Like, hey. Last weekend I was at Somerville Pennsylvania and this week I'm in Chesterland Ohio trying to get rid of all this old junk laying about the house (in exchange for money 'natch!), but that ain't gonna stop me from dishing out the usual weekend blab to you nohow! Even though I've been busier than a drool cup emptier at an old folk's home I will not shirk fromdoing my weekly doody, which I must admit is getting more and more fun what with the GOOD, energetic and life-reaffirming music I do seem to be hearing on a more than steady basis these days. If only more top notch sounds would hit me with an ever-increasing frequency would I cease being that old grouch you've been reading here for years on end and transform into something way greater! Like a new grouch as if you didn't see that one comin'!
I've been pouring through my usual faves from SHAKIN' STREET GAZETTE to NEW HAVEN ROCK PRESS natch, and surprises of surprises reading things like the Ann Arbor rock scene wrapup in JAMZ not to mention Mark Bingham's review of NUGGETS in SUNSHINE really did give me that inner chug-a-chug that keeps me goin' more'n Vigero ever could! (Not to mention that letter to HONEY THIS AIN'T NO ROMANCE written by Reiko Kose of DENIM DELINQUENT fame where she tells of her friend who actually balled Iggy in the audience of a Whiskey-a-Go-Go gig and muses how she wished she could do that even tho she "has no cock or balls"...I sure coulda used a whole load of fanzines filled with her second hand English abilities which make more sense than most current-day scribes' who were born and bred with the language at hand!)
Anyway, that NUGGETS review that Bingham of IF fanzine fame did really did wake up more'n a few nodes of interest and even faint memories of a time when the rock 'n roll world was a whole lot more chance-taking, teenage-conduit (back when there were teenagers and not pre-adults) and dangerous than it sure has been these past fiftysome years unless you count the valiant punk rock attempts to revive the form in the seventies. Needless to say. that particular review sure me lustin' for those low-wattage stations Bingham used to listen to (until the sun came down and the FCC told 'em to sign off) that spun the likes of the Magic Mushrooms and 13th Floor Elevators with a whole lot more regularity than the biggies on the market did. The review sure was a good eyeballer to boot because---while reading the thing (in a good enough ish also featuring R. Meltzer's insanely great Lisa Robinson putdown!)---I actually broke out in chills and a sweat and accrued a burning inner anger over the fact that I was BORN TOO LATE TO TOTALLY APPRECIATE THIS TOTALLY ORGANIC MUSICAL UPHEAVAL FIRST HAND and how it's all dead and buried lo these many years later, but at one time rock as high energy pounce actually got played on the radio, promoted on television and best of all the kids bought these up and because of their infinite tastes became just as important to the whole rock-as-energy continuum as the people creating and promoting these sounds were (and you better pardon my well-meaning runon sentence!).
Now, I could still catch a little of the buzz via late-seventies/early-eighties flea market searches, but man if I had only been born five/ten years earlier so's I could have osmosed the eternal drone while it was alive and kicking rather'n through overpriced and poorly pressed French albums of an early-eighties vintage released at a time when I was still young, but the music that was supposed to "speak to me" had become incredibly rancid. Man, you should get hold of that piece (I might slip it into a future HIGH SIX) because hey, it does dredge up all those feelings I and maybe you had about that overdrive sound that continues to say way more about your own status in life more'n Jerry Garcia ever did!
Alfred 23 Harth/Nicola L. Hein-WHEN THE FUTURE WAS NEW CD-r burn (Kendra Steiner Editions....see link at left)
These Harth recordings never fail to amaze me (to be nice 'n cliched about it!) and as you'd expect from same-old same-old me this 'un is no exception. Here the "23" man himself is accompanied by some Nicola L. Hein on guitar, and although I never heard of this guy before I can tell ya that he sure must be a rising star on the improv jazz scene the way he handles his instro of choice. I mean at times it sounds like he's playing the drums! These tracks do have an Anthony Braxton/Derek Bailey sorta feeling to 'em and, like Braxton, Harth can play out-there and all indecipherable at one moment and beautifully introspective and/or traditional at others. Add to that the startling fact that while Hein can blare forth with relative ease he can also settle back when the mood fits. Nothing you're gonna hear on one of those upper-dial jazz stations that come with the cable tee-vee, but then again when have you heard the likes of true trailblazers like Albert Ayler and Sonny Sharrock lionized by the mainstream music moguls in general anyway?
