Sunday, June 09, 2013

Sorry, no Michael Douglas jokes are on tap this post, though I will admit that I tried to get a few good licks in. I guess maybe I should just dive into the post and dig deep into the main thrust of today's excursion which you don't have to be a member of Menses to understand (ow!).
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Hope this week's survey of all I rule or something like that suits you finer'n the usual caga I dish out. Gotta say that I thought the selection being presented to me thanks to the likes of Bill Shute and P.D. Fadensonnen was rather invigorating, and I really can't complain about the sounds that had graced my ears during the past week or so of late-night free time try to forget the woes and cares of real life wind down. Big heap hunkin' thanks to the two because if it weren't for them I'd be trying to fill these posts up with nothing but lame double entendre badgags like the kind found in the paragraph above.
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Perhaps I, being the fan and follower of true boob tubeism from the fifties until the seventies, should mention the recent passing of none other than Edith Bunker herself Jean Stapleton. Yes,  the famed actress of stage screen 'n whatever is gone from this world at the ripe old age of 90 unlike her tee-vee character who snuffed it between seasons on ALL IN THE FAMILY certainly bringing that series down a notch or two inna process. Gotta say that I liked the Edith Bunker character...after all she reminded me of a few of my aunts in so many ways, and even if you thought Edith was a little ding-batty there was a whole lot more realism to her character than there were to either Mike, Gloria or even Archie himself who once you get down to it was nothing more than yet another working class straw man right outta the Enlightened New York Cocktail Party Schmoozer playbook. Although I found Archie high-larious I never felt him more than some progressive's idea of a New York hardhat hippie hater...at least I've known ladies like Edith for ages and find nothing outta the ordinary about 'em even if a few unshackled womyn out there might have thought otherwise.

Yeah Stapleton was no Edith in real life (I remember when she was doing some PSA in the seventies and my mother was angered that she was not wearing a bra, and her being surrounded by children only made the situation even worse!) but at least most of her non-Edith credentials were pretty good, with a NAKED CITY appearance where she played a bar owner who's peed at the police for not finding the killer of Paul Hartman sticking out in my mind (Dick York was also in this one). If any of you saw that DEFENDERS where she (now get this!) played the galpal of Carroll O'Connor's character you get extra tee-vee brownie points, but then again if anyone saw that series within the past forty-five years they deserve all the stars in the world, ifyaknowaddamean...

Speaking of a bra-less Stapleton, I am reminded of an ALL IN THE FAMILY episode I conjured up right outta my early teenage brain long ago...and given how that series strived for controversy and all I'm more than positive that my particular episode would top 'em all. Y'see, in this one Gloria is walking around the house topless because it's warm out, and naturally Archie is in a rage about his daughter showing off her "dairies" as he used to call the human mams. Gloria, through and through the armchair feminist, tells her dad straight off that "If a man can walk around without a shirt on so can a woman!" while Michael feels it the righteous thing  to sit down with Archie and explain to him that there are many cultures where women walk around topless, and that in France they have topless beaches. Of course that doesn't convince Archie of anything because he thinks they're either dummies or pinkos in those places and that ladies are supposed to cover themselves up properly lest the entire area look like an article outta NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC.

Well after all this it turns out that, after some thought,  EDITH wants to walk around topless as well, and when she does boy does Archie start going into conniptions like he's about to die! All the while Mike and Gloria look at Edith and plead "Mom...please put on your blouse!!! Hurry mom...right now!!!!" Which only goes to show you that horny adolescent boys sure don't mind gazing at the young mounds, but when they get saggy and droop down to the knees ewwwwww....

And on that low note, here be the reviews.
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PAPER GARDEN CD-R burn (originally on Musicor)

Not exactly the type of late-sixties esoteric glop it all together and see if it's artistic enough endeavor that I particularly care for, but it does have a certain charm. Sitar pop with the usual nods to then-contemp. Beatles...classical influences up the wazoo with a slight New York attitude and of course a budget more suited towards the Harmonicats. And it all comes courtesy of the same label that didn't know what to do with Gene Pitney let alone these art rockers who probably headed their way to your local discount bin with quite an alarming regularity.
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Various Artists-LAVENDER DIXIE MADISON WHEELS CD-R burn (compiled by Bill Shute)

Theme-less as usual, but with some interesting inclusions that makes this (like all of 'em) a keepie. Some of it is late-sixties glissando psych, some German pop-jazz for the Nazi in your life, and there are even some solo tracks by Miguel Sergides who used to be in Arcadium in case you're a fan and follower of that cult group. Nothing here really pushes the pleasure button of my mind, but at least Bill thought it smart enough to close out the entire deal with the Del-Vetts' infamous (yet oft ignored) garage band classic "I Call My Baby STP".
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FIVE MINUTE MYSTERIES CD-R burn (compiled by Bill Shute)

