As we move on to the next year of stuff reviewed, I still seem to be
adding reissues on a regular basis. But I also tend to review the new
it seemed like I overrated some of these albums. Smashmouth? Never
played it all that much since I gave it a B plus.
1. Billy Bob Thornton-Private Radio (Lost Highway 52:49) B-
2. Suicide Machines-Steal This Record (Hollywood 40:00) B-
3. Smartbomb-Yeah, Well, Anyway....(Razor & Tie 42:02) C
4. Fred McDowell-I Do Not Play No Rock N Roll (Fuel 2000 42:03) A
5. Syd Barrett-Wouldn't You Miss Me? (Harvest 72:30) B
6. Smashmouth (Interscope 44:55) C+
7. Sam Cooke-Keep Moving On (ABKCO 63:00) A-
8. Unwritten Law-Elva (Interscope 50:06) C+
9. Bottle Rockets-Songs Of Sahm (Bloodshot 47:10) B
10. Merle Haggard-20 Greatest Hits (Capitol 56:16) A-
11. Stanley Brothers-Man Of Constant Sorrow (Federal/Gusto 23:34) B+
12. Blasters-Testament The Slash Recordings (Rhino 76:41-79:53) A
13. 311-From Chaos (Volcano 40:06) B
14. Monster Magnet-God Says No (A & M 56:15) B
15. Gordon Lightfoot-Complete Greatest Hits (Rhino/WB 74:20) A-
16. Bad Religion-The Process Of Belief (Epitaph 36:53) B+
17. Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers-Sonora Hope & Madness (EmmaJamma 44:05) B+
18. Steve Earle-Sidetracks (E Squared 48:43) B+
19. Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Nonesuch 51:48) B-
20. Elvis Costello-When I Was Cruel (Island 62:03) C+
21. Bonafide Bluegrass & Mountain Music (BMG Heritage 49:58) A-
22. Barenaked Ladies-Greatest Hits Disc One (Reprise 73:31) A-
23. Rush-Vapor Trails (Atlantic 67:20) B
24. Motorhead-Hammered (Metal Is/Sanctuary 53:39) B
25. Bryan Ferry-Frantic (Virgin 49:47) A-
26. Jerry Cantrell-Degradation Trip (Roadrunner 72:27) B
27. Face To Face-How To Ruin Everything (Vagrant 46:09) B+
28. Joe South-Classic Masters (Capitol 38:48) B+
29. Savoy Brown-20th Century Masters (Polydor 56:50) B+
30. Golden Age Of Rock And Roll-The Country Collection (Ace UK 77:31) A
31. Green Day-Shenanigans (Reprise 33:23) B+
32. Charlatans UK-From The Other Side (Beggars Banquet 78:45) B+
33. Rembrants-Lost Together (J Bird 43:27) B-
34. Bad Company-Merchants Of Cool (Sanctuary 71:12) B+
35. Lisa Loeb-Cake And Pie (A & M 42:39) B
36. Reel Big Fish-Wake Up (Jive 63:05) B
37. Dio-Killing The Dragon (Spitfire/Eagle Rock 45:07) B-
38. The Complete OH OK (Collector's Choice Music 48:40) A-
39. Linda Thompson-Fashionably Late (Rounder 42:15) B
40. Bruce Springsteen-The Rising (Columbia 72:58) B+
41. David Bowie-Heathen (ISO/Columbia 51:41) B-
42. Riddlin Kids-Hurry Up And Wait (Aware/Columbia 48:41) C+
43. Albert King-Born Under A Bad Sign (Stax/Fantasy 34:41) A-
44. Cary Hudson-The Phoenix (Black Dog 36:31) B+
45. 30 Seconds To Mars (Virgin 53:16) B-
46. Queens Of The Stone Age-Songs For The Deaf (Interscope 59:30) A-
47. The Who Sing My Generation (Geffen 47:04) A
48. Phil Lesh-There And Back Again (Columbia 63:20) A-
49. Blue Mountain-Tonight It's Now Or Never (DCN 75:27) B+
50. Green Wheel-Soma Holiday (Island 44:38) D+
51. UFO-Sharks (Sharpel 49:40) B
52. OK GO (Capitol 40:49) B+
53. My Vitriol-Finelines (Epic 48:21) B-
54. Steve Earle-Jeruesluem (E Squared/Artimis 36:27) A-
55. Rhett Miller-The Instigator (Elektra 40:48) A-
56. Ryan Adams-Demolition (Lost Highway 45:21) B+
57. Sonia Dada-Barefootsoul (Razor & Tie 46:03) B
58. Dixie Dregs-20th Century Masters (Mercury 52:20)B+
59. Violet Femmes (Rhino 76:58) A-
60. Big Brother & Holding Company-Be A Brother (Evengeline UK 35:44) A-
61. A Cellar Full Of Motown (Mowtown/Universal 56:36, 56:47)A-
62. 24 Hour Party People S/T (Rhino 77:21) B+
63. Rolling Stones-Forty Licks (Virgin 77:32, 78:42) A-
64. Amy Rigby-18 Again (Koch 64:20) A-
65. Best Of INXS (Rhino 78:32) B+
66. Nirvana (Geffen 49:38) A-
67. Good Charlotte-The Young & Hopeless (Epic 45:54) B-
68. Hank Williams-The Almeria Club (Curb 52:52) B+
69. More Bonafide Bluegrass & Mountain Music (BMG Heritage 48:31) A-
70. Geoff Tate (Sanctuary 49:53) B
71. T Rex-20th Century Boy (Hip O 75:03) B+
72 When The Sun Goes Down-Walk Right In (Bluebird/RCA 79:11) A-
73. When The Sun Goes Down-First Time I Met The Blues (RCA 77:33) B+
74. When The Sun Goes Down-That's Chicago South Side (RCA 76:37) A-
75. When The Sun Goes Down-That's All Right (BlueBird 72:48) A-
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Top Ten Of The Week-Smiling Bob
Ed Pololak will return to the broadcasting booth for the Iowa Hawkeyes
football team this fall. Basically I'm not surprised he is a good
announcer but still don't have a high opinion on him simply of a
childhood meeting of him long time ago and he didn't sign any
autographs. Unless you gave him a Budweiser.
