Well, like hiya! Nothing much to report social intercourse-wise here at BLOG TO COMM, since in between attending to the various and unavoidable "real life" encounters I have to put up with (like work---yech!), I've been immersing myself with such therapeutic measures as reading collections of old comic strips of which you will be hearing about more as the weeks unfold. Believe-you-me, I really am in suburban slob heaven when I get hold of some old MAJOR HOOPLE or OUT OUR WAY softcover, spin some nice and intense music on the bedside boom box (one of those cheap things that I have to replace every year or so) and kick up my feet enjoying life the way I did when I was twelve, twenty-two and probably will twenty years from now when I won't even have any feet to kick up! And as I've probably said before many times, I feel like I'm doing humanity a SERVICE by staying holed up in my fart-encrusted bedroom reading and listening and generally being my cozy self than I would be engaging in more fruitful endeavors thus GETTING IN THE WAY OF EVERYONE AROUND ME LIKE AN UNDERFOOT TURDLER!
As far as this week's selection of goodies go well...not that many newbies to brag about right now. As usual the record scene just ain't what it used to be back when I didn't have money and thus couldn't afford the records that I wanted which I can now afford but there's nothing around that really gets my third ear stirrups a' tingling like they used to! Thankfully Bill Shute, Paul McGarry and P. D. Fadensonnen have come to the rescue with some pretty hotcha spins that helped keep my head above water when the reality of life has been dragging me down further and further. Thanks for the life preservers, guys!
And so on and so forth and the rest of that dreary rot...
John Coltrane-COLTRANE PLAYS THE BLUES CD-r burn (originally on Atlantic)
I always thought (I know, what's that worth?) that Coltrane's Atlantic albums were comparatively hit and miss as far as being compared with his Impulse ones, but even I won't admit that I'm whatcha'd call an expert on the subject. In fact, I don't think that I'm even qualified to review this platter, so maybe I should just give up on the entire idea and like NOW!
Just kiddin' 'bout that (after all, if it weren't for me where else would you be reading such neo-gonz nth generation fanzine-level rock writing like this onna web?), but I gotta 'fess up to the fact that I really didn't care for COLTRANE PLAYS THE BLUES veddy much. Oh yeah, the thing does get into some rather down-there Coltrane grooves that equal his top-notch efforts which unfortunately seem to cater to the intellectual fancy coffee crowd these days, but these deep down into the jazzy blues tracks don't exactly gnaw into my inner third eye or whatever the hippies used to say about these things while tripping out. Not pedestrian mind you, but still not anything that curries any high energy jamz around here. Still tops the pathetic light jazz that seems to have accrued a following that I just don't want to know about!
Chris Pitsiokos-OBLIVION/ECSTASY CD-r burn (available here)
If there still actually is whatcha'd call a new free jazz generation/scene brewing somewhere on this orb of ours, I do get the feeling that Chris Pitsiokos is at the forefront of the new squeal realm. This '15 recording is a pretty durn good sampling of where this man is with regards to any new avant jazz urges that may be present in the here and now. Armed with only an alto sax (and perhaps a little overdubbin') Pitsiokos stretches out the possibilities re. his chosen horn sounding like everything from one of those old AACM solo recordings that used to cost an arm and a leg to strange musique concrete tape experiments that were comin' outta a whole load of college room dorms back in the sixties. If this is what passes for cutting edge these days I hope I don't bleed to death! Fans of the Kendra Steiner Editions releases better download this gem before its way too late!
Patrick Sweany-CLOSE TO THE FLOOR CD-r burn (originally on Universal)
The best thing I could say about this one is...well, at least it ain't Neko Case! Who would have thought that the "singer/songwriter" fashion of the mid-seventies would continue on this late in the moozikal game but as in the case of Case and Sweany it has, and like the former the latter really knows how to milk that genre for all its worth. Has a few moments of interesting spark and dash but for the most part CLOSE TO THE FLOOR sure had me there since this thing sure did put me to sleep!
