Followup to the Top Ten Blog.
TAD-That may have been the longest comment that I have seen, must have been a good one eh? The Stan Freberg number is the one that you're thinking of, to which the singer gets locked in the closest and the bongo playing dude tells him he's too loud. I still can't recall the puppet show that KCRG put on around the early 70s but they did a skit around that. I found the CD at the Salvation Army over the weekend to which the old buzzard up there was saying I had 10 minutes to look before they closed. That store rarely has any decent CDs and although they have lots of vinyl albums the majority of them are the old religious stuff that nobody listens to and Johnny Mathis albums that looked liked they been on the interstate all night. I find a lot of the Capitol Collector Series of Mr Freberg dated and the John Martha song annoying more amusing but that one sold a ton of 78s. There was supposed to be a Collectors Series Volume 2 but I guess demand wasn't enough to warrant that.
Chance remains a varied listen although I tend to think most of Manfred Mann WB albums were like that. Nightingales and Bombers was probably their best, The Raging Silence their worst despite Blinded By The Light, one of the most overplayed songs on the radio. Warners never did them any favors by putting out that lousy best of a few years ago, they left Stranded off that thing. One thing is for certain, Manfred owes Bruce Springsteen.
Bread doesn't get their due. They made perfect radio ready ballads that still sound good 40 years on but they could rock when they want to. Hearing the opening guitar riffs of Make It To You sounded perfect on radio. I think everybody had a copy of Best Of Bread on their collection at one time but I traded mine in for the Rhino Definite Collection which has 2 CDs of all their hits, plus some rocking B sides. I never did forgive Elektra for leaving Mother Freedom off that cheapo collection......
The Spinners to me were part of a great soul renaissance that was part of the early 70s. Motown couldn't or wouldn't help them that much even when Stevie Wonder gave them their only top ten with It's A Shame. But the key was getting Phillippe Wynne into the band and moving them to Philadelphia to record with Thom Bell and the MFSB band. You can probably make a case of I'll Be Around to be more rock than soul. The 2 CD One Of A Kind compilation gives the most complete picture of mid 70s Atlantic years although Best Of The Spinners has the major hits although they should have used the longer version of Rubberband Man. I guess the wheels came off after the first Best Of Spinners (Atlantic not Motown), and when Johnny Edwards took over and Michael Zager replaced Bell as producer. Never cared much for the Working My Way Back To You/I'm Sorry or Cupid Medley that were the last top 20 hits for The Spinners. Phillipe Wynne went solo, and was working with George Clinton till he passed away from a heart attack in 1984. Meanwhile The Spinners limped on and Atlantic moved them to Mirage/ATCO for a uneven affair with Gerald McMahon. Which gave the indication that Edwards was cool but Wynne was better.
And finally Gordon Lightfoot remains one of the special singer songwriters that we have known in our time and listening to the United Artists Collection proves that he could hold his own with Bob Dylan. And had a better voice too. He survived being on Warner/Reprise for about 28 years, 20 after having his last hit Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald. And still made decent to good albums, All Music I disagree with Endless Wire being a 2 star album. It's just as good as Summertime Dream. And the recent find Shadows (1982) might be his most underrated. He almost lost his cred working with David Foster on East Of Midnight (1986) and Waiting For You (1993) was spotty at best, but the final Reprise CD 1998's Painter Passing Through finding him singing in a different pitch which is acquired taste at best, but the songs are top rated including I Used To Be A Country Singer. The Rhino Best Of Complete Greatest Hits (2002) isn't complete, there's missing UA tracks and not all WB/Reprise hits are there but the radio hits are there and is preferred to the Gord's Gold albums of the late 70's of remakes of his hits. Since leaving Warners, Goldfoot has only recorded one album but he still tours regularly. http://gordonlightfoot.com/Home.asp
The big story of the day is The White Stripes finally putting an end to their career. They haven't done much since Icky Thump except a post live album and one appearance in 2009. I wasn't a hard core fan, didn't care much for Get Behind Me Satan and the early albums were low fi garage rock for more acquired tastes. Still think the high moment was Elephant which Ball & Biscuit remains classic. Icky Thump a nice ending to the band as well. While Meg White actually settled into the married life, Jack has been keeping busy with The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs and Wanda Jackson's backing band. I don't think he's the absolute weirdo that people make him out to be but rather a genuine love of rock and roll and music in particular. It wouldn't surprise me to see Meg reunite if things don't go well in the domestic side of life but then The White Stripes have put together a good legacy of music for you to discover. I'd start with Elephant than backtrack to White Blood Cells and then on to Icky Thump. Upon a second listen White may have gone over the top with Wanda Jackson's Party Ain't Over but he did get it right on Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose of 2004.
And so it goes.
http://www.patrickhazell.com/LedZeppelinPage.html
On January 15, 1969 Led Zeppelin paid a visit to Iowa City and the IMU, the first time they ever played the state. I'm guessing they were promoting their first album. Anyway if you read the review the guy was either too old or not into the hard rock that was Zeppelin but he did make an interesting point that with time and material they would become better and command more attention as the established bands of that time. Fun fact: it was Led Zeppelin's second concert but it did managed to attract a few hundred kids out to see what the next big band would be.
As for The Mother Earth Blues Band, they were pretty big around the state, mostly around Iowa City since Patrick Hazell lived there. Later editions would feature Bo Ramsey and The Backsliders coming from the ashes of Mother Earth breaking up. Sonny Lott also played drums for a time. I remember him being the janitor at National Computer Systems and I would trade tapes with him to listen to. He would later play in Divin Duck, a Iowa City jam band that was popular in the 1990's. Patrick Hazell still plays as a one man blues band from time to time.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Top Ten Of The Week-Despite Blizzards The Top Ten Must Go On
After a uneventful January, the first of February gave us the BLIZZARD OF THE CENTURY. But neither ice, snow or ten below will stop THE TOP TEN OF THE WEEK. Kick out the jams to that mutherfucka.
1. Stranded-Manfred Mann Earth Band 1980 What better song to start out this week is this ode to being stuck in a ditch during a blizzard in the great state of Iowa by a band that's never been here? From their problematic album Chance, famous for not only another Bruce Springsteen cover but a cover of Tom Gray's Heat In The Street. Tom Gray of The Brains mind you. Trevor Rabin co produced this.
2. Mother Freedom-Bread 1971 Much maligned for their soft rock top ten hits, David Gates could rock out and this is probably the most heaviest rock songs that Bread ever did. But then again, I do like their ballads although their albums were spotty (Liked On The Waters, Baby I'm A Want You, didn't care much for Manna or Lost Inside Your Love). The late Mike Botts helluva of a drummer.
3. Baby Step Back-Gordon Lightfoot 1982 This charted although I never heard it on the radio. Gordon more famous for Early Morning Rain or Sundown but by the time the 80s came around his albums sold enough for him to make another album. Wounded Bird Records reissued most of his Reprise/WB albums last year. This is off Shadows, a very underrated album.
