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THESE SINGLES ARE STROONADIER 'N EVER SO WATCH OUT!!!    

Just some more of those seven-inchers from the ol' collection that I thought I'd blab on about as if I were some obnoxious relative visitin' ya giving heavily descriptive recollections of the past ninety years of my life.

Various Artists-UNRELEASED INSTRUMENTALS FROM THE NORTHWEST! 7-inch 33 rpm EP (Hillsdale Records)

Here's a nice obscuro that slipped into my singles stack sometime in the 90s, a collection of ne'er-before-released acetates recorded in the wild 'n woolly Northwest portion of them thar United States during the early days of rock 'n roll.

Frankly I gotta admit that there is very little of what we consider the NW sound in these grooves as these late-fifties/early-sixties rockers coulda been recorded in just about any part of the United States and all points north. But for those of you who think that it was the instrumental genre of the day which helped save rock 'n roll from some of the sappier aspects of teenage music these go down smoother'n Linda Lovelace on a German Shepard.

After you hear all the other Washington State 'n Oregon recordings of the day give UNRELEASED INSTRUMENTALS FROM THE NORTHWEST a go, although I sure woulda loved to have given the Casuals' instro version of "Louie Louie" a try even if the liner notes say the thing stunk to high heaven!

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The Slickee Boys-10TH ANNIVERSARY EP (D.S.T. Records)

Sometimes I forget that this boffo Washington DC-area group even existed, but when I pull one of their platters out for a spin boy, is it an occasion worthy of Thanksgiving!

Oft tagged in with the six-oh revival of the eighties, the Slickee Boys were more often than not the product of the mid-seventies local rock group upheaval that sprung from the minds of not only a number of serious music collectors and fanzine mongers but serious enough rock 'n rollers who just didn't care for the kinda sounds that were bein' made at the time and THEY KNEW THEY COULD DO BETTER!  And of course they did.

Includes a live version of Sam Cooke's "Shake" as well as that Afrika Korps classic "Sea of Love" that does kinda suffer a bit without Solomon Gruberger's thud-like singing but wha' th' hey...

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The Castaways-SIX GREAT SONGS! EP (Soma Records)

Yeah, like in any wayshapeform this is a legitimate Soma release! Naw, some crafty sixties rock fan just gathered up the three legit Castaways (they of "Liar Liar" fame) singles and slapped them on this EP for handy keeping. It works too even if the sound fails somewhat (TURN IT UP!) because the grooves are so squooshed together. You not only get the hit but the five other songs that luckily made it out, and I gotta say that they're all doozies that capture that mid-sixties magic more than any Jann Wenner wet dream of a baby boomer laid back progressive political frisbee-tossin' world could. Of course this ain't like hearin' 'em on some tinny cheap radio inna summer while romping around inna wading pool while sippin' on a glass of Chinese Cherry, but it'll do.

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Liz Gizzad-CRIME TRILOGY 33 rpm single (Behemoth Records)

A supergroup featuring a couple members of Cosmonauts Hail Satan and some guy who was in one of those later on versions of Hawkwind long after them seventies heydayze. As you might have expected this is but one great ball of fuzzed out spacerock with a heavy Ladbroke Grove attitude and a repeato-riff that will stay stuck in your system more than a constipated bowel movement. I woulda thought that anything of true interest as far as that music called rock 'n roll would have vanished from them English shores long ago, but judging from this thing the Big Beat, or in this case Big Drone has lasted a little longer than anyone would have expected. As the snoots say, highly recommended.

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The Subteranneans-"My Flamingo"/"Veiled Woman" (Demon Records, England)

When you compare this Nick Kent-helmed single to the tracks that appeared on that Skydog Cee-Dee reviewed quite awhile back this sure does have an air of downright commercialism about it. Thankfully Kent manages to keep his rockism oars in the ocean of gnu wave capitulation on this '80 single which kinda reminds me of former galpal Chrissie Hynde's Pretenders, only with somewhat more of a gritty seventies underground rock focus 'stead of a custom made for people who can't take the real thing approach. Even if you ain't a fan of Kent's rockscapade-riddled writing you should enjoy this effort from a guy who, after many failed attempts and even an offer from the Flamin' Groovies, finally lived out his dream to be a rock 'n roll artist. Of course that didn't go over well but wha' th' hey...

