The Case Of The Missing KISS Album Sold At A Garage Sale

By Rob Clark, The Gazette

CEDAR RAPIDS — What started as a harmless garage sale to clear out unwanted items from her home, has turned into a bit of a rock-n-roll nightmare for Susie Dale.

Dale, who lives at 280 Thunderbird Rd. SE, is hoping the man who paid $2 for her husband’s 1977 “Kiss Alive II” album turns out to be a good Samaritan and offers to return the album.

She said she’s willing to pay him $50 for its safe return and refund him the $10 he paid for five other albums on Thursday.

Why go to so much trouble?

The album was autographed and given to her husband Pat Dale by Kiss frontman Gene Simmons.

“Mister, please be a Christian,” Susie Deal pleaded on Friday as her sale continued. “I will pay you back for all the stuff you bought and I’ll give you all our other records and any records I find in the future.

“And that treadmill.”

Susie Dale explained that when she and her husband moved into the house nine years ago they discovered a stack of records left behind inside an old Nutone record player cabinet that remains built into one of the walls.

Among the albums was “Frampton Comes Alive” Jim Croce’s “Photographs & Memories,” “At Folsom Prison” by Johnny Cash, the Beach Boys’ “Endless Summer” and recordings by Elvis, Blood Sweat & Tears, Earth, Wind & Fire, Nazareth, Cole Porter and Little Feat.

The Kiss album, given to Pat Dale by Simmons at a trade show in Las Vegas some years ago, had found its way into the pile.

Susie Dale said she grabbed the records and set them out in the sale among the dishes, clothes, chairs, baskets, an old microwave and a green love seat, along with other items.

A photo of the records — showing a sliver of the Kiss album — was posted on Craigslist.

“A man showed up here Thursday morning and wanted to buy the records and I couldn’t find them,” Dale said. “I think my husband had put them back in the cabinet, so we went inside and he bought six of them for $12.”

She said the man mentioned he works for Rockwell Collins and likely had no idea the album was extra special because Simmons signed the record label on the inside.

Rockwell Collins spokesman Josh Baynes said the story was making the rounds Friday and that someone posted the story about the album on the company’s internal chat board. No one had replied to the post by Friday afternoon, Baynes said. But, he noted, 8,000 people work at the plant.

Pat Dale could not be reached by The Gazette for comment.

As of Friday night, the album had not resurfaced, but Susie Dale said she did have a special visitor to her home — Mayor Ron Corbett, who stopped by and autographed the Dale’s “Corbett for Governor” yard sign and suggested they try to sell it on Saturday at the garage sale. She said she’s going to do just that.

Susie Dale said this isn’t the first time she has screwed up.

She once used her husband’s money to tip the pizza delivery man.

“I might have sneaked into my husband’s closet to get some money to tip the pizza guy,” she said. “I ended up grabbing a $5 bill that was special — it was a bill that was being passed around my husband’s work.”

Dale said she had to track down the delivery man and pay him $10 to get her $5 bill back.

“Every time I screw up my kitchen remodel gets put on hold,” she said. “It seems like my kitchen remodel has been on hold for nine years.”

UPDATE: AN HAPPY ENDING

Susie Dale, of Cedar Rapids, said the man who purchased her husband Pat’s 1977 “Kiss Alive II” album, autographed by Gene Simmons, showed up before 8 a.m. today to her garage sale and returned the album in exchange for the $2 he paid for it on Friday.

“He brought it back, so that was very nice,” said Dale. “And, he would not take the $50.”

Dale had offered to buy the record back for that amount and also joked she’d throw in her old treadmill, which also is for sale.

“He would not take the treadmill,” Dale said, noting she’s slashing prices at her sale today.

“Valuable stuff is $2, everything else is free,” she joked. “The treadmill is ‘I give you $2.’”

Dale said the man who returned the album wished to remain anonymous and she has no idea where it is now.

“Pat took it and went in the house,” she said.

Catching Up: Chester Bennington, Storms, Whatever Comes To Mind

Plenty of things are going on since we all last touched base, the biggest one was Chester Bennington hanging himself Thursday after losing his battle with depression, he of Linkin Park fame and later replaced the also deceased Scott Wieland in Stone Temple Pilots for a so so EP. There remain skeptics of Linkin Park albums, There was one album I did buy and listen to, it may have been A Thousand Lights.  Say what you want about Hybrid Theory but in 2001 that did give meaning to up and coming kids of the high school years looking for their own sort of Nu Rock.  I guess I may have to look into hearing their latest album just to see what the fuss was about, but this year Bennington told the audience that Hybrid Theory is past and fans should just grow up.  A tip off of things to be.  It didn't help when Chris Cornell hanged himself earlier in the month and it affected Chester a lot more than what people thought it would be.  On the day Chris would have turned 53, Chester took himself out of this world.  And the usual sadness and anger came out, how dare he kill himself.  I feel for his family, his six kids that will never see their dad alive again, and I feel for him.  Believe me I had days that I would like to do the same thing but I have friends that care about me and that keeps me going.  I'll never approve of suicide but I do have an understand of what he goes through before he ended it all.   Life is not easy, and even if you're a living a dream of playing in a band and making some sort of income from it, you still can check out of this world.  RIP Chester anyway. He was 41.

More deaths include George Romero, the guy who gave us Night Of The Living Dead and Martin Laudau who also died.  Landau became very eccentric in his later years but he forever be known as Roland Hand on Mission Impossible and to a lesser extent Space 1999.