4. Banana Boat (Day O) Stan Freberg 1957 Music satirist, Freberg is a cult artist at best. Long ago, he worked for Warner Brothers Cartoons and actually was the voice of Pete Puma in a Bugs Bunny cartoon and a few others. But I heard this version in a local puppet show, can't think of the name but they used this song as a skit. Harry Belifonte didn't care much for this parody. I think Stan's best moments when he did the Joe Friday parodies, he actually got the Walter Schmann from Dragnet to score the music on a couple sections.
5. Every Generation Got Its Own Disease-Fury In The Slaughterhouse 1993 Their biggest hit. They came from Germany and made a few albums to which BMG issued two of them in the states. The first Mono was the better of the two and can be found in dollar bins at your local junk shop.
6. Commercial Rain-Inspiral Carpets 1990 Forgotten band part of the Madchester Music Scene I guess, best known for their shoegazer alt music but with a keyboard sound that hakens back to the 60's and The Doors.
7. She Lives In A Time Of Her Own-The Judybats 1991 Another band you see in the dollar bins, The Judybats made two listenable albums before losing their female background singer and their identity in the progress. Their meddling label forced them to do this Roky Erickson cover and it turned out to be their best song. They made two more albums for Sire but it sounded like 3rd rate Samples or DMB.
8. Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)-The Spinners 1975 In my wild youth I actually was more into the R & B out there and The Spinners always made great music. This was one of those songs although I think I enjoyed it more now than I did back then. Phillippe Wynne excellent singer, once he left, The Spinners were never the same.
9. Piano Nellie-Bobby Brant 1958 If you follow my blog this was a repeat from the lost songs earlier in the week but I had to repost this again. Actually known as Bobby Poe, he made a few rockabilly singles on White Rock before changing his name to Brant and made this wild rockabilly number that wouldn't sound out of place at Sun Records. The piano player was Big Al Downing who would go rock on with Wanda Jackson on her Capitol singles later and then Downing has a somewhat successful career as a black country and western singer. This song does sound like lot The Blasters, I'm surprised they didn't cover this song.
10. Snowblind-Black Sabbath 1972 I thought this song pretty much sums up everything about this blizzard. Although I'm sure Ozzy wasn't singing about snow. Or was he?
1. Stranded-Manfred Mann Earth Band 1980 What better song to start out this week is this ode to being stuck in a ditch during a blizzard in the great state of Iowa by a band that's never been here? From their problematic album Chance, famous for not only another Bruce Springsteen cover but a cover of Tom Gray's Heat In The Street. Tom Gray of The Brains mind you. Trevor Rabin co produced this.
2. Mother Freedom-Bread 1971 Much maligned for their soft rock top ten hits, David Gates could rock out and this is probably the most heaviest rock songs that Bread ever did. But then again, I do like their ballads although their albums were spotty (Liked On The Waters, Baby I'm A Want You, didn't care much for Manna or Lost Inside Your Love). The late Mike Botts helluva of a drummer.
3. Baby Step Back-Gordon Lightfoot 1982 This charted although I never heard it on the radio. Gordon more famous for Early Morning Rain or Sundown but by the time the 80s came around his albums sold enough for him to make another album. Wounded Bird Records reissued most of his Reprise/WB albums last year. This is off Shadows, a very underrated album.
4. Banana Boat (Day O) Stan Freberg 1957 Music satirist, Freberg is a cult artist at best. Long ago, he worked for Warner Brothers Cartoons and actually was the voice of Pete Puma in a Bugs Bunny cartoon and a few others. But I heard this version in a local puppet show, can't think of the name but they used this song as a skit. Harry Belifonte didn't care much for this parody. I think Stan's best moments when he did the Joe Friday parodies, he actually got the Walter Schmann from Dragnet to score the music on a couple sections.
5. Every Generation Got Its Own Disease-Fury In The Slaughterhouse 1993 Their biggest hit. They came from Germany and made a few albums to which BMG issued two of them in the states. The first Mono was the better of the two and can be found in dollar bins at your local junk shop.
6. Commercial Rain-Inspiral Carpets 1990 Forgotten band part of the Madchester Music Scene I guess, best known for their shoegazer alt music but with a keyboard sound that hakens back to the 60's and The Doors.
7. She Lives In A Time Of Her Own-The Judybats 1991 Another band you see in the dollar bins, The Judybats made two listenable albums before losing their female background singer and their identity in the progress. Their meddling label forced them to do this Roky Erickson cover and it turned out to be their best song. They made two more albums for Sire but it sounded like 3rd rate Samples or DMB.
8. Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)-The Spinners 1975 In my wild youth I actually was more into the R & B out there and The Spinners always made great music. This was one of those songs although I think I enjoyed it more now than I did back then. Phillippe Wynne excellent singer, once he left, The Spinners were never the same.
9. Piano Nellie-Bobby Brant 1958 If you follow my blog this was a repeat from the lost songs earlier in the week but I had to repost this again. Actually known as Bobby Poe, he made a few rockabilly singles on White Rock before changing his name to Brant and made this wild rockabilly number that wouldn't sound out of place at Sun Records. The piano player was Big Al Downing who would go rock on with Wanda Jackson on her Capitol singles later and then Downing has a somewhat successful career as a black country and western singer. This song does sound like lot The Blasters, I'm surprised they didn't cover this song.
10. Snowblind-Black Sabbath 1972 I thought this song pretty much sums up everything about this blizzard. Although I'm sure Ozzy wasn't singing about snow. Or was he?
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Booyah Blizzard
It's here. Winter Storm number 2 came roaring into our area around 2 PM and turned into a full blown blizzard two hours later. I've been outside trying to clear the path to the car and clean the snow off the the cars but every hour the wind just blows it back all over the cars and drifts over the paths outside.
The roads are terrible, travel not recommended and it's a bitch being outside more than 15 minutes at a time. You gotta give a big hand to the snowplow drivers out there trying to clear a path. Thankfully this storm didn't give us any ice. I'd rather have a foot of snow than a inch and half of ice anyday.
School is canceled from Des Moines to Iowa City up to Madison and I'm sure Chicago is getting hit. Even Oklahoma City got 10 inches of this. Even Detroit will get about 10 inches of this too. Folks in St Louis got both ice and snow. I'm sure there has been storms of the century out there every winter and it's too early to tell how much this will be of historical events. Could be worse, folks in Australia have got a 400 mile long cyclone coming toward them and they just got over a big flood event last month.
No I didn't go to work, otherwise I would have been stranded out there or in a ditch trying to get there. It's so bad I'm sure that third shift will be called off. Probably means we may have to work the weekend but that's okay with me. I got word that the University of Iowa Campus in Iowa City they have snowdrifts 2 to 3 feet tall. I'm also certain that we probably 2 to 3 drifts on the road to Highway 151 right now. Not driving out to find out, my brother got the snowplow parked behind the cars!