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Little Milton-"If You Love Me"/"Alone and Blue" (Sun Records)

Repro item from the infamous Little Milton, here doin' the "Milk Cow Blues" thang on the top side and gettin' all down and out woe is me but hold the pity on the flipster. I must admit that I am not, unlike more aware and with-it types such as Bill Shute, as well versed in the whole whys and wherefores of the blues idiom (even though I've read countless articles on the subject and its various adherents o'er the past XXXXXXXXXXXXX or so years) but as the old guy lookin' at the painting of the nude lady said, I may not know about art but I know what I like! You may think this review is yet another attempt to reveal my overall ignorance and contemptibility to a generally hostile public, and if you do you'd be RIGHT!

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RICHARD HALLIDAY PRESENTS EDWIN LESTER'S PRODUCTION OF MARY MARTIN AS PETER PAN EP (RCA Victor Records)

I ain't gone light in the loafers listenin' to B-way soundtracks, but this one just popped up in the pile and well --- I gotta say that I spun the thing if only for purely sentimental reasons. The folk at Lipton were pretty cagey creatures pawning this 'un off as an album, but these highlights from the famed Tee-Vee special sure do bring back the kind of memories I like. 'n not the one when, right inna middle of the original broadcast the tee-vee blew a tube...more of less the ones of my many friendly relatives who I won't be seein' again at least on this sphere, as well as the fun times I had as a turdler before school and extremely cruel teachers did their darndest to break my spirit 'n for the most part SUCCEEDED AT IT!!! And of course my mother spinning this for me after the entire fambly watched (at least PART of!) and really enjoyed that NBC special that introduced to me that fine character whose mere existence was an inspiration in the face of bigger in size people who unfortunately always had to have the upper hand. No "Ugg-A-Wugg" here (was it too controversial even then???), but "I Won't Grow Up" does seem all the more meaningful as time goes on especially after you see what kinda anti-life things grown ups tend to be.

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The Flat Duo Jets-JET SET EP (Norton Records)

There was so much music happening during the nineties, both good, bad and atrocious. Sometimes in the haze of it all I forget what the good stuff was and thus it gets banished to the furthest corners of my collection until I just happen to come across the thing usually while looking for other platters I usually tend to deem more "important".

This 'un being just one amongst 'em, an EP from the overlooked Flat Duo Jets who recorded this li'l gem of a spinner under the auspices of the infamous and much-missed Billy Miller over at Norton Records.

Four real good smackers here, one original ("Blackbeard") and three covers that sure bring back a slew of tingling memories regarding just how exciting this kinda music was back when I was young and it sure sounded swell in light of whatever the Eagles were up to at the time. Trashy punk rock (in the truest, 1972 CREEM magazine sense even!) that sounds like it coulda come outta any knotty pine rec room back in 1962, or 1977 or 1984 for that matter it's that timeless in its suburban slob appeal.

Gotta admit that I prefer the vocal tracks that close each side out. "Surfer Joe" is true to the Surfaris' original which stood as a great precursor to the rampage that mid-sixties rock would be, while I must admit that I find their version of "Mr. Moonlight" way better'n the Beatles' and on par with the Dr. Feelgood and the Interns' take from a few years earlier! 'n in light of alla the updates 'n redos on the old sixties sound we've hadda endure o'er these past few decades (as if slick studios and eighties/nineties "consciousnesses" were a POSITIVE part of the creative endeavor) it's sure great to know that some people out there still knew their TRASH...

A search through years of refuse will undoubtedly turn their longplayer up. Tune in for more one of these eons...

