haven't heard much from these guys of late but then again I doubt if they check out the Crabb Top Ten anyway.

4.  Dinner Music Of The Gods-Al DiMeola 1980  After the end of the world will anybody even read the archives of Crabby in the afterlife?  My first album reviewed of Al Di was his 1991's Kiss My Axe but I have managed to score most of his classic Columbia albums real cheap via the five dollar sale at Amazon.com and in the budget bins at HP Books.  And no Russ, Al DiMeola isn't beatnik music but fusion progressive rock with spanish overtunes.  You'd probaly would like Al Dimeola if you give it a chance.  That's how I did it while turning you on to Frank Marino back in the old days.

5.  Take Five-Dave Brubeck 1967  Live version from the Buried Treasures CD of a unrelased performance at Mexico City, it's a rare version with no drum solo to speak of but we do get to hear Paul Desmond solo away.  Probaly one of his best performance of this song on CD.

6.  I Want You-Beau Brummels 1965  Grew up listening to the edited 45 version of this song to which you can find on the Magic Hollow 4 CD boxset which is okay to have but I think I perfer the 4 minite complete version with an extra verse and chorus.  But then again most record companies did chop songs down to the fit the three minite mark back in the AM years.  And so it goes.

7.  Around You Now-Matthew Sweet 2008  The guy has been around for 20 years now and still people think his Girlfriend album remains his best overall.  I donno, I find parts of that album a bit bloated for my liking and perfer the 1999 failure In Reverse.  He's still making that hippy dippy Sgt Pepper influnced rock and roll to this day and his new album Sunshine Lies is his best since In Reverse. But usually that don't translate into record sales.  Sometimes I think the Crabb Top Ten is more of a curse than blessing seeing most of not all my selections go unnoticed.  May as well do a top ten of fart sounds.  Found used at HP Books.

8.  Always A Friend-Alejandro Escovedo 2008  Loved him in Rank and File and True Believers but his solo career for me has been off and on.  Didn't care much for the Boxing Mirror to which was a cleansing of the soul for AE and he still is on the new Real Animal album but it may pop in on the ten best albums of this year.  Since he remembered both True Believers and Rank And File on songs on his new album, I'll give him points and perhaps a place in the top ten overall.

9.  Farm On The Freeway-Jethro Tull 1987  Requested by Russ for perhaps doing a cover version of this song for The Townedgers, this is just me making a mental note to listen to that song.  Still gets airplay on Beeker Street and certain classic album rock stations around the area.  Hell, even The FOX have been known to sneak it in as a Lost classic.

10.  Boys Don't Lie-Shoes 1978  And finally a power pop classic from the band from Zion Illinois who made this song at home on a four track.  I do have their PVC vinyl debut  Black Vinyl Shoes to which I paid 1.99 when I got it from the old BJ Records store in downtown Iowa City; back when Iowa City had five decent music stores downtown.  All that remains is Record Collector to which I still make an effort to go and say hi to the fellows down there and Real! Records which I don't visit too often.  Seems like the ladies down there don't know how to count change very well and don't say thank you for your business.  And in this day and age of the new depression, courtesy gets you a return engagement.  Unfriendly folk and especially those who can't count change usually get a big raspberry and a search to someplace more friendler.  Or we just wait till we go back up to Madison and buy out those stores. 

Choice is everything.

Crabb bits: HP Books, Dennis Pusateri, James McMurty, Freddie And The Dreamers

How does one managed to get over five thousand cds in their collection?

Simple answer.  I have a infinite list of things that I like to check out and I am very amazed of the fact that here in good old CR IA that we managed to have the finest thrift stores in town.  In the three Goodwills and my second home Half Priced Books, I find a lotta obscure stuff in the cheap bins.  Seems like there's a higher power out there that seems to draw me where their at.  Case in point: going to Half Priced Books here, I found the bloated four CD box set of the Beau Brummels Magic Hollow.  For the past couple months I've been checking out the great Al DiMeola albums on Columbia and the last album that I haven't got from him Spendido Motel HP Books had up there for three bucks!  I can't explain it.  I just find them.
A few years ago I was researching Blue Rodeo's output and found a replacement copy of Tremolo, their 1997 Sire album.  Blue Rodeo is a band from Canada that makes Americana music and have been a cult artist at best.  I also found that Tremolo is probaly their least interesting album, it goes on for a hour and most of it is too relaxed for my taste. They're still around although I haven't made much of an effort to get their lastest.

