A lot on my plate in terms of music this week. Looks like April is
going to be one of the better months in terms of new music. Keith
Urban, Queensryche, Neil Young, Bob Dylan are just some of the artists
that have new albums out and if you're reading this Bob Lefsetz to which
I sure you're not, I still buy albums and haven't turned into a mutant
yet.
This month also kicks off the local option one cent tax into
your purchases in Cedar Rapids and supposedly it's for the flood relief.
And of course the Tax bastards want Marion and Hiawatha and the rest
that voted no to revote on May 5th. What part of no don't these
Taxacrats understand? Thankfully Half Priced Books have a Marion
address but not Best Buy which is why I stocked up on some new music
Tuesday. So far, I like the new Queensryche American Soldier album (I
think it's their best ever, don't know if Isabella would agreed with
that but since she's not of this world anymore I guess she'll have to
listen to it in the great beyond. The Keith Urban album plays it too
safe although his last album before the best of was his best but so far
it's a three star album and should appease his fans. Yeh, I'm at a loss
why Keith hasn't crossed over to the MOR side of things (perhaps it's
the banjos) but if it was 1989, Keith would be heard on Mix 96.5.
Defying Gravity might more than make up that song he did with Brad
Paisley however. Nothing against Brad Paisley, super guitar player but
he still does way too many sappy songs and not enough drinking songs.
Keith is bit more music and fan friendly. But what do I know? People
don't listen to critics anyway. Blogging is just a waste of cyberspace.
The Top Ten Of The Week is as follows
1.
Strange Days-The Doors 1967 As we grow older it's hard to believe that
the music we all listen to back in our grade school years are now over
40 years old. Is today's generation going to come up with anything from
the likes of Jimi Hendrix or Jim Morrison or The Beatles? I donno, but
I continue to listen to the new music of today and hope something
sticks out. I sure wish somebody would overhaul radio cuz it's radio is
dead in the water and is stinking to high heaven. I get carpel tunnel
just pushing the buttons on the radio trying to find something I can
listen to without being overwhelmed by crappy modern rock or shitty rap
on top forty.
2. I'm Tired-Savoy Brown 1969 Beaker Street
played this song Sunday night and got me to seek out the best of and
play this forgotten 45. I do have the 45, brought it at a garage sale
way back in the early 70s. Why doesn't classic rock radio open up the
archives and play songs like this?
3. Mule Train-Tennessee Ernie
Ford 1949 An Americana classic from six decades ago. Still sounds
vital as ever today. I don't hear country in this but I heard echoes of
The Blasters and Rank And File although Tony And Chip Kinman of RAF are
trying to do something like Mule Train in the form of Cowboy Nation. I
think I prefer them as Rank And File and prefer Tennessee Ernie Ford of
Mule Train over the Gospel songs he did. Just a matter of choice
that's all.
4. Why's It Feel So Long-Keith Urban 2009 I'm
playing the new Keith Urban album and swore that I have heard this song
on KHAK while flipping through channels. Sounds like all the songs off
Defying Gravity have been played on the radio. Or is the fact that they
are tailored made for radio? The next song I'm In, was done by Radney
Foster. Hell, I shouldn't review albums while compiling top tens, makes
me lose my place and concentration.
5. Sitting On The Sun-The Artful Dodger 2008
6. Don't Cut, Baby-Vufcup 2009
Two
cuts from the new compilation download called Songs That Made An
Impact, lovingly put together with care by Diggy Kat. He's been working
around the clock to promote this and get the word out on the lesser
known bands who you would only hear on the underground radio and net
stations. Vufcup is Diggy's personal band and on this one he howls and
screams and punk rocks on. It's always fun to see where Diggy goes from
here. The songs keep getting better and better. Gotta dig the
backward ending on this one.
7. Be My Salty Dog-The Blue Rags
1997 Ragtime blues from a North Carolina band that got signed to Sub
Pop, which made them stick out like a sore thumb but I always love their
debut Rag N Roll to which I bought at Alter Ego, when Erin was still
selling cds. Got to see The Blues Rags at Gabe's in 1998 and they put
on a great show although the guitar player Woody, tripped over my size
14 feet on the way to the stage. Rag N Roll still remains one of the
best albums in the late 90s. Seek and find it.