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Ante-Up-"Live on the Wire"/"The Memphis Blues" (CBGB Records)

Got this 'un after reading how guitarist/singer Jaried Minnies learned to play a right-handed guitar even though he's a leftie, and that didn't even involve changing the strings to make things easier! Take that Jimi Hendrix! And on this single he sure proves that he can play a better upside-down right-handed guitar left-handed style than many right-handed types can play the proper 'n normil way! A-side is a solid hard-rocker that didn't latch on to any then-current (eighties) crap musical movements which is why it's such a hard pouncer, while the flip is what alla those geeks who were under the impression that they were getting the real deal from alla those white r/b guys on AOR radio THOUGHT they were hearin'!

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Mike Waggoner and the Bops-"Basher #5"/"Baby Baby" (Vee Records)

Really good early garage band boppings from this Wisconsin bunch who got their start when leader Mike Waggoner saw Gene Vincent arrive in town in a fancy car dressed so snattily and like, thought maybe that rock 'n roll made more sense than selling GRIT door-to-door! "Basher #5"'s one of those snatty 50s/60s cusp instrumentals that pointed the way towards some pretty hotcha music that would come to fruition once the likes of the Trashmen began recording, while "Baby Baby"'s a wild rockabilly rouser that not surprisingly owes a lot to the whole Gene Vincent credo that seemed to be falling outta favor around the time this was being laid down. A double-side wowzer brought to you by none other than Bobby Vee!

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Deniz Tek-"100 Fools"/"Radio Birdman-"Alien Skies" (Citadel Records, Australia)

Another oldie that was so boff that the front sleeve actually appeared on the cover of the second issue of my very own crudzine. Solo Deniz Tek pops up on the a-side sounding like a whole lotta those driving Tek songs that he's been recording with alarming (or maybe not-so) frequency ever since the days of Radio Birdman. Those guys are on the flipside doin' an instrumental that has good enough of a Detroit rock drive that would have guaranteed the band a gig in some of the most worthless dives in the vicinity. Sure brings back memories of the once-heralded Australian underground rock scene which kinda fizzled out once the years progressed and a whole lot of energy was dissipated.

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Destroy All Monsters 7-inch 33 r.p.m. EP (track listing : "Introduction", "Assassination Photograph", "Dream Song"/"Destroy All Monsters", "There is No End") (Black Hole Records)

The above review had me digging deeper and deeper into my collection to pull this noogie out, one of those Destroy All Monsters records (the other under the Xanadu nom-de-fanabla) that former member Cary Loren released after his departure from the act. Low-fi yet totally wired in that Detroit hard rock style that had kids buying old MC5 albums with a passion for years on end. Niagara credited on "presence". Captures the entire essence of what the whole early Michigan/CREEM/midwest high energy scene was about and shall  remain for all I know (or care). Features that inspiring Virgil Finlay cover that's such a mindblower that I even published it in the 21st ish of my own crudzine which might be one reason why I decided to once again plaster this 'un up for all to see lo these many years down the line. Dunno about you, but I still believe in beauty.

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Muckrakers-"Fallin' Down"/"Muckrakers" (Rocket Reducer Records)

Believe I "dissed" as they say this 'un upon first arrival way back when, but today it comes off as a pretty good straight-on local rocker without any of that punque pretense that has ruined what mighta been otherwise coulda been good effort. So head-on straight in its rock approach that if you woulda told me this was some mid-seventies local single effort from the wilds of the west I woulda believed ya. Features former Die Kreuzen frontman Dan Kubinski which might have led to much confusion on my part, not sayin' that I'm ALWAYS confused to begin with.

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Paul Anka-"Goodnight My Love"/"This Crazy World" (RCA Victor Records)

Considering that this Anka hit (as well as a good hunkin' portion of 'em fer that matter) was definitely ona-a-those get her inna mood records I'm wonderin' who the tit-squeezin' relative I inherited this 'un from just mighta been! Hmmmm, this would make for some very interesting dinner table discussion fodder not to mention images of certain cousins slippin' this onna turntable in order to have their way with a member of the other (at least I hope!) s-x. Testosterone-filled goosh oozes outta the speakers and right into that pleasure point in your skull which you thought got worn out from way too much self-stimulation these past umpteen years.