My good friend Dennis Pusateri is a hoot. You have to meet him to know what I mean but like most of the folk who lived by the Cedar River in the infamous flood of this year, his house got flooded out big time.  I stumbled upon an article about him finding some interesting artifacts hidden inside the walls as they were being torned out.  He found an old presciption bottle  from the remedy maker W F Severa Manufacting Pharmacy which got destroyed by a explosing in downtown CR on Sept. 24, 1894.  Of course I'm sure Dennis is probaly disappointed that there wasn't anything in the bottle to sample ;-)  but if this flood of the millenium has proven, that lots of history has been found within the walls of the houses in this area.  It's funny to note that though I never been to Dennis' house, I have driven by it many of times and not know he lived there.

908 16th Ave SE eh?  I have to make a note of it since that house overlooks the old Sinclair/Wilson Foods plant that back in the days of my youth, the stink of that food packing plant gave CR one of the City of Five Smells moniker.

A review from the Past

Best Of Freddie And The Dreamers (EMI-later on Collectibles)

The clown prince of the British Invasion, Freddie Garrity and company actually hailed from Manchester (long before the Madchester scene) but did soundalike Merseybeat with their best known hit I'm Telling You Now and failed followup You Were Made For Me.  Garrity pretty much played things for laughs on old music shows of the 60s which undercut their music (he looked like Buddy Holly if Holly had ten pots of coffee per day) and while most of their output sounded like rewrites of I'm Telling You Now there is a certain charm to some of them.  For about two months in 1965 there was a dance called The Freddy to which Do The Freddie was made into a top thirty song but nobody mentions it much nowadays.  Although signed to EMI UK, most of their stuff came through with Mercury Records.  Capitol didn't feel the need to support them, releasing their stuff via 2nd teir label Tower Records (no relation to the late great music store), later home to a upstart band by the name of Pink Floyd.  Good for a smile and some of the songs have hooks enough to stay in your brain for hours.  The EMI CD differs from the Collectibles with the inclusion of two commericals tacked on at end of disc.  Sadly, after 1966 Freddie And The Dreamers couldn't make a decent album, like Dave Clark Five, a product of the mid 60s and left in the dust after Sgt. Pepper.  But they were a bit more fun than DC 5.
Grade B
Choice hits: If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody, I'm Telling You Now, You Were Made For Me


James McMurtry on Psycho Palin and the democrats responce to her....

YOU MORONS. Palin is deadly when she has a script. Without a script, she's a Valley girl on St. Joseph's Baby Acid, unable to put together a sentence even worthy of Dubya. Had you "vetted" her any better than McCain did, you would have known this long before Katie Couric chased her back into the shadows from which she will only emerge, fleetingly, trout like, to snatch the occasional choice fly off the surface before the election. You are afraid to be accused of roughing up a woman. She's not a woman, you idiots, she's a candidate, and a very dangerous one. She's dangerous because she so . . . so . . . stupid, and she will be President if McCain is elected. McCain is about a million years old and has had four malignant melanomas, the most dangerous type of cancer. It will recur and it will kill him. The stress of the oval office would not be likely to postpone the inevitable.

I can't say I know Palin's personal beliefs, but fundamentalist Christians tend not to differentiate between acts of man and acts of God. They tend to see acts of man as acts of God through man. Man made global warming is just God's plan. This world doesn't matter anyway. Jews are to be resettled in Israel, so they can die. Democrats are willing to let Palin get her hands on the Armageddon switch rather than risk being seen as bullies. YOU MORONS.

Top Ten Of The Week-3 Years Of Half Priced Books

With Pumpkinfest coming around the corner here in sunny Anamosa, I thought I give a shout out to the homies of A town.  I love this time of year, beautiful clear blue skies, lots of sun, hardly any rain but the downside of fall is that we keep losing daylight.  Something like an hour and forty five minites from the first of september.  Still have two weeks of vacation left and the question of where to go.  Madison is nice but they have UW football and with Ohio State coming in this week, that will be out of the question.  Anyway, the top ten is full of eccentric stuff so what else is new?