Looks like EMI will finally get around to remaster the Beatles' catalog on September 9th so we can buy all The Beatles albums on CD all over again. I'm thinking I should go get the second installment of the Capitol Albums that EMI put out a few years ago. Seems to me that the American stereo mix was a lot more livelier than the bland British UK albums that were issued on CD twenty years ago. They do need a upgrade but I wouldn't throw away my pawnshop copies of Beatles For Sale or Hard Day's Night.
You know all the cds that I bought last week? All but the MXPX and Queensryche CDs are still here, I sold the rest. Plus the Tommy Keene latest, I donno I think I gave up on him after this especially if he keeps issuing them on digipaks.
Anyway it must be Thursday cuz it's time for yet another top ten of the week.
1. Here Comes Yet Another Day-The Kinks 1972 They were still making decent music before Ray Davies' concept albums damn near ran him out of town and out of my record collection. Another band on the road song, this didn't get much airplay (it's no Lola) but damn this rocks. Had the album long time ago, got as a cutout from BJ Records and BJ Records was the best place to find bargain vinyl. Record Collector had the cd and what are they going to do once I retire from bargain hunting?
2. Dive-Nirvana 1992 Kurt Corbain saved us from hairspray metal although he didn't save us from Bret Michaels Rock Of Love to which the finale of this season is on Sunday night. BTW did anybody get to see the VH1 rock doc of Do It For The Band-The Girls of Sunset Strip and the hair metal years? Hard to feel sorry for these skanks which includes Bobbi Brown, the Cherry Pie chick in that Warrant video, whose still looking for love and haven't found it yet. VH1 should consider her for the next installment of Rock Of Love-The Female Version to which Bobbi Brown could pick her choice of the tattoo covered guys out there. Or try E Harmony.
3. Run Mountain-J. E. Mainer 1946 A hit on the King label for this bluegrass pioneer. Later covered by Flathead on the Straight Outta Boone County compilation for Bloodshot Records in 1997. Then again, I'm sure none of our faithful readers knows anything about J E Mainer or Flathead. Perhaps you can get Sheryl Crow to cover it, then maybe you'll know.
4. I Wonder (What If)-The Townedgers 2008 From The Songs That Made An Impact comp that Diggy put together and seems to be getting some airplay on Unuradio. Guess I will toot my own horn for a change. We have links to get your own copy, so make one for you and give on to Bob Lefsetz so he can bitch about that. And Diggy Kat confirmed that DJ Scorpia did play I Wonder at the end of her show too. Does this mean I can quit my job and play rock and roll all over again? ;-)
5. Outlaw Man-The Eagles 1973 This single bombed but did get some airplay on the underground FM stations at that time. I guess the reason why The Eagles never played this live was that they didn't write it and Don Henley can't play that fast on drums anymore. It's a bitch getting old or having all that money weigh you down. Right guys?
6. Johnny Magic-Neil Young 2009 New Neil single from his Fork In The Road album, It rocks and comes in a crappy assed digipak, with sharp edges that you can cut bread with. Do you get the impression that I hate digipaks? Sure fucking do.
7. Everything Falls Apart-Dog's Eye View 1995 One hit wonder from some band that made an hour long cd and the only decent song was this. There was a reason why they made 45s back in the past dudes. So we didn't have to waste 18 bucks on a piece of shit cd with one decent song. Found for a dollar. At least the jewel case is in good shape. Too bad the cd sucks.
8. Who Listens To The Radio-The Sports 1979 This band was from Australia and made one album for Arista that had this top 30 hit. But I did find a import cd of their album at the Marion Pawnshop and this varies from the Arista album with four different songs. This is why I continue to go to pawnshops. There's always a chance that I might still find some out of print cd of a album I didn't think existed. Who does listen to the radio nowadays? Sure ain't me.
9. Life Is A Song Worth Singing-Teddy Pendergrass 1978 Teddy was the voice of Harold Melvin's Blue Notes and then went solo and became one of love men of soul music. Had a big hit with Close The Door but I think I enjoy his uptempo soul numbers. Such as this number to which Johnny Mathis had a hit in 1973. And Johnny's version was the most uptempo soul number he ever did.
10. Dark As A Dungeon-Slobberbone 1997 To conclude this wonderful weekly top ten, I've chosen another cover from the Boone County compliation from a band that was the closest thing to Uncle Tueplo after that band splintered into Son Volt and Wilco. A cover of the 1946 country classic by Merle Travis. I donno, people do email me and ask me why I continue to put out top tens that nobody reads anyway and I respond it's a force of habit. Because I still care about good music and because it keeps me out of trouble.
But as I look at new releases and seeing more and more go into crappy digipaks, I'm beginning to think that after this year and after the last 2009 review of a new album that I might just quit buying digipak albums. I don't play digipak albums like I do jewel cased albums. Digipaks are cumbersome, the fucking cd falls out on the floor and gets more scratched up than jewel cased CDs. Now I have seen that Bob Dylan's reissues of Dylan N the Dead, The Basement Tapes, New Morning and Before The Flood are now in Digipaks and it's a certain that the new Dylan will be in a digipak too. Eventually I'm going to draw the line. I didn't buy the Rush Retrospective 3 cuz of Digipak issues and Neil Young got bought simply of the fact that I would review it regardless and not waste a tank of gas to leave it up there. I am sure it's the wave of the future but if that's the case...
