History of Music 2000

As we begin the final two months of this decade it's time to look back at the releases that were reviewed at that time.  Naturally, I have later bought some albums of such year but due to limitations didn't include them in the list.  Please note that the grades may have been changed due to change of music tastes. But as far as I know, these were the albums of note and review of 2000.  Later blogs will include the next years up till 2009. 

Also note there are reissues that at the time were part of the year reviews.

1.  Soundtrack to Man On The Moon (WB 37:10)   B
2.  Primus-Antipop (Interscope 63:15)   B
3.  Yes-The Latter (Beyond/Snapper  60:22)  B plus
4.  The Clash UK S/T (Epic  35:22)  A plus
5.  Sting-Brand New Day (A & M 48:54)  B
6.  Mike Viola & Candy Butchers-Falling Into Place (RPM/Sony 45:05)  B Minus

7.  Paul Revere & The Raiders-Hard And Heavy (Sundazed 51:56) B minus
8.  Paul Revere & The Raiders-Alias Pink Puzz  (Sundazed 49:27)  B Plus
9.  Teddy Morgan-Lost Love And Highways (Hightone  43:45)  B Plus
10. The Suicide Machines (Hollywood  33:19) C plus
11. The Who BBC Sessions (MCA  71:20)  B plus
12. The Byrds-Further Along (Columbia Reissue  46:02)  B

13. Rollins Band-Get Some Go Again (Dreamworks  55:20) B plus
14. 3 Doors Down-The Better Life (Universal/Republic  40:53)  B
15. Stir-Holy Dogs (Capitol 50:00)  B
16. Iggy Pop-The Heritage Collection (Arista  38:30) B
17. Heard It On The Radio Volume 3  (Renassaince  78:43) B plus
18. The Pirates-Land Of The Blind (Angel Air 39:38)  B minus

19. Robert Bradley Backwater Surprise-Time To Discover (RCA 48:24)  B
20. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young-Looking Forward (Reprise 53:25)  C
21. Stroke 9-Nasty Little Thoughts (Universal 48:00)  C minus
22. Supergrass (Island 45:36)  B plus
23. Clash-From Here To Enternity (Epic 63:47) B plus
24. Paul McCartney-Run Devil Run (Capitol 40:48) A minus
25. 10 Years After-Solid Rock (Capitol 56:45) B plus
26. Mott The Hoople-Greatest Hits Live (Purple Prymird 73:55) B
27. Jayhawks-Smile (American 53:20) C
28. Hank Williams 3-Rising Outlaw (Curb 43:55) B plus
29. Backsliders-Southern Lines (Mammoth 51:00) A minus
30. Blink 182-Enema Of The State (Geffen 35:23) A minus

31. Matthew Sweet-In Reverse (Volcano 55:30) B plus
32. Roger Clyne & AZ Peacemakers-Honky Tonk Reunion (Emma Jamma 48:53) A-
33. MxPx-The Everlasting Moment (A & M 40:00) A minus
34. Shelter-When 20 Summers Pass (Victory 30:28) B minus
35. Marah-Kids In Philly (E Squared 37:20) B
36. Lou Reed-Estacy (Reprise 77:24) B minus
37. Short Music For Short People (Fat Wreck Chords  50:18) B plus
38. Unamerican (Universal 48:19) C

39. Old 97s-Early Songs (Bloodshot EP 25:18) B plus
40. King's X-Please Come Home Mr Bulbous (Metal Blade 45:00) B minus
41. Bad Religion-The New America (Atlantic 40:19) A minus
42. Steve Earle-Transcental Blues (E Squared 49:55) A minus
43. ALL-Problematic-(Epitaph 34:45) B minus
44. Queens Of The Stone Age-R (Interscope 42:15) C
45. Motorhead-We Are Motorhead (CMC International 38:29) B plus
46. Los Bravos-Bring A Little Lovin (Sindrome 29:39) B
47. Big In Iowa-Banging And Knocking (Blue Rose 45:50) A minus
48. Best Of Sir Douglas Quintet-(Sundazed 50:14) B plus
49. Santana-Supernatural (Arista 75:00) B minus

50. Atomic Opera-Gospel Cola (Metal Blade 50:30) B
51. Samatha 7 (Portrait/C2 29:28) B plus
52. Rich Hopkins & Luminarios-Personality Crisis (San Jacinto 70:33) B plus
53. John Hiatt-The A & M Years (A & M 77:45) A minus
54. Mighty Mighty Bosstones-Pay Attention (Island 51:17) B minus
55. The Byrds-Live At The Fillmore 1969 (Legacy 51:42) C plus
56. Face To Face-Reactionary (Beyond 37:13) B plus
57. Randy Weeks-Madeline (Hightone 46:02) B plus
58. Asia-Heat Of The Moment (Geffen 77:14) B minus
59. Eve 6-Horroscope (RCA 41:11) B plus
60. Dash Rip Rock-Hits And Giggles (Dash Rip Rock 72:00) B minus
61. Charlie Major-444 (Dead Reckoning 41:18) B

62. The Amazing Royal Crowns-Royal (Time Bomb 37:15) B
63. Black Oak Arkansas-Raunch And Roll (Wounded Bird 36:43) B plus
64. Badfinger-Say No More (Real Reissue 37:13) A minus
65. Almost Famous S/t (Dreamworks 70:56) A minus
66. UFO-Coventent (Sharpel 48:43) B plus
67. Mars Electric-Beautiful Something (Portrait 45:34) B minus
68. Fastball-The Harsh Light Of Day (Hollywood 42:19) B minus
69. Marvleous 3-Ready Sex Go (Elektra 55:14) B
70. Steely Dan-Two Against Nature (Giant 51:30) A minus
71. Evan And Jaron (Columbia 44:44) B plus