Dead Girl's Party-THE THINGS I'VE LOST LP (Feeding Tube Records, available via Forced Exposure)
Here's an obscuro rock duo (with the talents of Matt Krefting, a name that rings a few Notre Dame-ish sized bells in my bean) that just might appeal to some of you ESP-disk/free rock bred listeners out there. It's a bit hard to describe with mere words, what with the spooky drone opening cut leading to a pretty primitive rock 'n roller that sounds like it came from the Scramin' Mee Mees school of addled attack. Other moments have a repeato riff essence reminiscent of those early Suicide demos, and it's all pretty copasetic with your own sense of twisted rock ideals to the point where it doesn't MATTER if the thing doesn't excatly fall into categories "a", "b" or "c"...just as long as they FALL. Well, it sure is a big step up from some of those similarly-minded yet way off base bedroom cassettes I've had the displeasure of coming in contact with during the mid-eighties/nineties era.
Frank Zappa-LIVE IN SWEDEN 1967 CD (Keyhole Records, available via Forced Exposure)
If you have 'TIS THE SEASON TO BE JELLY (or was it TRICK OR TREAT?) you might wanna pass on this because it's the exact same thing. If you don't (or want a spare copy) you'll really wanna snap this 'un up if only because you'll get a nifty early and live Mothers of Invention recording in excellent sound (well, the vocals are buried a bit) which contains not only a number of toonz that never made it to any legit albums but the first ever live recording of "King Kong". It's toned down compared to other extant recordings of the era legal or not (I prefer the now impossible to find PIG MUSIC on Mr. Natural Records recorded in Detroit that very same year), but if you were one who grew up following the newest groups looking for even fresher vistas of sound to resensify your sagging spirit well...this 'un'll bring back more'n a few sixties-era memories for ya!
Wayne Cochran-GOIN' BACK TO MEMPHIS 2-CD set (Ace Records, England)
Wanna give your mind a good calisthenic-styled workout? Then just slip some Wayne Cochran on and get just as excited and as heart-palpatatin' as if you were doin' a few jogs around the block tryin' to get rid of that spare tire of yours! Yes, with this two-Cee-Dee set documentin' the man's mid/late-sixties soul years on Chess and Mercury you can't miss havin' a high energy experience that'll get your juices flowin' like a poked roast turkey on Thanksgivin', and I ain't jivin' ya one bit!
On the singles/studio sides Cochran is so up and at 'em that he even makes the ballads sound like all-out rockers! From the hits like "Goin' Back to Miami" to a slew of hotcha covers (his version of "Get Ready" will make you wanna start a Rare Earth bonfire of Beatles proportion!) Cochran rants and raves all over the place as the C.C. Riders do their best to keep up James Brown-style. Talk about up and at 'em...one dose of Cochran just might cure the meth situation that's been plaguing the area as of late. Lotsa previously unreleased material here too that I believe was withheld all these years because of the fear of just how they would have affected the populace what with their total all-out pounce that jabs you more'n a twisted bra snag rubbin' your spine the wrong way. And for you ladies...
The second disque features Cochran performing two of his Vegas-styled sets in a studio to a minimal audience where ALL of the pounce and energy is put forth in the same time-tested tradition that made all of those MC5 shows so exciting. Yeah, you could say that these sorta shows were aimed at the same high rollin' midaged baldies who woulda preferred goin' to the topless shows hadn't wifey tagged along, but they still pack a whole lot more punch and verve'n Corbett Monica pretending he can tell jokes. And besides, listening to Cochran do his downhome routine in the privacy of your own abode is a whole lot safer'n having to deal with a pack of inebriated accountants bellowing out requests for "Surabaya Johnny"!
The Typhoons-GLAD ALL OVER EP CD-r burn (originally on Vergera Records, England)
If ya thought they only had imitation British Invasion bands in Ameriga yer mistaken, for these Typhoons were just about as much cheap cash in as all those Bugs and Spiders your gramma thought were the real meal deal way back in the mid-sixties! However, like a nice portion of these knockoffs these Typhoons sure did a swell job of imitating the source faithfully what with their suave takes on everyone from the Dave Clark Five to the Beatles themselves. Nice 'un if you can find it, even if it is yet another footnote to one of the last real raw surges that managed to envelop rock 'n roll.
