Are you counting the days until THE BIG ONE??? I sure am...January 20th, the day when the world will become a better place for all of us with the ARRIVAL of the ONLY THING that will rescue us from the quicksand-like miasma we have been suffering from for too long a time. A day when things will definitely look brighter for all of us peons who have been longing for a better future, a reason to live, something to look up to and give us all a reason for GOING ON... Yes, this Friday my latest Forced Exposure order should finally make its way to my door! Just think---now I won't have to rely solely on these Cee-Dee offerings that have been winging their way to my door these past few years...we can now feast ourselves on some FRESH BOOTY for once 'stead of chomp down on them stale donuts I've been writin' about given my lack of general fundz and jamz!!!!!
All funnin' aside here's my latest batch of reviews for youse to peruse. Thanks for this batch must go to Bill Shute, Paul McGarry, P. D. Fadensonnen and last but most least Brad Kohler who gave me the Billy Synth album for Christmas! Good choice you made there Brad, and now on with the schlock...
Billy Synth-WE HAVE GOT TO MAKE IT ON OUR OWN LP (Mind Cure Records)
Here's a guy who's been in on the underground garage-revival-punk-thing since his days with Blue Ice inna seventies, and this collection of old gunch and maybe some newies thrown in for all I know is real boff. Back when bands like the Chocolate Watchband and Seeds seemed like distant mystical rock reference points making music just as desirable as those overpriced imports and underpriced cutouts, Synth and his various groups were creating some mighty monomaniacal sounds that came off like a crash course between the Troggs and the Stooges, with some cheap synthesizer sounds tossed in for pretty good measure.
Great selection including some old faves like "I'm So Sick of It" (two takes!) as well as various rehashings and reframings of everything from the Watchband's "Misty Lane" to the Stooges' "Real Cool Time" all the time coming off like what Metal Urbain shoulda if they were more rooted in 1974 French decarock 'stead of 1976 English musings. Sound quality is upped a bit from those early seven-inch sides in case you care, and the overall effect will remind you of just how great SELF PRODUCED UNDER-THE-GARAGE ROCK used to sound until the eighties glitz washed everything that was good and gnarly outta its way. Best of all, the cover contains an insert featuring notes by none other'n one of my fave rock writers, John "Inzane" Olson, who should be give some sorta award for just being himself I guess. As should many of us I must surmise.
Smoky Emery/Venison Whirled-TURNING INTO CD-r burn (Kendra Steiner Editions)
Played this one twice through last Sunday afternoon and y'know what? TURNING INTO was one of the more relaxing, tension-easing things I've heard since I was a mere turdler and our furnace came on really loud emitting these tones that were somewhat akin to the music Suicide was putting out circa their "Sweet White Lady". It's hard to tell which are the electronics and which are the percussives on these tracks, but the overall effect is one of a massive stream of what sounds like a steel mill trying to set itself to music and the results are so beautiful that I can still recall those wintertime kiddiehood sounds with much happiness. If you don't happen to have a furnace and love the sound of mechanical hum, this is definitely the Cee-Dee to get! (Check blogroll on left for more information too lazy to create a link right now.)
Destroy All Monsters-SECOND CHANCE ANN ARBOR 12-5-77 CD-r burn
Yeah this 'un's a typical hand-held cassette recording complete with all of the distortion and hiss that is common to such things. But frankly my dear, did you ever give a damn? Destroy All Monsters were perhaps the best second generation high energy Detroit band and they would still sound pretty hot even if they were recorded by Thomas Edison on a wax cylinder! Heavy duty (and heavy metal---in the classic 1971 CREEM sense) rock 'n roll blasted out into full-blown space music fury complete with the cream of the Stooges (Ron Asheton), MC5 (Michael Davis), Sproton Layer (the Miller Brothers), Rob King and of course the beauteous Niagara fronting the whole thing kinda like in them paintings where Liberty leads those angry hordes into battle, usually with sword in hand an one boob just handily hanging out there.
