Hi, and happy DEMOLITION DAY to all of our Canuckistanian readers celebrating 150 years of somethingorother from Great Britain. Whatever it is they are celebrating it ain't quite an "Independence Day" like we have here in Ameriga...I'm not sure but I think July First in the Great White (and turning browner as we speak) North is just another excuse to take the day off and and drink lotsa booze which I understand in the National Pastime up there (next to chasing foreigners outta their neighborhoods). Canadians do that (drink beer'n whiskey, not club Pakis to death) all the time---what do you think those bank holidays really are about---and as I've said many times, show me a sober Canadian and I'll show you a Toronto cemetery! Have fun, and please remember to watch out for the other guy while driving yer Meteors and Acadians...the life you save may be Paul McGarry's!
It's still housecleaning time here at the BLOG TO COMM orifices so you can be that I'm continuing to toil away combing through boxes after boxes just brimming full with old letters, magazines, promo sheets and whatnot thinking about what is good enough to throw away and what's regrettably salvageable. Amongst the former includes what shards o' scrap paper are gonna be used for Brad Kohler's next batch of printed up posts, what's gonna get sold on ebay once I get back into the game (and once the market for cruddy eighties-era fanzines explodes which I personally think will be NEVER) and amongst the latter what's gonna keep me occupied during my pre-beddy bye time while Faust (still my current fave, along with the Pink Fairies' NEVER NEVER LAND) wails away on the bedside boom box. I've had a little luck locating one issue of TEENAGE WASTELAND GAZETTE (the one with Marc Bolan on the cover) but no sign of any of my LOVE AND LAUGHTERs or ish #1 of I WANNA BE YOUR DOG. However I have come across even more issues of CONFLICT and SUPERDOPE than my entire digestive system (as well as a few much-needed glands) could possibly tolerate (as well as a fan note from...Tom Lax???) and like at this point in time all I can say is I CAN'T WAIT 'TIL THIS JOB'S OVER THAT'S FOR SURE!!!
To ease my personal tensions in life (mainly my unending cravings for hard-hitting, no holds barred rock 'n roll reading) I thankfully managed to find a few rarities twixt the love letters and hypesheets on acts I haven't heard about since their platters were rushed my way back in them not-so good ol' days. As you might or might not care to know every time I came across an envelope with Eddie Flowers' return address stamped I took a breather and read what was inside the thing, and his various LA BLUES/EDDIE PICKS THE HITS newsletters remain a fresh of breath air, smart writing on smart music that was transpiring when both items were in such short supply. His 1980 vintage BAMALAMA COMMUNIQUE was no different, and finding the third issue of this, er, "newsletter" was something that I felt was akin to locating a rare bauble from King Tut's tomb, or at least finding his sacred ass-cleaning stick if you wanna get more technical about it.
But sheesh it was sure fun reading this 'un since frankly you don't get enough hotcha rock writing any more (99.99999...% of what you read today since other than my own pearls o' wisdom and little else, is pure hackdom!) so's you gotta get your fix just about anywhere you can! In this issue Eddie raves about everything goin' on in his life from the groups he's seen whether he liked 'em or not, the goings on (and off) with regards to various personal projects like getting his hair cut, what his cohorts such as Kenne Highland are up to and oh yeah, lots of new on the famed El Lay "sixties revival" band the Unclaimed whose Moxie Records EP is gonna be one of my get out and plays as the days progress. Eddie even included a FETISH PAGE regarding garter belts and stockings done up in a way that would make Don Fellman want to jump into the river in Paris (he'd be "in Seine")!
Like LOVE AND LAUGHTER, BAMALAMA COMMUNIQUE leaves you raving for more and all I gotta say is that if someone out there has a batch of these and wants to get rid of 'em well...I know you won't send 'em to me which is my tough luck but then again if I knew you wouldn't want to send any of 'em to me I wouldn't want your copies anyway! Hope that makes a good whole lotta sense to someone out there!
