Nice seein' all three of you reg'lar BLOG TO COMM readers back here again! Hope your week was as much fun and as resensifying as mine most certainly was...had a mahvelous time just actin' my lazy suburban slob self spendin' my ever-dwindlin' free time inna bedroom reading various comic collections both old and new (some of the latter to be reviewed on this very blog) while listening to sounds also both old and new that were mostly sent my way courtesy of the likes of Bill Shute, Paul McGarry and P.D. Fadensonnen. Of course yet another heaping big thanks to them for hey, it's their gratitude and largess (as opposed to my large ass) that keeps this blog floatin'. And because of their generosity I didn't even have to burrow deep into my record and Cee-Dee (not to mention cassette) collection ONCE this year which is something that I must admit I hated to even think of doing during those cold winter months because like, I keep my platters inna basement and boy can that place get chilly!
Well, at least Sanders sez he's gonna stick it out until the convention and who knows, maybe Hillary will have a major menopausal fit in the meantime rendering her totally incapacitated to continue on let alone take office. Highly unlikely though...I mean look at all of the incapacitated presidents we've had for the last two-hundred years which only goes to prove to ya that even with his skull blown to bits JFK might have continued on as a competent prez for at least until the end of his term!
Lobby Loyde-COMPENDIUM DISC 1; EARLY GROUPS/EARLY BALLS CD-r burn
The first of the Fadensonnen Loyde collections, this 'un covers the early days of this Australian legend's bitter struggles with not only the Purple Hearts EP but a slew of Wild Cherries and Coloured Balls to contend with. Gotta say that these inital Loyde trackings weren't as all-out high energy as I thought they would be what with those Detroit rock comparisons (though most of it came close enough to mid-sixties English rock specifications). but the Coloured Balls had enough early heavy metal thrust that makes me wish, had this only gotten out of Australia, that they had some cheerleaders in the rock fanzine mafia of the seventies here in the US of Whoa. Some pretty resensifyin' stuff goin' on in these grooves like the instrumental rave fave "G.O.D." and even a cover of "Song For Jeffrey" from the first Jethro Tull album (which I understand some of the Electric Eels swear by, so it's got to be good!) if you can believe that!
Bryan Ferry-AVONMORE CD-r burn (originally on Sony)
Yeah, it sure is a long way from "Remake/Remodel" to this, but then again what else could anybody who's been in on the Bryan Ferry game these past few decades expect?
Gotta admit that I'm one chappie who hasn't been following the Ferry/Roxy route the same way I'm sure some of you readers have, but given how the guy still holds onto that Bogart image even this late inna game was it like I was really missing out on anything?
Lush electronic Euro-pop that conjures up images of dinner jackets, lit cigarettes dangling from jaded lips and gals in luxurious evening dresses and spiffy bouffant 'dos. Even includes a particularly luxurious version of the Judy Collins late-seventies AM schmoozer "Send in the Clowns" (ain't as good as the one Jerry Lewis sang on the SONNY AND CHER show but hey, I ain't complainin'!).
But why oh why do I have the sudden craving for pork chops and apple sauce after givin' this 'un a listen, schweetheart?
LES BAXTER'S TEEN DRUMS CD-r burn (originally on Capitol)
Long before Amon Duul I got into the act teenagers were bangin' on congas, tambourines and whatever they could get their acne'd hands on. On this particular platter they (or at least I assume the well-scrubbed specimens on the cover) are boppin' the bongos to none other than hi-fi nut hero Les Baxter's grown-up-oriented sounds that once again brings out the workaday schmoe circa 1961 lazing about inna den feeling that I sure wish was prevalent here in the jaded 'teens. It's too bad that the entire genre hadda evaporate along with the listening audience who just ain't around anymore, but I will say that it was stuff like this that really knew how to put the hair on your chest, and I don't mean you wimmen either!