Ornette Coleman Quartet-SHELLY'S MANNE HOLE 1968 CD-r burn
Ornette Coleman must've been a busy man back '68 way not only with a slew of pretty top notch platters both legit and not---check out the Italian bootleg---but a concert with Yoko Ono that I'm surprised hasn't been released yet (the reel to reels were sold via ebay in 2000). And lo and behold, this particular gig from that year has finally made its way out...recorded at jazz drummer Shelly Manne's club (he being a guy who would know, he appearing on Coleman's 1959 TOMORROW IS THE QUESTION album), Coleman and his '68 quartet blare through some mighty fine slow-burn free jazz that fits in fine with your own sense of atonal bliss. Coleman plays alto, trumpet and violin while Ed Blackwell handles percussion and the team of Charlie Haden and David Izenzon handle bass viol, the results being headier than even what was appearing on Coleman's legit platters at the time. Don't miss the early take of "Dancing in Your Head" which tended to pop up more often than not as the seventies began to move into gear.
Peter Laughner-THE ANN ARBOR TAPES CD-r burn
I must be the last Laughnermaniac to have heard this particular session. Dunno the exact whys and wherefores of this recording, but it was laid down with the assistance of personal friend Don Harvey on harmonium and bass guitar and was recorded in Ann Arbor, perhaps during some secret CREEM meeting with Lester Bangs. The selection performed also belie a 1976 date what with the appearance of such New York rockers as "Blank Generation" and "Venus de Milo" as well as some kind words regarding Talking Heads bass guitarist Tina Weymouth. If you're a fan of the acoustic Laughner these songs will come in mighty handy even if there are only two originals in the set including the once-elusive "Amphetamine" and the not as haunting as the one he did right before he died but haunting enough "Dead Letter Zone". Be on the lookout for some Mr. Charlie that's also available for free via. Harvey himself on-line.
Von Lmo-LIVE AT THE GRAND NYC 6-8-1994 CD-r burn
Short but oh-so-sweet twenty minute segment of a Von Lmo concert dating to his grand return to performing (and Earth) back '94 way. Sound is fantab considering that this was probably recorded on a then state-of-the-art tape machine, and the performance straight ahead heavy metal in the classic seventies vein that was a bit "out of place" at the time, but so what! Once again Lmo and crew take you to the higher reaches of rock that somehow seemed to get lost in the shuffle, and fans of FUTURE LANGUAGE are bound not to be disappointed. Too bad that this version of the Lmo group never did get to put an album out, because judging from these tracks I'm sure it woulda been one of those winners that most people on earth (including you) would have ignored.
Colin Pollock-THREE CHERRIES RED CD-r burn (originally on Colin Pollock)
More a dat bloozy white guy stuff that probably won't settle well with "purists" but hey, if you went for a whole slewwa that bloozy white guy stuff inna past you just might go for this as well. As for me I find that these endeavors can get to sounding kinda too slick for my own personal digestion but hey, maybe you can get some satisfaction outta this if you're one of those new blooze kinda guys I've seen out and about wearing leather jackets trying to osmose the whole seedy atmosphere of it all. Of course you already know where to go in case you'd like to experience some of the original hard urban sounds from whence these revivalists got their inspiration from, right?
Jooklo Duo meet John Blum-LIVE @ WFMU CD-r burn
Most if not all of these recent free jazz recordings I've heard have been pretty disembraining if I do say so myself. This live on the radio set by the Jooklo Duo with pianist John Blum ain't no exception as the team of Virginia Genta on saxophones and David Vanzen on drums do their best to emit pure from the gut soundsacapading while pianist John Blum tinkles the ivories in ways that have been explored before true, but still need to be explored a li'l more if only for the sake of self-immolation (of the spirit that's within ya, if you'll pardon the hippy speak!).
