Top Ten Of The Week-Mother Music For Yo Momma

Happy birthday Mom

Halfway through the month and we're losing daylight.  But still have enough of that to enjoy the day unless it rains.  To which it actually did most of Sunday.

With the Zappa reissues coming out, I have been listening to what has been out there although Best Buy has yet to get Uncle Meat or We're Only In It For The Money in stock.  I may attempt to do something on Zappa for the Consortium if and when I feel up to it.

Killing Joke fans are not too pleased about the stint of Jaz Coleman disappearing and dissing The Cult and The Mission on a tour that KJ decided not to go on when Coleman left without a word.  For me its not a life or death if I ever seen Killing Joke play live.  But regardless of the fact you have to wonder if this going to blow up in their faces in the near future.  Over there of course, back in America they haven't even issued the latest album domestic. http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/killing-joke-fans-fury-at-jaz-coleman-awol-stunt/

More chest beating from your friends at KI$$  http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/kiss-without-paul-stanley-would-be-victory/  Hell, I'm surprised that they lasted this long myself.  I still think their last album was the best in years.  I'll give Monster a listen....if it comes out.  Sometimes that's not a given, just ask Aerosmith.

"We were a moment in time and now it's over".  Says Fred Durst of the most hated band in history Limp Bizkit.  Seems like the band doesn't want to tour the US since most of the people think that they suck and if you ignore them they will go away.  But then again if you listen to radio nowadays, the crap you hear on nu rock and top forty makes Limp Bizkit sound like The Beatles today.  But Limp Bizkit was one of two things that killed music and radio back in the late 90s, the other the POS Telecommunications Act of 1996 to which Clear Channel and Cumulus started buying everything up and making it sound like robot radio.  http://www.theprp.com/2012/08/13/news/limp-bizkits-fred-durst-on-lack-of-u-s-touring-we-were-a-moment-in-time-and-its-over/

Meanwhile after taking most of the month off, Tad returns with some of his faves and raves and nays on his site http://tadsbackupplan.blogspot.com/  Lotta talk about Moody Blues and Kansas on these two.  Support music bloggers.

And what you came here for: The Top Ten Of The Week.

1.  At The Hop-Danny And The Juniors 1958  If your on any part of Route 66 chances are that you going to hear this rocking little romper at the local Snow Cap in Seligman Arizona and maybe Angel might have it on his newly restored jukebox in the process.  Anyway I do miss going down there to chat with him and the woman that works there the last three times I been there.  As the days go slipping by and no attempt of even looking at plane fares going to Arizona I pretty much taking my memories and putting them to good use.  Seligman Arizona is a small town, no bigger than Springville and their gas prices are the most expensive in town but it's close by to my favorite zen place, Crookton Pass Bridge to which we can bake in the sun and count trains passing by and some of most breathtaking views outside of the Grand Canyon.  Been two years since I been down there and probably be three but I did managed to see the living legend of Arizona 66 riding his bike and almost running into him by accident.  This song also goes way back for me too, it was one of many of Mom's records that I got exposed to in the early childhood years.

2.  Directly From My Heart To You-The Mothers Of Invention 1970  For somebody who hated rock and roll Frank Zappa could play it when he felt like it and straight up too although on this song you can tell Frank is adding different chords  toward the end as Sugarcane Harris sings this Little Richard cover.  Quite heavy metal too considering the fact that Harris playing insane violin to Frank's metal chords.  One of the few times that Don Preston was held in check.



3. Walk Tall-Faron Young  1965  I think Faron came more into his own when he went with Mercury in the early 60s than he did when he was with Capitol beforehand, he was best with honky tonk and prison songs. Collector's Choice years ago compiled the best of the Capitol years (which is now a Collector's item mind you) but Universal can't seem to piece together a decent overview of the Mercury years.  Sequel UK tried years ago but even that was haphazard.  I suppose the best possible solution would compile the better of The Hits and The 20th Century Masters into one compact disc that still would be under 45 minutes. Both comps features key cuts and omissions to which this isn't on The Hits (Walk Tall that is).  But somebody decided to add the puke inducing This Little Girl Of Mine on both comps.