The Brats-CRIMINAL GUITAR CD-r burn (originally on Rave Up Records)
These guys had an album of their classic seventies thumpers out recently, but this 2002 Cee Dee effort has some of that (I think) and---now get this---moremoreMORE! And like their more recent exhumation this LP is hot seventies hard pop that, like Kiss, coulda gone somewhere only these guys never could break outta the NYC local scene mold even with all of that ROCK SCENE coverage that they were privy to. If this could be called punk rock it would definitely be in the 1972-1975 or so definition of the term and naturally that's all right by me! I particularly liked "Seventeen", this hard pop bopper that uses the old "Charleston" dance ditty as its basis. Twenties nostalgia done up seventies decadence style kinda like watching a seventies-era "R" rated movie set in them dayze hopin' to see a flash of titty amidst the violence and cuss words!
Roy Orbison-ROCKER CD-r burn (originally on Snapper Records, England)
Long before a generation of MTV-bred morons knew who he was thanks to BLUE VELVET, Roy Orbison was recording some pretty decent crunchers for the likes of Sun as well as some other labels out there whose names escape me. Dunno if any of these recordings were done with his ultra-early garage band aggregation the Teen Kings, but they sure do sate the real rockabilly rebel in me with their primal and straightforward rock 'n rollers which are guaranteed to remind even the staunchest fifties hater as to one of the reasons I so revere them days of yore. Studio, solo demos, alt. takes etc...its the stuff that you used to drool about whilst reading those old KICKS magazines only you never could find those rarities at the local record emporium. Personal fave of the batch: disque closer "Rockabilly Girl" which has the kind of Deep South Drive I always liked in these kinda rockers which always went against all that hokey HAPPY DAYS fifties gloss that never did seem real enough to anybody I knew (or myself) who watched that show.
The Crunch-BUSY MAKING NOISE CD-r burn (originally on Legal Records)
C'mon Paul, 'fess up...you're just taking the same neo-pop amerindie loser recording you have in your collection, pressed up a hundred copies, slapped different covers on 'em and are passin' 'em off as unique and different examples of today's youthful music scene. It can't be that there are more than one group in this world with the same growly youthful angst vocals and neo-Byrds melodies lacking the burning intensity of the originals, right? Limper than leftover spaghetti...and I thought the Violent Femmes were the ultimate in belly-button-staring self-indulgence!
The Mindreaders-BAN THE MINDREADERS CD-r burn (originally on Empire Records)
Not bad at all even if I'll never listen to it again in my life. Mostly if not all covers of a variety of rock artists (VU, Hell, Modern Lovers, Jimi...) done up hard 'n distorted fashion that actually suits a jaded ol' fanabla such as I. Thankfully BAN THE MINDREADERS lacks the usual wussiness that affects many of these retrogarde efforts that never did have the backbone of the original. Released in 1987, this undoubtedly went over the heads of thousands of new music aficionados who mighta dug it, but considering how this act at least had some grips on why sixties/seventies rock was such an accomplishment the usual REM types wouldn't've gotten it in the least. Nothing to piss on that's for sure.
The Bloody Tears-DOWNHANDED CD-r burn (originally on Licorice Tree Records)
Better'n expected sixties revival garage-y rock, but still not enough to get me all hot and bothered like a few of those early-eighties acts roaming around the same corridors of primeval funzies. I won't be spinning this 'un again either but I gotta credit these Tears for at least slamming some good pop moves into the usual by-numbers approach these rear view looks may take. Fair enough energy levels make this one hard to think up the usual pithy remarks that usually accompany burnt offerings that McGarry tends to send my way.
Van Morrison-NEW YORK SESSIONS 67 CD-r burn (originally on Snapper Records)
I gotta hate Van Morrison on mere principle alone given how the dwarf was a hefty part of ROLLING STONE-approved late-seventies laid back 'n serious rock critiquing what with Greil Mucous types jammering away about his latest albums to the point of fringe jacket leather goods nausea. Old people's music, or so I thought. Sure Lester Bangs and other rockmag wowzers praised ASTRAL WEEKS to the livin 'end and Laughner's own deathbed take of "Slim Slow Slider" sounds as desperate as Laughner must have been at the time but still, every time I think of Morrison visions of clean cut late-seventies Warner Brother ads from slick trade papers pop right into my mind.
