BLOG TO COMM

I haven't done one of these since my Chinese Gongo quarantine playlist of a few months back, so here's a more recent extracurricular listening pleasure you might or might not want to know about. Besides, these kinda lists sure take up a lotta space and make these posts look jambus-packtus 'n real respectable-like the same way those playlists that would be included in a variety of early-eighties NEW YORK ROCKERs made the letter writers look oh so hip and with it. There are a few repeats from the previous playlist, but what do you expect from a guy who is as LOYAL to his favorite platters as I am? Unfortunately most of these are of a Cee-Dee variety but since my vinyl has been about 99.999...% shipped into storage well, I gotta made do with what I have on hand:

Hawkwind-LIVE 1971 WITH TWINK ON DRUMS cassette tape
Eddie and the Hot Rods-PRE-ISLAND DEMOS 1976/PARIS THEATRE LONDON 1977 cassette tape
Slapp Happy/Henry Cow-DESPERATE STRAIGHTS CD
James Blood Ulmer-ARE YOU GLAD TO BE IN AMERICA? CD
Chrome-HALF MACHINE LIP MOVES/ALIEN SOUNDTRACKS CD
15-60-75-JIMMY BELL'S STILL IN TOWN CD
Human Arts Ensemble-FUNKY DONKEY CD
Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band-LICK MY DECALS OFF, BABY CD
Lizzy Mercier-Descloux-ZULU ROCK CD
Rouge-LIVE 1976 CD
Nico-THE MARBLE INDEX CD
Ornette Coleman-THE EMPTY FOXHOLE CD

Hawkwind-BRING ME THE HEAD OF YURI GAGARIN CD

The Remains-LIVE 1969 CD

Siouxsie and the Banshees-GREYHOUND PUB CROYDON 2.12.1978 cassette tape

Arthur Doyle Plus 4-ALABAMA FEELING CD

Trad Gras Och Stenar-GARDET 12.16.1970 CD

The Shaggs-PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD CD

Iggy and the Stooges-ROUGH POWER CD

John Cale and Terry Riley-CHURCH OF ANTHRAX CD

Patti Smith-FREE MUSIC STORE CD

Eno-BBC SESSIONS 1973-1974 CD

Doug Snyder and Bob Thompson-DAILY DANCE CD

Kevin Ayers-John Cale-Nico-Eno-JUNE 1, 1974 CD

Smegma-MIRAGE CD

Frank Zappa-HOT RATS CD-r burn

Hawkwind-QUARK, STRANGENESS AND CHARM CD

THIRD WORLD WAR CD

International Harvester-HEMET CD

ELEPHANT'S MEMORY LP

Air-AIR RAID CD-r burn

Screamin' Jay Hawkins-I PUT A SPELL ON YOU CD
Thierry Muller-RARE AND UNRELEASED 1974-1984 CD

George Russell-ELECTRONIC SONATA FOR SOULS LOVED BY NATURE CD

Sadistic Mika Band-1974 ONE STEP FESTIVAL CD

John Fahey-THE YELLOW PRINCESS CD

Faust-SOMETHING DIRTY CD

Captain Beefheart-THE EARLY YEARS 1959-1969 CD

Lennon/Ono-ALTERNATIVE TORONTO & MORE CD

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Feelin' kinda woozy and washed out as of late, which I hope doesn't reflect on this blog too much. Don't worry all you BTC-loathers out there, my general despair will show through despite my best efforts to keep a smirk on my face. Things (mainly REAL LIFE) do tend to creep up on ya and knock you for a loop especially when there aren't any loops to be seen within miles, but over alla the years I've been living (if you can call it that) I kinda gotten used to the dank miasma in my own masochistic way I guess. But that doesn't mean that I have to like it.

Still I soldier on, though I do get the big heaping feeling that I'm going to be stepping on a huge landmine any time now. And to the few who know how I feel thanks, but your calls of "jump! jump!" were completely uncalled for

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Better not let my weltschmerz or whatever those stodgy New York types call it get to me, but I do hope you really go for this particularly halfway-there post. Thanks to Bill, Paul and even Feeding Tube recs who slipped a few my way thus saving this 'un from being a total exercise in retro-rock-revisionism. You guys helped make this 'un a li'l better than had I just stuck to reviewing those old Homestead Records promos that keep popping up in the pile.

Because nobody asked, another photo of Mitsuko Aoyama if only to
prove that the reason Japanese women were put on this earth was to
drive white men wild.

Mako Sica/Hamid Drake-OURANIA LP (Feeding Tube Records)

I believe this is the second collaboration twixt the two, and it sure is a pretty snat "takes control of your cranial capacities" effort if I do say so myself. Thought the side-long "Rain" did teeter off into some new age-y images of worlds unexplored and nasty body odor but it worked its way into a pretty cool neo-rockin' new jazz romp as the side progressed. Flipster's even better as a more Oliver Lake-BAG-ish tone seems to intermix with the aethereal tendencies making for a here and now effort that I think really does stand against the usual mulch being passed off as not only jazz,  but music as a whole these days. Remember when you used to listen to music because it made you happy?

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The Good Rats-FROM RATS TO RICHES LP (Radar Records, England)

Not nearly as good as the debut, but still VERY SNAZZ as far as these late-seventies outta-nowhere recs you usedta see all over the place go. The specter of ghastly bar band glop had yet to take over the Maraschino brothers so's you get a hefty slice of good hard pop here, somewhere between 2nd LP Dictators and those post Orchestra Luna "New Luna Band" recordings which showed a whole lotta passion even with the commercial pap mixed in. (This was back when pap was still back-boney enough to produce bubblegum and AM pop that caught your ears in ways no twelve-year-old gal woulda even thunk, I think!) 