The Jones County Fair was this week, and everybody's favorite band Nickelback came into town as well as Daurty (can't spell the guy's name and spell check ain't helping either). Keith Urban was next and he put on a better show, but it seems everytime we have The Jones County Fair we get some fucking nasty weather and this was no exception.  A big monsoon hit the fair after Nickelback took the final encore to which local areas ended up getting 8 to 10 inches of rain in spots causing rivers to go out of their banks again, The Wapsipinicon River floods Independence and then goes downstream. The Volga flooded out the town of Volga and the Little Maquoketa turned Sumner into a town inside a lake.  On Wednesday Night, more tornadoes came out of nowhere, the biggest one from a EF 1 tornado that tore through historic downtown McGregor and turned into rubble.  It even moved a antique store next door to a house a block away.  Guttenburg also got 8 inches of rain for their trouble and Dubuque got the double whammy of storms in straight weekends that the sewage is now overflowing in spots.  Meanwhile in South Western Iowa, they missed out on all this fun.

To Davenport this weekend and I come to find that Music Go Round is no longer around.   Just three months ago I bought a acoustic guitar for 95 dollars and while I enjoyed finding some good used stuff there, it seems that the music stores are going the way by record stores.  Few and far between.  However the store was up for sale as the original owner was retiring but got no takers and it closed on May 22.   Which leaves Uncle Ike's Music in Asbury/Dubuque as the choice place for used stuff.  Or Guitar Center to which I did buy a cajon on sale for acoustic jams since nobody likes loud drums, or in the case of the Mike And Dyke Show having somebody come in and bash your snare out of tune. I didn't find much of value, a few cast off 45s at the Salvation Army store, finding a museum 45 at Ragged Records and picking up the new Dawn Cd.   Bob mentioned that he bought a bunch of country 45s but I passed since I bought the Cajon earlier in the day.  And I didn't have the budget to pay more than 45 cents for scratchy forty five although I had to buy Frankie Miller's Too Hot To Handle on Starday.   Real hillbilly music came from Starday Records in the 50s.   And then spent the night watching the Quad Cities River Bandits come from behind to beat Great Lakes 6-5.  Thankfully, the skies stayed cloudy and we did have a wind coming from the north which made it feel a lot cooler than the 100 plus degree heat index of the past week.  I finally decided to put the AC in the window downstairs and it has been on ever since.

Singles Going Steady Medley:  Davenport barrel scrapings

1)    Dream Police-Cheap Trick (Epic 9-50774)  1979  #26
I don't think this was a juke box copy, it plays way too good.  Cheap Trick was never really that great on the top 40, their number 1 single The Flame is something that they would rather forget, their version of I Don't Want To Miss A Thing. But still Dream Police is still a nice piece of power pop ear candy that still gets played on rock radio.  Their latest album is worth a listen.  B side is the title track to their 1978 album Heaven Tonight.  A great album but this song was one I never cared much for.

2)    When A Man Cries-Michael Kelly (Phillips 40046)  1962

Lounge pop single and a one off for Phillips for Michael Weiss aka Mike Kelly.  The record looked mint but either it wasn't pressed right or the mastering was crap.  Lots of echo and over the top vocals which Kelly sounds like very early Al Martino when he was over the top on his early stuff or Paul Anka.  B side Find Me, is more desperation, a bit more uptempo but once again the recording sucks. Sounds like he was recorded in a cave.

3)    Shadrack-Brook Benton (Mercury 71912)  1962  #19
A gospel song in the way of Samson And Delilah arranged by Malcom Dobbs, who had a hand in Hallelujah Time for the Oscar Peterson Trio.  Even for a top 20 showing, this song never gets played anymore.  Since its roots is gospel one can see why.  Benton had his share of hits and schlock but Shadrack with a lively choir in the background is a favorable track.  B side and number 77 showing Lost Penny is plain gospel schlock.

4)    Husbands And Wives-Jack Jones (Kapp K-551)  1963  #14

More lounge pop but I always liked Husbands And Wives for that catchy hook that starts out the song and it ends on a mellow note.  This was Jones' highest chart showing ever; he made it to number 15 with a pop cover of The Race Is On.  Husbands And Wives found itself on the Rhino mix tape of Vegas Music and probably sounds better that way. B Side Toys In The Attic, certainly not related to the Aerosmith version made it to number 92 for one week.   And is muzak bad.

5)    I Don't Mind The Thorns If You Are The Rose-Lee Greenwood (MCA-52656)  1985
Greenwood can be a good singer but he's forever known as God Bless The USA.  This song he channels his inner Michael Bolton. Overblown country ballad.

Record Reviews Not For The Faint Of Heart

The Dawn-Wooly (Cartouche 2017)

For me the most anticipated release was this album from our favorite jam band from the Quad Cities, pairing up with Bob Herrington and Cartouche Records, this time out adding two new members.  While the new lineup has enabled The Dawn to embrace their R and B side, the two songs Stay (Won't You) and Let Me Be Your Man are their tributes to Prince.  But my reaction to Derek Fortin's falsetto is mixed, usually that is a turn off for me, just ask Mick Jagger and The Charlatans UK lead singer when they go that route.  Plus you get a 20 second triangle solo from the other new member Edub Wilson.  In essence there are 8 songs of varying degree.  Sean Ryan remains heavily influenced by Trey Anastacio and The Dawn seem to be more accessible to these ears than Phish.  Even though At First Light, their last album only had 4 songs with a 40 minute total, those songs had a better ebb and flow than Wooly, although the title track brings echoes of Roxy Music with sax player Matt Sivertsen's channeling his inner Andy McKay.  Still, the best songs are when Sean Ryan sings them and then the band going into different directions, including 1984 which has been in their setlist for some time.  And Dance All Night which is part Phish and part Little Feat.   Although there's a reprise of the title track in the final two numbers, Watch Me Fly is where they channel Fortin's falsetto to a rousing ending that recalls moe.  After five albums, The Dawn have firmly established their jam roots and Wooly is a worthy followup to At First Light.  But it takes repeated listens for this album to set in.  I still think the best is yet to come though.
Grade B+