72. Green Day-Warning (Reprise 41:14) A minus
73. Gov Mule-Life Before Insanity (Volcano 73:56) B plus
74. Mest-Wasting Time (Maverick 46:15) B
75. Collective Soul-Blender (Atlantic 39:16) B plus
76. Dio-Very Beast Of (Rhino 78:39) B plus
77. Nine Days-Maddening Crowd (Epic 53:50) C minus
78. Palo Alto (American 53:17) B minus
79. Ass Ponys-Some Stupid With A Flare Gun (E Squared 50:19) A minus
80. Todd Snider-Happy To Be Here (Oh Boy 38:01) B plus
81. Elastica-The Menace (Atlantic 38:44) A minus
82. Four Tops Collection (Hip O 76:15) B
83. Matthew Sweet-Time Machine Best Of (Volcano 70:31) A minus
84. Offspring-Conspircy Of One (Columbia 37:41) B
85. Teddy Thompson-(Virgin 46:46) B plus
86. OC Supertones-Loud And Clear (BEC Recordings 48:22) B minus
87. Blur-The Best Of Blur (Virgin 77:15) A minus
88. Thelonious Monk-Ken Burns Jazz (Columbia 75:33) A plus
89. Chumbawamba-WYSIWYG (Republic/Universal 47:48) A minus

Top Ten Of The Week: And Then There Was One

Billy Powell, the pianoist of Lynyrd Skynyrd passed away yesterday at the age of 56 due to a heart attack.  Which means that Gary Rossington is the sole survivor of the band he formed with Billy and Ronnie Van Zant years ago.  It's hard to understand the circle of life sometimes, to find that you fight for most of your life to get somewhere and finally when you feel that you're content in life, that's when God calls you up to the Great Beyond.  Billy will be missed by the fans and tribute bands of Skynyrd.  Now, getting on the original program of this week..

The big hubnub of the week happens to be Bruce Springsteen's Working On A Dream album and the reviews have been five star from Rolling Stone to Two Star from a LA Times review.  From what I gathered so far, it has been the perfect followup to Human Touch which pretty scared me off from reviewing it and the usual digipak bullshit that confirmed and deny reviewing it.  I went instead with the Buddy Holly box set called Down The Line to which it comes a week before Buddy decided to come up to the mid west and gave himself to entirety.  Upon listening to disc one, Buddy could have been a very good hillbilly artist with the cuts he did with Bob Montgomery, sounds somewhat in the tradition of Reno And Smiley or the Louvin Brothers.  The second half showcases some early garage covers of the rockabilly he was listening to and yep, he probably had Elvis' first album.   In other words Buddy covers Elvis  and not essensial by any means but a lotta fun and a peak into the development of Mr. Holly.  The second cd contains what is called the Apartment Tapes, a cache of songs Buddy was working up and was still working on as late as January 20th, not barely two weeks before his passing.  It seems that we'll never get The Complete Buddy Holly album of 30 years ago due to the usual major label and lawyers messing things up, but for it matters, Down The Line may just be the final chapter of the recordings of Buddy, going back as far as 1949 to which as a 13 year old, he may have been messing around a Hank Snow number but that recording would shed just a little light into what Buddy would become and sadly 10 years later what could have been.  Certainly, Elvis Presley may have been the King Of Rock n Roll, but had Buddy lived on, things would be a lot different.  I'm sure the UK bands of that time probably think of Buddy more of the King, since he influenced most of them.  Without Holly, The Beatles or The Hollies wouldn't be as we know them today.


On the subject of Mr. Springsteen, Working On A Dream might be the biggest bomb of the year, or the most overexposed.  Sure BS will be playing at the Super Bowl with the usual hits, I certainly don't expect him to trot out Outlaw Pete, the 8 minute disco song that Springsteen leads off WOAD.  His fans complain about Brendan O'brien's production to which I thought worked well on The Rising and not so much on  Magic, last year's five star album which rated as a C plus in my book and raised the wrath of Bruce's fans.  O'Brien is a very good producer, he's done wonders with most of the 90s rock and roll you hear on KRNA and elsewhere but from what i heard of this album, it's been Bruce's songwriting which has fallen apart this time out.  Perhaps Bruce is no longer the Hungry Heart who was Born To Run to The Cadillac Ranch.  Style is over substance on WOAD and a 2 star BS album qualifies as a one star for any other artist out there.  And radio is not going to play this album, they didn't with Magic, nor Devils and Dust.  I don't consider Bruce to be the saviour of Rock although I did buy albums from him off and on, And even on his best ones, (The River, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Born To Run) there was a lotta filler between the hits. But I paid attention up till Tunnel Of Love and then the interest wained.  The Bruce of this decade is far more different than the 70s and 80s, or even the 90s.  He's not going to come up with a Born To Run 2 or even Tunnel Of Love 2, but I thought he'd do better than Human Touch 2.  Chances are it will probaly make number one, and then take a dive south. The way things are in the Great Depression 2, people will probaly choose to eat rather than pay 11.99 for a flimsey digipak full of subpar material. 


As another Bruce would sing: That's just the way it is.

To Russ, got your note, thank you for the birthday shout.  I figured you'd eventually remembered bro ;-)

The Top Ten Of The Week in Crabbland.

1.  My Two-Timin Woman-Buddy Holly 1949  When you hear this song, you will not believe that this is Buddy in the beginning. Before puberty, but then again I think I sounded like that when I was 13 years old.  The major difference was that Buddy got lots better before I did.

2.  Jail Bait-Wishbone Ash 1972  Do you believe that I have four Wishbone Ash 45s in my collection?  I cannot recall where I got this one at although I'm thinking it may have been Rock N Bach in the 80s.  Or maybe uptown at Town Square Books when they were selling the juke box 45s they got next door from Ole's Ham and Egger.  Kids today don't understand the thrill of buying records nowadays, it's easier to download things from the net.  Guess that makes me an old fuddy duddy.

3.  I Want You Back In My Life Again-Cooper Dodge Band 1980  Another of who the fuck are they, this band made this MOR single for ATCO which sounded like Minite by Minite Doobie Brothers or Player of Baby Come Back fame.  Outside of that, these guys are unknown.  Betcha nobody else plays this song in the world anywhere.  And I do mean anywhere kiddies.

4.  Please Send Me Somebody To Love-Fred Neil 1968  Neil was a hotshot songwriter who had a hit with Everybody's Talking but he was a reclusive from the word go and when I read books about the 60s, people don't speak a lot about him and if they do it's not very nice.  Made a decent S/T for Capitol and the followup was a custerfuck at best. But Fred, when he did put his mind to it does a very fine slow bass vocal to this song with has only a standup bass and another guitar to it.  This was the B side to Felicity, a failed single.