THE LONE RANGER CD-r burn (originally on Peter Pan Records)
It really does warm the cockles of my heart knowing that this album had come out in the late-seventies, especially since everything about it just oozes fifties-era ranch house fun and jamz that I thought had pretty much fizzled out by the time the Jimmy Carter era rolled into Anytown USA. I mean, other'n Dennis the Menace what kid inna late-seventies was hi-ho on westerns anyway? Maybe out west the kids were still whooping it up cowboywise, but here in the east that kinda kid growing up was what they used to call passe.
But still, THE LONE RANGER was still being rerun Saturday and Sunday afternoons around here so maybe there were some kids tuning in along with the old fogies getting their lost youth kicks up at least one last time. And for those kids both old and young a record like this really would help out...four hotcha adventures of the Masked Man and his Indian partner including the infamous origin saga as well as three other tales which include one where the lynching of an innocent man is halted, Indians stampede cattle through town only they really didn't, and the Ranger wins back a livery stable that was lost to a local shark by doin' a li'l wheelin' dealin' himself! Brought back memories of my crib days swell, though the sunny and quiet Sunday afternoon did help out quite a bit.
Rico Rodriguez-MAN FROM WAREIKA CD-r burn (originally on Island Records, England)
Rock steady kinda instrumental reggae recorded right around the time intellectual white kids worldwide began picking up on these Caribbean creepers in order to look hip 'n with it. Not bad, though this music always did tend to grate on me what with its repetitive "ooh-chukka-ooh-chuk" rhythms that didn't really translate into something that would speak to a suburban slob kiddo such as myself. And I LIKE repetition in my music which only goes to show ya somethingorother! If you want a music to get yourself lost in while reading a book, doing the laundry or even letting go of your bowels this is the one to do it all to!
The Underneath-SUN OF '67 CD-r burn (originally on Rockadelic Records)
I'm always griping about how many of these "sixties revival" or whatever ya wanna call 'em bands just don't sound as authenticistic as the real deal. I can say the same thing about the Underneath but man, this group is just too WILD to be tossed in with a buncha watered down psychedelic pansies who have been getting a whole load of attention since time immemorial, or at least 1986. Total hard rock late-sixties psychedelic sounds here done nice and primitive-like, sorta sounding like the Thirteenth Floor Elevators in spots yet doing the "heavy metal" (in the purest CREEM sense) riff drive the next. Although your parents may disagree, I'll bet you wish that these were the guys down the street makin' all that racket round '69 way.
BILLY THERMAL CD-r burn (originally on Omnivore Records)
Many of these new ruckus rollers that have come out o'er the past thirtysome years really don't pop the cork the same way many of the old timers have, but once in awhile there comes some upstart who does a pretty good job at it. Dunno much about this Thermal guy's history, his whys or wherefores or even if these recordings do date to 2014 like Paul McGarry sez or even further beyond, but he does put out some great straightforward seventies-styled rock on this platter. And by seventies rock I mean the good stuff that at times even got onto the AM dial when nobody was looking. Smart pop, though unfortunately there's a whole load of mid-buzz pedestrian music here that sorta cancels out any of the spark this guy might have produced on the top notchers.
Various Artists-TENSION TELLER SETTER DRUID CD-r burn (Bill Shute)
Another one that, other than the Diddley, Supremes, Merseybeats and a few other entries would have made at least a boffo mid-eighties garage band compilation extended play. At least one of 'em (the Live Wires' "Love") was on one of those great PEBBLES samplers (forget which volume offhand) and the likes of the Tidal Waves (who I assume are the Detroit batch), the English Setters and High Tensions really do this body good ifyaknowaddamean.
The rest of it ain't bad what with Bo Diddley being so good as usual to the point where I even forget he coulda been a real sicko (well, that's what the rumor mill sez!) and the Supremes doing a fair take on Barrett Strong's "Money" lacking the punk rock drive of the original but eh, what else would you expect. Capping it all off is a wild live on the air commercial from the old Fred Allen program where he and Harry Von Zell push some laxative and otherwise miracle drug called Sal Hepatica which for the life of me I can't find in my medicine cabinet!
Oh, and Bill also snuck some old commercials and other trashy ephemera in between the tracks which of course really got me all hot and bothered! Best one was the audio track to the Roy Rogers Quick Shooter Hat which, on the video portion, was demonstrated by none other than Stanley Fafara a.k.a. Whitey from LEAVE IT TO BEAVER!
