Nothin' much to report on this week, that is unless you want me to spew reams of intricate details regarding my typical winter sniffles or various underwear surprises. Which I suspect you don't, so let's just get on with the rekkid reviewz and leave the personalist aspects of this blog to future posts, hokay???
Pandit Pran Nath-SINGS RAGAS BHEEMPALASI & PURIYAA DHANAASHREE 2-LP set (Sri Moonshine Records)
If you thought that rock music (at its purest) was just one big drone and liked it just give this man a listen. Live recordings of historical significance guaranteed to snuggle into your subconscious while you're up to other things and like the best music ,whether it pretends to or not, it doesn't hinder and in fact accentuates your daily duties without obliterating it all to heck. This guy gave loads of lessons to the New York avant garde music makers of the early-sixties, so if you're keen on the kind of ramalama that Terry Riley, Lamonte Young and Henry Flynt were making at the time you're probably already in gear for Pandit Pran Nath and like need I say any more???
The Fruit Eating Bears-THE LOST 1977 PUNK RECORDINGS CD-r burn
Lotsa REAL punks used to pee on these guys but I think they got more energy and grit to 'em than a thousand hippoids trying to fool every with their spiky attire. Led by former Slowload frontman Neville Crozier (they of "Big Boobs Boogie" fame) the Bears crash about with a primal, clanky fury that I gotta say rose about the usual poses that most enemies of the form seem to remember. Hotcha originals mingle with pertinent six-oh garage band classics proving that it really was all one continuum even if more'n a few nabobs were more'n willing to say otherwise.
Dirty Songs-PLAY DIRTY SONGS CD (Audio Records, England)
Wow, a concept album, all having something (extremely) vaguely to do with hidden obscenities in pop records or some other similar heady subject like that which probably matters only to executive producer Maxime Rossi and nobody else. The execution of the entire project might not quite convey what Rossi had intended to say (which I find difficult to digest in my single-digit IQ mind), but musically this succeeds thanks to the presence of a group that consists of some heavy players on the English avant garde like Steve Beresford, Evan Parker, Phil Minton and David Toop.
Together, they as Dirty Songs kinda sound like what AMM woulda had they been into rock 'n roll. Given how the late-sixties English had a hungerin' for the likes of the Velvet Underground which occasionally manifested itself in various sound expressions, it's no mistake that some of these tracks have a not-so-strange Velvets cum Hawkwind drone that recalls what was goin' on over there right when it was all starting to "come together" as far as the avant garde and the rock world standing up and shaking hands. Other numbers with affected if buried vocals (such as the one where the lyrics to "Louie Louie" are slowed down to a growl) or total avant blast blares of the abstract persuasion may be too heady or even over-the-edge for your tastes. But overall this surprisingly has some great energetic rock moments on it which shows that there surprisingly is still fresh music being made in the "avant rock" realm other than the usual Fadensonnen and Kendra Steiner Editions release, which seems so strange especially here in the post-post-music days of 2018
Craig Bell-AKA DARWIN LAYNE CD-r burn (originally on Ever Never Records, available here)
Why it took so long to get I don't know (actually I do know...y'see I thought Bell himself was gonna send me a copy!) but now that I have it I can enjoy repeated spins of this Cleveland underground first-waver's brighter moments even if I'm confused as to the origins and whys and wherefores of it all. Great tracks old (like "Sea Chains" and a whole bunch that originated during Bell's Mirrors sojourn) and new (which in this case means Saucers onward) are perfect for those of you who've been in on that whole late-sixties sophisticado rock cum pop as the Universal Musical Language for the past fortysome years...and don't regret it one bit. Good straight-ahead sounds here even if it does lack the WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT meets FUNHOUSE atonality that Rocket From The Tombs were infamous for way back in those rather blurry memory days.
Various Artists-TOOTH AND NAIL CD-r burn (originally on Upsetter Records)
Yeah, I know that I'm supposed to hate this album on principal given how the guy who was responsible for it is one of those demigods who is worshiped by people I wouldn't pay to shovel the shit that you have to take from those who give it to you all day. But dang it I just don't if only for the punk purity of the thing, what with the Controllers easing into late-seventies attitude while still holding onto an early-seventies approach, the Flesh Eaters (and Germs) practically inventing El Lay hardcore even though the pupils eventually got it all wrong, U.X.A. doing yet another Amerigan take on X Ray Spex (and better if I do say so myself) and both Negative Trend and the Middle Class not fresh enough to really qualify as anything out of the original. But gosh darn if I still love 'em as much as I do the rest. I have the actual vinyl copy of this somewhere in this heap I call a home, but this burn (available via ebay) is handier even if it, like my original, lacks the lyric sheet (I wonder why???---at least regarding the one missing from my original, eh Brad?!?!).