The Elders-LOOKING FOR THE ANSWER CD-r burn
Not so hot early-seventies vintage local production that really bores me to no end given the group's adherence to the worst aspects of the hipster music of the day. Well, they did come from Dayton which is only about three notches above Hermitage as far as kultural upheaval goes. Neo-hard neo-hippie music that lacks any of the imagination and verve that made hard rock, both local and bigtime, such hot property that holds up more'n a Maidenform bra these days. Nothing but saggos straight outta NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC here guys---saggos!
MANDRAKE CD-r burn (originally on Crazy Cajun Records)
Given the label's title I was under the impression that this spinner was gonna be one of those Louisiana squeezebox affairs that you listen to while downing your gumbo and sticky rice. Wrong again, for this Mandrake bunch in reality are an early-seventies styled hard rock act that, while quite well-versed in the more boring aspects of the hard rock of the period, could blast forth with some rather good blues numbers that vaguely recall Black Pearl as well as a number of other outta-the-way efforts that really never made their way onto the charts of this here land. Interesting addendum...this platter was produced by the infamous Huey Meaux (he also owned the record label which also served as his nickname in case you're as dense as me!) which is probably one strange reason I suddenly have the urge to take a shower with a ten-year-old girl.
Various Artists-WINDY FREEDOM MENLO FLIGHT CD-r burn (Bill Shute)
The majority of this 'un is taken up by an act called Light of Darkness, a bunch who I must admit I never heard of before and probably for good reason. Mainly because whoever put this platter out was sure to keep it a secret from the kinda people who would enjoy it, and that includes those BLOG TO COMM readers who still swear by the sights and sounds of that early-seventies hard rock plummeting that seems to have gone out of style within a few short years. Kinda remind me of a less-heavy, blusier Black Sabbath with an equally nasaled lead singer. The name sounds familiar tho...
The rest ain't anything to vomit at either, with the likes of George Brigman (the "Blowin' Smoke" single---something I hope Bill knows I've heard these past thirtysome years) and the Beatle pop of Menlo Park. Even the infamous (I learned about him via BUS EUBANKS!) Wingy Manone appears with a spiffy jazz number that even got my toes tapping. The rest, from the Action and Marvelettes doing the same songs to this Mason Ayers guy was boss, though the definite UGH award goes to Morris and Mitch, not for their comedy take on the Everly Brothers hit "Bird Dog" but for the unfunny spoof of HIGHWAY PATROL that was on the flip. The MAD takeoff done around 1959, no gagger in itself, was way funnier.
***In between the real life work and not-so-extracurricular duties I am more or less forced to perform I have been settling back, kicking up my feet, and trying my durndest to act like the suburban slob I have been and will remain for my entire life. Doin' a good job of it too what with the all of the musical energy that has been coursing through my ear canals, not to mention my (once again) goin' over those classic-era (1972-1976) fanzines that I love to indulge in not only for the mere pleasure of doing so but to resensify my entire being in these way low-energy times.
I've been pouring through my usual faves from SHAKIN' STREET GAZETTE to NEW HAVEN ROCK PRESS natch, and surprises of surprises reading things like the Ann Arbor rock scene wrapup in JAMZ not to mention Mark Bingham's review of NUGGETS in SUNSHINE really did give me that inner chug-a-chug that keeps me goin' more'n Vigero ever could! (Not to mention that letter to HONEY THIS AIN'T NO ROMANCE written by Reiko Kose of DENIM DELINQUENT fame where she tells of her friend who actually balled Iggy in the audience of a Whiskey-a-Go-Go gig and muses how she wished she could do that even tho she "has no cock or balls"...I sure coulda used a whole load of fanzines filled with her second hand English abilities which make more sense than most current-day scribes' who were born and bred with the language at hand!)
Anyway, that NUGGETS review that Bingham of IF fanzine fame did really did wake up more'n a few nodes of interest and even faint memories of a time when the rock 'n roll world was a whole lot more chance-taking, teenage-conduit (back when there were teenagers and not pre-adults) and dangerous than it sure has been these past fiftysome years unless you count the valiant punk rock attempts to revive the form in the seventies. Needless to say. that particular review sure me lustin' for those low-wattage stations Bingham used to listen to (until the sun came down and the FCC told 'em to sign off) that spun the likes of the Magic Mushrooms and 13th Floor Elevators with a whole lot more regularity than the biggies on the market did. The review sure was a good eyeballer to boot because---while reading the thing (in a good enough ish also featuring R. Meltzer's insanely great Lisa Robinson putdown!)---I actually broke out in chills and a sweat and accrued a burning inner anger over the fact that I was BORN TOO LATE TO TOTALLY APPRECIATE THIS TOTALLY ORGANIC MUSICAL UPHEAVAL FIRST HAND and how it's all dead and buried lo these many years later, but at one time rock as high energy pounce actually got played on the radio, promoted on television and best of all the kids bought these up and because of their infinite tastes became just as important to the whole rock-as-energy continuum as the people creating and promoting these sounds were (and you better pardon my well-meaning runon sentence!).