Clancy-SERIOUSLY SPEAKING CD-r burn (originally on Warner Brothers)
Considering the presence of the legendary Ernie Graham in Clancy's lineup I was thinkin' this to be one of those mildly pleasing mid-seventies pub rock platters that continue to wow 'n amaze even forty years down the pike. Well, once in awhile I don't quite sniff 'em out like with this 'un, and frankly I thought Clancy was such a snoozeroonie that I was kinda living under the delusion that Warners had somehow got this 'un mixed up with some unreleased Doobie Brothers demos. A muscular boy as Peter Noone woulda said, unless you're still missing the Laurel Canyon coke 'n karma mindset that somehow hoodwinked an entire generation of people who should have engaged in retroactive eugenics smack dab off the highest cliff their spiritual advisers could point 'em at.
Surprieze-ZEER OUDE KLANKEN EN HEEL NEUWE GELIUDEN CD-r burn
As far as freakazoid out-there early-seventies mainland Euro platters go ZEER OUDE KLANKEN EN HEEL NEUWE GELIUDEN isn't quite the messterpiece that those Futura albums let alone Amon Duul I were, but this Dutch treat is pretty good in itself. Three-string electric guitar and whacked out singer (accompanied by, at various times, flute, violin, drums and bagpipes) evoke the spirit of early-seventies Beefheart on a spree of blues, rock and downright punkian concerns that should dig into the souls of various people who were spinning fringe music throughout the eighties. There must have been hundreds of acts like this sprouting up across the globe at this time yet only a few have had the pleasure of putting their sounds to wax. So like, you know what to do now already, right?
Various Artists-MIRIAM LINNA'S RECORD COLLECTION CD-r burn (originally on Gyro)
These recent compilations built upon a certain theme (such as Kris Needs' various DIRTY WATER collections) have been interesting if only to collect certain tracks in a variety of thematic ways, but this one really does take the cake! And it's one with lots of gooey icing and a flower or two to really get the blood sugar level up! Yes, none other than rock 'n roll sweetheart Miriam Linna is the theme of this 'un which I guess is a gathering of personal fave rave numbers, and all I gotta say is WHAT A SOO-PRIZE!
At one time I thought Miriam's record collection would have contained nothing but old garageabilly stompers recorded in Aunt Mabel's living room back '59 way, but this disque contains nada but luxurious pop/rock musings dating from '63 (Bobby Darin's surprisingly downbeat and slow burn "Not For Me") to '90 (the Klick, whoever they may be!) which seems to be Miriam's big thing these days considering the tone and demeanor of her two solo albums. And although none of these numbers were hits as far as I know they all have a nice mid-sixties (even the Ramones track!) pop lilt to 'em that conjures up carpool trips to and from school more'n anything. As far as these gatherings go it did fit in swell with my own afternoon day off lollygagging which had me fantasizing that I was eight again and trying to cool my heels between lunchtime and the afternoon cartoons. Thanks a lot Miriam!
The James Gang-YER ALBUM CD-r burn (originally on Bluesway ABC)
It may be yer album, but it sure ain't mine! Not that I particularly wanted to tinkle sprinkle on this particular offering, but the whiteboy bloozy approach and mere presence of Joe Walsh is enough to make me yearn for the sweeter strains of Throbbing Gristle. Although not as pungent as they would get within a few years, the denim and fringe of the whole seventies/eighties AM gunch that ruined life for more people'n myself can be strongly detected. And not only that, but the little orchestral touches between the tracks (part of the avant garde dabbling that was so popular at the time) only makes the knife-twisting a little more painful. And to think that there were people buying albums like this when the Stooges' first platter came out!
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE HOLLYWOOD BRATS CD-r burn (originally on Sonet, Sweden)
As far as New York Dolls ripoffs go the Hollywood Brats were about as good as the Magic Tramps or the Frenchies or even alla those other groups that had "Brats" in their moniker. As far as Rolling Stones ripoffs go they were about as good as the seventies version of that act could get which is always open to discussion. Nothing spectacular here (no real moves to transcend the usual straight ahead rock doldrums are made) but it sure feels good on the ears after being inundated with the usual sounds ya get to hear these days whether you want to or not. While I'm at it, when is that new Magic Tramps collection gonna finally make its way to our doors anyway??? 've been waiting for a longer time than any of you could imagine.