I'm sure I'll be adding updates as the night goes on. Time for me to go clear the snow off the cars again. It doesn't look like they been touched....
UPDATE 1: They now predicting 18 inches of the white shit here now. I think we are halfway there.
UPDATE 2 : 9PM Been getting two inches an hour here, plus thundersnow. Winds are blowing so bad that I cannot see the church across the street here. There's a snowdrift right up to my car's driver side. And the worst is yet to come.
UPDATE 3: 11 PM Snow covered up the damn cars again, I keep cleaning them off, wind blows it back on them 15 minutes later. Travel not recommended anywhere here, winds have drifted all the roads in town shut. 35 MPH winds from the North, visibility is one block tops.
UPDATE: Midnight, Still blowing, still coming down, my footprints from going out to the road disappeared in snow and that was an hour ago. Till the winds die down, I doubt things will improve.
ONE AM: Snow has tapered off a lot, I can now see County Home Road from here but the winds are still strong and still drifting. Gawd it's going to be a bitch shoveling this white shit when things are over. Next up, watch the temps go below zero....
PS: The storm was winding down when I went to bed around 2 AM but we had plenty of blowing and drifting snow to the point that the snowdrifts were right up to the car outside. I think the snow wasn't falling from the skies at that point but there was so much on ground blowing that one couldn't tell if it was. Anyway it looks like we'll be shoveling this shit for the day. Perhaps we'll be out and about tomorrow. Provided if the damn snowplows don't wall us in the driveway. Can't wait for spring.
The roads are terrible, travel not recommended and it's a bitch being outside more than 15 minutes at a time. You gotta give a big hand to the snowplow drivers out there trying to clear a path. Thankfully this storm didn't give us any ice. I'd rather have a foot of snow than a inch and half of ice anyday.
School is canceled from Des Moines to Iowa City up to Madison and I'm sure Chicago is getting hit. Even Oklahoma City got 10 inches of this. Even Detroit will get about 10 inches of this too. Folks in St Louis got both ice and snow. I'm sure there has been storms of the century out there every winter and it's too early to tell how much this will be of historical events. Could be worse, folks in Australia have got a 400 mile long cyclone coming toward them and they just got over a big flood event last month.
No I didn't go to work, otherwise I would have been stranded out there or in a ditch trying to get there. It's so bad I'm sure that third shift will be called off. Probably means we may have to work the weekend but that's okay with me. I got word that the University of Iowa Campus in Iowa City they have snowdrifts 2 to 3 feet tall. I'm also certain that we probably 2 to 3 drifts on the road to Highway 151 right now. Not driving out to find out, my brother got the snowplow parked behind the cars!
I'm sure I'll be adding updates as the night goes on. Time for me to go clear the snow off the cars again. It doesn't look like they been touched....
UPDATE 1: They now predicting 18 inches of the white shit here now. I think we are halfway there.
UPDATE 2 : 9PM Been getting two inches an hour here, plus thundersnow. Winds are blowing so bad that I cannot see the church across the street here. There's a snowdrift right up to my car's driver side. And the worst is yet to come.
UPDATE 3: 11 PM Snow covered up the damn cars again, I keep cleaning them off, wind blows it back on them 15 minutes later. Travel not recommended anywhere here, winds have drifted all the roads in town shut. 35 MPH winds from the North, visibility is one block tops.
UPDATE: Midnight, Still blowing, still coming down, my footprints from going out to the road disappeared in snow and that was an hour ago. Till the winds die down, I doubt things will improve.
ONE AM: Snow has tapered off a lot, I can now see County Home Road from here but the winds are still strong and still drifting. Gawd it's going to be a bitch shoveling this white shit when things are over. Next up, watch the temps go below zero....
PS: The storm was winding down when I went to bed around 2 AM but we had plenty of blowing and drifting snow to the point that the snowdrifts were right up to the car outside. I think the snow wasn't falling from the skies at that point but there was so much on ground blowing that one couldn't tell if it was. Anyway it looks like we'll be shoveling this shit for the day. Perhaps we'll be out and about tomorrow. Provided if the damn snowplows don't wall us in the driveway. Can't wait for spring.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Observations From the Forefront-Winter Storm Dance Party-Lost Hits
It's too early to tell what the winter storms are going to do here and storm number one is passing through as we speak. The storm has decided to take a more northerly track so the guess is going to be about a inch or two for today. Storm number 2 will take place tomorrow and its track is still unknown, it's one of those infamous Oklahoma Hook Storms that develop in the rockies and heads SE to the sooner state and then rides from SW to NE. Guess is that 8-12 inches is on tap but then again if the track goes more south, it will be less but if it comes up more north then we could get more. We managed to have not too many of these snowstorms this year but it's winter.
This time of year brings us the Winter Dance Party which has sold out the last few years up in Clear Lake at the Surf Ballroom. We all know the story of 51 years ago when Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper took that ill fated trip in a blizzard but their legend lives on at the Surf and this year the big headline is Jerry Lee Lewis with Roy Head on Saturday Night. Gary Troxel's Fleetwoods, Little Peggy March and our good friend Kevin Montgomery will perform. The Thursday Night show will give us Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Harold Winley and what's left of The Original Clovers and The Collins Kids (to which 50 years onward they're not but Larry Collins back then had a voice that rivals Wanda Jackson-ah puberty back then). The Friday Show has 50's retro rockers Flash Cadillac along with Tommy Allsup doing the musical honors. Allsup is the direct link from the Buddy Holly Surf era as you know he gave up his plane seat to The Big Bopper on the coin flip. Of course this is all weather permitting but it's that rare big event in winter that people make the trek up to Clear Lake. The concerts are sold out but there are other events to see and do. Bring lots of money if you go.
Next week at the Point will be the final Beaker Street broadcasting from that station by Clyde Clifford. And then The Point will return with the same 20 songs that they couldn't play at that time. Classic Rock Radio isn't that much better than the insufferable root canal that is KDAT here. With Beaker Street at least you get to hear the album cuts from albums that FM radio used to play after hours. Or what music did before the corporate takeovers of the 80s and 90s. Their playlist is documented on their archives site
http://www.beakerstreet.com/
Ever since discovering You Tube, I am simply amazed of what I have found in terms of forgotten music of my youth. Music that Oldies Radio don't play, classic rock don't play. But somehow the dedicated out there have preserved in their own special way. Although I have yet to find Duke & The Drivers's Watch You Got on the net, the original Soul Brothers Six version is available. But I do want to share three songs taken from You Tube of forgotten singles. I'd add more but don't want to overdo it. If this works perhaps I'll might make it a habit of choosing more forgotten singles. After all you can't rely on your neighborhood corporate radio station to ever play these. Unless Little Steven plays them on his Underground Garage Show. These singles pretty much give you a peek into my record collection when I was growing up and shows you how unconventional when it comes to playing music.