Lana Del Rey-Lust For Life  (Polydor 2017)

She's back with the rap stuff that was on her first album Born To Die and she continues that usual slow tempo mope new agey pop stuff that makes her sound like the Enya of the 2010s.  Her albums are a emotional roller coaster of highs and lows, to which makes me wonder if I really didn't give Ultra Violence a far listen, I loathed it when I first heard it but the next album got into my top ten best of, 2015's Hollywood.  I think the reason why Hollywood was better was the lack of rap artists to which Lust For Life, The Weekend and ASAP Rocky make appearances, Rick Nowels is back to help produce and shape the music, that's another plus, but overlong time of this album (72 Minutes) makes this a chore to listen to.  But the first half does really kick in, including a line that hit very hard  "it hurts to love you, But I still love you, it's just the way I feel (13 Beaches).  Sometimes when you have to sort through an hour and 12 minutes, you might stumble upon a lyric or note that will floor you.  The Sean Ono Lennon and Stevie Nicks cameos have their fun, but the brutal truth of 13 Beaches can turn a album into it's own classic.  I still think Lust For Life gets to be a bit cluttered and can go on a bit too long for its own good but it's kinda like looking for old scratchy records, a lotta junk but look hard and you'll find a classic worth taking home.
Grade B

Deep Purple-Fire In The Sky (Rhino 2017)

There has been no shortage of Deep Purple best ofs, but this one takes a stab of covering all the bases of each and every formation of Deep Purple, from the most stable lineup ever featuring Steve Morse and Don Airey taking over for Richie Blackmore who hopes to play one more gig with them in the future (on his own terms of course) and Airey for Lord who passed away in 2012, to the various lineups over the years, even Joe Lynn Turner gets acknowledged with a track of his own.  Even if fans still can't get over that Blackmore has been gone for 20 plus years, Steve Morse really has done an exceptional job, of course he's part of the Dixie Dregs and is one of the best guitarists still alive.  The rare best of, Fire In The Sky starts out with Hell To Pay from the Now What?! album, which gives the indication that this compilation was already planned for, Johnny's Band from the new DP album would have been the ideal song to start things off.  And then after that, the journey begins to the beginning, this is one of the few comps that start out in the present and go backward.  There are two different versions.  The single CD is basically a mix tape of edits and single versions and is as rag tag and not worth anybody's time unless you want a Part 1 edit of Child In Time and Burn.  The 3 CD set makes more sense, although in this day and age true fans already had the albums.  Deepest Purple remains the best overview of the 70s era Deep Purple, but at least Rhino managed to licensed key tracks from Universal and whoever has the Mark 1 era DP cuts.  There's a lot of quibbling with what songs were used, Don't Hold Your Breath would have been better than Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming and the single CD gets lowered a point for Soldier Of Fortune instead of Stormbringer. But you have to hand it to them for having Rod Evans on five tracks, including Kentucky Woman, which introduced me to this band way way back, the failed 45 of Bird Has Flown and Mandrake Root to which the final part of the song would become part of the 45 minute version of Space Trucking when Deep Purple did it back in the 1970s.  Deep Purple was still trying to figure out themselves during the first lineup and couldn't decide on a prog rock or pop rock and even if Rod Evans was much maligned, he did have his own style of vocals.  Replacing him with Ian Gillan from Episode Six, a band that was even more poppier and folk sounding turned out to the best move even though Richie Blackmore would regret that later on but the way Gillan comes tearing out of the gate on Speed King changed Deep Purple forever and the early 70s albums defined them, even Who Do We Think We Are, to which Rat Bat Blue also comes from (along with Woman From Tokyo). A falling out and David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes come on to replace Gillan and Roger Glover and Burn turn out to be the surprise hit of 1974 with the title track itself showing that DP could do it without Gillan  Stormbringer turned out to be a disappointment and Blackmore took his guitar and formed Rainbow and Tommy Bolin replaced him.  Come Taste The Band showed improvement but Bolin overdosed on drugs in 1976 ending the Deep Purple the band.  Then the mark 2 came around and managed to put up with each other till Gillan left and Joe Lynn Turner showed up and Blackmore damn near turned Purple into Rainbow 2 before Gillan was drafted back in the band, The Battle Rages On was a perfect title for the chaos and then Blackmore took guitar and went home and Steve Morse replaced him and still plays in Purple.  But the question remains if Fire In The Sky is a perfect overview of Deep Purple, the answer is not really but it is the only overview that showcases all phases of the band's career and even if some of the songs are noting more than filler songs (Soldier Of Fortune, Hard Road, which Blackmore's off key guitar solo is noted, Street Of Dreams)  there's still a share of classic hits and rockers that defined Deep Purple as one of the best hard rock bands, they were never heavy metal.  And this compilation does suggest that there was life after Blackmore went medieval with his gypsy folk rock Blackmore's Night.  But it's a shame that nothing was included from the new album Infinite, Johnny's Band would have made this essential.  But Fire in the Sky (the box set), while flawed, is recommended if Rhino keeps the price under 20 dollars.  Which they won't.
Grade Box Set B+  Single CD  B-

Tornado Visits Conroy Iowa 7/11/17

Fourth Of July Wrap Up

Life goes on, even after laying idle for most of the month.  Last month's rating found ourselves aroune 1340 views and I suppose that's the most reasonable of views. Now we are back to inflated rates over 200 views a day.  Russia has opened up the servers leading here I gather.

