3-10-10 Top Ten Of The Week-Bad News Beat

This weekend it's time to spring ahead and every spring we get the same bad news. And this year is no exception. First of all, the spring thaw is underway and we seem to be another wet rainy pattern. It shouldn't be that bad to the point we will have water in the basement, but we are in the mist of having a few rainstorms going over the area and the total of rainfall should be around a inch and a quarter by the end of Friday. To which we can probably handle. But with the snowmelt up north coming into creeks and rivers, looks like we will have some sort of minor flooding along the Wapsi, Iowa and Red Cedar Rivers here in this area. This weekend that should be it and we should have quiet weather for a few days. The longterm forecast looks for around normal rainfall and below normal temps.

Every year we get news about gas prices going back to three bucks a gallon this summer again and you don't need to be a fucking expert to know that. Hell, I could have told you that. Usual reasons, China buying up all the gas, Iran and their nuclear fucking around, Big Oil not getting record profits. So, we're saving up for the summertime trip out to the desert and Mad City road trip too. Seattle is not an option this year and doubt if I'll ever return to that glorious town anytime soon. Thanks for asking though.

This week's reissue finds the Jimi Hendrix Catalog moving over to Sony Music after being on Universal for about twenty years. Only thing that differs is that the re re remasters of Hendrix will have a bonus DVD to go with the CD. If you have the Universal collection, you don't need to upgrade but I did buy the Valleys Of Neptune album today but yet to have listen to it.

I haven't heard the latest Shooter Jennings album and it's not on my list to review but Steven King is part of the vocal segments. Shooter remains a acquired taste at best for me and I did buy the Waylon Jennings record that Shooter's band The 357s helped out but I didn't cared much for it. Too over the top for my liking.

And Best Buy don't have jack shit for cds anymore. Still don't have The Len Price 3, nor the new Liars, nor new Jason & The Scorchers but they had some Eric Clapton cd's for 8 bucks that I can now replace my moldy vinyl album that I got a couple weeks ago.

The Top Ten Of The Week:

1. Let Me Ride-REO Speedwagon 1972 Before they became wimpy soft rockers, REO was a gritty hard rocking outfit that made some modest selling albums and in today's world they would have not lasted 20 years being on Epic. In fact had the modern mindset was running the show, REO would have been bounced after album number two. Terry Luttrell was out, Kevin Cronin was in but his influence wouldn't be felt till 1976. The ballads do pay the bills as they say but I still enjoy more the hard rock that REO did on this song.

2. Young Blood-Norah Jones 2009 I guess you can call her last album The Fall a bomb but I still like this over Don't Know Why anyday simply of the fact that radio didn't overkill it like they did with Don't Know Why.

3. Good Clean Fun-The Allman Brothers 1990 Seven Turns became the return of the Allbros and even though I never did get the album till last year, it has enough hard rockin blues and boogie to make it a underrated classic. The fine folks at Beaker Street played the title track so I decided to go with track number one.

4. Gotta Get Back To You-Tommy James & The Shondells 1970 From the reissued Travelin album, this song bombed on the charts but I had the forty five and think its one of my faves from TJ and company. I'm surprised Billy Idol didn't cover this one either. Anyway, this was becoming the end of the Shondells, they decided to take a break and never came back. Tommy James would have a hit with Draggin The Line in 1971. The Shondells renamed themselves Hog Heaven and made a forgotten album for Roulette the same year. Side note: Buddy Cage played steel guitar on that album and then would leave to replace Jerry Garcia in New Riders Of The Purple Sage.

 


5. New York Is Alright If You Like Saxophones-Fear 1982 LA Punkers led by Lee Ving had a minor single with this song and they performed it on Peter Ivers' Punk Rock Theater in the early 80s. That was shown on the old USA's music related show Night Flight. Punk Rock Theater showcased the L A punk scene and we got to see such bands as X, The Blasters, The Angry Samonens. Alas, Peter Ivers was murdered around 82 and the show ended.

6. War Machine-Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 2010 New BRMC and they got that Jesus & mary Chain moperock down pat. They got a new female drummer and she sounds like the last dude they replaced. Just a example that I still buy new music. That is if Best Buy has anything worth getting.

7. Something's Gotta Give-Pere Ubu 1988 Pere Ubu was your typical Ohio avent garde rockers that critics couldn't get enough of but the buying public didn't care so they broke up a while and then returned in 1988 with The Tenement Year, which was still avent garde but they were trying for alt rock acceptence. They got enough interest to sign with Fontana/Polygram in 1989 and made their most accessible album ever Cloudland. You're either a fan or your not with this type of music and it does sound like Talking Heads on Red Bull. Then again David Bryne was never this off the wall like David Thomas ever was.

8. Bombay Calling-It's A Beautiful Day 1972 from their live album. Is it just me or did Deep Purple take the opening melody of this song and turned it into Child In Time? The songs are so similar in tone but I'm sure nobody could hit those high notes like Ian Gillan did on Child In Time back in his prime. But we don't see a lot of IABD's stuff on CD outside of the first two albums. Wonder if crusty old fuck Matthew Katz is behind that?

9. Hello, I Love You-The Doors 1968 I try to refrain from putting overplayed classic rock numbers simply of the fact that it's my duty to turn people on to other obscure stuff out there and I only have 10 spaces to do that. But I'm a big Doors fan and it goes back to the 60s and those blasted 45s that I would find in the 4 for a buck bins at Woolworth's or Arlans. But the Waterloo Ben Franklin used to sell new 45s for a dollar and I think I got Mom to buy me this song. She always knew that buying 45s would keep me out of trouble.

10. Crazy Country Hop-Eric Clapton 1983 Before he discovered dance music and Phil Collins, Eric put out Money & Cigarettes and it probably his last great album, at least that's what I think after hearing this album and this wonderful cover of the Johnny Otis number. Clapton has always had a good ear for the covers. Lately Clapton has been revisiting old friends and bands for live quickies or studio albums. Did that with Cream and Steve Winwood, plus did a studio album with JJ Cale. Lately, he's been hanging with Jeff Beck. Does this mean a reunion with the remainder of The Yardbirds is forthcoming, or even John Mayall? Tune in next week for the answer, if there is any.