I Need Love-The Third Booth 1967 Remember those old box set of 10 45s you could get for 2 bucks? They put a top ten single and and then add a bunch of forgotten or uncharted singles from forgotten bands. The Third Booth was one of those singles that I got in a box set one time. Actually this had some decent singles at the time (Al Green You Say It, Music Machine-Double Yellow Line) in this box set. The Third Booth came from Peoria and made a single that recalls a meeting between Paul Revere & The Raiders and a melody along the lines of Gloria. I have the scratchy 45 but somebody in You Tube land had a better sounding copy. Produced by Jerry Allison or Buddy Holly's drummer. At least that's what I'm thinking. Independence Record 86 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX70SCzM7nE
Neal Ford & The Fanatics-Shame On You 1966 Came out on Hickory Records 1433 and I found a promo copy at the old Salvation Army. I'm surprised that The Pebbles series never included this little number which is as freaky as they come. Has all the markings of a garage rock classic, complete with Neal Ford's sinister voice before Alice Cooper. Ford and company recorded a few more singles for Hickory but none ever came close to the bizarre as this song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO5DwGFugd4
Bobby Brant-Piano Nellie 1958 And my last offering into the past comes from Texas rockabilly that recorded for White Rock out in Texas and had a backing band featuring Big Al Downing on piano. Another single that was grouped into a package of ten records for 2 bucks (this box set included Ben E King's Let The Water Run Down, Ray Agee-The Gamble, Ray Charles Smack Dab In The Middle), this actually sounds more like Sun Records and Downing wails away on the keys like a demented but more disciplined Jerry Lee Lewis. Atlantic picked the record up for distribution but assigned it on the lesser known East West Label (EW 124). I still have the single but it has seen better days and would love a better copy but not going to pay 85 bucks for one. We'll have to settle on this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3TUtJutp-4
This time of year brings us the Winter Dance Party which has sold out the last few years up in Clear Lake at the Surf Ballroom. We all know the story of 51 years ago when Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper took that ill fated trip in a blizzard but their legend lives on at the Surf and this year the big headline is Jerry Lee Lewis with Roy Head on Saturday Night. Gary Troxel's Fleetwoods, Little Peggy March and our good friend Kevin Montgomery will perform. The Thursday Night show will give us Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Harold Winley and what's left of The Original Clovers and The Collins Kids (to which 50 years onward they're not but Larry Collins back then had a voice that rivals Wanda Jackson-ah puberty back then). The Friday Show has 50's retro rockers Flash Cadillac along with Tommy Allsup doing the musical honors. Allsup is the direct link from the Buddy Holly Surf era as you know he gave up his plane seat to The Big Bopper on the coin flip. Of course this is all weather permitting but it's that rare big event in winter that people make the trek up to Clear Lake. The concerts are sold out but there are other events to see and do. Bring lots of money if you go.
Next week at the Point will be the final Beaker Street broadcasting from that station by Clyde Clifford. And then The Point will return with the same 20 songs that they couldn't play at that time. Classic Rock Radio isn't that much better than the insufferable root canal that is KDAT here. With Beaker Street at least you get to hear the album cuts from albums that FM radio used to play after hours. Or what music did before the corporate takeovers of the 80s and 90s. Their playlist is documented on their archives site
http://www.beakerstreet.com/
Ever since discovering You Tube, I am simply amazed of what I have found in terms of forgotten music of my youth. Music that Oldies Radio don't play, classic rock don't play. But somehow the dedicated out there have preserved in their own special way. Although I have yet to find Duke & The Drivers's Watch You Got on the net, the original Soul Brothers Six version is available. But I do want to share three songs taken from You Tube of forgotten singles. I'd add more but don't want to overdo it. If this works perhaps I'll might make it a habit of choosing more forgotten singles. After all you can't rely on your neighborhood corporate radio station to ever play these. Unless Little Steven plays them on his Underground Garage Show. These singles pretty much give you a peek into my record collection when I was growing up and shows you how unconventional when it comes to playing music.
I Need Love-The Third Booth 1967 Remember those old box set of 10 45s you could get for 2 bucks? They put a top ten single and and then add a bunch of forgotten or uncharted singles from forgotten bands. The Third Booth was one of those singles that I got in a box set one time. Actually this had some decent singles at the time (Al Green You Say It, Music Machine-Double Yellow Line) in this box set. The Third Booth came from Peoria and made a single that recalls a meeting between Paul Revere & The Raiders and a melody along the lines of Gloria. I have the scratchy 45 but somebody in You Tube land had a better sounding copy. Produced by Jerry Allison or Buddy Holly's drummer. At least that's what I'm thinking. Independence Record 86 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX70SCzM7nE
Neal Ford & The Fanatics-Shame On You 1966 Came out on Hickory Records 1433 and I found a promo copy at the old Salvation Army. I'm surprised that The Pebbles series never included this little number which is as freaky as they come. Has all the markings of a garage rock classic, complete with Neal Ford's sinister voice before Alice Cooper. Ford and company recorded a few more singles for Hickory but none ever came close to the bizarre as this song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO5DwGFugd4
Bobby Brant-Piano Nellie 1958 And my last offering into the past comes from Texas rockabilly that recorded for White Rock out in Texas and had a backing band featuring Big Al Downing on piano. Another single that was grouped into a package of ten records for 2 bucks (this box set included Ben E King's Let The Water Run Down, Ray Agee-The Gamble, Ray Charles Smack Dab In The Middle), this actually sounds more like Sun Records and Downing wails away on the keys like a demented but more disciplined Jerry Lee Lewis. Atlantic picked the record up for distribution but assigned it on the lesser known East West Label (EW 124). I still have the single but it has seen better days and would love a better copy but not going to pay 85 bucks for one. We'll have to settle on this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3TUtJutp-4
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Rolling On-More Albums Of My Youth
As the 70's become more of a fading dream, like my memory I have omitted some of the albums that shaped my youth. If you noticed that I didn't include anything before 1975 or after 1979 simply of the fact yes I did play pre 75 stuff the albums, I just left with the stuff released at the time I was in high school. Otherwise the list would be much longer.
Call it select memory loss but I do remember certain albums that did stand out. One while talking to Janice my so called High school sweetheart one night she was playing The Ramones in the background which threw a curve. I didn't think she was into that type of music. I wasn't much into the Sex Pistols till I finally bought Never Mind The Bollocks and found that actually rocked pretty good. For the most part, most of my classmates were listening to KISS (although Russ might deny that, he can't deny that he dressed up and played air guitar to a KISS song playing in the background during the Quill show. Or that he sang Mandy by Barry Manilow. Or my friend Doug playing Singing In The Kitchen by Bobby Bare and having a kiddie choir behind him. Or forcing Russ to listen to Evolution by Journey when he wanted to hear Frank Marino Live for the 37th straight time.