Then I'll buy the damn vinyl. I don't need a gatefold digipak.
BTW The CR Kernels start baseball play tonight. Play Ball!
And now we leave you with a couple of comments from the old crank. Take it away Bob Lefsetz.
On Keith Urban-Defying Gravity.
This album is a disappointment. The sound of the record can sometimes be great, especially the guitars, but the material is so safe and second-rate, it’s disheartening.
On The Yeah Yeah Yeah's
Never was so much press piled on such an inconsequential act.
I’m not convinced.
And finally, on Elvis Costello and his influence on Diana Krall.
Bottom line, I’m blaming Costello. Loved him as an angry young man at the Whisky back in the seventies, bought every album and went to every show, but somewhere along the line he started to take himself too seriously.
Let me just speak English. I HATE Elvis Costello. Leaving one woman for another and then her for Krall. And maybe if I actually knew him I might give him a pass, but the audience owns the act, if the act cares about its career. But at least Elvis was confining his poop to his own career. Then he got into his wife’s, and hers was negatively affected.
That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.
Thanks Bob.
Mea culpa.
Looks like EMI will finally get around to remaster the Beatles' catalog on September 9th so we can buy all The Beatles albums on CD all over again. I'm thinking I should go get the second installment of the Capitol Albums that EMI put out a few years ago. Seems to me that the American stereo mix was a lot more livelier than the bland British UK albums that were issued on CD twenty years ago. They do need a upgrade but I wouldn't throw away my pawnshop copies of Beatles For Sale or Hard Day's Night.
You know all the cds that I bought last week? All but the MXPX and Queensryche CDs are still here, I sold the rest. Plus the Tommy Keene latest, I donno I think I gave up on him after this especially if he keeps issuing them on digipaks.
Anyway it must be Thursday cuz it's time for yet another top ten of the week.
1. Here Comes Yet Another Day-The Kinks 1972 They were still making decent music before Ray Davies' concept albums damn near ran him out of town and out of my record collection. Another band on the road song, this didn't get much airplay (it's no Lola) but damn this rocks. Had the album long time ago, got as a cutout from BJ Records and BJ Records was the best place to find bargain vinyl. Record Collector had the cd and what are they going to do once I retire from bargain hunting?
2. Dive-Nirvana 1992 Kurt Corbain saved us from hairspray metal although he didn't save us from Bret Michaels Rock Of Love to which the finale of this season is on Sunday night. BTW did anybody get to see the VH1 rock doc of Do It For The Band-The Girls of Sunset Strip and the hair metal years? Hard to feel sorry for these skanks which includes Bobbi Brown, the Cherry Pie chick in that Warrant video, whose still looking for love and haven't found it yet. VH1 should consider her for the next installment of Rock Of Love-The Female Version to which Bobbi Brown could pick her choice of the tattoo covered guys out there. Or try E Harmony.
3. Run Mountain-J. E. Mainer 1946 A hit on the King label for this bluegrass pioneer. Later covered by Flathead on the Straight Outta Boone County compilation for Bloodshot Records in 1997. Then again, I'm sure none of our faithful readers knows anything about J E Mainer or Flathead. Perhaps you can get Sheryl Crow to cover it, then maybe you'll know.
4. I Wonder (What If)-The Townedgers 2008 From The Songs That Made An Impact comp that Diggy put together and seems to be getting some airplay on Unuradio. Guess I will toot my own horn for a change. We have links to get your own copy, so make one for you and give on to Bob Lefsetz so he can bitch about that. And Diggy Kat confirmed that DJ Scorpia did play I Wonder at the end of her show too. Does this mean I can quit my job and play rock and roll all over again? ;-)
5. Outlaw Man-The Eagles 1973 This single bombed but did get some airplay on the underground FM stations at that time. I guess the reason why The Eagles never played this live was that they didn't write it and Don Henley can't play that fast on drums anymore. It's a bitch getting old or having all that money weigh you down. Right guys?
6. Johnny Magic-Neil Young 2009 New Neil single from his Fork In The Road album, It rocks and comes in a crappy assed digipak, with sharp edges that you can cut bread with. Do you get the impression that I hate digipaks? Sure fucking do.
7. Everything Falls Apart-Dog's Eye View 1995 One hit wonder from some band that made an hour long cd and the only decent song was this. There was a reason why they made 45s back in the past dudes. So we didn't have to waste 18 bucks on a piece of shit cd with one decent song. Found for a dollar. At least the jewel case is in good shape. Too bad the cd sucks.
8. Who Listens To The Radio-The Sports 1979 This band was from Australia and made one album for Arista that had this top 30 hit. But I did find a import cd of their album at the Marion Pawnshop and this varies from the Arista album with four different songs. This is why I continue to go to pawnshops. There's always a chance that I might still find some out of print cd of a album I didn't think existed. Who does listen to the radio nowadays? Sure ain't me.
9. Life Is A Song Worth Singing-Teddy Pendergrass 1978 Teddy was the voice of Harold Melvin's Blue Notes and then went solo and became one of love men of soul music. Had a big hit with Close The Door but I think I enjoy his uptempo soul numbers. Such as this number to which Johnny Mathis had a hit in 1973. And Johnny's version was the most uptempo soul number he ever did.
10. Dark As A Dungeon-Slobberbone 1997 To conclude this wonderful weekly top ten, I've chosen another cover from the Boone County compliation from a band that was the closest thing to Uncle Tueplo after that band splintered into Son Volt and Wilco. A cover of the 1946 country classic by Merle Travis. I donno, people do email me and ask me why I continue to put out top tens that nobody reads anyway and I respond it's a force of habit. Because I still care about good music and because it keeps me out of trouble.