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HEAR THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL MUSIC ON THIS DEMONSTRATION RECORD cardboard flexi-disc

When I was a kid it was like a holiday if we got some flexi-disc advertisement in the mail...yes, it was another reason to trot down to the rec room and spin somethin' thus givin' us a slight break from the same old. Here's one advertising a "best of" set of classical themes designed to slip a little culture into your very own suburban slob-dominated ranch house, complete with the same sales pitch used by many a kid workin' his way through college sellin' magazine subscriptions. Of course we don't get to hear all of the "50 Great Moments of Music" on this platter, but within the span of a few minutes you too will feel so culturally enriched that you might even wanna turn to the lower portion of your FM dial to hear more of these classy symphonies. Well, spinnin' this is a whole lot cheaper'n buyin' either a beret or stale doritos for that matter.

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The Saucers-"Cha Wailey Routa"/"Why Do I Dream" (Felco Records)

A-side's a good rhumba-sorta workout for this vocal group that'll sorta remind you of when you were young rompin' about inna rec room on some cold rainy day and stuff like this would come on in over the radio in between the usual sorta goop that sometimes would get stuck in. The flip is a slow moosher that probably won't get your mind into any sorta proper gear but I guess that's why they stuck it on the b-side. And if you think that I bought this 'un because I thought it would be some really wild and rambunctious late-fifties garage band screamer recorded in some old maid aunt's living room well, you just might be right.

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King Bee-"Zip Gun"/"Hot Pistol" (Whizeagle Records)

Fred Cole in 1978 showed us that he was way more in gear with the hard-crunch end of underground rock than many of the snob-end rock critics who were out and about could ever be. Heavy duty "blue wave" sounds accentuated by the WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT sound quality and a good 'un to snuggle into yer vinyl collection in between alla those old Raw Records entries that I'm sure still get plenty of double duty play on your Victrola. Nice cover, and they didn't even get sued by EMI like Roogalator was for their WITH THE BEATLES-inspired sleeve for Stiff  a good two or so years earlier!

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Peter Laughner and the Finns-"Baby's On Fire"/"What Goes On" (SOL Records)

Here's one I believe I had previously reviewed on this blog but sure deserves another mention. Laughner's post Revenge/pre-Rocket From The Tombs one-off live in the backyard band doin' early classic Eno proud on one side and mid-period Velvets on the other, perhaps showing all of us that the mid-seventies were the perfect period where youth, music, art and ambition were perfectly aligned in a way they probably never will be for at least a few hundred years. Makes one long for the days of high energy, talent, decadence and of course that spirit in music that was always poo-poo'd by the people with the power until it got too big, at which point they DESTROYED it all.

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The Waldos-"Crazy Little Baby"/"Cry Baby" (Baylor Records)

Here's Walter Lure's long-lived post-Heartbreakers band doin' it the way he did it back when he was side-by-side with Johnny Thunders which is really great considerin' just how outta time this music had become in an era of flash 'n glitz. Sounds strangely akin to those "Heartbreaker" tracks that appeared on a buncha Skydog platters which makes me think that perhaps those actually were Waldos recordings. But hey, I'm sure we all coulda trusted Marc Zermati for bein' a totally up-front and honest person, eh?  A single that I'm sure most of you reg'lar readers either don't know about or shoved under the rug, in which case I suggest you do a li'l rug liftin' to go out 'n find the thing!

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The Rivieras-"California Sun"/"H B Goose Step" (Riviera Records)

And in closing, here's a single that I gotta say makes me feel rather sad. Sad because not only was this hit a brief respite from the domination of the Beatles on the charts but because it was perhaps the last, if not one of the, big time singles which reflected a lotta the fun and teenbo energy that the early-sixties hadda offer us. Face it, within a few years that "California Sun" was gonna look rather austere while the idea of teenage youth took a drastic turn southwards. The organ-dominated flip makes for an even more rheumy reminiscence of fun times long gone. Big mystery to this 'un is --- just who is the mysterious "DB" who dared to mark the label of this single with his initials? "Dave Berg"? "David Brenner"??? "David Bowie"????? I guess the world will never know.

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Don't hold your breath waitin' for another one of these, for I get the feelin' that the next 'un's a looooong way off.