The first thing that rolls through my head while listening to this is the explosive Taylor/Lyons/Murray NEFERTITTI THE BEAUTIFUL ONE HAS COME (or LIVE AT THE CAFE MONTMATRE if you so desire) given the similar instrumental line up. Blum doesn't have the classical qualities of Taylor true, but the trio still scrape enough free jazz muster outta their wares playing in the grand all over the place tradition that still sounds too far our for Mr. and Mrs. Front Porch even this far down the line! Like the best of the avant garde this is totally spontaneous play that continues to effect (and affect) fans of the form who still (like me) tend to view jazz from the borders considering how we all came to it from the cacophony of rock 'n roll. Nothing wrong with that, especially if you're the kinda fanabla who eschews the whole bowtie and tux aspects of the form, eh?
If you just might be interested in hearing this nice li'l soiree, why don't you just click here and be prepared to be taken away just like they used to say about Calgon.
Gary Usher-HOT ROD USA CD-r burn
Dunno if it's one of those no-holds-barred complete sorta jobs, but it's still a good sampling of some of Usher's rarer solo, production and whatnot work that you probably never heard about before. No liner notes here to guide me, but from the sounds of it this does pack the proverbial punch what with not only a slew of singles under Usher's name proper but a whole batch of work done by acts well known (the Pyramids, Dave Myers and the Surftones...) as well as those who weren't too well known outside the BOMP! sphere of mid-sixties collecting circles. This one even slips out of the whole surf, motorcycle and hot rod genre on rare occasion giving us yet another side of Usher's pre-Byrds efforts we may or may not have known about. If all you know of Usher's rarities are the tracks on PEBBLES VOLUME 4 then this might be a li'l platter to seek out and who knows, maybe even enjoy.
Various Artists-ASSEMBLE NOT THY HOOKER HIPPIES CD-r burn (Bill Shute)
Hmmm, for a change Bill sent me an ALL REGGAE disque which I must admit is kinda well...reggaeesque 'r something like that. The man is probably embarrassed over the fact that I never really cuddled up to reggae like the best minds of his generation did, mainly because I thought (still do!) that reggae's just too slow and dare-I-say cultured for my rather horse-blindered musical scope! I know itt's hard to believe that I actually consider reggae that far up on the musical ladder, and although I didn't lambaste the form and knew it was something of musical worth 'n all well...I just didn't care for it that much!
Bill's selections here aren't gonna change my way of thinking any day soon but they're sure pretty good as far as giving me a selection of some of the rarer least circulated obscure collector-crazy reggae music that has been made. Or at least I get that impression (after all, I AM not a connoisseur of these sounds). But although I'm not the kinda guy who does cartwheels over reggae I will admit that some of these oom-chukkers did appeal to me the same way some old r&b schmoozer from the early-sixties might have complete with those low-fi recording techniques which always made the music sound better. Nice efforts from the likes of Lee Perry's Upsetters, Roland Alphonso and the Youth amongst other Jamaican jerks. Muscular boy---Neville Grant's cover version of "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me"....sheesh!
All funnin' aside here's my latest batch of reviews for youse to peruse. Thanks for this batch must go to Bill Shute, Paul McGarry, P. D. Fadensonnen and last but most least Brad Kohler who gave me the Billy Synth album for Christmas! Good choice you made there Brad, and now on with the schlock...
Here's a guy who's been in on the underground garage-revival-punk-thing since his days with Blue Ice inna seventies, and this collection of old gunch and maybe some newies thrown in for all I know is real boff. Back when bands like the Chocolate Watchband and Seeds seemed like distant mystical rock reference points making music just as desirable as those overpriced imports and underpriced cutouts, Synth and his various groups were creating some mighty monomaniacal sounds that came off like a crash course between the Troggs and the Stooges, with some cheap synthesizer sounds tossed in for pretty good measure.
Great selection including some old faves like "I'm So Sick of It" (two takes!) as well as various rehashings and reframings of everything from the Watchband's "Misty Lane" to the Stooges' "Real Cool Time" all the time coming off like what Metal Urbain shoulda if they were more rooted in 1974 French decarock 'stead of 1976 English musings. Sound quality is upped a bit from those early seven-inch sides in case you care, and the overall effect will remind you of just how great SELF PRODUCED UNDER-THE-GARAGE ROCK used to sound until the eighties glitz washed everything that was good and gnarly outta its way. Best of all, the cover contains an insert featuring notes by none other'n one of my fave rock writers, John "Inzane" Olson, who should be give some sorta award for just being himself I guess. As should many of us I must surmise.