But as I look at new releases and seeing more and more go into crappy digipaks, I'm beginning to think that after this year and after the last 2009 review of a new album that I might just quit buying digipak albums. I don't play digipak albums like I do jewel cased albums. Digipaks are cumbersome, the fucking cd falls out on the floor and gets more scratched up than jewel cased CDs. Now I have seen that Bob Dylan's reissues of Dylan N the Dead, The Basement Tapes, New Morning and Before The Flood are now in Digipaks and it's a certain that the new Dylan will be in a digipak too. Eventually I'm going to draw the line. I didn't buy the Rush Retrospective 3 cuz of Digipak issues and Neil Young got bought simply of the fact that I would review it regardless and not waste a tank of gas to leave it up there. I am sure it's the wave of the future but if that's the case...
Then I'll buy the damn vinyl. I don't need a gatefold digipak.
BTW The CR Kernels start baseball play tonight. Play Ball!
And now we leave you with a couple of comments from the old crank. Take it away Bob Lefsetz.
On Keith Urban-Defying Gravity.
This album is a disappointment. The sound of the record can sometimes be great, especially the guitars, but the material is so safe and second-rate, it’s disheartening.
On The Yeah Yeah Yeah's
Never was so much press piled on such an inconsequential act.
I’m not convinced.
And finally, on Elvis Costello and his influence on Diana Krall.
Bottom line, I’m blaming Costello. Loved him as an angry young man at the Whisky back in the seventies, bought every album and went to every show, but somewhere along the line he started to take himself too seriously.
Let me just speak English. I HATE Elvis Costello. Leaving one woman for another and then her for Krall. And maybe if I actually knew him I might give him a pass, but the audience owns the act, if the act cares about its career. But at least Elvis was confining his poop to his own career. Then he got into his wife’s, and hers was negatively affected.
That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.
Thanks Bob.
Mea culpa.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Crabb Bits: Music Collecting, RSD, Neil Young Review, etc.
Personal To Bob Lefsetz
It's not for me to say whatever you think that the CD or the album format is dead. You basically made up your mind anyway judging by the last blog you put down. As a dedicated reading I tend to agree with some of your blogs but not this one.
Maybe the album is history in your book, in your world but in my world it isn't. I haven't given up on the album and for the past 30 plus years I continue to review them as best as I can. The digipak will be the death of it all if I continue to get cardboard cuts trying to open the fucking thing or having the damn CD fall out of the digipak on the floor and getting scratched up by shitty workmanship. Not everybody has high speed net Bob. Dialup doesn't allow me to download those singles you talk about, and the last couple artists you recommended to us really sucked. So basically I take your advice with a grain of salt and an eye in the used cd section at HP Books or Secondspin.com. If you like singles so much bring back the fucking 45 then.
Record Store Day is something that the record stores around here get to share with us record and cd collectors. It's not sanctioned by the major labels, the label don't give two shits for us anyway. Neither do narrow minded ex record A and R men either. In the forthcoming future, the net will start charging us for use of their site and products. At some point, I won't be around in the future to celebrate the fruits of the internet and net radio. It's all irrelevant anyway to the music collector who wants the physical product and not have to rely on downloading and losing everything when your computer crashes. The Telecom act of 1996 killed everything off anyway, and gave us centralized radio and crap ass pop tarts and shitty rappers. Live in the future and celebrate it if you must Mr Lefsetz but for us, as long as they make albums that we can hold in our hand, I'll still look forward to New Release Tuesday at the reminding music stores we have around here. If this is the future you're triumphing, then I'll be happy to piss off and live in the past and be forgotten, just like the hundreds of people who still go to HP Books and look for CDs. Not everybody spends their fucking waking hours downloading music off the net.
But don't piss on us music collectors who go to the local record store on Record Store Day and want to celebrate of being in a music store that's still open. The music collector pretty much thinks you're obsolete with your on the sidelines bashing cds and records. And you can piss off on that.
I live for the album fucker.
Neil Young-Fork In The Road (Reprise)
Neil's infoalbum of his car creation with 10 songs that mostly are rock and roll and for the road and is Neil's most consistent album of this decade although he kinda threw it together. I think it works better than his Living With War album of three years ago which could have been better. His high whine is a bit hard to take on lead off When World's Collide, but Johnny Magic does recall the hard rock of Re Act Or or Mirror Ball. Heard a lotta fans complain that the songs were subpar but I think they were pissed off of the fact that Neil has delayed his long awaited Archives (to June 3 supposedly, but don't be surprised if it gets knocked back). It won't make people forget Rust Never Sleeps or even Chrome Dreams 2, but take it for what's it worth and listen to it while you're out on a drive. But you may want to make yourself a copy for here's yet another album in a shitty digipak that is docked two notches simply of the fact that I couldn't get the mutherfucking thing out of the package while driving and getting a paper cut in the process.
Grade B
Hits-Johnny Magic, Light A Candle, Fuel Line
April 9, 1994 A Letter To The Seattle PI on Kurt Corbain
Dear Editor:
It’s one thing to be the victim of an unintentionally stupid act, as were Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. Or the victim of a deranged wacko, as was John Lennon. Or the victim of a bona fide accident, like Ritchie Valens, Otis Redding, Harry Chapin or Stevie Ray Vaughn.
It’s quite another thing to feel so depressed and devalued as a human being that you choose to die by your own hand.
Not long ago I attended a memorial for Robert E. Lee Hardwick, a popular Seattle radio personality, who one day parked his car on a lonely mountain road, wrote a note, and shot himself. Hardwick was a much loved, successful, creative genius, on the airwaves and off. Nobody could understand why he would take himself out. Cobain’s action was perhaps more predictable, but no less tragic. Twenty-seven-year-old people should not be killing themselves.