Now, I could still catch a little of the buzz via late-seventies/early-eighties flea market searches, but man if I had only been born five/ten years earlier so's I could have osmosed the eternal drone while it was alive and kicking rather'n through overpriced and poorly pressed French albums of an early-eighties vintage released at a time when I was still young, but the music that was supposed to "speak to me" had become incredibly rancid. Man, you should get hold of that piece (I might slip it into a future HIGH SIX) because hey, it does dredge up all those feelings I and maybe you had about that overdrive sound that continues to say way more about your own status in life more'n Jerry Garcia ever did!
Lotsa goodies to go through, especially one taken from this bulging one from FEEDING TUBE RECORDS which is gonna take me months to go through but oh, what a PLEASURABLE task! Also got some winners here from Bill Shute and Paul McGarry and maybe even Bob F., whose packages seem to get buried under the ever-growing rubble in my room for some strange reason or another. Naw---forget that!***
These Harth recordings never fail to amaze me (to be nice 'n cliched about it!) and as you'd expect from same-old same-old me this 'un is no exception. Here the "23" man himself is accompanied by some Nicola L. Hein on guitar, and although I never heard of this guy before I can tell ya that he sure must be a rising star on the improv jazz scene the way he handles his instro of choice. I mean at times it sounds like he's playing the drums! These tracks do have an Anthony Braxton/Derek Bailey sorta feeling to 'em and, like Braxton, Harth can play out-there and all indecipherable at one moment and beautifully introspective and/or traditional at others. Add to that the startling fact that while Hein can blare forth with relative ease he can also settle back when the mood fits. Nothing you're gonna hear on one of those upper-dial jazz stations that come with the cable tee-vee, but then again when have you heard the likes of true trailblazers like Albert Ayler and Sonny Sharrock lionized by the mainstream music moguls in general anyway?
***
Here's an obscuro rock duo (with the talents of Matt Krefting, a name that rings a few Notre Dame-ish sized bells in my bean) that just might appeal to some of you ESP-disk/free rock bred listeners out there. It's a bit hard to describe with mere words, what with the spooky drone opening cut leading to a pretty primitive rock 'n roller that sounds like it came from the Scramin' Mee Mees school of addled attack. Other moments have a repeato riff essence reminiscent of those early Suicide demos, and it's all pretty copasetic with your own sense of twisted rock ideals to the point where it doesn't MATTER if the thing doesn't excatly fall into categories "a", "b" or "c"...just as long as they FALL. Well, it sure is a big step up from some of those similarly-minded yet way off base bedroom cassettes I've had the displeasure of coming in contact with during the mid-eighties/nineties era.
***
If you have 'TIS THE SEASON TO BE JELLY (or was it TRICK OR TREAT?) you might wanna pass on this because it's the exact same thing. If you don't (or want a spare copy) you'll really wanna snap this 'un up if only because you'll get a nifty early and live Mothers of Invention recording in excellent sound (well, the vocals are buried a bit) which contains not only a number of toonz that never made it to any legit albums but the first ever live recording of "King Kong". It's toned down compared to other extant recordings of the era legal or not (I prefer the now impossible to find PIG MUSIC on Mr. Natural Records recorded in Detroit that very same year), but if you were one who grew up following the newest groups looking for even fresher vistas of sound to resensify your sagging spirit well...this 'un'll bring back more'n a few sixties-era memories for ya!
***
Wanna give your mind a good calisthenic-styled workout? Then just slip some Wayne Cochran on and get just as excited and as heart-palpatatin' as if you were doin' a few jogs around the block tryin' to get rid of that spare tire of yours! Yes, with this two-Cee-Dee set documentin' the man's mid/late-sixties soul years on Chess and Mercury you can't miss havin' a high energy experience that'll get your juices flowin' like a poked roast turkey on Thanksgivin', and I ain't jivin' ya one bit!