5.  Lucid Dreams-Franz Ferdinand 2009  The first album of the year and the first song of this year to hit the Top Ten and it's one of the more advantureous that this Scottish band has attempted, a 8 minite electronia jam.  And the way, things are going this year, there won't be too many cds reviewed this year.  Blame it all on digipaks, a sucky economy  or shitty music.  All the above.

6.  The Long Race-Bruce Hornsby and The Range 1986  This is probaly the hardest rocking song off The Way It Is, our introduction to Bruce and company.  I don't think it has dated as badly as say Huey Lewis and The News but sometimes I do remember about the past.

7.  Front Me Some Love-Joe King Carrasco And The Crowns 1983  Party time rock and roll from one of the more entertaining musicians that ever came out of Texas.  This was off the second album Joe did for MCA, he would do a killer album a few years later but that one has been extremely hard to find.

8.  Singer Of Sad Songs-Waylon Jennings 1970  Produced by Lee Hazlewood, this album if you ever get around hearing it, is the most stripped down Waylon that RCA put out at that time and even in the digital age have refused to reissued it but Diggy Kat, my good friend sent me the complete album to which this song was the most polished of all songs on this. But I think on the final track of this album Rock, Salt And Nails it's Lee that's dueting on it, not Kris Kristofferson.  Lee's a bit more tuneful shall we say?  Yes Diggy it's Lee doing the other vocals in his own unmistakeable voice! ;)

9.  Sister James-Nino Tempo And the 5th Ave. Sax 1973  Another forty five that I rediscovered over my birthday weekend, this made the top twenty on the KCRG Super 30. Tempo had a hit back in the 60s with Deep Purple, but by this time, he went in a more jazz direction. You know I can make bout 10 volumes of Hard to Find 45s and not duplicate them as the damn major labels do.  Sing along to the lyrics...Don't Play No Games, With Sister James. Uh-haaaa.

10. Baby Don't You Do It-The Who 1972  Out of all the compilations I have seen from Universal or MCA, they never have put this B side to Join Together on any of them.  I mean any.  This was taken from a live performance (an show at San Francisco I think) and is famous for Keith bashing away on a 20 inch crash ride.  The Who attempted to do this song a couple times in the studio, once in 1965 and second when Leslie West came on as a guest around 1971 but for all it's worth, this 6:54 live version remains the bomb. Too bad, The Who doesn't do this song live anymore but then again, I don't think Pete could play that fast. 

DIGGY KAT repiles:

oh man, RIP Billy =(

wow i don't even know that Buddy Holly song! wow what a treat!

is that Lee singing on Rock, Salt And Nails? out of the albums i got that's the only one that doesn't list additional musicians/singers. i'm not familiar with Lee Hazelwood at all besides his producing with Waylon. the vocals caught me off guard at first too lol "who's this? oh...must be Kris" lol GREAT Waylon song by the way, i also swoon for Times Between Bottles Of Wine and If I Were A Carpenter ;-) and hey! another harpsichord appearance in She Comes Running! brilliance! pure brilliance!

What I Did On My Birthday 2009

Another day another year survived.  I'll turn 48 tonight at 10:50 PM. 

Used to be that birthdays meant something when you're younger, it meant that Grandpa and Grandma would send you some money and a card.  My aunt Cindy and Virginia sent card all along the way but for the first time there wasn't any money in it.  Not that it matters, I'd rather had the card just for the thought. In this great depression we now live in, we have to watch our money.

I guess you reach a certain age the fun of birthdays just seem to fade on out and that special day is nothing more than surviving another year of back problems, colds and a attitude that borders on insane and eccentric and erratic.  I'm sure my co workers would have something planned on Friday but since I had to go get my back put back into place by the chiropractor, I needed some time away and besides my car has a broken strut so I didn't venture anywhere.  I stopped at Happy Joe's Pizza for a rare buffet meal and ran into a woman up there that actually works in B n D in our department.  Took me a while to notice her and finally it did sent in.  Small world it is.

I don't triumph the BIG DAY in the net, I only point it out just for reference sakes.  I did blog the top ten under the Birthday Crabb banner and left it at that.  I do have a couple highs and lows of birthday memories.  One when I turned 33 and my ex GF Penny took me up to Shakey's Buffett and treated me to dinner but she complained about paying for it.  The next year the replacement exGF Clarice made it a night to remember, the Royal Fork Buffet (RIP), some dancing afterward.  But mostly it has been myself going to selected mexican restarants or just ordering up a pizza and watching ball games that way.  It's a bitch when you get older meaning too old to go clubbing but even I was in that age it was a rareity.

I can't think of any other worse time to be born is when its in the dead of winter and it's four below outside with a howling wind.   Wishing that I could have been someplace warmer such as St Louis or the desert rather than on old Route 66 on the way to Lincoln in a howling blizzard to which I should came to my parents in a dream and tell them not to do the nasty in June, cuz usually what's planned for in the summer comes in the winter and vice versa.  Certainly did nobody any favors that way but when it's time to go into the world.



Each year it seems that the years go by faster than the year before.  Here we are again, another spin around the sun and for the seasons?  If you can stop and drop me off at early fall and let's forget the rest of the seasons thank you.  I'm sick of the snow and floods that follow.  Every year it's a wishing and dreaming of being younger again and trying to make up for past mistakes and try to find the right one to spend the rest of your years with.   But fact remains is that the high school sweethearts we once knew are nothing like they are now.  Being with Penny on that 33rd year proved that.

So, here I am at the 48th year of existence and wondering where things will lead.  I always think that it will be my final year till we go around the world once again and meet at this day, and some day it will be the final year.  Funny how the only thing remains the same is the ticking of seconds that never change.  To the readers out there, thanks for being a part of the ride and feel free to stop by and see the latest in blogs at here or at Multiply or Blogspot and as I see each and every one of you jumping the My Space sinking ship like rats, perhaps facebook.  I'm sure links will be supplied once something intelligent pops up over there.

And if any of y'all were here, you could have joined me with some decent burritos at El Rancho in Iowa City.   I'll even let you buy too. ;-)

 I didn't do too much myself, went to Happy Joe's for a buffet on friday and ran into somebody that works up there but also works at Pearson.  Her name is Kathi and I can remember that name since the head senior in Inserting is Kathy.  Buffet was pretty good since I didn't have to run to the toilet 10 minites later.  Plus went to the chiropractor and got my back put into place, just in time for the Texas folders to come knock it out of wack once again.