(6-28-17  Central City/Prairieburg EF-2 Tornado)

The later part of June found ourselves once again stuck in between tornado action again, just in time for NOAA radio to shut down operations to move to a new home.  That didn't keep the tornadoes away, just in time for the Linn County Fair to which one twister formed outside of the fairgrounds and tore up a good chunk of area leading to tear through Prairieburg's south side of the city and causing damage to their grain elevator, the second time this has happened in a decade. More tornadoes formed over an area past Monticello, Oxford Junction and a few other places.  I forgot who took the above picture but this is the tornado that would rumble through the country side on the way to Prarieburg, taken off County Home Rd, not far from our place of residence.   No damage here but as you can see it was a bit too close to home for my liking.

(Deb Zumbach: photo)

Although, the tornado did play havoc enough to close the opening day of the fair, it didn't stop the Bellamy Brothers from playing Friday Night.  For myself, I got to watch the final set of Justin Case at The Chrome Horse and then did a full nights worth of seeing Toxic Blonde and the return of Super Sized Seven playing outdoors at CRL, The Funk Daddies at New Bo, Past Masters moving on after the departure of Bart Carfizzi  at Rumors and finally New Trick at Aces And Eights although I called it a night once they started playing Bon Jovi.  I have no idea on what's happening with Dreams Of Arcadia, Ryan Paul announced he was moving back to the East Coast despite them having a full slate of July dates to play at and it looks like Bart will replace him, to be renamed the Julie and Bart Experience, Julie is out visiting relatives on the west coast.   Things are up in the air.

The dating scene can be a startling thing, especially when musicians date other musicians. Hayley Williams decided that she and New Found Glory's Chad Gilbert are parting ways after being married for a year and a half.   And of course, they request privacy as well.  That's standard procedure.

(Prairieburg Tornado 6/28/17)

 On the other side, Partrick Carney (Black Keys) is thinking the third time getting married will be the charm as he popped the question to Michelle Branch and she said yes.  Since musicians are more out there in the open in the social media it seems to be that most go their own way after a way.  It's no different if they were not musicians, the success rate for marriages are 50/50.  Of course finding that perfect somebody is going to be hard, we all tend to do no wrong till we either leave a seat up on the toilet, or fart too much or putting up unpredictable moods    And yes, it's most evident that in order for a relationship or marriage to last is to try to work things out and compromise.  For better or worse, for richer or poorer, for sickness and in health.  But most of the time, people usually take the easy way out when things don't go as planned.  To be an musician and working with somebody to make new music, sometimes it can happen that feelings can get more and more intimate.  The question then comes up, what's next.  Is it worth it taking the next step, but once you do share your feelings and soul and then your bed, you then cross a line that you can never return.  And if it does goes south or if you have a falling out, you eventually want nothing to do with them.  Then again who knows if Pat Carney and Michelle Branch will be together forever, the odds are not in their favor but sometimes love can conquer all.  Johnny Cash and June Carter was one,  John And Yoko another.  But also it might not mean forever either, Richard And Linda Thompson: they made great music together but alas, their marriage fell apart in our very eyes by the albums they made together (Shoot Out The Lights). Once in the while they'll get back together for some musical fun.  It is fun to be with somebody that can make music and things are fine on stage.

(Photo:Mirza Kudic  Des Moines Storm 6/28/17)

Passings:

Norro Wilson-Singer songwriter that had a couple singles on Smash Mercury in the late 60s, later wrote hit songs like The Most Beautiful Girl In The World for Charlie Rich in 1973.  Produced Buck Owens when Buck was on Warner Brothers, discovered Keith Whitley.  Died June 8, at age 79.

Stevie Ryan, You Tube Star, hung herself on Sunday, the loss of her grandfather triggered her depression into where she didn't want to live anymore. She was 33.

John Blackwell Jr, drummer for Prince, passed away from cancer on Monday.  He was 43.

The Chicago Cubs have been a major disappointment this season. After the feel good season of last year and winning it all, the Cubs have barely played 500 ball and injuries have not helped either.  Nor Mingrel Montero, whose tirade about Jake Arrieta not holding runners on base, and the fact that Montero was 0 for 28 in throwing out runners, but blame the pitcher anyway.  Anyway, Montero got traded to Toronto soon afterwards.  While last season the Cubs had plenty of all stars, only Wade Davis got invited to the show (unless Kris Bryant wins the popular all star vote).  We are still waiting for the Cubs to get their act together.  Of course everybody says they will turn it around but at the halfway point, and Milwaukee and now St Louis catching on fire and winning games, the Cubs find themselves at second place still stumbling around and can't seem to put a winning streak going.  Losing Dexter Fowler has really hurt them more than singing Jon Jay who was supposed to be lead off hitter.  Kyle Schwarber, world series hero is now trying to find his swing in triple A Iowa.   Way things are going there won't be a World Series appearance, hell they might not be over 500.