The Good Rats-LIVE AT LAST CD-r burn (originally on Rat City Records)
Didn't think it coulda happened (well maybe I did), bu at one time the Good Rats actually put out a hot and pumping-on-all-cylinders live album that not only contains an over-the-speed limit performance but doesn't sound all slick and FM trebley! True at times these Rats might come off too professional for anyone's benefit, but they play hard and mean and can deliver on those high energy jamz about as much as any of the other hard-blare acts of the late seventies (the Dictators come to mind). Good slab of straight ahead rock and even some fusion jamz to make you do a double look and when you're done you too will wonder why these guys never really went anywhere.
Stefan Jaworzyn/Thursty Moore/Rudolph Grey-LIVE @ THE COOLER NYC 1996 CD-r burn
When you get three musical miscreants like this together you KNOW you're gonna be in for one mighty hunking roar of electronic sound. And that's exactly what turns up on this short but sweet live show featuring Skullflower/Ascension guitarist Jaworzyn teamed up with the infamous Thurston Moore and perhaps even more infamouster Rudolph Grey, each sounding like they're engaged in a wrestling cage match with their guitars winner-take-all! If you're still keen on those early just-post no wave mass of electric guitar wail sounds that came off sooooo exciting and liberating and all at the time (early/mid-eighties), an internet search just might come in handy.
If you thought that rock music (at its purest) was just one big drone and liked it just give this man a listen. Live recordings of historical significance guaranteed to snuggle into your subconscious while you're up to other things and like the best music ,whether it pretends to or not, it doesn't hinder and in fact accentuates your daily duties without obliterating it all to heck. This guy gave loads of lessons to the New York avant garde music makers of the early-sixties, so if you're keen on the kind of ramalama that Terry Riley, Lamonte Young and Henry Flynt were making at the time you're probably already in gear for Pandit Pran Nath and like need I say any more???
***
Lotsa REAL punks used to pee on these guys but I think they got more energy and grit to 'em than a thousand hippoids trying to fool every with their spiky attire. Led by former Slowload frontman Neville Crozier (they of "Big Boobs Boogie" fame) the Bears crash about with a primal, clanky fury that I gotta say rose about the usual poses that most enemies of the form seem to remember. Hotcha originals mingle with pertinent six-oh garage band classics proving that it really was all one continuum even if more'n a few nabobs were more'n willing to say otherwise.
***
Wow, a concept album, all having something (extremely) vaguely to do with hidden obscenities in pop records or some other similar heady subject like that which probably matters only to executive producer Maxime Rossi and nobody else. The execution of the entire project might not quite convey what Rossi had intended to say (which I find difficult to digest in my single-digit IQ mind), but musically this succeeds thanks to the presence of a group that consists of some heavy players on the English avant garde like Steve Beresford, Evan Parker, Phil Minton and David Toop.
Together, they as Dirty Songs kinda sound like what AMM woulda had they been into rock 'n roll. Given how the late-sixties English had a hungerin' for the likes of the Velvet Underground which occasionally manifested itself in various sound expressions, it's no mistake that some of these tracks have a not-so-strange Velvets cum Hawkwind drone that recalls what was goin' on over there right when it was all starting to "come together" as far as the avant garde and the rock world standing up and shaking hands. Other numbers with affected if buried vocals (such as the one where the lyrics to "Louie Louie" are slowed down to a growl) or total avant blast blares of the abstract persuasion may be too heady or even over-the-edge for your tastes. But overall this surprisingly has some great energetic rock moments on it which shows that there surprisingly is still fresh music being made in the "avant rock" realm other than the usual Fadensonnen and Kendra Steiner Editions release, which seems so strange especially here in the post-post-music days of 2018
***
Why it took so long to get I don't know (actually I do know...y'see I thought Bell himself was gonna send me a copy!) but now that I have it I can enjoy repeated spins of this Cleveland underground first-waver's brighter moments even if I'm confused as to the origins and whys and wherefores of it all. Great tracks old (like "Sea Chains" and a whole bunch that originated during Bell's Mirrors sojourn) and new (which in this case means Saucers onward) are perfect for those of you who've been in on that whole late-sixties sophisticado rock cum pop as the Universal Musical Language for the past fortysome years...and don't regret it one bit. Good straight-ahead sounds here even if it does lack the WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT meets FUNHOUSE atonality that Rocket From The Tombs were infamous for way back in those rather blurry memory days.