On the singles/studio sides Cochran is so up and at 'em that he even makes the ballads sound like all-out rockers! From the hits like "Goin' Back to Miami" to a slew of hotcha covers (his version of "Get Ready" will make you wanna start a Rare Earth bonfire of Beatles proportion!) Cochran rants and raves all over the place as the C.C. Riders do their best to keep up James Brown-style. Talk about up and at 'em...one dose of Cochran just might cure the meth situation that's been plaguing the area as of late. Lotsa previously unreleased material here too that I believe was withheld all these years because of the fear of just how they would have affected the populace what with their total all-out pounce that jabs you more'n a twisted bra snag rubbin' your spine the wrong way. And for you ladies...
The second disque features Cochran performing two of his Vegas-styled sets in a studio to a minimal audience where ALL of the pounce and energy is put forth in the same time-tested tradition that made all of those MC5 shows so exciting. Yeah, you could say that these sorta shows were aimed at the same high rollin' midaged baldies who woulda preferred goin' to the topless shows hadn't wifey tagged along, but they still pack a whole lot more punch and verve'n Corbett Monica pretending he can tell jokes. And besides, listening to Cochran do his downhome routine in the privacy of your own abode is a whole lot safer'n having to deal with a pack of inebriated accountants bellowing out requests for "Surabaya Johnny"!
***
If ya thought they only had imitation British Invasion bands in Ameriga yer mistaken, for these Typhoons were just about as much cheap cash in as all those Bugs and Spiders your gramma thought were the real meal deal way back in the mid-sixties! However, like a nice portion of these knockoffs these Typhoons sure did a swell job of imitating the source faithfully what with their suave takes on everyone from the Dave Clark Five to the Beatles themselves. Nice 'un if you can find it, even if it is yet another footnote to one of the last real raw surges that managed to envelop rock 'n roll.
***
Not so hot early-seventies vintage local production that really bores me to no end given the group's adherence to the worst aspects of the hipster music of the day. Well, they did come from Dayton which is only about three notches above Hermitage as far as kultural upheaval goes. Neo-hard neo-hippie music that lacks any of the imagination and verve that made hard rock, both local and bigtime, such hot property that holds up more'n a Maidenform bra these days. Nothing but saggos straight outta NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC here guys---saggos!
***
Given the label's title I was under the impression that this spinner was gonna be one of those Louisiana squeezebox affairs that you listen to while downing your gumbo and sticky rice. Wrong again, for this Mandrake bunch in reality are an early-seventies styled hard rock act that, while quite well-versed in the more boring aspects of the hard rock of the period, could blast forth with some rather good blues numbers that vaguely recall Black Pearl as well as a number of other outta-the-way efforts that really never made their way onto the charts of this here land. Interesting addendum...this platter was produced by the infamous Huey Meaux (he also owned the record label which also served as his nickname in case you're as dense as me!) which is probably one strange reason I suddenly have the urge to take a shower with a ten-year-old girl.
***
The majority of this 'un is taken up by an act called Light of Darkness, a bunch who I must admit I never heard of before and probably for good reason. Mainly because whoever put this platter out was sure to keep it a secret from the kinda people who would enjoy it, and that includes those BLOG TO COMM readers who still swear by the sights and sounds of that early-seventies hard rock plummeting that seems to have gone out of style within a few short years. Kinda remind me of a less-heavy, blusier Black Sabbath with an equally nasaled lead singer. The name sounds familiar tho...
The rest ain't anything to vomit at either, with the likes of George Brigman (the "Blowin' Smoke" single---something I hope Bill knows I've heard these past thirtysome years) and the Beatle pop of Menlo Park. Even the infamous (I learned about him via BUS EUBANKS!) Wingy Manone appears with a spiffy jazz number that even got my toes tapping. The rest, from the Action and Marvelettes doing the same songs to this Mason Ayers guy was boss, though the definite UGH award goes to Morris and Mitch, not for their comedy take on the Everly Brothers hit "Bird Dog" but for the unfunny spoof of HIGHWAY PATROL that was on the flip. The MAD takeoff done around 1959, no gagger in itself, was way funnier.
***You do want more, don't you? Well, if so just click this little link and be taken to a page where you can buy all of the still-available back issues of BLACK TO COMM which ought to be cluttering up your abode instead of mine. If you're looking for some worthwhile rockism reading that doesn't make you wanna jump out the window in abject shame, just give us a try. You still might jump out the window, but that might only be because of a temporary loss of your senses due to unbridled joy.
If Feeding Tube sent you a Tarp LP get off your ass (or stay on your ass, whatever) and review it this week. I'm curious to see what you think about it. Salud.
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