As far as this week's selection of goodies go well...not that many newbies to brag about right now. As usual the record scene just ain't what it used to be back when I didn't have money and thus couldn't afford the records that I wanted which I can now afford but there's nothing around that really gets my third ear stirrups a' tingling like they used to! Thankfully Bill Shute, Paul McGarry and P. D. Fadensonnen have come to the rescue with some pretty hotcha spins that helped keep my head above water when the reality of life has been dragging me down further and further. Thanks for the life preservers, guys!
And so on and so forth and the rest of that dreary rot...
I always thought (I know, what's that worth?) that Coltrane's Atlantic albums were comparatively hit and miss as far as being compared with his Impulse ones, but even I won't admit that I'm whatcha'd call an expert on the subject. In fact, I don't think that I'm even qualified to review this platter, so maybe I should just give up on the entire idea and like NOW!
Just kiddin' 'bout that (after all, if it weren't for me where else would you be reading such neo-gonz nth generation fanzine-level rock writing like this onna web?), but I gotta 'fess up to the fact that I really didn't care for COLTRANE PLAYS THE BLUES veddy much. Oh yeah, the thing does get into some rather down-there Coltrane grooves that equal his top-notch efforts which unfortunately seem to cater to the intellectual fancy coffee crowd these days, but these deep down into the jazzy blues tracks don't exactly gnaw into my inner third eye or whatever the hippies used to say about these things while tripping out. Not pedestrian mind you, but still not anything that curries any high energy jamz around here. Still tops the pathetic light jazz that seems to have accrued a following that I just don't want to know about!
***
If there still actually is whatcha'd call a new free jazz generation/scene brewing somewhere on this orb of ours, I do get the feeling that Chris Pitsiokos is at the forefront of the new squeal realm. This '15 recording is a pretty durn good sampling of where this man is with regards to any new avant jazz urges that may be present in the here and now. Armed with only an alto sax (and perhaps a little overdubbin') Pitsiokos stretches out the possibilities re. his chosen horn sounding like everything from one of those old AACM solo recordings that used to cost an arm and a leg to strange musique concrete tape experiments that were comin' outta a whole load of college room dorms back in the sixties. If this is what passes for cutting edge these days I hope I don't bleed to death! Fans of the Kendra Steiner Editions releases better download this gem before its way too late!
***
The best thing I could say about this one is...well, at least it ain't Neko Case! Who would have thought that the "singer/songwriter" fashion of the mid-seventies would continue on this late in the moozikal game but as in the case of Case and Sweany it has, and like the former the latter really knows how to milk that genre for all its worth. Has a few moments of interesting spark and dash but for the most part CLOSE TO THE FLOOR sure had me there since this thing sure did put me to sleep!
***
It really does warm the cockles of my heart knowing that this album had come out in the late-seventies, especially since everything about it just oozes fifties-era ranch house fun and jamz that I thought had pretty much fizzled out by the time the Jimmy Carter era rolled into Anytown USA. I mean, other'n Dennis the Menace what kid inna late-seventies was hi-ho on westerns anyway? Maybe out west the kids were still whooping it up cowboywise, but here in the east that kinda kid growing up was what they used to call passe.
But still, THE LONE RANGER was still being rerun Saturday and Sunday afternoons around here so maybe there were some kids tuning in along with the old fogies getting their lost youth kicks up at least one last time. And for those kids both old and young a record like this really would help out...four hotcha adventures of the Masked Man and his Indian partner including the infamous origin saga as well as three other tales which include one where the lynching of an innocent man is halted, Indians stampede cattle through town only they really didn't, and the Ranger wins back a livery stable that was lost to a local shark by doin' a li'l wheelin' dealin' himself! Brought back memories of my crib days swell, though the sunny and quiet Sunday afternoon did help out quite a bit.