Given the circumstances today of what passes for music, I'm glad to say that I lived through the best of times of music, although the best tunes were 10 years removed, 1975-1979 really did have their share of influential value to this day. Of course, while making the first list, I left off a few more albums that provide quality driving time (although on 8 tracks but later on CDs). But as a teenager 1975-76 I was mostly buying 45s. But ended up having to buy the albums since the 45s that came out on Atlantic or Columbia or WB got scratchy after 10 plays. But some bands that did have albums out, I didn't listen to since I didn't like them that much (Rush, Molly Hatchet comes to mind). But did later. And there were a few misfires along the way (Tuff Darts, Village People, Fotomaker) but that was the 70s for ya. We went from extreme to another on the next platter played at high school dances or at home.
I'm not saying that the high school years were the best years of my life (they were not) but the music did get me through the day. Even back then I did find them whenever I could. Although the 8 tracks were the worst entertainment value (If you come across the Blue Chrysalis 8 track of Robin Trower's Bridge Of Sighs, you will get a very bad edit of Little Bit Of Sympathy to which the lead guitar at the end got spliced in twice!) I think we did okay.
More forgotten favorite albums
Boz Scaggs-Silk Degrees
REO Speedwagon-REO, You Can Tune A Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish, Nine Lives
UFO-Strangers In The Night
Thin Lizzy-Live And Dangerous, Jailbreak, Black Rose-A Rock Legend
Ducks Deluxe-Don't Mind Rocking Tonight
Wire-Pink Flag, 154
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band-Live
The Doobie Brothers-Takin It To The Streets, Best Of The Doobies
Cheap Trick-Heaven Tonight, Live At Budokan, Dream Police
Alan Parsons Project-Tales Of Mystery & Imagination, I Robot
Rusty Weir-Don't It Make You Wanna Dance
Jim Capaldi-Short Cut Draw Blood
Joe Walsh-But Seriously Folks, Best Of Joe Walsh
Boston & Don't Look Back
Marshall Tucker Band-Long Hard Ride
The Rockets-Turn Up The Radio
The Sports-Don't Throw Stones
The Rumour-Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs & Krauts
Beckmeier Brothers
Flash And The Pan
Fleetwood Mac, S/T, Rumours, Tusk
Rolling Stones-Black & Blue, Some Girls
Crack The Sky-Animal Notes, Live Sky
The Kinks-Sleepwalker
Neil Young-Rust Never Sleeps
Call it select memory loss but I do remember certain albums that did stand out. One while talking to Janice my so called High school sweetheart one night she was playing The Ramones in the background which threw a curve. I didn't think she was into that type of music. I wasn't much into the Sex Pistols till I finally bought Never Mind The Bollocks and found that actually rocked pretty good. For the most part, most of my classmates were listening to KISS (although Russ might deny that, he can't deny that he dressed up and played air guitar to a KISS song playing in the background during the Quill show. Or that he sang Mandy by Barry Manilow. Or my friend Doug playing Singing In The Kitchen by Bobby Bare and having a kiddie choir behind him. Or forcing Russ to listen to Evolution by Journey when he wanted to hear Frank Marino Live for the 37th straight time.
Given the circumstances today of what passes for music, I'm glad to say that I lived through the best of times of music, although the best tunes were 10 years removed, 1975-1979 really did have their share of influential value to this day. Of course, while making the first list, I left off a few more albums that provide quality driving time (although on 8 tracks but later on CDs). But as a teenager 1975-76 I was mostly buying 45s. But ended up having to buy the albums since the 45s that came out on Atlantic or Columbia or WB got scratchy after 10 plays. But some bands that did have albums out, I didn't listen to since I didn't like them that much (Rush, Molly Hatchet comes to mind). But did later. And there were a few misfires along the way (Tuff Darts, Village People, Fotomaker) but that was the 70s for ya. We went from extreme to another on the next platter played at high school dances or at home.
I'm not saying that the high school years were the best years of my life (they were not) but the music did get me through the day. Even back then I did find them whenever I could. Although the 8 tracks were the worst entertainment value (If you come across the Blue Chrysalis 8 track of Robin Trower's Bridge Of Sighs, you will get a very bad edit of Little Bit Of Sympathy to which the lead guitar at the end got spliced in twice!) I think we did okay.
More forgotten favorite albums
Boz Scaggs-Silk Degrees
REO Speedwagon-REO, You Can Tune A Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish, Nine Lives
UFO-Strangers In The Night
Thin Lizzy-Live And Dangerous, Jailbreak, Black Rose-A Rock Legend
Ducks Deluxe-Don't Mind Rocking Tonight
Wire-Pink Flag, 154
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band-Live
The Doobie Brothers-Takin It To The Streets, Best Of The Doobies
Cheap Trick-Heaven Tonight, Live At Budokan, Dream Police
Alan Parsons Project-Tales Of Mystery & Imagination, I Robot
Rusty Weir-Don't It Make You Wanna Dance
Jim Capaldi-Short Cut Draw Blood
Joe Walsh-But Seriously Folks, Best Of Joe Walsh
Boston & Don't Look Back
Marshall Tucker Band-Long Hard Ride
The Rockets-Turn Up The Radio
The Sports-Don't Throw Stones
The Rumour-Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs & Krauts
Beckmeier Brothers
Flash And The Pan
Fleetwood Mac, S/T, Rumours, Tusk
Rolling Stones-Black & Blue, Some Girls
Crack The Sky-Animal Notes, Live Sky
The Kinks-Sleepwalker
Neil Young-Rust Never Sleeps
A Little Remodeling.
If you haven't noticed already, overnight I have changed the title of this place from Thoughts of R. Smith to R S Crabb Music Review & Top Ten Site. I really wanted to do that much sooner than now but stumbled upon how to do it last night. On the old sites I'm known as The Crabb or Da Crabb or RS Crabb and some of the oldschoolers thought that I should return to that. The old schoolers don't like change very well. One year I changed my chat name from Crabby to Townedger and freaked everybody out to the point I rechanged it back to Crabby. So I guess I'm stuck with it.
And so are you.
Some things of note: The highlight of the month was hearing from The Real Brooksie in the month. I know she's very busy with work but when she was reviewing and writing her blogs I made it a habit to read her insights. Last time we actually chatted, she was more into satellite radio side of things and The Grateful Dead channel. I did borrow one of her blogs to post last year and I'm still working on getting her to do a new one, just for old times sake. She remains of my favorite bloggers. Thanks for stopping by and come back often.
To my Roostie fans, I haven't been on Multiply for the past month. Kinda forgotten about that place and it really got boring just to post and not get much response so after the Christmas one, never really returned back. I know its there but if there's enough interest to keep it going, let me know. Otherwise I'll be here.