Much will be written and said by so-called experts as to why Cobain did what he did. Radio stations and MTV will play Nirvana til it comes out your pores. But nothing will bring him back. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. You can’t change your mind later.
To those of you whose lives were guided by Cobain’s creativity, I extend my sincerest sympathies. As Tina Turner once put it so well, we didn't need another hero. Not this way.
Take care of yourselves and your friends. Don’t ever forget how much you love and need each other.
It's not for me to say whatever you think that the CD or the album format is dead. You basically made up your mind anyway judging by the last blog you put down. As a dedicated reading I tend to agree with some of your blogs but not this one.
Maybe the album is history in your book, in your world but in my world it isn't. I haven't given up on the album and for the past 30 plus years I continue to review them as best as I can. The digipak will be the death of it all if I continue to get cardboard cuts trying to open the fucking thing or having the damn CD fall out of the digipak on the floor and getting scratched up by shitty workmanship. Not everybody has high speed net Bob. Dialup doesn't allow me to download those singles you talk about, and the last couple artists you recommended to us really sucked. So basically I take your advice with a grain of salt and an eye in the used cd section at HP Books or Secondspin.com. If you like singles so much bring back the fucking 45 then.
Record Store Day is something that the record stores around here get to share with us record and cd collectors. It's not sanctioned by the major labels, the label don't give two shits for us anyway. Neither do narrow minded ex record A and R men either. In the forthcoming future, the net will start charging us for use of their site and products. At some point, I won't be around in the future to celebrate the fruits of the internet and net radio. It's all irrelevant anyway to the music collector who wants the physical product and not have to rely on downloading and losing everything when your computer crashes. The Telecom act of 1996 killed everything off anyway, and gave us centralized radio and crap ass pop tarts and shitty rappers. Live in the future and celebrate it if you must Mr Lefsetz but for us, as long as they make albums that we can hold in our hand, I'll still look forward to New Release Tuesday at the reminding music stores we have around here. If this is the future you're triumphing, then I'll be happy to piss off and live in the past and be forgotten, just like the hundreds of people who still go to HP Books and look for CDs. Not everybody spends their fucking waking hours downloading music off the net.
But don't piss on us music collectors who go to the local record store on Record Store Day and want to celebrate of being in a music store that's still open. The music collector pretty much thinks you're obsolete with your on the sidelines bashing cds and records. And you can piss off on that.
I live for the album fucker.
Neil Young-Fork In The Road (Reprise)
Neil's infoalbum of his car creation with 10 songs that mostly are rock and roll and for the road and is Neil's most consistent album of this decade although he kinda threw it together. I think it works better than his Living With War album of three years ago which could have been better. His high whine is a bit hard to take on lead off When World's Collide, but Johnny Magic does recall the hard rock of Re Act Or or Mirror Ball. Heard a lotta fans complain that the songs were subpar but I think they were pissed off of the fact that Neil has delayed his long awaited Archives (to June 3 supposedly, but don't be surprised if it gets knocked back). It won't make people forget Rust Never Sleeps or even Chrome Dreams 2, but take it for what's it worth and listen to it while you're out on a drive. But you may want to make yourself a copy for here's yet another album in a shitty digipak that is docked two notches simply of the fact that I couldn't get the mutherfucking thing out of the package while driving and getting a paper cut in the process.
Grade B
Hits-Johnny Magic, Light A Candle, Fuel Line
April 9, 1994 A Letter To The Seattle PI on Kurt Corbain
Dear Editor:
It’s one thing to be the victim of an unintentionally stupid act, as were Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. Or the victim of a deranged wacko, as was John Lennon. Or the victim of a bona fide accident, like Ritchie Valens, Otis Redding, Harry Chapin or Stevie Ray Vaughn.
It’s quite another thing to feel so depressed and devalued as a human being that you choose to die by your own hand.
Not long ago I attended a memorial for Robert E. Lee Hardwick, a popular Seattle radio personality, who one day parked his car on a lonely mountain road, wrote a note, and shot himself. Hardwick was a much loved, successful, creative genius, on the airwaves and off. Nobody could understand why he would take himself out. Cobain’s action was perhaps more predictable, but no less tragic. Twenty-seven-year-old people should not be killing themselves.
Much will be written and said by so-called experts as to why Cobain did what he did. Radio stations and MTV will play Nirvana til it comes out your pores. But nothing will bring him back. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. You can’t change your mind later.
To those of you whose lives were guided by Cobain’s creativity, I extend my sincerest sympathies. As Tina Turner once put it so well, we didn't need another hero. Not this way.
Take care of yourselves and your friends. Don’t ever forget how much you love and need each other.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Death Has No Mercy: Sue Halvorsen, Kurt Cobain 15 Years Later
As I write this, the skies outside are cloudy and lots of wind. I've
noticed this year that we have lots of windy days and that's fine with
me. Last year we had lots of snow and lots of rain to go with that wind
and the snow and rain made me hate not so much the snow but the rain
that continued for weeks on end. We're in an Winter Storm Warning but
have yet to see the snow come. But had I known that the weather
wouldn't be this bad yesterday, I could have gone to Madison and be all
the happy for it. But all I need is two days to go and will once
things settled down. But not this week, since I would like to go Sue
Halvorsen's wake tomorrow to pay last respects to our former co worker
who lost her live fighting cancer for a year and half.
She lived 59 years and if you really think about it 59 years isn't a long time on this planet. Sometimes in life I get so caught up in my ire at stupid drivers, longstanding delayed red lights that I rarely take stock in what I have become in this life and my contributions to it. But I'm sure Sue would wanted to live longer in her life and all that she touched.