***
Rock steady kinda instrumental reggae recorded right around the time intellectual white kids worldwide began picking up on these Caribbean creepers in order to look hip 'n with it. Not bad, though this music always did tend to grate on me what with its repetitive "ooh-chukka-ooh-chuk" rhythms that didn't really translate into something that would speak to a suburban slob kiddo such as myself. And I LIKE repetition in my music which only goes to show ya somethingorother! If you want a music to get yourself lost in while reading a book, doing the laundry or even letting go of your bowels this is the one to do it all to!
***
I'm always griping about how many of these "sixties revival" or whatever ya wanna call 'em bands just don't sound as authenticistic as the real deal. I can say the same thing about the Underneath but man, this group is just too WILD to be tossed in with a buncha watered down psychedelic pansies who have been getting a whole load of attention since time immemorial, or at least 1986. Total hard rock late-sixties psychedelic sounds here done nice and primitive-like, sorta sounding like the Thirteenth Floor Elevators in spots yet doing the "heavy metal" (in the purest CREEM sense) riff drive the next. Although your parents may disagree, I'll bet you wish that these were the guys down the street makin' all that racket round '69 way.
***
Many of these new ruckus rollers that have come out o'er the past thirtysome years really don't pop the cork the same way many of the old timers have, but once in awhile there comes some upstart who does a pretty good job at it. Dunno much about this Thermal guy's history, his whys or wherefores or even if these recordings do date to 2014 like Paul McGarry sez or even further beyond, but he does put out some great straightforward seventies-styled rock on this platter. And by seventies rock I mean the good stuff that at times even got onto the AM dial when nobody was looking. Smart pop, though unfortunately there's a whole load of mid-buzz pedestrian music here that sorta cancels out any of the spark this guy might have produced on the top notchers.
***
Another one that, other than the Diddley, Supremes, Merseybeats and a few other entries would have made at least a boffo mid-eighties garage band compilation extended play. At least one of 'em (the Live Wires' "Love") was on one of those great PEBBLES samplers (forget which volume offhand) and the likes of the Tidal Waves (who I assume are the Detroit batch), the English Setters and High Tensions really do this body good ifyaknowaddamean.
The rest of it ain't bad what with Bo Diddley being so good as usual to the point where I even forget he coulda been a real sicko (well, that's what the rumor mill sez!) and the Supremes doing a fair take on Barrett Strong's "Money" lacking the punk rock drive of the original but eh, what else would you expect. Capping it all off is a wild live on the air commercial from the old Fred Allen program where he and Harry Von Zell push some laxative and otherwise miracle drug called Sal Hepatica which for the life of me I can't find in my medicine cabinet!
Oh, and Bill also snuck some old commercials and other trashy ephemera in between the tracks which of course really got me all hot and bothered! Best one was the audio track to the Roy Rogers Quick Shooter Hat which, on the video portion, was demonstrated by none other than Stanley Fafara a.k.a. Whitey from LEAVE IT TO BEAVER!
I'm surprised that this week's virtual thrift store compilation did not prompt an Arthur Treacher Fish & Chips memory. I always preferred Arthur's to Long John Silver's, and I loved him on the Merv Griffin show. Did they have those up in your area? They certainly had them in Colorado--and that's a chain I REALLY miss. When I looked up that ad on Google Images to use on the cover, I was surprised to find that there ARE a few Arthur Treacher's restaurants still in business. I hope I am travelling sometime in an area where I can visit one. If one of them is in your general area, I'll treat you and Brad to an Arthur Treacher meal next time I'm in Western PA....
ReplyDeletehey
ReplyDeleteBilly Thermal = Billy steinberg
BILL---the local Arthur Treachers' Fish & Chips closed about three years back. Ate there once before it did, prices were high (like eight dollars for a standard meal) but still good. Hardly any one was there and I could feel it was on its last legs given that the lady at the takeout window was rather old and the service was slow! The building is now a drug store where I happened to buy some items only yesterday!
ReplyDeleteANONYMOUS---I must show my ignorance once again here on the blog, but who is Billy Steinberg?
He's the guy behind "like a virgin" and " true colours" and etc.... Billy thermal was recorded back in 1980 . You could say it was his pre-fame days.
ReplyDeleteWell if he's so famous howcum I never head of 'im? Of course I haven't heard about a LOT of music biz types out there in money grubbing land so what else is new?
ReplyDelete