But surprises of surprises, the early solo recordings for Bang Records do have some of the old swerve in 'em. If I hear "Brown Eyed Girl" one more time I'll slit your throat, but the more rousing tracks are pretty toe tapping themselves without me having to adjust my own listening parameters to fit in. Best of the batch--- "T.B. Sheets" which Peter Laughner once wrote about tellin' about the time he saw Morrison do it on UPBEAT which kills me because of that line where Morrison sings that he could "smell her T.B. Sheets" 'n all that which I always found rather creepy! Be thankful his gal wasn't suffering from any women's problems like yeast infection because I'd hate to hear what THAT song would sound like!
Various Artists-PRETTY LITTLE NOWHERE CD-r burn (Bill Shute)
Lotsa soul-y stuff here along with the country and western oldies (most of which I would say are...down homey enough) as well as a few surprises. Like three in a row versions of "Feel a Whole Lot Better" which do capture the El Lay rock experience, at least as it was experienced by guys far away from the tap root of folk rock. Most of this is whatcha'd call not really up my huge and expansive alley, but it was nice lending ear to such rarities as the Utopians' "Dutch Treat" not to mention the Booker T. hit "Time is Right". Particular fave of the batch---St. George and Tana's "Big Daddy Blues" which is a pretty good if not better'n various other attempts at psycho-folk musings sung by male/female singing teams. It originally came out on the Kapp label who I guess were sore that Sonny and Cher had left 'em so's they got these two to fill the gap which obviously didn't help out any! Gotta do some digging on them 'n see what I just hap't come up wid, which will probably be not much but wh' th' hey...
***
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But sheesh it was sure fun reading this 'un since frankly you don't get enough hotcha rock writing any more (99.99999...% of what you read today since other than my own pearls o' wisdom and little else, is pure hackdom!) so's you gotta get your fix just about anywhere you can! In this issue Eddie raves about everything goin' on in his life from the groups he's seen whether he liked 'em or not, the goings on (and off) with regards to various personal projects like getting his hair cut, what his cohorts such as Kenne Highland are up to and oh yeah, lots of new on the famed El Lay "sixties revival" band the Unclaimed whose Moxie Records EP is gonna be one of my get out and plays as the days progress. Eddie even included a FETISH PAGE regarding garter belts and stockings done up in a way that would make Don Fellman want to jump into the river in Paris (he'd be "in Seine")!
Like LOVE AND LAUGHTER, BAMALAMA COMMUNIQUE leaves you raving for more and all I gotta say is that if someone out there has a batch of these and wants to get rid of 'em well...I know you won't send 'em to me which is my tough luck but then again if I knew you wouldn't want to send any of 'em to me I wouldn't want your copies anyway! Hope that makes a good whole lotta sense to someone out there!
***Nice pack o' platters I got to peck out reviews foo youze, and surprisingly enough all of 'em ('cept for the Bill Shute bargain bin closer) were sent to me by none other'n the aforementioned Paul McGarry! Thanks for putting in the extra effort Paul, and hopefully some more of those Canadian (and other) obscurities will be winging my way soon. And talking about Canadian...any chance you can jet some of that Canadian delicacy named after the Russian president my way??? Can't seem to find any Putin around here and it sure looks tasty!
These guys had an album of their classic seventies thumpers out recently, but this 2002 Cee Dee effort has some of that (I think) and---now get this---moremoreMORE! And like their more recent exhumation this LP is hot seventies hard pop that, like Kiss, coulda gone somewhere only these guys never could break outta the NYC local scene mold even with all of that ROCK SCENE coverage that they were privy to. If this could be called punk rock it would definitely be in the 1972-1975 or so definition of the term and naturally that's all right by me! I particularly liked "Seventeen", this hard pop bopper that uses the old "Charleston" dance ditty as its basis. Twenties nostalgia done up seventies decadence style kinda like watching a seventies-era "R" rated movie set in them dayze hopin' to see a flash of titty amidst the violence and cuss words!