Various Artists-NO MORE MYSTIFY TODDY CD-r burn (Bill Shute)
A bizzarity here, but a good bizzarity at that. Mostly sixties-era garage band thunpers, althoughthe ranch house mood is distracted by the appearance of Red Foley's pro-booze fave "Hot Toddy" right smack inna middle of it all and while it does disrupt the proceedings somewhat it's still a wowzer to make your way through. The garagier portion of the proceedings are snat too, what with a variety of tracks by the Stonemen (who do a song called 6X9 which I think is a lumber term) and the Petrified Forest, a bunch who really knew how to plagiarize the Rolling Stones just as much as every other group trying to write an original song way back when. And although the Rumblers' "It's a Gas" ain't the Alfred E. Neuman hit I thought it would be I must admit that I found disque opener "No More" by Kri-Babe (on the "Boo Hoo" label) extremely great what with the singer who I assume is Kri himself sniffin' and blubberin' his way through this tale of lost gal woe. I dunno about you but I sure coulda used an entire platter full of his wah-wahing and I'm sure you could too. Crypt Records, why you sleeping onna job?!?!?!?
***I guess you want me to drop a few words here regarding the recent passing of the human being formerly known as Prince. Well, what else could I say (or would you expect me to say) but glad to see him go! A big FIE ON THEE is all you'll get from me for being one of many who helped ruin the concept of rock 'n roll as that bare-wired intense form of teenbo communication making it just more product to be sold like melons at Cash Market. Not to mention the fact that this guy pretty much took once-crazed rock abstractions (a la Marc Bolan poetry and fun glitz) and coochified it for a new numb eighties musical vocabulary that really brought out the rock 'n roll rebel in me! Thinking back to those eighties days of MTV and the horrid music that creation spawned all I can say is (to be my usual trite self about it) Prince's death came about thirty years too late and the sooner his memory along with the rest of the offal that decade produced (Mad Donna, Cyndi Clopper, Bruce Springding...) decays along with his fetid corpse the better! It sure in nice channeling the feeling and spirit of those early issues of my crudzine the way I just did I'll tell ya!
***Y'know, I really hate to see the candidacy of Bernie Sanders whirlpool into the nada that, face it, we all knew it would become eventually but hoped would drag on for a much longer time than it has. Not that I agree with a good portion of Mr. Sanders' sociopolitical ideals and general whooziz but sheesh, the guy seemed like the kinda undermench who could actually make the Democratic machine pop a few fuses that need a good poppin' especially these days. And besides that he sure comes off a whole lot more honest and upfront than the entire chuggin' on Clinton dynasty which is so corrupt that even extra-marital hanky panky comes off dour in their image! But (to be non-serious for once), I gotta admit that all of those "Bernie" signs that have popped up on lawns across the tri-county area do nothing but get me thinking of the "Fun Girls" from THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW who used to give Andy and Barney/"Bernie" so much trouble every time they sped their way into Mayberry!
Well, at least Sanders sez he's gonna stick it out until the convention and who knows, maybe Hillary will have a major menopausal fit in the meantime rendering her totally incapacitated to continue on let alone take office. Highly unlikely though...I mean look at all of the incapacitated presidents we've had for the last two-hundred years which only goes to prove to ya that even with his skull blown to bits JFK might have continued on as a competent prez for at least until the end of his term!