It also got me to thinking about Kurt Cobain, the leader of the last major important band Nirvana and how he took a shotgun and ended his 27 years on this planet. I didn't think Nirvana changed all the music that much but the way that they performed it did strike a chord with the generation back then. I think back then Kurt played it for fun with a eye toward being rich and famous some day and once he got it, couldn't handle it and then blew out his face thus ending a five year period that if anything good came out of it, was that Nirvana made the hair spray pop metal obsolete. Yep, Bret Michaels won the lottery and came back with his crapfest Rock Of Love shite on VH1 and Poison still does the casino circuit once in a while but for a time, the grunge movement almost buried Poison and Warrant alive in the dirt.
Even back then, when I first heard Nevermind and hearing Jerry Scott saying that these guys are going to get big I kinda brushed them off. But once I found a pawnshop copy of Nevermind, I got to hear the twists and turns of poetry that Kurt would sing/scream and found it that he could rhyme it with the best of them. I did buy In Utero when it came out and the first reaction that I got from it was that Kurt wasn't going to live very long and within a year he'd be gone. I usually don't get that from the first listen but In Utero turned out to be his suicide note to the world. An on April 5th, 1994, after surviving a overdose and wanting to be alone in the worst way, Kurt took the only way out he knew to get that. And left a million fans wondering what happened and why.
Perhaps Kurt had a vision of radio being played full of Nirvana wannabes and neverwas. Perhaps he heard Nickleback or Hoobastank in his dreams. In some ways his suicide may have started the death of rock and roll. It did get Dave Grohl from behind the drumset to start up the Foo Fighters, a more pop rock driven band but after the second record the Foos have yet to come up anything closer to the power and rage of Kurt. Had Kurt lived on Nirvana would have still made albums but if rage and anger was all that Kurt was good for, then he would have died anyway at any time. It's a shame really but maybe Cobain thought this was as far as he could go.
But going out with half your face blown to bits shouldn't have been that way. Still, as he went, so did Nirvana and modern rock as we know it. The music today isn't as memorable and plays it too safe or goes deep into the cliche of I hate myself and I hate this and that. If Kurt and Nirvana came around today, there'll be no radio for them. The other bullet that killed off rock and roll was the Telecom act of 1996 which began centralization of radio and the major label. Cobain was such an outsider and wanted to be that way, he didn't want to be the center of attention. Sure he wanted the band to be BIG, but with fame and fortune and good reviews come the photohogs who invade L.A, the groupies, the hangerons and the low lifes and perhaps being corner and not be able to go to the local record store without being mugged or groped, he lost his privacy to enjoy the things he used to do and he ended it.
In 1994, MTV was still showing videos and VH1 before they decided it was cheaper to put together crappy reality shows and bring back hair metal freaks to find and keep on the one night stands that he used to enjoy. To celebrate the passing, Universal wil reissue the Nirvana albums on vinyl. No big deal to those who got the cd, it still blares out the intentions of Nirvana with Smells Like Teen Spirit, a song that defined and destroyed Cobain at the same time. But it also defined to the modern rock bands of today that they could never dupilcate the song's intensity. Today's bands are only worried about the next tattoo they get or lip ring. Good music will remain timeless, crap music will be forgotten the next day.
Entertain Us!
And also another trainwreck, Joe Meek, the eccentric producer who was the Phil Spector of Britain who also died under bizarre circumstances, he would have turned 80 years old today. A strange way to end this strange blog.
She lived 59 years and if you really think about it 59 years isn't a long time on this planet. Sometimes in life I get so caught up in my ire at stupid drivers, longstanding delayed red lights that I rarely take stock in what I have become in this life and my contributions to it. But I'm sure Sue would wanted to live longer in her life and all that she touched.
It also got me to thinking about Kurt Cobain, the leader of the last major important band Nirvana and how he took a shotgun and ended his 27 years on this planet. I didn't think Nirvana changed all the music that much but the way that they performed it did strike a chord with the generation back then. I think back then Kurt played it for fun with a eye toward being rich and famous some day and once he got it, couldn't handle it and then blew out his face thus ending a five year period that if anything good came out of it, was that Nirvana made the hair spray pop metal obsolete. Yep, Bret Michaels won the lottery and came back with his crapfest Rock Of Love shite on VH1 and Poison still does the casino circuit once in a while but for a time, the grunge movement almost buried Poison and Warrant alive in the dirt.
Even back then, when I first heard Nevermind and hearing Jerry Scott saying that these guys are going to get big I kinda brushed them off. But once I found a pawnshop copy of Nevermind, I got to hear the twists and turns of poetry that Kurt would sing/scream and found it that he could rhyme it with the best of them. I did buy In Utero when it came out and the first reaction that I got from it was that Kurt wasn't going to live very long and within a year he'd be gone. I usually don't get that from the first listen but In Utero turned out to be his suicide note to the world. An on April 5th, 1994, after surviving a overdose and wanting to be alone in the worst way, Kurt took the only way out he knew to get that. And left a million fans wondering what happened and why.
Perhaps Kurt had a vision of radio being played full of Nirvana wannabes and neverwas. Perhaps he heard Nickleback or Hoobastank in his dreams. In some ways his suicide may have started the death of rock and roll. It did get Dave Grohl from behind the drumset to start up the Foo Fighters, a more pop rock driven band but after the second record the Foos have yet to come up anything closer to the power and rage of Kurt. Had Kurt lived on Nirvana would have still made albums but if rage and anger was all that Kurt was good for, then he would have died anyway at any time. It's a shame really but maybe Cobain thought this was as far as he could go.
But going out with half your face blown to bits shouldn't have been that way. Still, as he went, so did Nirvana and modern rock as we know it. The music today isn't as memorable and plays it too safe or goes deep into the cliche of I hate myself and I hate this and that. If Kurt and Nirvana came around today, there'll be no radio for them. The other bullet that killed off rock and roll was the Telecom act of 1996 which began centralization of radio and the major label. Cobain was such an outsider and wanted to be that way, he didn't want to be the center of attention. Sure he wanted the band to be BIG, but with fame and fortune and good reviews come the photohogs who invade L.A, the groupies, the hangerons and the low lifes and perhaps being corner and not be able to go to the local record store without being mugged or groped, he lost his privacy to enjoy the things he used to do and he ended it.
