BLOG TO COMM

Don't worry, I hear Charlie Sheen's signed up for the next one!

"You'll be der hit of der bund midt dis luger, you
little schnitzel you!"

Since I already vented my hatred 'n anger for many an aspect of the Holiday Season here, I thought that maybe these cute li'l illustrations would kinda relay to you just what kinda Ecchs-mas spirit I'm going through as I type these very words. The A. Wyatt Mann/Nick Bougas cartoon on the left's an oldie but still goodie...funny thing, but this guy's probably the only humorist as of late (and "of late" for me can span upwards of ninety years!) who can get me rolling on the floors with his way over-the-top work which really says something (something that perhaps doesn't exactly place me in a favorable light, but then again has anything ever???). But man, I'm still laughing over his nude Andrea Dworkin originally printed in ANSWER ME and if you haven't erupted in hefty har-har's over that then mister, you don't know what funny IS!!! And of course there's the snap of ol' Adolf (or "Addie" as Don Fellman affectionately refers to him) handing out presents to der jungen just like some good natured old uncle we all used to know and love. Sheesh, who amongst us woulda ever thought that this oft-reviled guy could be so warm 'n generous anyway??? Kinda makes ya wanna re-think the past hunnerd or so years of history seein' him actin' so nice 'n friendly, y'know? Maybe it all just was just a sad conflict of nervous systems and der Fuehrer actually was just a misunderstood fellow like all of us who just got a little bit rambunctious... (And anyway, next to some of the shenanigans that Winston Churchill and FDR were pullin' it ain't like anybody should be out there casting aspersions especially in these nice 'n cozy-wozy times!)

"C'mon Jesse, how big iss it???"

Well, now that I got the golly gee goodwill crap outta the way here's this week's bevy of bountiful beauties for you to osmose through my own superior rockist genes (or something like that!).



Rocket From The Tombs-BLACK RECORD CD-r burn (originally on Fire Records)

I told myself not to buy the thing because I'd only be disappointed in seeing what had become of an uberlegend, and thankfully I didn't! Y'see, Paul McGarry burned a copy for me so I didn't have to dish out any of my filthy lucre, and I'm actually GLAD he did...y'see, BLACK RECORD is a good album...in fact perhaps it's very good and even better'n BARFLY and the first ROCKET REDUX reunion effort that had Crocus Behemoth singing the entire platter through his nostrils, and although he does plenty of nose-singing here this one actually affected me in a positive way!

And I mean "affected" as in this coulda been a great mid-eighties reunion effort that woulda brightened up the dank atmosphere back then. It sure brightens things up here now, what with the total eruption post-Detroit heavy metal (see last week!) style and approach. The new material is grand in its own post-sixties garage band era of hits way, the cover of "Strychnine" not as hot as the Electric/Eclectic Eels but still savvy, and not only that but the new version of "Sonic Reducer" sure beats its original appearance on REDUX, a platter which in retrospect sounded like a quickie run through cash in onna brand name worth raking the bucks in on. Here "Sonic"'s got a deep hard groove and might as well have been a 1974 Stooges showstopper the way it roars all over your average Doobie Brothers fan like one of Don Martin's out of control steamrollers.

Craig Bell's "Read It And Weep"'s got the late-sixties punk approach all tied up as well. Somehow I keep thinking Aerosmith for some reason, but if that act could only sound this together. Way better'n expected and for that I'm glad...all that's needed at this point in corralling Charlie Wiener into the fold and resurrecting some of those comedy routines that have unfortunately been lost to time. And if you'll do this for us Crocus there's one thing I will do, and that's PROMISE TO LAUGH!

***

THE DICTATORS GO GIRL CRAZY 40th ANNIVERSARY REMASTERED & EXPANDED EDITION CD (Epic)

Sheesh, I'm sure glad I held out for this special edition of ONE OF THE BESTEST ALBUMS TO HAVE EVER MADE ITS WAY OUTTA THE MID-SEVENTIES 'stead of just picked up the standard old reissue way back when! Of course I'm STOOPID because I didn't wait for the SUPER DUPER DELUXE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY EDITION that's undoubtedly gonna make its way to our mailboxes ten years from now complete with even more funtime archival digs 'n reminiscences! But man-oh-Manitoba does this album really perk up the lobes even this far down the line what with the mighty thud rock (more reminiscent of the late-sixties punkstravaganza than the metallic pop of the day) coupled with some of the funniest lyrics ever laid down to vinyl.

Like alla our faves THE DICTATORS GO GIRL CRAZY captures the mid-Amerigan suburban slob credo better'n the glam competition of the day ever did (unless you were one of those kids who used to sneak into sis's room and try on her nylons), and besides all of those ADDED BONUS TRACKS really make this more'n just the 99-cent bin picker upper that made your day back 1979 way. If your soul and spirit leans more towards classic UHF tee-vee,"cheap plastic junk" passing for toys, toe fungus and cheeseburgers, man you know where your loyalties lie!