CD Reviews:

The Rolling Stones Aftermath UK (Abkco 1966)

This may have had more songs but the US version of Aftermath made more sense.  The key placement of the 11 minute Goin Home also plays a role, on the US version it's the final track, here it's track 6 and it derails the rest of the album.  It's nice to hear the extended version of Out Of Time, to which it made more sense in edited form on the Flowers album.  The UK version offers up Mother's Little Helper, Take It Or Leave It and What To Do, but the omission of Paint It Black is reason why if you want the better album, you have to buy the US version.
Grade B+


Albert Hammond-Golden Classics (Collectibles 1974)

Albert could use a decent best of, but at the time, Collectibles decided to combine his first two albums as a whole, plus the singles of I'm A Train and Half A Million Miles From Home.  Perhaps adding Air Disaster and 99 Miles From LA would have made this a decent overview.  Hammond turned out to be a MOR artist, later albums for Epic turned him more schmaltz than pop anyway but this does have his number 2 hit It Never Rains In Southern California and one of my favorite tracks from him The Free Electric Band.  And of course the silly but fun I'm A Train.  For the lesser known tracks, The Hollies did find something out of The Air That I Breathe to make that a number 1 single for them, for him it's kinda of a snoozer.  Names, Tags, Numbers And Labels was given to The Association for a failed single, Albert would record it again on the S/T album.  Time has not aged It Never Rains In Southern California all that great and B side Brand New Day, while I like it eventually turned out to even lesser inspired when I hear it today.  And For The Peace Of Mankind is the bloated direction that Hammond would later go upon, it ventures too close to pompous Neil Diamond territory. For all the setbacks, I tend to favor the second album Free Electric Band a bit more despite Peace Of Mankind.  I guess there's a European Epic Import of Greatest Hits that simplifies everything but even that has Peace Of Mankind.
Grade B

T Bone-Choice Cuts (2000)

If you have made your way to Parlor City on any given Tuesday Night nowadays, chances are you will run into Tom (T Bone) Giblin who hosts the blues jam and always have some of the finer blues players in town backing him up.  He's also in the Iowa Music Hall Of Fame for his keyboard work.  He's the closest thing to Booker T Jones and of course has backed up many of legends around town. On this 1999 live setting featuring seven of the bands that he played in back then, it's a who's who of music knowledge.  Dennis McMurrin, Billy Lee and Bryce Janey, Craig Erickson, Bob Dorr and Kevin Burt are part of the 14 song selection here.  While there's no Green Onions here, Gibby as he's better known (for me that is) can put his own spin on Papa's Gotta Brand New Bag or Tighten Up, although Kevin Burt might hold the record for the most times he says I Know on Ain't No Sunshine.  Once in a while there's a track that will showcase Gibby's rock and roll side which isn't too often.  It's the Craig Erickson penned Imperfection.  Don't let that fool you, Gibby is very good at improvising.  That's why he's a hall of famer.
Grade B+

Albums From My Youth:  Tom Waits-Heart Attack And Vine (Asylum 1980)

In theory, this is the album that really hints at the future of where Tom Waits would go: a more slant toward weirdness that would get him bounced from Asylum and over to Island where they welcome him with open arms and he finally embraced his weirdness.  The title track and Till The Money Runs Out are oddball rockers to which on the latter Waits repeats the whole song lyrics twice before it fades out and the latter, showcasing an oddball guitar lead lick.   Waits seems to be bored by the tin pin alley balladry that made his late 70s work weird beyond belief.   The only time any ballad seems to work on this is the lovely Jersey Girl to which Bruce Springsteen covered, Saving My Love For You isn't bad but I have no use for side 2's On The Nickel and Ruby's Arms.  On the whole, Heart Attack And Vine seems to be a throwaway,  Waits's songs work better when they're uptempo and mysterious.   Usually Bones Howe keeps Tom a bit restrained on past recordings but you can sense that on In Shades or Downtown, he's considered to be a deterrent.  It would be the last time Howe would work with Tom on any album.  And the next album would ushered in the Island years, but Heart Attack And Vine is actually the first step in that direction of weirdness.
Grade B

Singles Going Steady-Madison Picks And B Sides

Madison last week was the WNBR, but as well plenty of new 45s were found at various locations. The best picks came from the new location of Mad City Music Exchange which moved from Williamson Street and further up north, not too far from Sugar Shack Records. 

In essence, this may have been some of the best finds since the Great Davenport Buddy Holly/Bob Dylan finds of a couple years ago.  Although I had to pass on the In The Court Of The Crimson King and Would You Go All The Way For The USA by Zappa on Bizarre, I think I found better finds at a much cheaper price.  On the other side of things I have expanded my Paul Anka collection by about 5 records, which might be 4 too many for those who like their rock and roll.  Comparing Lonely Boy from the ABC to the RCA remake, the RCA has it's a more mature charm but Paul had a bigger hit when he recorded for ABC Paramount.  Round here I keep a more open mind than the average record collector.  The biggest Hoot and Holler 45 was Crow's Something In Your Blood and of course I could have gotten a copy off EBAY but for two dollars at Mad City Music X, it was about 6 dollars cheaper.  A few other oddities popped up as well.  I also did score a few singles two weeks ago at a garage sale and yet to post them.  But this SGS segment features sorely on the Mad City 45's 

1)  Something In Your Blood-Crow (Amaret 45-1338)  1971

Their major hits were in 1970 and 1971 Evil Woman the best known and highest charting and Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll. Although Something In Your Blood didn't chart here, it showed some regional top 30 chart action, the folks at WIRL playing it a few times during my summer stay with my grandparents in Illinois in 1971.  It came from the movie HUD but this song has never appeared on any Crow album or Best ofs.  Dave Wagner played this during a concert back in the 80s when Crow toured with Jan And Dean but for whatever reason this never made any best ofs. A shame actually. Dave Wagner still tours under the Crow name. 