Saturday pretty much slept most of the day but did go into Anamosa to McOttos for a Chimi dinner that wasn't that bad.  Lots of sour cream and salsa works as well plus went to Wally World to pick up a new showerhead and the new Franz Ferdinand cd.  And then sunday celebrated the birthday with the folks.  Diggy Kat called me Saturday and sang Happy Birthday and later sent me a whole batch of Waylon Jennings cds that I didn't have and I do believe that all the pieces of the puzzle are now in place.  Thanks DK.  Ya da man.

The people that I work with at Pearson are one of a kind.  Steve Rasmussen made not one but two birthday cakes, one Cherry and one Boston Pie and both were excellent.  He won't admit to this but he does luv Da Crabb and his antics at work enough to go out of his way to make a couple cakes.  Of course, ole garbage gut Christopher came out of Warehouse to eat about ten pieces but there was still enough left over.  But jeez, Steve can do it all, do senior work and still go home and bake goodies.  He's amazing.  Thank you thank you thank you.

Anyway kiddies,  the car got fixed and the broken strut has been replaced but there's a big hole in the hood where it bounced up.  But at least I can now drive the speed limit and have a smooth ride.   Um, other things  I see everybody's favorite big mouth Terrill Owens will have his very own reality show on VH1 this summer thus making VH1 even more worthless than MTV.  Who watches them anymore?  When you get this generation Stephen Fetchit getting his own reality show, then it's time to block it or stock up on DVDs since TV today sucks and digital TV ain't going be any better.  I wish that Obama would ban parmacuetual drug commericals since that's all they show on TV anymore.  That's why drugs are so high, damn drug companies gotta pay for that commerical time.  But VH1 sucks even more than MTV and we just can't get rid of the douchebags.  TO can just FO or PO cuz all TO is a big ZERO.  Nuff said.

For fans of Yrdbird Roost at Multiply, Vinyl King has submitted his very own top ten of the week and it will be for your viewing on Saturday.   Look for surprises.

For the first time in 9 weekends, we did not have one snow or icestorm.  That's news.

Top Ten Of The Week-Rant On Corey Taylor

This week is the final week for our worker at the Pearson Warehouse, Mr. Christopher Zorich, who after all these years of being the local garbage gut and food taker, is taking his act to first shift, probaly on orders from his wife.  With Chris moving to days, we will have more food to share on nights and he will actually have to work for a change.  We all at Pearson Printing Inc love to give Christopher shit when he comes over to steal a cookie or come over and annoy me with his bits of triva but in reality, Christopher is a all around nice guy.  We'll miss him and wish him luck, now get back to work farker. ;-) (Side Note: Chris returned back to night six months later, he couldn't take it waking up at 4 AM to get to work).

The new Radio Moscow CD will be released April 19th and will be a better record to listen to than the new U2 or Bruce Springsteen.  Way things are going in the music world it might be the one of the first new releases that I will review although I need to get a copy of the Cotton Serbersek Band indpendent release that what I heard is pretty good.  And other news, The Townedger's In This Town is one of the featured songs on Brown Dog Radio, a up and coming website radio station on My Space.  Thanks For the shout out guys.

BTW, if you haven't known by now, I will be two years from fifty on Saturday.  Gift cards are welcomed.  And now if I can quit coughing and farting at the same time, that will be considered a small victory in this life.

The Top Ten Of The Week remains as follows.

1.  One Headlight-The Wallflowers 1996  If you think that's bad, try driving your car with a broken strut.  Can't drive 55 with all that flipping flopping around.  Geezus will somebody please fix my car or help me get a new one?!?

2.  Why Don't Cha-West, Bruce And Laing 1973  Here at Crabb's Top Ten Land we still have a soft spot in our hearts for the boogie that made the 70s a great place to jam and light one up. They didn't call this band Mountain since Felix Pappalardi (RIP) left and Jack Bruce took his place. I tend to think Bruce is a bit overrated in terms of bass player since he sounded like his bass was turned all the way up to ten.  The reason why Ginger Baker won't play in anymore versions of Cream since Bruce can't sing and barely play anymore.  Ain't growing old gracefully a bitch?

3.  Hitchin' A Ride-Vanity Fare 1970  One of two hits from a long forgotten British band that recorded for Larry Page's Page One Records.  This record always brings a smile to my face when I hear it, which isn't too often since it's passed the limitations of classic rock . I think Russ's sister had this on 45 although he will deny it.

4.  Tommy The Cat-Primus with Tom Waits 1991  Another tale from the weirdness that is Les Claypool and company with a deranged appearance by Mr. Waits.  I wonder how the hell Claypool can shoot those words out in rapid fire "Say Baby Do Ya wanna lay down with me", Say Baby, Say Baaaaby.  Alternative Prog Rock, the final gasp of music before the Corporate suits brought everything up and started putting out sterile and forgettible shit such as boy bands and pop tarts and American Idol.  And another complaint; I wish these numbskulls who sing the National Anthem at ballgames would sing the fucking thing right.  And that's directed toward you Jordan Sparks and Martina McBride.  You're not Marvin Gaye, nor Whitney Houston. Leave them in peace.

5.  Dear Mr. Fantasy-Traffic 1971   From Welcome To The Canteen, Dave Mason rejoins the band to do a nice live album and this is a 11 minite rock and jam that's worth the price of admission. 

6.  Land Ho!-The Doors 1970  Morrison Hotel was probaly the best thing that The Doors did for a couple albums and although I'd skip over the overplayed Roadhouse Blues, this song appeared on the remastered Classic album of 1985.  But then again I think there are more best ofs and anthologies of the Doors than actual studio albums, which include the two albums done without Morrison, Other Voices and Full Circle.  If they're on Cd, they're imports and hard to find, just like the vinyl albums.  But then again I heard those albums and with a moment here or there, you're not missing much.

7.  Road Fever-Foghat 1977  The more I hear Foghat live volume two, the tribute album released last year, the less I'm impressed of hearing it.  I had to go back to the first live album to hear what they could do when they play live.  But sadly, Rod Price and Lomesome Dave are no longer around.  Just the rhythm section and the guy from Ted Nugent's Weekend Warriors band, and the guy from Wild Cherry playing lead guitar.  In other words, an okay tribute band.