In 1994, MTV was still showing videos and VH1 before they decided it was cheaper to put together crappy reality shows and bring back hair metal freaks to find and keep on the one night stands that he used to enjoy. To celebrate the passing, Universal wil reissue the Nirvana albums on vinyl. No big deal to those who got the cd, it still blares out the intentions of Nirvana with Smells Like Teen Spirit, a song that defined and destroyed Cobain at the same time. But it also defined to the modern rock bands of today that they could never dupilcate the song's intensity. Today's bands are only worried about the next tattoo they get or lip ring. Good music will remain timeless, crap music will be forgotten the next day.
Entertain Us!
And also another trainwreck, Joe Meek, the eccentric producer who was the Phil Spector of Britain who also died under bizarre circumstances, he would have turned 80 years old today. A strange way to end this strange blog.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
RIP Sue Halverson
Got this via a email from Jeff Harper at Data Input over at the Iowa
City Pearson Company that Sue passed away from a year and half battle
with cancer. She was 59. I worked with Sue in my tenure at data input
for four years before moving on the printing side of things. She was a
very good co worker and did a lot of terms of helping me slog through
the DI jargon.
She will be missed.
She will be missed.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Rolling Stones Reissues, Keith Urban, etc.
This week I finally got some new music to
listen to, first time all year I have bought four new releases and the
Queensryche American Soldier is their best in years, it might be better
than the Operation Mindcrime album of 20 years ago, certainly better
than Mindcrime 2. Basically a concept album of war through the eyes of
the soldier in battle, Geoff Tate based this on a series of interviews
he did with WW2, Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans. Not for the faint of
heart but all goes to show you can't count Geoff Tate and company out.
And speaking of company, Bad that is, remember that line of crap of one time only last year? Well Bad Company is back for a 10 date tour while Paul Rodgers takes a sabbath off from Queen. Speaking of Sabbath, Heaven And Hell, the Sabbath Ronnie Jame Dio era band will have a new album out this month. Even with Bad Company, I didn't buy the fact that it was one time only show, they always seem to come back and tour the next time. Blue Oyster Cult will be making the casino tour this spring/summer and will make a apperance in Dubuque June 13, and Davenport August 21. Seems like BOC will be spending lots of time in the midwest, playing Algona July 3, Council Bluffs the 4th, Des Moines the 17th at Rib American Fest and a couple Wisconsin fairs in August. Might be worthwhile to go see them.
I can't say what got me to jump on the Keith Urban bandwagon, but since I liked his 2006 Love and Pain etc. album I thought I give Defying Gravity a spin and it's a bit more country radio ready than the last album with an eye toward the rock market. I'm thinking it will be number one on the charts next week. Of course having Nicole Kidman being your wife doesn't hurt either since Keith dedicates at least two of the ballad love songs to her, at least he doesn't jump on the couch and act like a fool like Nicole's Ex did but good thing come to those who wait. At least Nicole doesn't have to hear Cruise's sciencetology bullshit and Keith plays way better guitar too and doesn't act like a hypocrite. But then again I do perfer Keith over Nashville super picker Brad Paisley, whose albums seem to borderline of sappy love/family songs and Paisley can't grow a goatee to save his baby face. Another nice guy, but Paisley has yet to make an album that I can listen to without making a appointment to see the dentist. And business has been pretty good for Dental Health Partners this year too.
With Shooter Jennings's Greatest Hits now out, he's no longer a part of Universal South Records, Universal's answer to BNA, the worst label to be a part of. But in all fairness, I have yet to see any worthiness to Shooter's albums. Supposely he turned down a offer to join Velvet Revolver, the life after Guns and Roses band for Slash and Duff and Matt and one could only wonder what would have happened. But then again I don't think Shooter would added much to that band. He's got the tattoos, the outlaw look, the legacy of being a son to a legend and smokes and drinks like the best of em, but he never convinced me to listen to his music. Only thing that I remember him by is his title to his first album Putting the O back Into Country, a funny play on words but what does the O stand for. Not Original, Offensive is too cruel, maybe it's Obsessed? Naw, probaly Obvilous since every album he has to remind us that he's Waylon's son and has to throw in his Hank Sr or Johnny Cash reference of him being the equation. But his references to me sound more like Mellencamp than Jennings and a secret desire to be a Hank Jr rather than Sr. Perhaps being a independent label, Shooter might put together that rock and roll record that he's been yearning for but till he starts walking a mile in his own shoes and being more of a original I'll pass. Yes we know Waylon's his dad, Jessi Colter his mom but don't need to hear it every album but it did take Waylon a good ten years to find his niche, so Shooter got about 8 more years to develop something of value.
The department of Who Cares. Universal will reissued The Rolling Stones albums from Sticky Fingers on to A Bigger Bang if you really truly care or if you don't have those albums from the past and if you don't, why haven't you? With this reissue campaign, The Stones would have completed the major label merry go round and the Virgin Albums were the best sounding reissues. I still have a few of the old CBS reissues and don't see the need to upgrade once again unless we want that loud Compression sound that seems to be the norm of CDs today. One can only reissue the same album over and over (see Elvis Costello) before people get bored with the reissue campaign. You don't get any bonus tracks or notes, just another major corporation and over the hill rock band trying to squeeze a few more dollars out of the pissed off consumer. One can't deny the excellence of Exile On Main Street or Sticky Fingers but each reissue from a major label knocks the star off by a half. And heaven knows you don't need A Bigger Bang or Bridges To Babylon, hell there's dollar copies all over the internet. And fucking Universal won't reissue The Brains for fuck's sake but they can reissue another Costello or Stones. No wonder people quit buying music.