Personal to TAD: The Townedgers is a band from Iowa that makes Low Fi recordings and were very active on the recording scene, with the classic period from 1991-1993 although the most recent recording came from 2008. But basically the leader of that band has spent most of his time going to pawnshops and used music stores and buying music and blogging about it. You can find their 1991 album Diamonds In The Skies from this link.
http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/Townedgers
However, TAD if you want the most recent, stuff I forward a note to the band to see if they will send you out a copy of the most recent. Not available in stores though, or Best Buy although Best Buy don't have squat anyway for music.
So as they say, Pardon Our Progess while we do a little remodeling..... ;)
"I don't know what I'm doing. But I can't stop doing it." -- Patti Smith (sounds like my blog site too) ;-)
And so are you.
Some things of note: The highlight of the month was hearing from The Real Brooksie in the month. I know she's very busy with work but when she was reviewing and writing her blogs I made it a habit to read her insights. Last time we actually chatted, she was more into satellite radio side of things and The Grateful Dead channel. I did borrow one of her blogs to post last year and I'm still working on getting her to do a new one, just for old times sake. She remains of my favorite bloggers. Thanks for stopping by and come back often.
To my Roostie fans, I haven't been on Multiply for the past month. Kinda forgotten about that place and it really got boring just to post and not get much response so after the Christmas one, never really returned back. I know its there but if there's enough interest to keep it going, let me know. Otherwise I'll be here.
Personal to TAD: The Townedgers is a band from Iowa that makes Low Fi recordings and were very active on the recording scene, with the classic period from 1991-1993 although the most recent recording came from 2008. But basically the leader of that band has spent most of his time going to pawnshops and used music stores and buying music and blogging about it. You can find their 1991 album Diamonds In The Skies from this link.
http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/Townedgers
However, TAD if you want the most recent, stuff I forward a note to the band to see if they will send you out a copy of the most recent. Not available in stores though, or Best Buy although Best Buy don't have squat anyway for music.
So as they say, Pardon Our Progess while we do a little remodeling..... ;)
"I don't know what I'm doing. But I can't stop doing it." -- Patti Smith (sounds like my blog site too) ;-)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Top Ten Of The Week-Consider The Source
Some news first.
The Blue Man Group who was supposed to play tonight up at Gallagher-Bluedorn on the UNI campus is canceled due to busted water pipes that flooded the stage. Hopefully they will try to make up the dates sometime this year.
KDAT sucks. This awful POS station is played everywhere I go in the greater C.R area. The worst GD playlist although I managed to go to Dollar General and was spared of hearing Hey Soul Sister by Train, the most annoying song recorded by a band that I once followed. When my other half called the other night the first thing she mentioned was "now I know how you feel about a certain song on the radio and in commercials". Train made a very good debut and some so so albums but their album was crap inside and out and I'm sure Dan Monahan can retire from those royalty checks from Hey Soul Sister. But anything that is crap and overplayed is always on KDAT 104.5. Maybe KDAT is paying Dollar General or my dentist to have their crappy radio station on so we can hear Footloose for the 57th time this year or I Need You Now, a song that I didn't mind much but there's much more out there that Lady Antebellum has out. I know my other half likes that but I tend to draw the line when I hear a song more than ten times a day or hour. Never have I seen or lived in a era that we have so much music out there and the playlist remains the same 100 songs per day. KDAT represents of what's wrong with radio today. And they have John Tesh too. Enough said.
And I suppose it is a big deal turning 50 once again. Thanks to all for the birthday wishes.
Songs of the week:
1. Shakin All Over-Wanda Jackson 2011 One of the most hears of the year, to the point that I ignored my own warning of not buying digipacks and had to hear this. Jack White as a producer did wonderful things with Loretta Lynn about 7 years ago but this time out, he takes on the original Queen of Rock and Roll and collides head on. At age 72, Wanda can belt them out bigger and better than guys her age and then some. This actually ties Johnny Kidd and The Pirates and The Who all together down to the widespread tremolo of the chorus line. This is not your lady Cougar's Auto tuner, this is Big Mama Bad showing y'all how they rocked and rolled before MTV and Autotuner. In a streetfight Jackson would kick Lady Gaga's ass all over the place. Dig it.
2. Boys-The Beatles 1962 Why is it that 50 years ago The Beatles still sound like they recorded it yesterday? I mean they defy history everytime I play anything from them including their first album Please Please Me. Long time ago, EMI looked at them as a loss leader and just let the independents release it themselves. It originally came out on Vee-Jay, the old Chicago blues label that was only second to Chess in terms of great Chi town blues. Even with old Ringo singing away, ole Paul is having much fun doing that backing vocal. The difference between corporate rock and fun rock, this is fun rock.
3. Extra-Climax Blues Band 1977 They were on Sire for many years, they sold a bit here and a bit there but they never "couldn't get it right" till they came out with Gold Plated, an album that was their biggest seller (before Flying The Flag which featured I Love You-might be wrong but too tired to look it up) but had more of an eye for the radio then previous releases. If you had the LP (like I did) it left off the Freddie Mercury/Queen like beginning of the song but then again I don't we were missing much on the record till I heard the whole version on the reissued CD. I think this is their most straight line boogie song of that album. Nevertheless the CBB got put in the back seat while Mr. Stein got on board the Punk rock train and gave the world the wonderful Ramones, Talking Heads and a few others while the next CBB album Shine On bombed. They moved to Warner Brothers for a couple more and the wedding classic I Love You. Reissued via Plum/K Tel, later Fuel 2000.
4. Every Dog Has Its Day-Let's Active 1988 Ah yes, Mitch Easler. The guy best known for co producing REM's classic albums of the early 1980s (Reckoning & Murmur) but also had his own band that recorded three albums and an EP for IRS Records (probably a reward for putting REM on the map) but this the title track to his last Let's Active album. Easler has been an acquired taste, he can play the hell out of his guitars but the guy's vocals really couldn't cut it. At least to my ears. However this is a good song. One of a few dollars cds that I found on my 50th BDay Bargain Bash. Later reissued via Collector's Choice Music but now out of print again.
5. The Highway Is For Dreamers-The Townedgers 2000 Throughout the month I've been listening once again to the output that was the TEs and although this may have been TE overkill this month, I think this song pretty much speaks volumes of the way Rod Smith looks at being 50, even though this song was written over 10 years ago. I have outlived all my idols, and I've seen the good die young goes one part of the song and it's true that when live to a certain age, you do tend to look back and see whose still around. Not too many people make it to fifty, some burn out before their time, some fade away and some decide they had enough. And as time speeds ever so fastly, our youth slips so far far away, another true statement of life today. Not saying it one of the better songs the TE has ever done but it fits into the mood that is life today and the special day of hitting the big Five Zero. And never knowing how we got here when we don't know where we been indeed. The meaning of life.
6. Pilgrimage-REM 1982 If they had never made another album they still would be highly regarded and half the fun back then was trying to figure out what the hell Mike Stripe was saying. Thank God for the internet eh? Your luck....two headed cow.....