4.  Feelin' Alright-Samantha Fish 2011  Somebody out there must like Sam Fish enough to the point that the cross references that I see on the ratings that her name is now number 3 on the most searched keywords , passing RS Crabb in the process and ready to overtake the now demised Dumor Ru spam site that almost destroyed any credibility of this site. And RS Crabb Blogspot site too.  Even I'm losing out to Samantha in my own site it seems.  Too bad this doesn't translate to more sales of her Runaway album that's out on Ruf Records.  This song is kinda of a torch ballad with a crazy spin at the end of the song.   Anything I can do to promote one of the best up and coming blues players will try to do.  Sometimes it doesn't translate into record sales, just ask Mike Eldred on that one.

5.  Nowhere Road-The Troggs 1992   Back in the 90s, The Troggs got together with members of REM to do a new album of sorts, which came out on Rhino but went to the cutouts in record time.  And no, I didn't pay much attention to it either but I found a 2 dollar copy at Stuff Etc and figured I hear it out.  Reg Presley has a original style of vocals but as he got older he sounded more like Wreckless Eric to which is an acquired taste for those who rather have Wild Thing or Love Is All Around.  I'm guessing REM sans Mike Stripe helped out and played on some of the songs such as this one.  It's a good song but it won't make you forget Wild Thing, or With A Girl Like You.

6.  Toast And Marmalade For Tea-Tin Tin 1970  Starman Dan talked very fondly of this forgotten AM hit of the early 70s and basically when I first heard it, reminded me of the Bee Gees and with good reason.  Maurice Gibb produced this little gem of lies and deception done in by one of the distinct guitar intros to grace a song.  Got played a lot on KCRG way back in 1970 as did followup Is That The Way.  Found a nice copy of the 45 at Ragged Records over the weekend but it can be found on Eric Records Hard To Find 45's On CD Volume 12 if anybody really gives a shit.  Some do.

7.  The Mountain Man And Me-Dennis Robbins 1986  Hard luck country star started out playing guitar in the Rockets (not the Danny Whitten band but the Detroit band featuring Jim McCartney and Johnny Bee) and making some fine albums for RSO and Elektra before Robbins decided to venture out on a country career that didn't pan out although he recorded three albums for MCA and Giant and one with the band Billy Hill for Reprise.  This song from the album The First Of Me is actually pretty good country with a bit of southern rock thrown in but it's the earliest album I know that features Warren Haynes who plays a harder edge slide guitar to Robbin's more clean and country sounding.  Produced by Eddie Kilroy (Eddie Rabbit) along with Dennis.  Didn't know anything about this album's existence till I saw it at the Source Book Store last week.

 


8.  Save My Soul-Jack Scott  1958   I don't think Jack Scott gets enough credit for being a damn good rockabilly star like say, a Gene Vincent or a Eddie Cochran or Hell even Elvis. Scott is better known as a balladeer, with Burning Bridges or My True Love or Goodbye Baby but he can rock just as hard if not harder, with Leroy, The Way I Walk or Geraldine.  This is a burning gospel number that would kick Elvis' can all over heaven with his own shoes and it only lasts at under two minutes.

9.  Not Fade Away-The Crickets  1957 BTW, if you really want to know how garage rock really started, may I direct you to this barebones version which was the B Side to Oh Boy!  Everything sounds better on a scratchy forty five.

10.  Give It Up Or Turn It Loose (Jazzy Jay Edit Mix 2005) James Brown 1970   I'm not a fan of rap or samples although back in the early days, rappers and mixers had ample access to the whole collection of music before lawyers and labels and angry bands put an end to that.  Nobody out there was sampled as much as Soul Brother Numbero Uno, the Late Great James Brown who could do it to death or for hours and not miss a beat.  Originally on In  A Jungle Groove, this features super drummer Clyde Stubblefield keeping the beat while James raps, screams and uh's it for over 6 minutes.  This version comes off the cheapo comp Hip Hop Roots which appeared on Tommy Boy Records. Even with the remix, Soul Brother One commands it all.  You might be hard pressed to find a heavier groove than this one. And given the vast collection of tunes left behind by Brown, that's a grand statement of purpose.  Scream on, rap on.  Ain't it funky now indeed.

More Mother Five From The Mothers Of Invention/Frank Zappa

King Kong 1968  (From Uncle Meat)
Oh No 1970 (From Weasels Ripped My Flesh)
Willie The Pimp 1969  (From Hot Rats)

Plastic People 1967 (From Absolutely Free)
Help I'm A Rock/It Can't Happen Here 1966 (From Freak Out)