***
Long before a generation of MTV-bred morons knew who he was thanks to BLUE VELVET, Roy Orbison was recording some pretty decent crunchers for the likes of Sun as well as some other labels out there whose names escape me. Dunno if any of these recordings were done with his ultra-early garage band aggregation the Teen Kings, but they sure do sate the real rockabilly rebel in me with their primal and straightforward rock 'n rollers which are guaranteed to remind even the staunchest fifties hater as to one of the reasons I so revere them days of yore. Studio, solo demos, alt. takes etc...its the stuff that you used to drool about whilst reading those old KICKS magazines only you never could find those rarities at the local record emporium. Personal fave of the batch: disque closer "Rockabilly Girl" which has the kind of Deep South Drive I always liked in these kinda rockers which always went against all that hokey HAPPY DAYS fifties gloss that never did seem real enough to anybody I knew (or myself) who watched that show.
***
C'mon Paul, 'fess up...you're just taking the same neo-pop amerindie loser recording you have in your collection, pressed up a hundred copies, slapped different covers on 'em and are passin' 'em off as unique and different examples of today's youthful music scene. It can't be that there are more than one group in this world with the same growly youthful angst vocals and neo-Byrds melodies lacking the burning intensity of the originals, right? Limper than leftover spaghetti...and I thought the Violent Femmes were the ultimate in belly-button-staring self-indulgence!
***
Not bad at all even if I'll never listen to it again in my life. Mostly if not all covers of a variety of rock artists (VU, Hell, Modern Lovers, Jimi...) done up hard 'n distorted fashion that actually suits a jaded ol' fanabla such as I. Thankfully BAN THE MINDREADERS lacks the usual wussiness that affects many of these retrogarde efforts that never did have the backbone of the original. Released in 1987, this undoubtedly went over the heads of thousands of new music aficionados who mighta dug it, but considering how this act at least had some grips on why sixties/seventies rock was such an accomplishment the usual REM types wouldn't've gotten it in the least. Nothing to piss on that's for sure.
***
Better'n expected sixties revival garage-y rock, but still not enough to get me all hot and bothered like a few of those early-eighties acts roaming around the same corridors of primeval funzies. I won't be spinning this 'un again either but I gotta credit these Tears for at least slamming some good pop moves into the usual by-numbers approach these rear view looks may take. Fair enough energy levels make this one hard to think up the usual pithy remarks that usually accompany burnt offerings that McGarry tends to send my way.
***
I gotta hate Van Morrison on mere principle alone given how the dwarf was a hefty part of ROLLING STONE-approved late-seventies laid back 'n serious rock critiquing what with Greil Mucous types jammering away about his latest albums to the point of fringe jacket leather goods nausea. Old people's music, or so I thought. Sure Lester Bangs and other rockmag wowzers praised ASTRAL WEEKS to the livin 'end and Laughner's own deathbed take of "Slim Slow Slider" sounds as desperate as Laughner must have been at the time but still, every time I think of Morrison visions of clean cut late-seventies Warner Brother ads from slick trade papers pop right into my mind.
But surprises of surprises, the early solo recordings for Bang Records do have some of the old swerve in 'em. If I hear "Brown Eyed Girl" one more time I'll slit your throat, but the more rousing tracks are pretty toe tapping themselves without me having to adjust my own listening parameters to fit in. Best of the batch--- "T.B. Sheets" which Peter Laughner once wrote about tellin' about the time he saw Morrison do it on UPBEAT which kills me because of that line where Morrison sings that he could "smell her T.B. Sheets" 'n all that which I always found rather creepy! Be thankful his gal wasn't suffering from any women's problems like yeast infection because I'd hate to hear what THAT song would sound like!
***
Lotsa soul-y stuff here along with the country and western oldies (most of which I would say are...down homey enough) as well as a few surprises. Like three in a row versions of "Feel a Whole Lot Better" which do capture the El Lay rock experience, at least as it was experienced by guys far away from the tap root of folk rock. Most of this is whatcha'd call not really up my huge and expansive alley, but it was nice lending ear to such rarities as the Utopians' "Dutch Treat" not to mention the Booker T. hit "Time is Right". Particular fave of the batch---St. George and Tana's "Big Daddy Blues" which is a pretty good if not better'n various other attempts at psycho-folk musings sung by male/female singing teams. It originally came out on the Kapp label who I guess were sore that Sonny and Cher had left 'em so's they got these two to fill the gap which obviously didn't help out any! Gotta do some digging on them 'n see what I just hap't come up wid, which will probably be not much but wh' th' hey...
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