8.  Party Till You Puke-Andrew WK 2002  What people do best on their birthdays.  Drink seven pitchers of bad beer and pay for it the next day.  Did that once.  Once was enough.

9.  Big Man-Big Back Forty 1997  This still remains one of my favorite albums from the 1990s, from a band from Columbus Ohio that me and a friend went to go see perform at Gabe's Oasis in Iowa City.  I remember this band opened up for the Honeydogs and after they played the BB40 lead singer was standing next to me and my friend.  I was so damn awestruck, that I couldn't go muster up the courage to tell him how much I love his band's latest record, which turned out to be the only record they recorded.

10.  Rock And Roll Queen-Mott The Hoople 1970  And finally, I have read that the original Mott The Hoople gang from this era are reuniting to do a couple of live gigs in October. Would it be great to see Ian Hunter, Mick Ralphs, Overend Watts, Virden Allen And Dale Griffin on the same stage again.  You know I might pay to see that.  But don't hold out for a Jeff Beck Group reunion though.  As much as Rod Stewart would like to, ole Jeff doesn't think much of a world tour, but he may say yes to a stay at home jam session. 
That Jeff Beck is crazy....like a fox.
 
And...finally, Des Moines' very own Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor gives you his review of the new Coldplay album.  You have the floor Mr. Taylor.

"One of the most self-celebratory pieces of sh*t I've ever f*cking heard in my entire f*cking life." "I f*cking hate that album It's music to wipe your ass to."
 

Martin Luther King's 80th

Today marks the 80th birthday of Martin Luther King Jr, a championer of equal rights. I wondered how he would figured into Obama's campaign and becoming the 44th President of the US and trying to sort out the mistakes and miscalulations of W and Chaney.

There's more people going to DC for the swearing in then there are here in Iowa which shows you the whole scope of this historial event. I don't know if things will turn around or get better but the results are better now, now that this is the final day of Governor's Bush's Occupation of the White House.

This decade has been the most roughest of times that I have gone through in this lifetime. The harsh winters, the bad rainy springs and record floods of last year and the damn F5 tornados that wiped some of the towns off the map in May of last year. Speculators running up the gas price and try to blame it on India and China. For once OPEC doesn't get the full blunt of this but rather the Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs who on the stock market bought oil and stored it and used the media to predict 200 dollar barrell oil if they had their way with it. The stock market and oil crash of last fall has given us a reprise for now. But I'm sure the media will find ways to get it back up to four bucks before we're dead and gone.

I grew up watching TV and seeing Martin Luther King Jr on a regular basis. The guy was a believer in fighting for the principal of everybody being free and being in the South and black in the 60s wasn't the best of times. The protest marches, the bombing of 16th Avenue Church in Birmingham which took four girl's innocent lives.

I sometimes wonder what MLK would think of the gangsta rappers of today or the reality crap of BET. But I'm sure he's smiling out in the great beyond to see that people here have spoken and wanted change for the better. Again that remains to be seen if a year from now we trumpeted the progress or look at suspicsion and disgust that things haven't changed at all. But for now, it is a new and exciting time to watch the Obama take the oath and try to restore the deciency that was lost in the eight years of Bush n Cheney.

At least it seems we are on the right road.

Top Ten Of The Week-Ed End

On the subject of Ed Pololak...

I don't think much of Ed Podolak who was one of the best running backs in the NFL when he played for the Kansas City Chiefs.  When he was at Armstrong's back in 1973 thereabouts, he was at a meet and greet but he looked as if he'd rather be someplace else.  Plus he didn't give out autographs.  Perhaps we should have given him a Budweiser.  For the last 20 plus seasons you can hear him doing analyst for Iowa Hawkeye football but he's always had a fondness for beer and booze.  After 26 years, Steady Eddie has announced he's retiring from broadcasting and taking his beer and Real Estate expertise to northern California.  He also got busted for slobbering over a fan when the Hawks won the Gator Bowl and you can't blame him I guess.  Everybody looks better when you're wearing beer goggles like he was that night.  Still, I never cared much for him simply of the fact that 36 years he had this holier than thou attitude and soured me on meeting high profile football players or musicians.   I'm sure there's Hawk fans who think he's a nice guy all around but even on the air he always sounded like he was sauced anyway.

RIP Ricardo Montanban, the Fantasy Island guy, and Khan from Star Trek fame. Also he made the Chysler Cordova one of the coolest cars to own in the 80s.  He was 88.

1. Through Being Cool-DEVO 1981  In the 12 years of blasting tunes through the late night, the album New Traditionalists, is the only time my brother told me that it was too loud and he couldn't sleep.  Upon further review, I had to conclude that the muddy bass mix on the CD was so muffled that it even was louder than anything I put on Metallica or Zeppelin.  It also shows that music is so damn unpredictable too.

2. You Can Look But You Cannot Touch-Bruce Springsteen 1980   It is hard to understand the ideological of the Bruce Springsteen fanatic out there and most of my contradictions remain what the critics like and what I like.  Yeh, we know the importance of Born The Run, but I always thought it being overplayed lost the meaning of rock for me.  A certain critic who was reviewing The River, proclaim that the most simple rockers were the most dubious.  As much as Hungry Heart may have turned his world around or the 8 minute overblown Drive All Night might be Springsteen classics, they in no way make me want to pull this album out, it actually makes me want to sell the damn cd.  I myself enjoy and rather much hear the good three chord fun of this song or Crush On You, with the sing along chorus. But then again I'm not a hardcore Springsteen fan either.  I'd more inclined to play Tunnel Of Love or even The Rising over Born To Run or Darkness at The Edge Of Town.  People can judge Springsteen in their own way, just don't force-feed me Born To Run or Hungry Heart every damn day.

3. Who Put The Benzedrine In Mrs. Murphy's Overtine-Henry "The Hipster" Gibson 1945  From Musicraft 346 78.  Long ago and far away, this was we call now alternative music.  Although Gibson is unknown to most people, least of all Kanye West, music collectors all over the world that this is one of the most sought after 78s.  But can be found on the MOJO compilation Reefer Songs.