1.  Big Things In Life-Mental As Anything 1989  Aussie band that made no impact in the US but I did enjoy Hand To Mouth enough to go seek out the followup Cyclone Raymond.  Is it any good you ask? Some of it yes, some of it no.  Kinda like Died Pretty or Cruel Sea, bands that made good albums that you can find for a buck in the clarence bins.

2.  Easier Said Than Done-The Essex 1963  A band of Marines making a top ten smash while on leave.  I found their 2 albums on a Collectibles CD that combines the album and found that they really never could top Easier Said Than Done.  A interesting footnote in rock history, The Essex couldn't get it together since they were committed to The Marine Corp at that time and one by one left the group.  Semper Fi.

3.  Over And Over/Second Hand Store  Joe Walsh 1978  One of my favorite albums that got me through high school, yup this has Life's Been Good but side one had these two songs that led off But Seriously Folks.  Had this on 8 track then bought the cassette then the album then the cd.  Talk about dedication.

4.  Your Time Is Gonna Come/Black Mountain Side-Led Zeppelin 1968  Well it looks like Robert Plant put the kabash on any Led Zep reunion plans but there is talk about him doing another album with Alison Krauss once their tour comes to an end.  I still have the first generation CD of LZ's first album and it still sounds very good compared to the remastered edition.  Can't tell the difference why pay the difference and this just in, Rhino is putting all of LZ's output in yet another box set that unless you want six different cd artwork of In Through The Out Door, it has your name written all over it.  Otherwise save up before the great depression hits again.

5.  When It Comes To Your Love-The Beau Brummels 1965  Somebody up at HP Books had the BB's 4 cd retrospective set Magic Hollow for the unbelieveable price of 8 bucks and Rhino Handmade sold this album for 80 bucks new!  I'd bitch too if I had to pony up that much to get a box set of mono mixes but I have always love this band enough to invest eight bucks in a four cd set.  Which is why I love Half Priced Books, you never know what you will find for bargains there.  It's my second home, plus there's two up in Madison.  And BTW, this week marks three years of Half Priced Books in Cedar Rapids.

6.  Why Must Your Love Be So Dry-Nina Simone 1968  There's another box set of Nina's best known songs plus a DVD to boot but I don't think it's enough for me to reinvest into that when Anthology has done the trick, plus I found her reissue Silk And Soul in Iowa City last week.  Hard to believe that she's been dead for over five years.

7.   Head Over Heels-The Yo Yos 2000  Hard punk rock from a British punk band that got their album issued on Sub Pop Records.  Only way I remembered this band was that Bruce at the pawnshop had this in his collection.  But I found a cheap copy of it when I was up in Seattle a year later.  Can't remember yesterday but I can remember getting certain cds at certain places at certain times of the year.  I guess the term is Demetria for what I have.

8.  The Downside Of Being A Fuck Up-Wreckless Eric/Amy Rigby 2008  Pretty much sums up my life but actually this is off a new album from Eric and Amy, who are now married to each other.  For all that pub rock that Eric is famous for and for that Gurl folk rock that Amy is famous for, they would end up sounding like..............................The Raveonettes!

9.  Lady Day-Lou Reed 1973  And still to this day Berlin by Lou Reed remains a very depressing album to the point that it makes Joy Division sound like Up With People.  I didn't care much for Berlin the album when I was in high school but found that it works best if it stayed in the context of Berlin the album and not on any other Lou Reed retropective.  Nevertheless, Reed redid the song for the Rock and Roll Animal album. and a couple others from Berlin would be on the Lou Reed Live album to which at the fadeout somebody yells out Lou Reed Sucks.  Guess they were waiting for a encore of Sister Ray instead?!?

10.  Mercy-Wire 1978  I was going to include this song last week but due to running out of numbers on my top ten couldn't. Something about punk rockers rocking out doesn't make sense but then again nothing ever make sense.  Not in this life anyway.