8. Hard Drivin
Man-J. Geils Band 1970 Centerfold may have scarred them for life but 10
years before J.Geils was a hardcore blues and boogie band. I perfer
their Atlantic years of the early 70s up to Full House, their 1973
Blastfest recorded in the Motor City. They also made an impression on
the pub rockers at that time, Eddie And The Hot Rods does a smokin
version of this song in 1977. Glad MTV gave them their fortune but
their fame was already established on this rocker.
9. It Ain't
Easy/Rock And Roll-Detroit With Mitch Ryder 1971 The Fox actually
played Rock And Roll one snowy night that made me almost lose control of
the car with total surprise that The Fox could play such a forgotten
number. They must have misplaced The Joker. Detroit was a super
Detroit Band with Johnny Bee hooking up with Steve Hunter who would go
join Lou Reed on the Rock and Roll Animal album. Plus WR Cooke, who was
a one time Amboy Duke but the vocalist was none other than Mitch Ryder
trying to make a comeback after a solo career that wasn't going
anywhere. Detroit made one album for Paramount and then fizzled. Mitch
Ryder was on top of his game here, screaming like never before, as if
the Detroit Wheels never happened. For fun and games, call the FOX
100.7 up and request Rock And Roll but with Detroit and not Lou Reed and
see what kind of reaction you will get. MCA reissued this on CD in
1988 and also the record to which I didn't think existed till Tom
Woodruff gave me his record collection and this was tucked away
somewhere in the middle of all that vinyl.
10. The House Of The
Rising Sun-Frijid Pink 1970 Another one hit wonder from another Detroit
band that made one good debut for Parrot and three other turds for
various labels. This was their shining moment, a heavy metal version of
The Animals and a folk classics of said song. What annoys me is that
the 45 is a three and half minite edit, another reason why singles suck
back when we had 45s. Way too many edits and not enough complete
versions. B Side was Drivin Blues, a fast boogie number that I used to
play a lot when Ole's Ham And Egger had a jukebox. Somehow the 45
master was louder than the album. I always wanted to play it live in my
band. Anyway House Of The Rising Sun did find its way to a cheap compilation that Polygram/Rebound put out but the Frijid Pink album was
never reissued on CD in the USA. Repertoire Records in Germany reissued
it and added two non album cuts as bonus numbers. One was Heartbreak
Hotel which was their last top 100 showing and something called Music
For The People which made top 60 but I'd never heard it on the radio.
And may never will.
Bonus Cut-Lemmings by Darcy (Taken from Songs That Made An Impact)
Here
at RS Crabb and the Bargain Hunters Network and radio, I try to promote
the songs that are played on my player. If I don't play it, it's not
on the top ten. I know DJ Scorpia and her radio station and the folks
at Brown Dog Radio do their best to get the word out. If radio was like
it was forty years ago, I'd say a lot of bands would have broke
regionally if not national simply of the fact that before corporate the
new music was fresh and exciting. Forty years ago the coporations were
taken over anyway but in the case of Steve Ross and Warner buying
Atlantic and later Elektra he was still willing to give bands three or
four albums to develop and grow. Unlike today to which a band usually
gets one shot and that's it. Songs That Made An Impact will not take
over such established crapfest as Now That's What I Call Music (From
Corporate Know nothings) and it's a given that all bands won't give up
their day jobs but this is a compilation made by a music fan for music
fans out there to listen and enjoy. There are no corporate strings
whatsoever, just music from musician who want to make fun music and get
the word out. And Diggy Kat has worked his butt off by promoting this
via emails and ads. Here's hoping it pays out for him.
And
for those in the Madison area, guess who's coming up to pay you a visit
and to check out your bargain bins at your HP Book Store?
A Final thought from Robert Christgau on why we continue to buy albums, even in a age that the album format is dying.
The
album is dying, we are told, and sure it's fallen on hard times. I keep
listening anyway because aesthetically the long-form hasn't worn out,
and right now I'm feeling evangelical about it. RC
And so do I...RSCrabb