4. Have A Drink On Me-AC/DC 1980 Dedicated to Ed Podolak, who'll drink to anything.

5. Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine-Stealer's Wheel 1973  Two versions of this song is out there, the forty five version sounds like Stuck In The Middle With You Part Two and the album version is a bit more rocking.  The amazing thing about Gerry Rafferty is that he's had a much bigger solo career than with this band.  But then I don't anything knows anything more than Baker Street from Mr. Rafferty.

6. Gin House Blues-Nina Simone 1963  Nina has done a few versions of this song, but I pick the single version that is found on the Trip 45 that came from a live performance.  Nina remains one of the more unique visionaries in modern music, since she could cover the Tin Pin Alley songs and then go into Bob Dylan or The Bee Gees or even blues jam outs.  A later version of this song can be found on Nina Simone-The Blues that BMG put out around 1990 which is actually Nina Simone Sings The Blues album plus selected tracks.  Highly recommended.

7. The Twilight Zone-Golden Earring 1983  On the 50th anniversary of the TV show, I actually been watching Rod Serling's 1970 followup Night Gallery, which turned out to be a horror version of Love American Style, to which stars of that era appear in stories and sketches.  Night Gallery only was on for three seasons and as I watch most of the Season Two episodes I can't help but notice that Serling had issues with Director Jack Laird on the five minute ditties, a contrast of the absurd to go with the gothicness of the longer stories.  Perhaps Rod Serling had a point on that.  Night Gallery Season Two is now available on DVD.  If it sells perhaps we'll get the final season of it, although Season Three was knocked down to half hour instead of the full hour of the first two seasons.

8. Leaving Here-Eddie Holland 1963  It's Motown 50th anniversary and once again Universal is reissuing the number one hits of Motown and basically one can do without them, or the grab bag That's What I Call The Best Of Motown.  At this point, serious collectors bought them in the first place and although one can't deny Baby Love or Bernadette or My Girl of the beauty of the melody, people are simply sick of hearing them day after day on oldies radio.  Back in the mid 80s, Motown put out more obscure stuff under the Hard To Find Classics Volume 1 through 3 and volume 3 had this hard rocking track. Simply the hardest rocking track Motown ever put out and acknowledged by The Who and Motorhead who did their own versions of this fine track.

9. Slip Inside This House-Primal Scream 1991  This band is more rock now then the Madchester dance band of the early 90s but Bobby Gillespie managed to find some cool covers of songs to do.  Such as this 13th Floor Elevator classic.

10. Hurtin You Don't Come Easy-Neil Diamond 1969  Lesser known B side to Holly Holy, I come to find that Neil's first two albums for UNI/MCA showcase a good singer songwriter but with a flair of the absurd.  Where else could you get classic stuff like Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show or Sweet Caroline over such halfassed things like You're So Sweet Horseflies Keep Hanging Around Your Face  or Dig In. But this was the final track to the Brother Love album before a last minute session gave us Sweet Caroline and a rename to the number one hit of 1969.  As they say, seek and ye shall find.

Rock n roll and FYE on the Deathclock

While bargain hunting in Iowa City and Waterloo it never did occur to me about the FYE store going out of business. At least not in Coralville where the FYE store is located at but an hour and twenty five minutes up to the north on 380, the FYE at Crossroads in Waterloo was just about picked bare with fifty percent off everything.

Certainly while in Coral Ridge and rejoicing at the fact of 75 percent off selected CDs was a CD bargain hunters dream although FYE didn't discount everything down like they did in Crossroads. So I wonder if the one out in Moline will be shutting their doors down soon, we know the Springfield Ill store is closed down due to blog reports.

For a record collector or buyer, music stores are becoming few and far between in this decade and the youngsters too busy downloading while the old fart buyers are running out of places to hang at. And Crossroads has been the deathbed of many cd stores. Sam Goody, Camelot, Disc Jockey, perhaps Co Op although they were based in Cedar Falls. FYE bought out Sam Goody a couple years ago and it was the intent to make this FYE store profitable, to which it wasn't. I don't have a lotta complaints about FYE myself, some FYE stores do have a great selection of used stuff (most notably Coral Ridge and the one out in Mesa that overtook Wherehouse Music). And bargains could be found although I question their prices on 2 CD sets of Beatles Anthology to which volume 2 and 3 sold for a ungodly 23.99 and even more. I know one of the Coral Ridge FYE doods from his owning of Discount Records in Downtown Iowa City, another store of the past. But mostly when one went up to FYE anywhere, he could be counted on being pestered by some FYE employee who was thinking that they were working at the hospital. I've had many FYEr's asking me if I was all right while I was searching their vast amount of inventory in the Clarence bins, leaving me to shoo them away or make a comment something like "yeah but i'm not sure about you". Or thinking of ways to put the come on to some poor over-sized female while debating to get a box set in the cutouts for twenty bucks. "no dear, but I think this would make a great way to asking y'all out for tea and crumpets" I thought.

In some ways, I like FYE for the ability to find off the wall stuff or the obscure or even waiting for FYE to stick unwanted cds in the Clarence bins. Which is where I got Nilsson's The Point, or Lone Shelter's Shelter or Best Of Spencer Davis Group for two bucks! And sometimes somebody would sell a used cd for under five bucks which is why I go there in the first place. Or to see if Little Steven dropped another of those Coolest Songs In The World Series since Wicked Cool switched selling their stuff to FYE after a failed attempt with Best Buy couple years ago. But mostly, their pricing of used cds of latest albums for 9.99 was a head scratcher. And probaly is the reason of the demise of FYE. Why buy a used product for 10 bucks when Best Buy has it new for the same price.

And yes, FYE is in trouble just like most stores that over expanded and overexposed itself to the malls and perhaps within the year or two, we'll eventually lose them all. Case in point: back in the mid 90s, in town we had at least 10 decent record stores to choose from. Today Cedar Rapids has none, Waterloo has none and Iowa City And Dubuque has two, IC with Record Collector and Real!, Dubuque with Moondog Music and CDs for Change. This is record stores, not the big boxes that are Best Buy or Wal Mart or Target or FYE or Circuit City which declared Bankruptcy last year and don't figure much into this area. But like Tower Records, I'm sure there will be a internet afterlife for FYE but to the collector and die hard of New Release Tuesday or those who enjoy going into stores to look through cds and records it will not be the same.