7. The Painter-Neil Young 2005 I guess Prairie Wind was more in kin with Harvest with Harvest Moon ever was and that might be true. Like Harvest, Prairie Wind didn't click with me till years later till I found a dollar CD of it at Stuff Etc on the Great 50th Birthday Bargain Hunt Bash. Six years after the fact Prairie Wind still seems a bit prickly to me and too many songs have a toss out feel but this is one of the better songs off that album. And we all miss Ben Keith's steel guitar playing too.
8. Jive Turkey-Ohio Players 1974 Remember the days to which you could hear great soul music alongside of rock and roll on the FM dial? Of course that was before my GF was even born so she missed out some interesting tunes. The Ohio Players made the strange Funky Worm in 1973 for Westbound Records and then went to Mercury and this one of the top 30 hits for them on the soul chart. Always have a big complaint about their Gold record which had the 45 edits and not complete version till Universal rectify that and put out the 20th Century Collection which does have the 7 and half minute funk fest Jive Turkey. They have the complete Love Rollercoaster and not the cheap 3 minute you hear on Gold. Nevertheless their version trumps The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
9. Open The Gates (Out Of The Way Of The People)-Dave Brubeck 1972 I really didn't get into jazz till the late 90's, I had jazz albums via a big box that my dad bought home and kinda wished that I kept some of them (The original All The Cats Join In-A Buck Clayton Jam Session but Columbia reissued the outtakes instead in 1988) (Or Gerald Wilson's Brass Bag, an import on Fontana which includes the great title track and a cool version of Dizzy Gillespie's Ow! anybody knows of a copy I can get, get a hold of me). Dave Brubeck, the guy is genius and of course you all know about Time Out but by the time the 70's rolled around, he moved to Atlantic for a few albums. Yes I bought Time Out and then went off and bought them as I came across them but kinda held off on the Atlantic period till I found the We Are All Together For The First Time and decided to check out The Last Set At Newport to which this song comes from. Alas, the classic lineup wasn't here but from what I heard that Alan Dawson and Jack Six might have been better than Joe Mollero and Eugene Wright on the rhythm section. I also tend to think that Brubeck has never made a bad album either. On a side note: the folks at Collector's Choice Music has a 5 cd box set of Brubecks best known Columbia albums for the low low price of 27 dollars. But I'll hold out and get the ones that I don't have yet (Time In, Countdown: Time In Other Space and Time Changes to which I have a scratchy vinyl album of that).
10. Catherine Street-The Looking Glass 1972 Brandy, You're a fine girl yeah yeah yeah yeah. Eliot Lurie was the nice guy but my favorite songs were the ones done by Peter Sweval who sang lead vocal on Jenny Lynne and this track that came after Brandy. It's kind of a moody piece about living in a poor part of town and there's no relief from the GD heat. But Sweval changes the tempo as he yells Oh My Gawd on the jam ending of song. They were a lot more rock to the pop it seems but FM radio didn't play this very much. Lurie also had the followup hit Jimmy Loves Mary Anne and went on to movie scoring. The rest of guys would rechange and rethink their career and became Starz and made 4 albums of varying degree for Capitol. In fact they actually signed with Rock Steady Productions, the guys behind the world domination of KISS. Eliot Lurie did reform The Looking Glass and they play from time to time in the oldies tours. Their Epic albums have been reissued via Wounded Bird (the first Looking Glass album was on Collectibles with the best of the tracks from the 2nd album), but the liner notes are pretty spotty. No mentioning of Starz whatsoever. Fun fact: Starz did have a minor hit in 1977 with Cherry Baby.
Addendum: I had to google The Townedgers just to see what I came up with and I came to find that there's a lotta stuff out there for a band that's not much on the map. What really freaked me out was the Ilike site which has most if not all of the songs written. I'm thinking Diggy Kat is behind this since the songs missing are not from the cds given to him yet. However the Jamendo site does have the complete download of the 1991 comeback album Diamonds In The Skies for free download. Or you can listen for free although I have noticed that most of the curious got off the bus by the time Being There came around. The My Space site has a couple tracks from Pawnshops For Olivia CD plus a remix of Frosted Flakes. There's talk about a new album in the works but there might be a best of that will focus on the last decade. But I'm sure if the artist won't get around to it, I'm sure Diggy Kat will. The guy has a one track mind of his own.
PS. Brains drummer Charles Wolff died on Sept 10, 2010. RIP. I remember he stopped by my old My Space site to wish me a happy birthday. His My Space is still up. Absolutely loved his drumming on The Brains recordings.
The Blue Man Group who was supposed to play tonight up at Gallagher-Bluedorn on the UNI campus is canceled due to busted water pipes that flooded the stage. Hopefully they will try to make up the dates sometime this year.
KDAT sucks. This awful POS station is played everywhere I go in the greater C.R area. The worst GD playlist although I managed to go to Dollar General and was spared of hearing Hey Soul Sister by Train, the most annoying song recorded by a band that I once followed. When my other half called the other night the first thing she mentioned was "now I know how you feel about a certain song on the radio and in commercials". Train made a very good debut and some so so albums but their album was crap inside and out and I'm sure Dan Monahan can retire from those royalty checks from Hey Soul Sister. But anything that is crap and overplayed is always on KDAT 104.5. Maybe KDAT is paying Dollar General or my dentist to have their crappy radio station on so we can hear Footloose for the 57th time this year or I Need You Now, a song that I didn't mind much but there's much more out there that Lady Antebellum has out. I know my other half likes that but I tend to draw the line when I hear a song more than ten times a day or hour. Never have I seen or lived in a era that we have so much music out there and the playlist remains the same 100 songs per day. KDAT represents of what's wrong with radio today. And they have John Tesh too. Enough said.
And I suppose it is a big deal turning 50 once again. Thanks to all for the birthday wishes.
Songs of the week:
1. Shakin All Over-Wanda Jackson 2011 One of the most hears of the year, to the point that I ignored my own warning of not buying digipacks and had to hear this. Jack White as a producer did wonderful things with Loretta Lynn about 7 years ago but this time out, he takes on the original Queen of Rock and Roll and collides head on. At age 72, Wanda can belt them out bigger and better than guys her age and then some. This actually ties Johnny Kidd and The Pirates and The Who all together down to the widespread tremolo of the chorus line. This is not your lady Cougar's Auto tuner, this is Big Mama Bad showing y'all how they rocked and rolled before MTV and Autotuner. In a streetfight Jackson would kick Lady Gaga's ass all over the place. Dig it.
2. Boys-The Beatles 1962 Why is it that 50 years ago The Beatles still sound like they recorded it yesterday? I mean they defy history everytime I play anything from them including their first album Please Please Me. Long time ago, EMI looked at them as a loss leader and just let the independents release it themselves. It originally came out on Vee-Jay, the old Chicago blues label that was only second to Chess in terms of great Chi town blues. Even with old Ringo singing away, ole Paul is having much fun doing that backing vocal. The difference between corporate rock and fun rock, this is fun rock.