And speaking of....The Who will reissue their 30 Years of Maxium Rock and Roll DVD in expanded form in April 14th.
And John Kay and the hired hands known as Steppenwolf is unretiring with some dates this summer. John keeps you up to date here.
http://www.steppenwolf.com/s/w/whatnew.html
It's a nice day so think i'll go do something before the snow and rains hits tomorrow. May as well go to work instead way i'm feeling right now.
Grades of new albums if anybody really reads them
Queensryche-American Soldier (Atco/Rhino) A-
MXPX-On The Cover 2 (Tooth And Nail) B-
Keith Urban-Defying Gravity (Capitol Nashville) B
Theroy Of A Deadman-Scars And Souviners (Roadrunner) C+
Gomez-A New Tide (According To Our Records) B
And speaking of company, Bad that is, remember that line of crap of one time only last year? Well Bad Company is back for a 10 date tour while Paul Rodgers takes a sabbath off from Queen. Speaking of Sabbath, Heaven And Hell, the Sabbath Ronnie Jame Dio era band will have a new album out this month. Even with Bad Company, I didn't buy the fact that it was one time only show, they always seem to come back and tour the next time. Blue Oyster Cult will be making the casino tour this spring/summer and will make a apperance in Dubuque June 13, and Davenport August 21. Seems like BOC will be spending lots of time in the midwest, playing Algona July 3, Council Bluffs the 4th, Des Moines the 17th at Rib American Fest and a couple Wisconsin fairs in August. Might be worthwhile to go see them.
I can't say what got me to jump on the Keith Urban bandwagon, but since I liked his 2006 Love and Pain etc. album I thought I give Defying Gravity a spin and it's a bit more country radio ready than the last album with an eye toward the rock market. I'm thinking it will be number one on the charts next week. Of course having Nicole Kidman being your wife doesn't hurt either since Keith dedicates at least two of the ballad love songs to her, at least he doesn't jump on the couch and act like a fool like Nicole's Ex did but good thing come to those who wait. At least Nicole doesn't have to hear Cruise's sciencetology bullshit and Keith plays way better guitar too and doesn't act like a hypocrite. But then again I do perfer Keith over Nashville super picker Brad Paisley, whose albums seem to borderline of sappy love/family songs and Paisley can't grow a goatee to save his baby face. Another nice guy, but Paisley has yet to make an album that I can listen to without making a appointment to see the dentist. And business has been pretty good for Dental Health Partners this year too.
With Shooter Jennings's Greatest Hits now out, he's no longer a part of Universal South Records, Universal's answer to BNA, the worst label to be a part of. But in all fairness, I have yet to see any worthiness to Shooter's albums. Supposely he turned down a offer to join Velvet Revolver, the life after Guns and Roses band for Slash and Duff and Matt and one could only wonder what would have happened. But then again I don't think Shooter would added much to that band. He's got the tattoos, the outlaw look, the legacy of being a son to a legend and smokes and drinks like the best of em, but he never convinced me to listen to his music. Only thing that I remember him by is his title to his first album Putting the O back Into Country, a funny play on words but what does the O stand for. Not Original, Offensive is too cruel, maybe it's Obsessed? Naw, probaly Obvilous since every album he has to remind us that he's Waylon's son and has to throw in his Hank Sr or Johnny Cash reference of him being the equation. But his references to me sound more like Mellencamp than Jennings and a secret desire to be a Hank Jr rather than Sr. Perhaps being a independent label, Shooter might put together that rock and roll record that he's been yearning for but till he starts walking a mile in his own shoes and being more of a original I'll pass. Yes we know Waylon's his dad, Jessi Colter his mom but don't need to hear it every album but it did take Waylon a good ten years to find his niche, so Shooter got about 8 more years to develop something of value.
The department of Who Cares. Universal will reissued The Rolling Stones albums from Sticky Fingers on to A Bigger Bang if you really truly care or if you don't have those albums from the past and if you don't, why haven't you? With this reissue campaign, The Stones would have completed the major label merry go round and the Virgin Albums were the best sounding reissues. I still have a few of the old CBS reissues and don't see the need to upgrade once again unless we want that loud Compression sound that seems to be the norm of CDs today. One can only reissue the same album over and over (see Elvis Costello) before people get bored with the reissue campaign. You don't get any bonus tracks or notes, just another major corporation and over the hill rock band trying to squeeze a few more dollars out of the pissed off consumer. One can't deny the excellence of Exile On Main Street or Sticky Fingers but each reissue from a major label knocks the star off by a half. And heaven knows you don't need A Bigger Bang or Bridges To Babylon, hell there's dollar copies all over the internet. And fucking Universal won't reissue The Brains for fuck's sake but they can reissue another Costello or Stones. No wonder people quit buying music.
And speaking of....The Who will reissue their 30 Years of Maxium Rock and Roll DVD in expanded form in April 14th.
And John Kay and the hired hands known as Steppenwolf is unretiring with some dates this summer. John keeps you up to date here.
http://www.steppenwolf.com/s/w/whatnew.html
It's a nice day so think i'll go do something before the snow and rains hits tomorrow. May as well go to work instead way i'm feeling right now.
Grades of new albums if anybody really reads them
Queensryche-American Soldier (Atco/Rhino) A-
MXPX-On The Cover 2 (Tooth And Nail) B-
Keith Urban-Defying Gravity (Capitol Nashville) B
Theroy Of A Deadman-Scars And Souviners (Roadrunner) C+
Gomez-A New Tide (According To Our Records) B
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Top Ten Of The Week-Songs That Made An Impact Past, Present And Future
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)