2)   Wild Thing-Senator Bobby (The Hardly Worth It Players featuring Bill Minkin) Parkway P-127

# 20  1967

Parodies of Senators back in the 60s was commonplace, especially if you were a Kennedy and on this Bill Minkin appears as Senator Bobby and even the songwriter Chip Taylor managed to produced this side as well the B side to which Everett McKinley gets parodied.  In the end Senator Bobby won out, it's a bit more funnier than the McKinley parody.  But then again I suppose you can live without it too. 

3)    Everybody-Tommy Roe (ABC Paramount 45-10478)  #3 1963

Felton Jarvis got more rock and rockabilly out of Roe than Steve Barri ever did.  In fact, Barri basically steered Roe into bubblegum territory, more so than usual but even in early 60s AM radio Everybody sounded tailored made for the radio, although I could have done without the soprano woman at the end.  Roe was inspired to redo Everybody in a different set of tempo and words as a followup, known as Come On, which made number 36 in early 1964, including soprano singer at the end of that song as well.  You hardly hear Come On anywhere anymore.

4)   Daddy I Know-Dr West Medicine Show And Junk Band (Norman Greenbaum) 

(Gregar 71-0100)  1970

Greenbaum had a major hit with Spirit In The Sky to which a former label decided to release some of the early stuff to cash in on the success of said song but the A Side Gondoliers, Shakespeares,  Overseers, Playboys And Bums was interesting only for the title.  In fact Daddy I Know would have been the better pick, since the folks at Varese Vintage put this song before the A side on Greenbaum's best of.   With Dr West Medicine Show, Greenbaum wrote off the wall ditties (The Eggplant That Ate Chicago, Weird) and RCA was interested to issue Daddy I Know and Gondoliers as a single but it failed to do much of anything.  In theory, Spirit In The Sky was the ultimate one hit wonder for Norman, he did managed to place two more singles in the top 100 but nobody ever plays them either.   Or Daddy I Know for that matter.

5)   Stand Up-Underworld (Sire/WB  7-22852)  #67 1989

Later on, they were techno wizards but in the late 80s they tried for a alt rock sound with real drums, and while critical praise was few and far between I tend to like Change The Weather, their album with Stand Up on it more than the Under The Radar, their first album.  KFMW had this song in regular rotation but the comparisons to other techno bands (Depeche Mode, New Order) rendered Underworld to be second tier new wave.  Underworld later would ditch the drums for a more militant dance sound but I have yet to hear those albums.  And it's not high on my list of things to listen to so that will have to wait.

6)   Waitin' On You-Dave Mason (Blue Thumb 7122)  1970

       Walk To The Point-Dave Mason & Cass Elliot (ABC/Dunhill D-4271)  1969

It's weird to ever think that the late great Mama Cass Elliot did worked with Dave Mason on a album but it mostly her singing background to Mason's song, to which Walk To The Point is more Mason than Mama Cass Elliot.  I've never seen the Dunhill single before and for two dollars it was worth picking up I think.  Walk To The Point did managed to make it to a one  of the quick buck Dave Mason Blue Thumb Best of's after Columbia threw more money his way, but the A side Too Much Truth, Too Much Love is ho hum.  Waitin' On You was the lead off track from Alone Together and it's one of the more tougher rocking numbers Mason has ever come up with.  I was surprised it was released as a single in the first place.

7)   Who Do You Love-Juicy Lucy  (Atco 45-6751)  1970

I came across this song via the Bronze overview A Quiet Night In.... to which Gerry Bron, who formed Bronze Records produced and Atlantic acquired the master to issue on Atco.  It did some FM airplay, but it had more to do with Ronnie Hawkins rather than Bo Diddley.  Juicy Lucy did record a few albums but mostly they were a bit too British for the American public to get behind with.  

8)  Jewel Eyed Judy/Station Man-Fleetwood Mac  (Reprise 0984) 1970

Danny Kirwan could write some great songs (Bare Trees, Child Of Mine) but Jewel Eyed Judy wasn't one of his better numbers.  Station Man was much better and was a FM album cut in the early 70s.  The 45 version of Station Man edits out the 45 second fade in but for the most part it still clocks at 5:49.  Plus that 45 is fairly hard to find.  Not as 50 dollars hard to find as Tell Me You Love Me by Frank Zappa/Mothers but for four dollars a worthy addition to my collection.

9)   Red Eye Blues-Redeye  (Pentagram PE-206)  #78 1971

This placed on the regional top 30 after the success of their other hit Games, and although I had a copy of this, mine disappeared over the years and I couldn't locate another copy till Mad City Music X had this for three dollars.  I think I liked the B side The Making Of A Hero better though.

10)   Hide Nor Hair- #20

        At The Club- #44   Ray Charles (ABC Paramount 45-10314)  1962

It seems back in the early 60s  Brother Ray could have both sides of his 45s make the top 50 but with the exception of Hit The Road Jack and couple others, you would never know he had many more hits that charted.  Ray's ABC Paramount singles have been sighted more often on occasion but this single would be one of the his last attempts for straight R and B before updating country music to his own style, which a lot do sound dated from all the strings arrangements. Both songs were written by the late great Percy Mayfield to which Ray continue to tap Percy for new songs and even recorded Percy for his own Tangerine label in the 60s.  Steve Hoffman used both songs on the original Dunhill CD Ray Charles Greatest Hits Volume 1 and 2  and later Concord Music would render those albums useless by putting the complete ABC Paramount Singles a few years ago.   I haven't played that collection all that much but I'm glad I have it just in case.