***Dunno about you (and frankly don't care), but this li'l spoof had me laughing all the way from Bizoo and back!:
Before we get to them meaty potatoes, here's a little bitta rock 'n roll history oft-mentioned, oft-cut up and re-used in documentaries but rarely if ever seen in its entirety. Yes, the infamous CBS EVENING NEWS "human interest" capper on "The Making of an Underground Film", featuring the likes of Jonas Mekas, Ron Rice, Stan Brackhage, Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick and the Velvet Underground originally broadcast on December 31, 1965! And knowing you, you were probably watching cartoons on the other station to which I say...eh, that's good too!***
***Now that we've gotten the socially redeeming portion of this post outta the way, on with the reviews!
The first of the Fadensonnen Loyde collections, this 'un covers the early days of this Australian legend's bitter struggles with not only the Purple Hearts EP but a slew of Wild Cherries and Coloured Balls to contend with. Gotta say that these inital Loyde trackings weren't as all-out high energy as I thought they would be what with those Detroit rock comparisons (though most of it came close enough to mid-sixties English rock specifications). but the Coloured Balls had enough early heavy metal thrust that makes me wish, had this only gotten out of Australia, that they had some cheerleaders in the rock fanzine mafia of the seventies here in the US of Whoa. Some pretty resensifyin' stuff goin' on in these grooves like the instrumental rave fave "G.O.D." and even a cover of "Song For Jeffrey" from the first Jethro Tull album (which I understand some of the Electric Eels swear by, so it's got to be good!) if you can believe that!
***
Yeah, it sure is a long way from "Remake/Remodel" to this, but then again what else could anybody who's been in on the Bryan Ferry game these past few decades expect?
Gotta admit that I'm one chappie who hasn't been following the Ferry/Roxy route the same way I'm sure some of you readers have, but given how the guy still holds onto that Bogart image even this late inna game was it like I was really missing out on anything?
Lush electronic Euro-pop that conjures up images of dinner jackets, lit cigarettes dangling from jaded lips and gals in luxurious evening dresses and spiffy bouffant 'dos. Even includes a particularly luxurious version of the Judy Collins late-seventies AM schmoozer "Send in the Clowns" (ain't as good as the one Jerry Lewis sang on the SONNY AND CHER show but hey, I ain't complainin'!).
But why oh why do I have the sudden craving for pork chops and apple sauce after givin' this 'un a listen, schweetheart?
***
Long before Amon Duul I got into the act teenagers were bangin' on congas, tambourines and whatever they could get their acne'd hands on. On this particular platter they (or at least I assume the well-scrubbed specimens on the cover) are boppin' the bongos to none other than hi-fi nut hero Les Baxter's grown-up-oriented sounds that once again brings out the workaday schmoe circa 1961 lazing about inna den feeling that I sure wish was prevalent here in the jaded 'teens. It's too bad that the entire genre hadda evaporate along with the listening audience who just ain't around anymore, but I will say that it was stuff like this that really knew how to put the hair on your chest, and I don't mean you wimmen either!
***
Considering the presence of the legendary Ernie Graham in Clancy's lineup I was thinkin' this to be one of those mildly pleasing mid-seventies pub rock platters that continue to wow 'n amaze even forty years down the pike. Well, once in awhile I don't quite sniff 'em out like with this 'un, and frankly I thought Clancy was such a snoozeroonie that I was kinda living under the delusion that Warners had somehow got this 'un mixed up with some unreleased Doobie Brothers demos. A muscular boy as Peter Noone woulda said, unless you're still missing the Laurel Canyon coke 'n karma mindset that somehow hoodwinked an entire generation of people who should have engaged in retroactive eugenics smack dab off the highest cliff their spiritual advisers could point 'em at.
***
As far as freakazoid out-there early-seventies mainland Euro platters go ZEER OUDE KLANKEN EN HEEL NEUWE GELIUDEN isn't quite the messterpiece that those Futura albums let alone Amon Duul I were, but this Dutch treat is pretty good in itself. Three-string electric guitar and whacked out singer (accompanied by, at various times, flute, violin, drums and bagpipes) evoke the spirit of early-seventies Beefheart on a spree of blues, rock and downright punkian concerns that should dig into the souls of various people who were spinning fringe music throughout the eighties. There must have been hundreds of acts like this sprouting up across the globe at this time yet only a few have had the pleasure of putting their sounds to wax. So like, you know what to do now already, right?