***
Played this one twice through last Sunday afternoon and y'know what? TURNING INTO was one of the more relaxing, tension-easing things I've heard since I was a mere turdler and our furnace came on really loud emitting these tones that were somewhat akin to the music Suicide was putting out circa their "Sweet White Lady". It's hard to tell which are the electronics and which are the percussives on these tracks, but the overall effect is one of a massive stream of what sounds like a steel mill trying to set itself to music and the results are so beautiful that I can still recall those wintertime kiddiehood sounds with much happiness. If you don't happen to have a furnace and love the sound of mechanical hum, this is definitely the Cee-Dee to get! (Check blogroll on left for more information too lazy to create a link right now.)
***
Yeah this 'un's a typical hand-held cassette recording complete with all of the distortion and hiss that is common to such things. But frankly my dear, did you ever give a damn? Destroy All Monsters were perhaps the best second generation high energy Detroit band and they would still sound pretty hot even if they were recorded by Thomas Edison on a wax cylinder! Heavy duty (and heavy metal---in the classic 1971 CREEM sense) rock 'n roll blasted out into full-blown space music fury complete with the cream of the Stooges (Ron Asheton), MC5 (Michael Davis), Sproton Layer (the Miller Brothers), Rob King and of course the beauteous Niagara fronting the whole thing kinda like in them paintings where Liberty leads those angry hordes into battle, usually with sword in hand an one boob just handily hanging out there.
***
Ornette Coleman must've been a busy man back '68 way not only with a slew of pretty top notch platters both legit and not---check out the Italian bootleg---but a concert with Yoko Ono that I'm surprised hasn't been released yet (the reel to reels were sold via ebay in 2000). And lo and behold, this particular gig from that year has finally made its way out...recorded at jazz drummer Shelly Manne's club (he being a guy who would know, he appearing on Coleman's 1959 TOMORROW IS THE QUESTION album), Coleman and his '68 quartet blare through some mighty fine slow-burn free jazz that fits in fine with your own sense of atonal bliss. Coleman plays alto, trumpet and violin while Ed Blackwell handles percussion and the team of Charlie Haden and David Izenzon handle bass viol, the results being headier than even what was appearing on Coleman's legit platters at the time. Don't miss the early take of "Dancing in Your Head" which tended to pop up more often than not as the seventies began to move into gear.
***
I must be the last Laughnermaniac to have heard this particular session. Dunno the exact whys and wherefores of this recording, but it was laid down with the assistance of personal friend Don Harvey on harmonium and bass guitar and was recorded in Ann Arbor, perhaps during some secret CREEM meeting with Lester Bangs. The selection performed also belie a 1976 date what with the appearance of such New York rockers as "Blank Generation" and "Venus de Milo" as well as some kind words regarding Talking Heads bass guitarist Tina Weymouth. If you're a fan of the acoustic Laughner these songs will come in mighty handy even if there are only two originals in the set including the once-elusive "Amphetamine" and the not as haunting as the one he did right before he died but haunting enough "Dead Letter Zone". Be on the lookout for some Mr. Charlie that's also available for free via. Harvey himself on-line.
***
Short but oh-so-sweet twenty minute segment of a Von Lmo concert dating to his grand return to performing (and Earth) back '94 way. Sound is fantab considering that this was probably recorded on a then state-of-the-art tape machine, and the performance straight ahead heavy metal in the classic seventies vein that was a bit "out of place" at the time, but so what! Once again Lmo and crew take you to the higher reaches of rock that somehow seemed to get lost in the shuffle, and fans of FUTURE LANGUAGE are bound not to be disappointed. Too bad that this version of the Lmo group never did get to put an album out, because judging from these tracks I'm sure it woulda been one of those winners that most people on earth (including you) would have ignored.