Notes From The Underground: The Week In Review

The big story was having The Failed Reality Star popping into our little town to clog traffic up and tell everybody that everything is great.  There was protesting out on the streets but most of it was peaceful.  In the meantime while this was going on, Ryan's Steak House and Buffet closed their doors. I kind of expected that since the last few times I ate there, the food was subpar.  But I guess I will miss the Rice and Gravy Special that I would made for myself when I couldn't find anything edible to eat.  Ryan's is the one of a few places that have closed that was located on Collins Road, Burger King closed (if anybody needs another BK, there's a new one opening on Blairs Ferry Road), Pizza Hut closed (no more pizza buffets in town here) and Village Inn.

In the meantime summer is here, and so is the Bar B Q Roundup this weekend with a few of my fellow musicians playing on stage, the likes of Wooden Nickel Lottery, Flex and JC Project to name a few.  Basically I was disappointed that Madison didn't have this kind of celebrations going on when I was there but I'm sure they will something on the weekend to bring out the masses.

For the first time all year we finally got some decent new music out there.  Great new albums from Steve Earle, Kasey Chambers has a very good 2 CD set called Dragonfly, which one cd is produced by Paul Kelly and the other by her brother Nash Chambers and while it's not as creepy classic as Bittersweet is, it remains a good listen.  Ride returns with a new album Weather Diaries, which was, as if, Carnival Of Light and Tarantula never existed.  Funny thing about shoegazer albums is that they have their charm but in this day and age that early 90s alternative sound is badly dated.  While Pitchfork lambasted Tarantula, and Creation deleted the record a week after its release, I still find that record to be a enjoyable but somewhat so so modern rock album.  In fact, Black Light Crash remains a classic cut but the rest is ho hum. Weather Diaries starts out strong, the highlights are when Ride channel the power pop excursions of Going Blank Again.  Ride is at their best if they keep it under four minutes, when they balloon songs over 6 minutes the listener nods off to sleep. I'm not sure if White Sands is a perfect song to end this comeback and while Weather Diaries will not make the masses forget Going Blank Again or Nowhere but I do think this would have been a better followup to Going Blank Again rather than Carnival Of Light.   And it did help getting Alan Moulder to mix the album too. http://www.avclub.com/live/drums-portugal-man-ride-and-more-weeks-music-revie-256698/entry/1173

I also liked the new Buckingham/McVie album as well.  Despite the absence of Stevie Nicks, it's mostly the return of Fleetwood Mac (although Mick and John are missing on a couple number therefore the change of name) and at 10 songs it's much more easier to listen to than the overblown Say You Will, to which Ms. McVie was missed.  It's mostly Lindsay's show, Christine adds a couple of love songs at the end.  I'm always happy to listen to a new album of Fleetwood Mac once Christine rejoins and yes Stevie is missed, but still for later day pop and rock, it's recommended.

After 30 radio broadcasts on Lucky Star Radio. Townedger Radio signed off the air.  It was a fun ride but I ran out of CDs and patience to keep on doing it.  Perhaps some later time I'll return with a more underground sounding show but for now, real life happens.

Loretta Lynn had to cancel shows this summer, she suffered a stroke and has been trying to recover from that.  If she's well enough, she has a September 6th show but as of the moment I'll send some good vibes her way.

Albums from my youth:  Golden Earring-To The Hilt (MCA 1976)

These guys has been around for over five decades and the only songs you ever hear remain Radar Love and Twilight Zone.  The Earrings never had much label support be it Atlantic, MCA or Polydor and the idiots at MCA deleted Just Like Vince Taylor from the Moontan album. But sometimes they needed a good edit, Atlantic did managed to make their 20 minute version of Eight Miles High into a much more easier to take two and half minutes.  Which shows the rub on the Earrings, their jamming tended to be a bit more pointless and off the melody although the whole Radar Love song does have a nice jam before MCA edited that out but still remained over 5 minutes.   I bought To The Hilt on the cover art done by Hipnosis, which managed to do great cover art for the likes of UFO, Pink Floyd and many others.  Reviews were so so but I like this album a bit more than Moontan, although that album had better songs.  In fact Sleepwalking is a rewrite of Radar Love in terms of melody and it bombed as a single (edited of course). Highlights remain Why Me, which is a typical G.E. jam up to the ending, and all but the title track are over five minutes, and the 10 minute closer Violins which has a herky jerky guitar riff at the beginning before the band goes into a whole different sound at the end including, crazy violins playing in the background, a Bernard Herrman sort of arrangement.  The CD has never been in print in the US but Golden Earrings main label Red Bullet reissued this and I found this for 3 dollars at the new Mad City Music Exchange and thought it would worth it hearing it again out in the car. To the ones that are looking for a good overview, you're better off with The Continuing Story Of Radar Love, but To The Hilt remains my favorite Golden Earring album.  Even without their main hit.
Grade B+

Reviews:

Rolling Stones-Some Girls (Live In Texas 78)  (Eagle Music 2017)

As they have gotten older, The Stones has actually been opening up their vaults of vintage past concerts and basically it's buyer beware.  But in theory, this 1978 concert blows away the 1977 Love You Live album and perhaps Some Girls Live might have been the final great concert that The Stones ever recorded, although I'm sure that is open to debate. It does steal 7 tracks from Some Girls (but not the title track, nor Lies, nor Before They Made Me Run, the three less dubious tracks from that album) but there's a sense of urgency and The Stones playing is on fire.  In fact this might rival Get Your Ya Yas Out in terms of best overall Stones live album.  It's interesting to hear how the new songs play on, since The Stones didn't overkill Miss You or Beast Of Burden at that time.  Interesting that they decided to play Star Star rather than Satisfaction but that's all right by me.  Yeah, it would have been fun to see Keith and Ronnie trade sloppy guitar licks but with Charlie Watts holding the beat down, they can't get too sloppy.  Perhaps the reason why this album was available as bootleg only due to more than half of Some Girls made up the setlist but I think there's not a bad cut from those songs, except maybe the corniness of Far Away Eyes but it can be tolerated. This recording does give valid arguments that The Stones could be the world's greatest rock and roll band when they want to be.  And it may have been their last truly great live album before pretentiousness and the almighty dollar took over.
Grade A-