***
These recent compilations built upon a certain theme (such as Kris Needs' various DIRTY WATER collections) have been interesting if only to collect certain tracks in a variety of thematic ways, but this one really does take the cake! And it's one with lots of gooey icing and a flower or two to really get the blood sugar level up! Yes, none other than rock 'n roll sweetheart Miriam Linna is the theme of this 'un which I guess is a gathering of personal fave rave numbers, and all I gotta say is WHAT A SOO-PRIZE!
At one time I thought Miriam's record collection would have contained nothing but old garageabilly stompers recorded in Aunt Mabel's living room back '59 way, but this disque contains nada but luxurious pop/rock musings dating from '63 (Bobby Darin's surprisingly downbeat and slow burn "Not For Me") to '90 (the Klick, whoever they may be!) which seems to be Miriam's big thing these days considering the tone and demeanor of her two solo albums. And although none of these numbers were hits as far as I know they all have a nice mid-sixties (even the Ramones track!) pop lilt to 'em that conjures up carpool trips to and from school more'n anything. As far as these gatherings go it did fit in swell with my own afternoon day off lollygagging which had me fantasizing that I was eight again and trying to cool my heels between lunchtime and the afternoon cartoons. Thanks a lot Miriam!
***
It may be yer album, but it sure ain't mine! Not that I particularly wanted to tinkle sprinkle on this particular offering, but the whiteboy bloozy approach and mere presence of Joe Walsh is enough to make me yearn for the sweeter strains of Throbbing Gristle. Although not as pungent as they would get within a few years, the denim and fringe of the whole seventies/eighties AM gunch that ruined life for more people'n myself can be strongly detected. And not only that, but the little orchestral touches between the tracks (part of the avant garde dabbling that was so popular at the time) only makes the knife-twisting a little more painful. And to think that there were people buying albums like this when the Stooges' first platter came out!
***
As far as New York Dolls ripoffs go the Hollywood Brats were about as good as the Magic Tramps or the Frenchies or even alla those other groups that had "Brats" in their moniker. As far as Rolling Stones ripoffs go they were about as good as the seventies version of that act could get which is always open to discussion. Nothing spectacular here (no real moves to transcend the usual straight ahead rock doldrums are made) but it sure feels good on the ears after being inundated with the usual sounds ya get to hear these days whether you want to or not. While I'm at it, when is that new Magic Tramps collection gonna finally make its way to our doors anyway??? 've been waiting for a longer time than any of you could imagine.
***
Various Artists-NO MORE MYSTIFY TODDY CD-r burn (Bill Shute)A bizzarity here, but a good bizzarity at that. Mostly sixties-era garage band thunpers, althoughthe ranch house mood is distracted by the appearance of Red Foley's pro-booze fave "Hot Toddy" right smack inna middle of it all and while it does disrupt the proceedings somewhat it's still a wowzer to make your way through. The garagier portion of the proceedings are snat too, what with a variety of tracks by the Stonemen (who do a song called 6X9 which I think is a lumber term) and the Petrified Forest, a bunch who really knew how to plagiarize the Rolling Stones just as much as every other group trying to write an original song way back when. And although the Rumblers' "It's a Gas" ain't the Alfred E. Neuman hit I thought it would be I must admit that I found disque opener "No More" by Kri-Babe (on the "Boo Hoo" label) extremely great what with the singer who I assume is Kri himself sniffin' and blubberin' his way through this tale of lost gal woe. I dunno about you but I sure coulda used an entire platter full of his wah-wahing and I'm sure you could too. Crypt Records, why you sleeping onna job?!?!?!?
I always had the Hollywood Brats pegged as Dolls clones too, but Andrew Matheson's awesome autobiog, Sick on You reveals that not only is that simply untrue, their story is far more fascinating than I ever dreamed of. I would say more but I don't want to spoil it - you NEED to read this!
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