***
Colin Pollock-THREE CHERRIES RED CD-r burn (originally on Colin Pollock)More a dat bloozy white guy stuff that probably won't settle well with "purists" but hey, if you went for a whole slewwa that bloozy white guy stuff inna past you just might go for this as well. As for me I find that these endeavors can get to sounding kinda too slick for my own personal digestion but hey, maybe you can get some satisfaction outta this if you're one of those new blooze kinda guys I've seen out and about wearing leather jackets trying to osmose the whole seedy atmosphere of it all. Of course you already know where to go in case you'd like to experience some of the original hard urban sounds from whence these revivalists got their inspiration from, right?
***
Most if not all of these recent free jazz recordings I've heard have been pretty disembraining if I do say so myself. This live on the radio set by the Jooklo Duo with pianist John Blum ain't no exception as the team of Virginia Genta on saxophones and David Vanzen on drums do their best to emit pure from the gut soundsacapading while pianist John Blum tinkles the ivories in ways that have been explored before true, but still need to be explored a li'l more if only for the sake of self-immolation (of the spirit that's within ya, if you'll pardon the hippy speak!).
The first thing that rolls through my head while listening to this is the explosive Taylor/Lyons/Murray NEFERTITTI THE BEAUTIFUL ONE HAS COME (or LIVE AT THE CAFE MONTMATRE if you so desire) given the similar instrumental line up. Blum doesn't have the classical qualities of Taylor true, but the trio still scrape enough free jazz muster outta their wares playing in the grand all over the place tradition that still sounds too far our for Mr. and Mrs. Front Porch even this far down the line! Like the best of the avant garde this is totally spontaneous play that continues to effect (and affect) fans of the form who still (like me) tend to view jazz from the borders considering how we all came to it from the cacophony of rock 'n roll. Nothing wrong with that, especially if you're the kinda fanabla who eschews the whole bowtie and tux aspects of the form, eh?
If you just might be interested in hearing this nice li'l soiree, why don't you just click here and be prepared to be taken away just like they used to say about Calgon.
***
Dunno if it's one of those no-holds-barred complete sorta jobs, but it's still a good sampling of some of Usher's rarer solo, production and whatnot work that you probably never heard about before. No liner notes here to guide me, but from the sounds of it this does pack the proverbial punch what with not only a slew of singles under Usher's name proper but a whole batch of work done by acts well known (the Pyramids, Dave Myers and the Surftones...) as well as those who weren't too well known outside the BOMP! sphere of mid-sixties collecting circles. This one even slips out of the whole surf, motorcycle and hot rod genre on rare occasion giving us yet another side of Usher's pre-Byrds efforts we may or may not have known about. If all you know of Usher's rarities are the tracks on PEBBLES VOLUME 4 then this might be a li'l platter to seek out and who knows, maybe even enjoy.
***
Hmmm, for a change Bill sent me an ALL REGGAE disque which I must admit is kinda well...reggaeesque 'r something like that. The man is probably embarrassed over the fact that I never really cuddled up to reggae like the best minds of his generation did, mainly because I thought (still do!) that reggae's just too slow and dare-I-say cultured for my rather horse-blindered musical scope! I know itt's hard to believe that I actually consider reggae that far up on the musical ladder, and although I didn't lambaste the form and knew it was something of musical worth 'n all well...I just didn't care for it that much!
Bill's selections here aren't gonna change my way of thinking any day soon but they're sure pretty good as far as giving me a selection of some of the rarer least circulated obscure collector-crazy reggae music that has been made. Or at least I get that impression (after all, I AM not a connoisseur of these sounds). But although I'm not the kinda guy who does cartwheels over reggae I will admit that some of these oom-chukkers did appeal to me the same way some old r&b schmoozer from the early-sixties might have complete with those low-fi recording techniques which always made the music sound better. Nice efforts from the likes of Lee Perry's Upsetters, Roland Alphonso and the Youth amongst other Jamaican jerks. Muscular boy---Neville Grant's cover version of "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me"....sheesh!
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