3. Extra-Climax Blues Band 1977 They were on Sire for many years, they sold a bit here and a bit there but they never "couldn't get it right" till they came out with Gold Plated, an album that was their biggest seller (before Flying The Flag which featured I Love You-might be wrong but too tired to look it up) but had more of an eye for the radio then previous releases. If you had the LP (like I did) it left off the Freddie Mercury/Queen like beginning of the song but then again I don't we were missing much on the record till I heard the whole version on the reissued CD. I think this is their most straight line boogie song of that album. Nevertheless the CBB got put in the back seat while Mr. Stein got on board the Punk rock train and gave the world the wonderful Ramones, Talking Heads and a few others while the next CBB album Shine On bombed. They moved to Warner Brothers for a couple more and the wedding classic I Love You. Reissued via Plum/K Tel, later Fuel 2000.
4. Every Dog Has Its Day-Let's Active 1988 Ah yes, Mitch Easler. The guy best known for co producing REM's classic albums of the early 1980s (Reckoning & Murmur) but also had his own band that recorded three albums and an EP for IRS Records (probably a reward for putting REM on the map) but this the title track to his last Let's Active album. Easler has been an acquired taste, he can play the hell out of his guitars but the guy's vocals really couldn't cut it. At least to my ears. However this is a good song. One of a few dollars cds that I found on my 50th BDay Bargain Bash. Later reissued via Collector's Choice Music but now out of print again.
5. The Highway Is For Dreamers-The Townedgers 2000 Throughout the month I've been listening once again to the output that was the TEs and although this may have been TE overkill this month, I think this song pretty much speaks volumes of the way Rod Smith looks at being 50, even though this song was written over 10 years ago. I have outlived all my idols, and I've seen the good die young goes one part of the song and it's true that when live to a certain age, you do tend to look back and see whose still around. Not too many people make it to fifty, some burn out before their time, some fade away and some decide they had enough. And as time speeds ever so fastly, our youth slips so far far away, another true statement of life today. Not saying it one of the better songs the TE has ever done but it fits into the mood that is life today and the special day of hitting the big Five Zero. And never knowing how we got here when we don't know where we been indeed. The meaning of life.
6. Pilgrimage-REM 1982 If they had never made another album they still would be highly regarded and half the fun back then was trying to figure out what the hell Mike Stripe was saying. Thank God for the internet eh? Your luck....two headed cow.....
7. The Painter-Neil Young 2005 I guess Prairie Wind was more in kin with Harvest with Harvest Moon ever was and that might be true. Like Harvest, Prairie Wind didn't click with me till years later till I found a dollar CD of it at Stuff Etc on the Great 50th Birthday Bargain Hunt Bash. Six years after the fact Prairie Wind still seems a bit prickly to me and too many songs have a toss out feel but this is one of the better songs off that album. And we all miss Ben Keith's steel guitar playing too.
8. Jive Turkey-Ohio Players 1974 Remember the days to which you could hear great soul music alongside of rock and roll on the FM dial? Of course that was before my GF was even born so she missed out some interesting tunes. The Ohio Players made the strange Funky Worm in 1973 for Westbound Records and then went to Mercury and this one of the top 30 hits for them on the soul chart. Always have a big complaint about their Gold record which had the 45 edits and not complete version till Universal rectify that and put out the 20th Century Collection which does have the 7 and half minute funk fest Jive Turkey. They have the complete Love Rollercoaster and not the cheap 3 minute you hear on Gold. Nevertheless their version trumps The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
9. Open The Gates (Out Of The Way Of The People)-Dave Brubeck 1972 I really didn't get into jazz till the late 90's, I had jazz albums via a big box that my dad bought home and kinda wished that I kept some of them (The original All The Cats Join In-A Buck Clayton Jam Session but Columbia reissued the outtakes instead in 1988) (Or Gerald Wilson's Brass Bag, an import on Fontana which includes the great title track and a cool version of Dizzy Gillespie's Ow! anybody knows of a copy I can get, get a hold of me). Dave Brubeck, the guy is genius and of course you all know about Time Out but by the time the 70's rolled around, he moved to Atlantic for a few albums. Yes I bought Time Out and then went off and bought them as I came across them but kinda held off on the Atlantic period till I found the We Are All Together For The First Time and decided to check out The Last Set At Newport to which this song comes from. Alas, the classic lineup wasn't here but from what I heard that Alan Dawson and Jack Six might have been better than Joe Mollero and Eugene Wright on the rhythm section. I also tend to think that Brubeck has never made a bad album either. On a side note: the folks at Collector's Choice Music has a 5 cd box set of Brubecks best known Columbia albums for the low low price of 27 dollars. But I'll hold out and get the ones that I don't have yet (Time In, Countdown: Time In Other Space and Time Changes to which I have a scratchy vinyl album of that).
10. Catherine Street-The Looking Glass 1972 Brandy, You're a fine girl yeah yeah yeah yeah. Eliot Lurie was the nice guy but my favorite songs were the ones done by Peter Sweval who sang lead vocal on Jenny Lynne and this track that came after Brandy. It's kind of a moody piece about living in a poor part of town and there's no relief from the GD heat. But Sweval changes the tempo as he yells Oh My Gawd on the jam ending of song. They were a lot more rock to the pop it seems but FM radio didn't play this very much. Lurie also had the followup hit Jimmy Loves Mary Anne and went on to movie scoring. The rest of guys would rechange and rethink their career and became Starz and made 4 albums of varying degree for Capitol. In fact they actually signed with Rock Steady Productions, the guys behind the world domination of KISS. Eliot Lurie did reform The Looking Glass and they play from time to time in the oldies tours. Their Epic albums have been reissued via Wounded Bird (the first Looking Glass album was on Collectibles with the best of the tracks from the 2nd album), but the liner notes are pretty spotty. No mentioning of Starz whatsoever. Fun fact: Starz did have a minor hit in 1977 with Cherry Baby.
Addendum: I had to google The Townedgers just to see what I came up with and I came to find that there's a lotta stuff out there for a band that's not much on the map. What really freaked me out was the Ilike site which has most if not all of the songs written. I'm thinking Diggy Kat is behind this since the songs missing are not from the cds given to him yet. However the Jamendo site does have the complete download of the 1991 comeback album Diamonds In The Skies for free download. Or you can listen for free although I have noticed that most of the curious got off the bus by the time Being There came around. The My Space site has a couple tracks from Pawnshops For Olivia CD plus a remix of Frosted Flakes. There's talk about a new album in the works but there might be a best of that will focus on the last decade. But I'm sure if the artist won't get around to it, I'm sure Diggy Kat will. The guy has a one track mind of his own.
PS. Brains drummer Charles Wolff died on Sept 10, 2010. RIP. I remember he stopped by my old My Space site to wish me a happy birthday. His My Space is still up. Absolutely loved his drumming on The Brains recordings.
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