Produced by Flo and Eddie who were by then headin' on the train to oldies circuit giggage, and wonder of wonders released on Radar Records who were doing their best to prove (like Stiff) the obvious correlations twixt late-sixties wired teen listening pleasures and late-seventies under-the-woodwork punk unto new unto GNU-wave. 

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La Peste-BETTER OFF LA PESTE CD (Bacchus/Archives/Dionysus Records)

I thought I had this '06 collection in my possession but can't for the death of me find any hide nor hair of any mention or reference to it. Heh, it's a good'un anyway and one of the many great efforts that emanated from the Boston area that serves to show modern-day aficionados of "rock" just how wrong they've been about everything these past fortysome years. Interesting note...track #13 "Spymaster"'s got lyrics that were written by the group's former manager, none other than famed Aquarian Wayne McGuire. 

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The Shadows of Knight-GLORIA LP (Radar Records, England)

Another late-seventies Radar Records wonder, this time one of their sixties punk rock reissues that existed to prove to nimnuls and other rock "experts" that the whole seventies underground wasn't just kaboomed outta thin cloth. (I also bought the Radar reissue of the Thirteenth Floor Elevators' EASTER EVERYWHERE if only because well, I sure wanted not only that'un but the Shadows of Knight platters that were being sold at the ol' Drome but man were they EXPENSIVE...not as expensive as they were to me today but let's just say that now I have about as much closure in life as I'm ever gonna get.)

Pretty neat effort with the cream from both Dunwich albums crammed onto each side respectively making for one pretty packed effort that'll remind ya of what was so exciting about being a teenbo and experiencing these nuggets a good ten years after everyone else had and still turned out to be hippies. Sure the elpee version of "Oh Yeah" sounds pretty restrained next to the single side but that whole extra-energy pounce will have you wishing that time would drag on and we were still wild-eyed kids in a world we for once created for ourselves. And hey, hearing that proto-"Black to Comm" "Gospel Zone" should have you wondering just why the Shadows of Knight weren't sued outta existence for their blatant forgery!

Gotta scour the auction sites for more of these Radar sixties reissues which, come to think of it, were probably way more exciting than the original material that label was releasing back during those sure wanna live 'em over if only MY way days.

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Wanda Jackson-THE PARTY AIN'T OVER CD-r burn (originally on Thirdman Records)

Wanda's by-now decade-old return which should make the hardcore fans 'n followers happy enough but it just sounds like a cash-in before it's too late to me! Not bad though, at least as far as a fifties remnant trying to do good (and pretty good too I will say) this comes off way better'n some of the iffy reshapes and updates various olde tyme rock 'n rollers came up with. Great covers and a few maybe originals combined and if this was only an elpee you'd be finding it at flea markets for the next fiftysome years.

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Frank Lowe-THE OTHER SIDE CD-r burn (originally on Palm Records, France)

Can't believe that I  didn't review this rarity awlready. Oh well, I gotta say that this ain't Lowe at his early "overblowing" best --- y'know, the kinda music that really sandblasted a whole load of your soul the same way Lowe sandblasted his own tenor sax. Still some smart moves here mostly thanks to his backing group consisting of Butch Morris and a coupla guys I'm not that familiar with. If I were you I'd let those great sides like BLACK BEINGS, THE FLAM and DUO EXCHANGE ruminate a whole lot before giving these later-on efforts the attention they sure require.

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Jumpin' Bill Carlisle-BUSY BODY BOOGIE CD-r burn (originally on Bear Family Records, Germany)

This ol' tyme country just ain't my cup o' moonshine as anyone whose read those  Bill burns I've reviewed for the past umpteen years can yell you, but dagnabbit if this particular slice of Grande Ole Somethingorother didn't just help ease me (somewhat) outta my terminal gloom 'n doomness. Naw, it ain't gona save me from my longtime Alan Watts "consider yourself dead so when you do die you have nothing to lose" credo but it was pretty nerve-gangling listening to these rather spry doo-dahs which romp on at a particularly good pace. I find the later-on ones even better when, with the introduction of drums, the tracks take on a pretty steady rock 'n roll pace that has the same rush that one would have  gotten from any sixties effort oft praised on this site. Sorta like the early-seventies Flamin' Groovies returning to their inspirations and getting the whole mess tossed right back at 'em! One you might just wanna beg someone to burn for you too!

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Various Artists-TRIP CHAIR SHYRE PAGE CD-r burn (Bill Shute)

We're comin' down the wire with these Bill burns which is kinda sad, but these platters do keep up the spirit if even for a short while. Nice 'un (if short) featuring a number of stead sixties garage band ruminations from the likes of the Trips and Shyres to Odell Brown doin' some organ jazz that always seems to brighten up the room. Even's got a nice extended avgarde piece from "Chairs" which sounds like what alla those dorm room experimental musician types back inna eighties THOUGHT they were doin'! Even the song-poems courtesy Cara Stewart had a nice tingle to 'em that'll make you snoots forget about laughin' at the rubes like you usually do with these things. Made for perfect Sunday morning sunny day enjoyment and come to think of it this might even work on an imperfect Sunday morning rainy day as well.

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PRICES ARE REDUCED!!!! Well, the prices of aged bananas have been reduced at the local supermarket but the prices of back issues of BLACK TO COMM have remained the same. Well, feel grateful that they haven't gone up because you know, someday they most surely will. Take advantage of some carpe diem and get 'em while I'm still practically givin' the things away! Yeah I know, you can't make banana bread with these!