It's Golden Age o' Radio time here at BLOG TO COMM central, thanks to Bill Shute who sent these old Armed Forces radio transcriptions for the guys overseas who probably couldn't care one whit considerin' all the fun they were having raping French gals. The mysteries are actually funny and about as simple minded as the ones they used to use for filler in Timely comics. No wonder they were so ripe for ribbing on the early SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE as well as other satirical outposts of the fifties on. The GARRY MOORE/JIMMY DURANTE COMEDY CARAVAN SHOW was a dudster for me...now I think that Jimmy Durante was one great everyday kinda guy performer who reminded me of a grandfather or somethin' (still remember my dad watchin' Durante's late-sixties tee-vee appearances in his own connect to the old days sorta way) but Garry Moore was always a doof to me...sheesh, Durward Kirby was the cool guy in comparison even though everybody thought he was a prime asshole! Somehow some boss early-sixties single sides by Jimmy Fautheree get stuck on (nice change of pace from forties ambiance to 1962 inna wink of an earlobe) before it's back to radio with Lowell Thomas on an episode of AMERICA'S FAMOUS FATHERS, brought to you by the stage production of LIFE WITH FATHER if you can believe that!  Fine enough, but these old sounds just don't cut it for me w/o visuals which is why I can really relate to what these people were doing in  the fifties and sixties but back then well...I guess my imagination just don't run that wild.
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The Pink Fairies-LIVE AT ACID DAZE FINSBURY PARK, LONDON, UK 8/23/1987 CD-R burn (courtesy of PD Fadensonnen)

The first of three Fadensonnen burns received, this 'un's of a Pink Fairies gig from their late-eighties reunion days playing for the hipper remnants of late-sixties/early-seventies hazitude who at least had good enough taste to read the NME 'stead of MELODY MAKER Sound ain't quite up to par (typical cassette inna audience job) but the performance is swift enough with the reformed band not only doing mostly new material from their upcoming album but wowing the rubes with faithful versions of "Snake" and "Police Car" t'boot. I've heard better reunion gigs, but this one will fill the bill in the meanwhile.
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Chrome-HALF MACHINE FROM THE SUN CD-R burn (courtesy of PD Fadensonnen)

The second the PD's burns, this one purports to be "the lost tracks from '77-'80" which I assume are also available on the Chrome site just like the live debut disque reviewed last week. Surprisingly uniform and bearing little of the atonal screech of HALF MACHINE LIP MOVES let alone ALIEN SOUNDTRACKS,  these tracks mostly conjure up memories of Chrome's debut album, the oft-dismissed THE VISITATION which isn't that bad unless you're in the mood for total annihilation. Many bright spots here which conjure up images of all the promise the seventies (esp. the latter portion) held for us from Hawkwind/kraut electronics up through Pere Ubu nightmare visions. Not only that but it's sure stands as a testimonial to the power and energy these guys could whip out especially on those early Siren-era recordings which really bowled this unaware fanabla over back when music like this was living and vibrant 'stead of angst-riddled thirty-plus-year memories. If you used to pop the pimples on your face to Chrome, now count the age spots.
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Jim Sauter/Kid Millions Duo-LIVE AT THE KNOCKDOWN CENTER MASPETH, QUEENS, NYC 5/1/2013 CD-R burn (courtesy of PD Fadensonnen)

> The third of the Fadensonnen finds, this 'un's a recent and very explosive set featuring Borbetomagus saxophonist Sauter and drummer Kid Millions, someone I must admit I never heard of but get the feeling I will be hearing a whole lot more of in the coming days. FANTASTIC performance with Sauter sounding more like Sonny Sharrock shearing his guitar than a saxophonist while Millions takes the between-the-beat styles of Murray/Harris etc. and proceeds into uncharted territory with his above the call of duty stylings. Makes alla 'em other sax/drums duos from INTERSTELLAR SPACE to  DUO EXCHANGE sound mighty tame in comparison!  Hope this one gets out a little more'n it has because it's a real killer that proves that there still is entertaining, beyond-the-ken-of-human-comprehension music being made even if it ain't exactly being shoved right in front of you like so much "light jazz" y'know?
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Next weekend I may have a li'l surprise for ya, but I'm not committing myself as of yet. Otherwise see ya midweek...

1 comment:

PD Fadensonnen said...

Anyone interested in hearing the Sauter/Millions Duo, can hear a professionally recorded version of that set here: http://www.rbmaradio.com/shows/drone-activity-in-progress-pete-swanson-kid-millions-jim-sauter-duo

The Pink Fairies set is available to stream on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsLQ8ImChG4

Enjoy!