WNBR Madison Notes

The 8th annual Madison World Naked Bike Ride is now in the history books.  It started out cloudy but once the sun came out I got burnt to a crisp riding the 12 mile bike route through Madison and the usual twice around the Capitol. I'm guessing the turn out was slightly less than the 160 bikers that was with us last year.  It was also the first time I rode a bike since last year's WNBR.  But on sight there was about 40 people that returned, including the crazy skating woman and the other one, I'm terrible with names but if you google WNBR Madison, you would see her face.  But for the most part guys outnumber the girls about 2 to 1.

On the plus side, I didn't cramp up.  Last year, my downfall was doing a 10 mile bike ride before the main event.  While I went full frontal last year, I opted for having silk boxers and a floppy hat.  While there was reports of people getting offended when some of the bikers shouted out "join us and go naked" but the only thing I saw was some girl covering her eyes and looking downward on her bike as everybody passed on by.   Like last year, the meeting place was the UW parking lot and the staging place the co operate house near the hotel that I stayed at.  Elijan, who was one of the folks living there said that anybody can live there for 515 dollars a month. You get room and board, all things paid, and it's like living in a commute. If I was younger I would considered moving there.

Once again plenty of road construction everywhere and the road that had The Graduate Hotel was tore up.  For 183 dollars a night, I decided to park the car there. There's not too many parking spots down in the basement and I didn't care about parking a block away. I think I stayed at the same room last year, room 202.  But any hotel in downtown Madison is going to pricey, but The Graduate is two blocks from the staging area.  Perfect place to hang out.

I have to say that giving up TV has been the best thing for me.  I tried my best to watch something but ended up watching old Gomer Pyle reruns and Turner Classic Movies.  The Big Pharma monopoly of drug commercials is epidemic, 8 out of 10 spots were drug related, for your pets and for your limp dick.  I never thought I've seen TV go this far down the shitter.  You get tired of it, I know I do, thank the Cialis and Viagra stiff necks for forever keeping the TV off over here. Don't need it anymore.

Once the bike ride was done, I stayed around looking bored for about 15 minutes and then made my way back to the hotel, took a nap, then tried a Five Guys Cheeseburger (overrated), then rented a bike to do another 15 miles ride.  The change chasers all over the place.  I don't think I ever seen so many beggers on State Street shaking their cups and asking for spare change.  Plenty of people sleeping on the side walks and in front of closed businesses   And there was a few musicians playing for change as well, one woman was playing her violin for a good eight hours Saturday.  That's dedication. But there was a great Chinese place upstairs across the street from a convenience store, and they were real Chinese food all the way down to the chopsticks at hand.  For Saturday, I managed to do plenty of walking up and down State Street all the way to the hotel by Lake Monona to which a massive sinkhole started after all the heavy rain Friday Night.  Of course on the Terrance, plenty of people getting married and taking plenty of photos, even had a couple dancing on M L King Street in front of the capitol and then somebody rented the Orpheum  Theater for their own wedding reception. Good luck to them.

The bargains this time out was pretty good for 45s, but there were a few museum 45s as well. One was King Crimson's In The Court Of The Crimson King (Part 1 and 2) to which I would have loved to hear how Atlantic chopped that 9 and half minute song into a 4 and half minute edited 45, but that sold for 25 dollars.  The other was Frank Zappa Tell Me You Love Me on Bizarre for 40 dollars (a steal) and they were sold at the new location of Mad City Music Exchange which moved from Williamson Street to Atwood Drive close to the Majestic theater.  While the new location is more roomy than the old place, I like the old location due to its closeness to Lake Monona.  Despite the high prices of both 45s, both were gone the next day I return back there.  While I didn't get those two museum pieces, I did managed to find 10 other 45s of more sentimental value, including Crow's Something In Your Blood, which I have been searching for, for many many years.  I will have to compile that later for a Singles Going Steady blog. I did also find some decent CDs too.   Pawn America was a bust, either they are remodeling or ready to close up shop.  They finally threw out the crappy CDs that they couldn't sell.   Strange when they opened up, I found 100 cds in the first three years.  Now they simply don't sell CDs.  Even Half Priced Books East Side chopped their CD bins in half.   Ain't gonna be much for CDs anymore.  LPs, I didn't find anything and although I did find a good copy of Black Oak Arkansas' Keep The Faith, I forgot all about it while 45 crate digging and left it behind.  When I realized what I've done, Mad City was closed.

The way it goes.

Gas prices averaged 2.17 a gallon.  Most of Verona road going out of Madison still had road construction but over all it wasn't that bad getting through it.   On the west side of Madison, Copps closed their grocery store, so the only thing around was Big Lots and they didn't have shit either.  They're becoming a disappointment.  

So that's the WNBR Madison 2017 story in a nutshell. People riding nude and not much came from it.  Nothing to see.

The Video.  I appear at the 1:23 mark.  I'm wearing the silk boxes as promised. ;)
Too bad you can't see it, it's been removed due to decency rules here :(
But I'm sure it's out on You Tube if you look hard enough.