***
Yeah, I know that I'm supposed to hate this album on principal given how the guy who was responsible for it is one of those demigods who is worshiped by people I wouldn't pay to shovel the shit that you have to take from those who give it to you all day. But dang it I just don't if only for the punk purity of the thing, what with the Controllers easing into late-seventies attitude while still holding onto an early-seventies approach, the Flesh Eaters (and Germs) practically inventing El Lay hardcore even though the pupils eventually got it all wrong, U.X.A. doing yet another Amerigan take on X Ray Spex (and better if I do say so myself) and both Negative Trend and the Middle Class not fresh enough to really qualify as anything out of the original. But gosh darn if I still love 'em as much as I do the rest. I have the actual vinyl copy of this somewhere in this heap I call a home, but this burn (available via ebay) is handier even if it, like my original, lacks the lyric sheet (I wonder why???---at least regarding the one missing from my original, eh Brad?!?!).
***
Didn't think it coulda happened (well maybe I did), bu at one time the Good Rats actually put out a hot and pumping-on-all-cylinders live album that not only contains an over-the-speed limit performance but doesn't sound all slick and FM trebley! True at times these Rats might come off too professional for anyone's benefit, but they play hard and mean and can deliver on those high energy jamz about as much as any of the other hard-blare acts of the late seventies (the Dictators come to mind). Good slab of straight ahead rock and even some fusion jamz to make you do a double look and when you're done you too will wonder why these guys never really went anywhere.
***
When you get three musical miscreants like this together you KNOW you're gonna be in for one mighty hunking roar of electronic sound. And that's exactly what turns up on this short but sweet live show featuring Skullflower/Ascension guitarist Jaworzyn teamed up with the infamous Thurston Moore and perhaps even more infamouster Rudolph Grey, each sounding like they're engaged in a wrestling cage match with their guitars winner-take-all! If you're still keen on those early just-post no wave mass of electric guitar wail sounds that came off sooooo exciting and liberating and all at the time (early/mid-eighties), an internet search just might come in handy.
***
These New Zealand Iggyphiles were a whole lot better'n a load of their brethren on the snot circuit if only because THEY KNEW HOW TO STEAL FROM THEIR IDOLS WITH SUAVENESS AND VERVE! Nobody really could capture the whole late-sixties Amerigan ideal to crisp crackling perfection, but the Boys really can get into the whole gestalt of it all in a way that only Rocket From The Tombs and perhaps a smattering of others could succeed with. Especially dug the slowed down remash of "Sister Ray" on "Something to Say" which does reveal some grey matter activation. Sure sounds great, especially when played up against the kind of music that followed!
***
Boy does this one start off crapezoid what with three hippoid rock tracks that remind me of nothing but early-seventies feel sorry for me, I have long hair music. Fortunately things start cooking with the English big beat of the Baroques and (I think) Jack and the Beanstalks. From there on it's a roller coaster ride of cornball moom pitcher themes, teenage British Invasion imitations, sunshine-y pop and grownup lounge music that reminds me of family trips and frequent Holiday Inn stops. Some of the instrumentals that close this thing out have a nice snap to 'em. Unfortunately Bill hadda end it all with yet another 1971-vintage hippie rock thing complete with lyrics that just HAFTA BE fraught with deep introspective meaning and alla that comfy cozy hokum that was so big back then. As if the audience really cared...after all even Nick Tosches said in one of the best things he ever wrote that the folks who went to Madison Square Garden were only there to see George Harrison's nifty hair.
***OOPSIES---I forgot to thank the fine folk who sent me material for this week's post, mainly Bill Shute, P.D. Fadensonnen and Bob Forward! Paul McGarry...sorry sport, but maybe next time!
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