I don't think the Coral Ridge FYE is dead but it is on life support, unlike the Crossroads FYE which got the plug pulled from that area. I kinda hate to see the FYE close up there since Waterloo doesn't have jack for stores anymore but even going up there and seeing the shelves just about bare and being a couple weeks late, I did managed to pick up some Maxell high bias Cassette Tapes 50 percent off and did get The Jesus And Mary Chain-Power Of Negative Thinking box set for thirty bucks new. But it is an end of a era for yet another big box store, that had big ambitions, but being in a small town mall with the lease up decided it wasn't worth keeping open.

For the down-loaders of MP3s and such it wont mean a thing but to the collectors of the area, it's one less place to discover music.

PS: FYE closed up their store in March of 2010.

Top Ten Of The Week-Welcome Back Kurt Hoeppner

Hello fans of Top Tens out there.  Ole Crabby is back with another year of ten songs that have been playing in my player at various places around the area.  For those who just joined up,  time to give you a bit of background history.

I'm a record collector, a music lover of sorts and it has been that way for 45 years!  All but three years of this life dedicated to finding the ultimate in music and still searching after all these years but I think I'm getting closer to achieveing that collection.  With the buying of Gonna Send You Back To Walker by The Animals I pretty much accomplished one goal and that was to find the first 45 that I ever owned.  I scour the bargain bins in the Tri State area I live in and sometimes in the summer I go to Arizona or elsewhere to seek the music stores to find more CDs to pass the time with.  But with digital now the rage, my time is drawing near the end.  Soon everything will be downloads only and the collectors will be regulated to EBAY or Amazon or the thrift store.

I play in two bands, one The Townedgers the other is something with my best friend plays bass in.  He's a big Prog Rock fan, he loves Rush and Kansas  I perfer garage punk and country.  I think I contradict him on purpose though I do wish that he would have gotten into the punk rock that I was in.  We have been friends for forty years and I love him like a brother.  But like brothers we tend to fight as well.  I'm also the late night host of the Friday Night Chat, The Roost at Sparkpea.net.  From 11:45 to 1 or longer we chat music.  I have some friends that are friends here.  I also have friends from Mingles that I keep in touch with, most notabily Sassy girl.  She's a sweetheart unlike me.  I also shoot the shit with Diggy Kat, the other big TE fan.  He plays in three bands but has one of my songs on his webpage.  He's the son I never had.

My Space is a great place to check out bands but every so often, I do hear some great singer songwriters out there.  Margaret, is the curator of The Brains site, one of the best new wave bands whose albums yet to see the CD no thanks to brainless record companies.  I sometimes get to chat with Charles Wolff, the drummer from The Brains.  My favorite My Space band remains Lizzy Williams, whose lead singer Lizzy (naturally) pays a visit from time to time.  She has a EP out called Magic 8 and is sometimes featured in the Top Ten.  You should own a copy of it.  And one of the things I like about Lizzy is that she does take the time to talk to her fans.  She's the real deal.  Add her to your friends list if you like good music.

The Top Ten of The WeekTM has taken a life of it's own.  I thought I made a good run of it last year and decided to retire it but due to lots of emails out there, it has risen once again, like the phoenix.  I take ten songs from all decades (from the 20s to now-but mostly it's usually around the 60s to today with more on the 60s and 70s) from albums and singles and form a opinion.  And people enjoy the fact that the songs are all over the place and from all types of music, Punk, Jazz, Blues, Rock n Roll you name it, chances are you will see it.  Except rap, unless I feel like adding U Kant Touch Dis on the chart.  The purpose is to promote the lesser known and sometimes I will add a classic rock number just to please the classic rock crowd, but I do dig deep into the lost classic than the other radio stations out there.  If you, the reader, are interested in the song, chances are it's out in the net somewhere.  Sometimes I promote my own band if I feel the song fits the format but I won't toot my horn all that much.  I do have a My Space site for that and those can access it at their own leisure.  But I live for the music and the music for me.   On that, let's get the new year rolling.

1.  Stone Blue-Foghat  1978
2.  Me And My Arrow-Nilsson 1971
3.  I Often Dream Of Trains-Robyn Hitchcock 1986
4.  Have You Seen Your Mother Baby Standing In The Shadow-Rolling Stones 1966
5.  The Hardest Walk-The Jesus And Mary Chain 1985
6.  Barbara Ann-Jan And Dean 1963
7.  Ain't My Bitch-Mettallica 1997
8.  Gudbye T'Jane-Slade 1972
9.  The Joke's On Me-Jordan Zevon 2008
10. TV Eye-The Stooges 1970

Unfortunately, My Space had their usual unexpected error messages and I lost the witty comments after the songs that I posted and so the original top ten got lost in cyberneverland again.  So this is Plan B.   TV Eye is dedicated to Ron Asheton who passed away last week at age 60 due to natural causes.  The Slade track was dedicated to my senior Steve Rasmussen at work for wanting a copy of Slade's Greatest Hits and Jordan Zevon gets kudos for having this song for being voted Best Compostion and got to play it on David Letterman the other night.  Insides Out is the album and you should get it.

Welcome back Kurt Hoeppner as he returns to relieve Denny Ballard as first shift printing manager at Pearson.  Kurt left a couple years back to take a job at CRST but since that didn't work out here he is.  Like the song sez you can check out anytime you like but you can never leave.

New year same.......

"After a long wait, your golden year has arrived, dear Aquarius! On January 5, Jupiter will enter Aquarius and crown you the celestial favorite, a title you have not held since 1997. What lies before you is a glorious year of good fortune. You will have good health, support from VIPs, a real shot at finding true love if you're single, and an opportunity to grasp your dream goal. We only get approximately seven of these magnificent years in a lifetime, and 2009 will be one of those shining years for you." Susan Miller's Astrology Zone

Oy vey! Does this mean that I'll finally get some this year. After all it's been over seven years...

So far this year hasn't started out so damn golden. Got another damn cold to start the year out and of course brings the damn hives under my pits and elsewhere. I hate getting sick, it always seems like that I'm breaking out in hives after a point. Thankfully, I haven't been coughing up a lung or blowing my snozz off. Perhaps the 5000 MG of Vitamin C pills and the 64 oz cup of Mountain Dew Orange may have something to do with that. Of course, I'm not the only one that's sick. The whole family is hacking and coughing too.

