BLOG TO COMM

IN MEMORIAM DAVE MARSH (1947-1947), A BLOG TO COMM ROCK LIST!

Don't feel like writing anything spiffy today so to soothe the savage boobies in us all here's a list of stuff I've been listening to over the past week or two:

Frank Lowe-FRESH CD (Black Lion)

Time-BEFORE THERE WAS...TIME CD (Normal, Germany...scroll down to the picture of the pretty lady for a review!)

Les Rallizes Denudes-STUDIO AND SOUNDBOARD 10-CD SET (box one)

Fripp & Eno-NO PUSSYFOOTING CD (Editions EG)

Alan Sondheim-RITUAL-ALL-7-70 and T'OTHER LITTLE TUNE CDs (ZYX/ESP, Germany), in order to compliment the recently released CD entitled THE SONGS reviewed here.

Harmonia-MUSIK VON HARMONIA and DELUXE CDs (Brain, Germany)

The Byrds-PREFLYTE CD (Poptones, England)

LOWELL DAVIDSON TRIO (ZYX/ESP, Germany)

Jackalope-SALTIER THAN EVER CD (Challenge)

Michael Gregory Jackson-CLARITY CD (ZYX/ESP, Germany)

And while I'm at it...JUST WHAT YOU'VE WANTED, some reviews of a couple old fanzines I just came across, and not "on"!

SQUA-TRONT #1, September 1967

AAARRRGGGHHHH, another EC cover swipe! haven't we had more'n enough of those throughout the seventies and eighties awlready??? Well, considering the debut issue of this well-loved EC fanzine came out wayback in '67 before everybody and his closet lover began jumping on the EC bandwagon I guess I should congratulate rather'n condemn the editorial staff of this above-par read for being one of the first to use an EC comic cover graphic on their very own fan publication! Really nice effort from these up-from-nowheres as well from the color cover and offset printjob, and though the stories included therein (such as an iffy sci-fi/horror comic "in the tradition" plus news on those EC artists of yore) ain't anything new or exciting to people in on the EC game since their own pube-sprouting days I gotta hand it to these nascent fanzooners for pulling off an EC tribute that didn't come off like crudsville or get tangled up in endless reams of narcissic nabobisms to boot. A pure winner that undoubtedly tops your neophyte efforts, you so above-it-all blogging neanderthal you!

THE ROCK MARKETPLACE #6, July 1974

Alan Betrock's great post-JAMZ/pre-NEW YORK ROCKER fanzine which, besides bridging the former's history-obsessive British rock outlook with the latter's wonderment with local things-to-come, also had all of those interesting set-sale and auction lists that GOLDMINE would sucker precious dollars outta you for in those pre-ebay days. And true, we've read about Jan and Dean, Ronnie Specter and John's Children before and in much greater depth, but it's always nice to read about 'em again just as a refresher course especially if you have a mind like a sieve like me. However, it's those now 33-year-old lists that open my eyes. It's great reading things like noted Cleveland underground maverick Brian Sands' auction where not only could you score rare Bizarre-era Zappa single sides for mere pennies at that but you could see what your fave rave is on the lookout for, mainly Tiny Tim's latest single, Monti Rock II discs, DALI IN VENICE, McCartney's RAM promo album and of course any records related to none other than Kim Fowley! And if that don't get you, maybe Nick Tosches' printed matter auction will, which was offering old NEW HAVEN ROCK PRESS back issues and a myriad asst. of CREEMs for pretty low minimum bids, not to mention the first (and probably only) issue of Tosches' own ZOOT for at least one buck. So I guess that issue does exist after all, though where are all of the copies today???? What's even more surprising is Crescenzo Capece's auction, which amidst the usual record rarities of the day was also offering for us gonz-starved fanzine fanablas the THIRD issue of his CRETINOUS CONTENTIONS fanzine for a mere 40 centavos, and frankly that's one more issue than I knew existed (as is evidenced by my article in BLACK TO COMM #25 a few years back). What I wanna know is, why didn't any of you wizenheimers tip me off about it???

(And while we're talking about fanzines, did that Chicago-based rag called PREHENSILE TONGUE that Claire Panke wrote about in the letters section ever see the light of day? It sounds pretty cool, considering how it was gonna feature stories on all those acts the "legit" Chicago media ignores like the Dolls, Stooges, Pink Fairies, Pagliaro [threw that one in for you, Jim!], Blue Oyster Cult, Roxy Music, Sparks, Queen and Genesis...how'd those last two get in there??? Oh well, it still sounds like a boss rock read to me! If any of you readers have any information [or copies], you know whadda do, and make that FIRST CLASS while yeraddit!)