***

Teenage Jesus and the Jerks-LIVE 1977-1979 CD (Other People, England)

Yup it's another Teenage Jesus collection, and as far as I can tell this one is a pretty chock-fulla thing at least if you count whatever live tapes there are of these guys extant. Weasel Walter sez that there is more that just didn't make the cut, but unless ya wanna be a GLUTTON this will soothe you until the even newer version of this makes its way to our abodes in 2039 (and you know it will!---see Dics review directly above for a similar remark re. the constant re-packaging and fixing up of archival digs such as these). Classic live versions of our faves as well as a newie or two including an instrumental which actually has a rhumba beat you can dance to! And hey, if you were one who was in on the entire no wave game ever since it first bleated its way off the stages of Max's way back when well, that feeling ya got int yer chest is just a li'l tad o' personal satisfaction 'n pride! Nothing to be ashamed about, bwah!

***

BADABOUM LP (Bruit Direct Disques, France)

Freaky monster movie organ permeates this release which somehow has an odd (if not unexpected) tinge of European progressive rock to it. The better stuff mind you as in RIO or kraut, not the kind I mentioned in last week's Zenith Effluveum writeup. At times it sounds like Kleenex singing with King Crimson backing or something equally incongruous, but even an anti-prog type like I will admit that it made for a pretty hotcha listening experience that lacked the overwrought schmooze that could affect both early-eighties "post punk" acts as well as mid-seventies progressive music. Yet another outta nowhere surprise courtesy of Bruit Direct Disques.

***

David Peel and Death-KING OF PUNK LP (Hozac Records)

Leave it to the fine folk at Hozac to re-release this particular slab of craziness courtesy of none other than the Lower East Side showman himself David Peel. A cash-in on then-current trends to some, in actuality there ain't that much difference between the kinda blare that Peel had been doing for Elektra and Apple.  If you were one of the few who went really hog-wild for those well then, you'll be a nut not to pass this one up. Heavy cursing, local group name dropping (even the Shirts!?!?!?) and primitive chord churgling's what's in store, all done up with the same cheap electric guitar and closeout sale drums that graced  the guy's AMERICAN REVOLUTION platter. And if you hadda hide that one from the fambly well then mister, you better hide THIS one as well!

***

The Typhoons-JUST LIKE THE BEATLES CD-r burn (originally on International Records, Italy)

From the look and sound of it I thought this was gonna be yet another one of those quickie Beatlesploitation platters that was aimed at the supermarket record bins of Ameriga. How wrong I was, for this platter was actually a Beatlesploitation album aimed at the supermarket record bins of ITALY! It woulda made a big splash here as well, but at least after all these years we all can get to hear this album which sounds about as good/bad as those Pickwick/Design things that Lou Reed used to work on. A good encapsulation of the mid-sixties pop zeitgeist, at least from the vantage point of kids who could only afford the cheap knockoffs and hadda listen to the real thing onna radio only the parents didn't want 'em listening to the real thing or the cheap knockoff (Beethoven rules the roost!) so ya know they were getting screwed both ways!

***

The Nutty Squirrels-A HARD DAY'S NIGHT CD-r burn (originally on MGM)

And while we're talking about Beatle rip offs---it would have been an obvious move for the Nutty Squirrels to take the Alvin route and do their own Beatles album, and even I gotta admit that those rodents did a pretty good job of it even w/o the slicker technowhiz of Ross Bagsadarian and crew. The Squirrels do have a little trouble hitting those high notes which you think woulda been easy for these guys, but otherwise can you think up a better encapsulation of the boffo mid-sixties era which in many ways was the proverbial bridge between early-sixties suburban slob-oriented energetic fun and late-sixties hippie trips??? Not me, bub.

***

Various Artists-PROUD PHILLY NIGHTMARE WHISTLER CD-r burn (Bill Shute)

The Christmas (and after Christmas sales) jingles do fit in with the holidays true, and Jimmy Elledge doing "Bo Diddley" sounds better'n Brooke Brown's lounge take on "Proud Mary" which maybe ain't sayin' much. The "Alfred & Dorothy" recording where youyouYOU get to act with Fernando Lamas predates Monty Python's "Be a Great Actor" skit by a good twennysome years, while the Professionals here ain't the post-Sex Pistols band but a pop act you'll probably loathe but that's your poor opinion (and Brand X ain't Phil Collins' sideshow either though the Supremes are the same group undoubtedly post-Diana!). Elvis at Lake Tahoe channels his early self on "Trying To Get To You" and the Eisenhower trib'll make more'n your arm salute! Of course I didn't even tell you about Norma Dragoo or the Tikis let alone the snattily-named Dick Hyman for that matter. BAD NEWS DEPARTMENT: while opening the package Bill sent this 'un in I accidentally scored the edge of this disque which is why it breaks and chops up during the second Supremes track. Oh well, guess now I'll NEVER get to hear "Journey Through a Thousand Meditations Part 9"!