I fucking hate to get sick and you can always tell when I'm sick of things is when I drop a F bomb to the sentence. Wash your hands, wipe and spray everything down with Lysol and still some dumbass comes up and coughs all over you and then five minites of washing your hands still haven't change a thing. I was sick most of the the first three months of 2008 and we never did have a proper spring and summer due to continual rains and floods. And now first of the year I got the damn flu again with the fucking hives. Good God.

I have been keeping busy with other blogs and various places. Still getting rappers trying to be friends with me on My Space and I can't stand rap. Holler back y'all say, Yo, U suckas suck. About five emails from so called friends from Facebook. And I don't have Facebook and don't plan to. More spam from EBAY spambots trying to compromise my good standing there. Send it to Spoof and get no answer back. Screw em.

In chat the other weekend, I guess the head of that chat decided that this dood named Wolfie could come back and what does it matter to me or to him. He's bascially only there to bambooze the ladies and appently succeeded in doping one of them. So be it, as long as Wolfie behaves. The lady says that he's got a good sense of humor but if so, we never see it in the chatroom. Last time he called the whole room idiots and he got booted for a month. But he's back again. Like a rash. But that's not for me to say or think, the ones that know me best know what I do think.

My sinius is killing me tonight. Goddammed cold anyway but at least my nose isn't running like it was over the weekend. But I feel a bit better than yesterday. Must have been the OJ and the Mountain Dew Orange drink.

So this is going to be a shining year for me?!? So far it hasn't but we still got about 354 days left to improve on that............

PS
You have so much to look forward to, dear Aquarius! You have waited so long for a bit of luck. It's finally coming through to you! Spend the month thinking about how you can best use this dazzling, rare energy. Next month will be an even bigger and happier month for you. Just you wait till you see!

Crabb Bits: AZ 45s, 50 Winters later

I got to thinking while looking at some Sedona pictures that Lizzy Williams took when she went there how much that I do miss the AZ hangouts up there.  The red rocks are breathtaking although the highway getting there is always clogged up.  Perhaps some day when I get back to Sedona/Prescott that we can at least get around town without the road construction that awaits me when I'm there.  But as the song sez 'If you plan to motor west, take the highway that is best' which is Arizona 66, the last link of the original Route 66. A 79 mile trip that begins at Crookton Road.   And the famed Crookton Pass Bridge that is my zen area.  And through Seligman to Kingman with all the abandoned towns among the way.  Like I said in a previous blog, it was the highlight of 2008 there.

Look for the Top Ten to return soon.  I'm still fussing over the playlist and tonight I pulled out some old scratchy forty fives and listen to them awhile.  It's also a great moment to finally locate one of the first forty fives that I have ever had in my life, The Animals  Gonna Send You Back To Walker and after a 45 year hiatus, it's now back into my 45 collection again.  The original one I had years ago, met a bad fate due to me being 3 years old and breaking it after the first time I played it back in the days of being in Lincoln Ill, and my parents buying 45s to keep me occupied while they were tending to my baby brother.  Now all I need is a copy of Tommy Roe's Carol and it might complete another piece of the puzzle of my musical life.  I don't remember much of my brother's first year but funny, I do remember my first few 45s.  Can't say if it's selective thinking or nostagila but I don't think it's to recapture my early years.  Life in Lincoln wasn't all that great, but I do remember the liquor store that had some 45s and the Woolworth's and Kresge's downtown.  Guess I was doomed to be a music person. Update: I did find Carol by Tommy Roe at Mad City Music X in 2011.

It's official.  The Iowa Hawkeyes are the only Big Ten Team that won a bowl game.  Go Hawks.

More suggestions for top ten inclusions include Tesla, More Animals and a couple more that escape me.
as for the cure of the cold, the Mountain Dew Live Wire has 290 calories per 20 OZ bottle while the Tropicana Twister Soda has a whopping 320 calories! Shit, I might be feeling a bit healthy but I'm sure piling on the pounds :-P

And the final word from the late great Ron Asheton on LA Blues, the final noise that ends The Stooges 1970 Fun House album.

"It was just us screwing around and it came across that way. To make any sense our freak-outs needed to grow out of a tune, but because [producer] Don Gallucci had us start cold, it sterilized it. It wasn't based on anything."



 Clear

Lake – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, along with the Surf Ballroom & Museum, will honor the 50th anniversary of the Winter Dance Party with a weeklong series of events beginning on Wednesday, January 28 that will culminate in a tribute concert at the Surf Ballroom where Buddy Holly, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and Ritchie Valens played their final concert.

The tribute will feature an all-star lineup including Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Graham Nash, Tommy Allsup, the Crickets, Bobby Vee, Los Lobos, Los Lonely Boys, Joe Ely and Wanda Jackson. SIRIUS XM Radio host Bruce "Cousin Brucie" Morrow will be the emcee and Sandra Boynton and Sir Tim Rice will participate in the tribute portion of the concert. Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 50 Winters Later tribute concert will take place the evening of Monday, February 2 at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. General admission tickets will go on sale this Monday, December 15 for $85.They can be purchased at www. 50winterslater. com or by calling the Surf Ballroom's box office at (641) 357-6151. A limited number of $1,000 VIP packages are available. Please call (216) 515-1207 for details.

"50 Winters Later is about the music and the legacy of Buddy, Ritchie and The Bopper. The artists who will participate in the week's events will pay homage to these three stars who influenced music so deeply that musicians and songwriters continue to this day to be inspired and attribute aspects of their musical careers to them.It's going to be an extraordinary show – to
be in the Surf where these pioneers played live decades ago is magical in itself," stated Shane Cooney, entertainment director for the Surf Ballroom.
"For one week we will focus on the extraordinary lives and legacies of three men who forever left their mark on rock and roll history and American society," said Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. "It will be a poignant and memorable experience honoring this pivotal watershed cultural event."

For the complete weeklong series of events and updated information about the tribute concert and more, please visit: www. 50winterslater. com.

It was at the Surf Ballroom where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and "The Big Bopper" played their final concert on February 2, 1959. Later that night after boarding a plane bound for North Dakota, three of rock and roll's brightest stars fell to the earth, a day immortalized in Don McLean's 1971 hit song "American Pie" as "the day the music died."


For additional information about the Surf Ballroom, please call 641.357.6151 or visit www. surfballroom. com