Saturday, December 05, 2020

One of the best things I like about these late autumn days we're experiencin' is the way the sky looks when the sun's going down (no, not that you thilly thing), the deep blue darkness that lends a rather somber feeling to your existence and stirs up a passionate and mystical aura that makes listening to THE MARBLE INDEX an even more potent endeavor. Absorbing the emotional tugs while  watching the skies getting darker and darker can be an even more stirring experience, once again making me re-live old turdler-era deep-seated wonders that made existing such a pleasurable thing back when you really could say the world was a better place to exist on all counts. Anyhoo, enough of that over-emotional yet personalist goo and welcome to this week's edition of BLOG TO COMM, the blog that does for rock fandom what Josef Mengele did for grade school Science Fair experiments. Hope you like this 'un, but the again if you press me hard enough I gotta say I could hardly care a whit about what you think. 

(oh, already mentioned the deep and ennui-riddled late-autumn skies already)...its' a fairly good selection of music to be blabbed about this time, and Bill Shute, Paul McGarry, Bob Forward and nobody else should be congratulated for the vast array of wares they've sent...UNSOLICITED...which is great if only that I don't hafta sort through over 45 years of collected records and other recorded spizz to fill this post up. Oddly enough nothing personally purchased by me myself 'n I has made it to this week's roster, but some rather enticing turdbits are being awaited via Mr. Mailman so maybe next week...
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Coming up next week, a piece on the ten worst articles written about the ten worst movies of all time! (Note the Don Fellman influence on that 'un!) 


 
The Yardbirds-ROGER THE ENGINEER {EXPANDED EDITION} CD-r burn (originally on Demon Records, England)

Way back inna Not So Golden Age of Eighties Rock Fandom one Tim Warren of BACK FROM THE GRAVE notoriety brought up the interesting and perhaps not so off-the-wall mention that the Yardbirds' legendary ROGER THE ENGINEER album, originally recorded and released in that top notch rock 'n roll year of 1966, was indeed...now get this!...PROGRESSIVE ROCK!!!!! Now I think Mr. Warren is one rock 'n roll savvy sorta guy whose records are listened to by me even a good well-over thirty years after they were released but sheesh...progressive rock? The rock's "coming of age" moo-ment that gave us ponderous music and lyrics coupled with strange science fiction and fantasy imagery that related to Tolkien and H.G. Welles more than it did "Clouds" by the Spacemen? Well, all I gotta say is that if this is indeed "progressive rock" then give me a shag cut, a copy of CLOSE TO THE EDGE and set the controls for the heart of the import bin!

All kidding aside, ROGER THE ENGINEER is merely the Yardbirds continuing on their experimental explorations while remaining a top notch group that knew how to extrapolate on things while remaining close to the blues source. Extraterrestrial true, but with both feet firmly planted on terra ferma. 

Warren might have thought "Hot House of Omagarashid" was prog but to me it sounds more like an early sixties Joe Meek outer space epic without the soundboard switcherooing. "Turn Into Earth" remains a fave from this effort even tho I prefer the Derby-Hatville's version with the organ playing the main theme that popped up on some old Texas volume of HIGHS IN THE MID-SIXTIES long back. 'n alla the expected extras including single sides and alternate takes are just what you need to make this expanded ish a goodie for either the old turd or the young poop-out!

By the way, a complete rundown of the recent BACK FROM THE GRAVE series is being readied for publication, but the only thing that's keeping it from fruition is my inability to find the volumes 5 and 6 collection which for some reason seems to have vanished from the face of this orb. Anyone out there know what the heck happ'd to the thing anyway?
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The Fundamentalists-THE RENAISSANCE CD-r burn (Walls Flowing Records, via Ubgun12@yahoo.com)

More of that stuff they usedta call Musique Concrete made from found readymade material and quite creatively slopped onto a disque for your pleasure or ire depending on what kinda mood yer in today. I understand that Richard Meltzer usedta do loads of tape mangipulations like these back inna late-sixties which would be the aural equivalent to those boxing films of his that you could have rented via the Anthology Film Archives, but since this is Bob Forward doin' 'em 'n not Meltzer you probably won't care about this one iota. Oddly enough I don't either, but I'm sure glad I got to hear this anyway.

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The Depressions-THE PUNK COLLECTION CD-r burn (originally on Captain Oi Records, England)

I thought I was gonna be depressed hearing even more of that nth generation punk rock but these guys are pretty good. As usual it's nothing that seems to stick to any of my playing units the way certain decayed forms of late-sixties mania tend to these days, but as far as punk goes it ain't punque  'n as we all know that's a purty good thing onna ears (and spirit). 

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John Du Cann-THE WORLD'S NOT BIG ENOUGH CD-r burn (originally on Air Angel Records)

Ex-Atomic Rooster guitarist does swell with this long-withheld late-seventies effort which sounds like T. Rex, Sweet, Slade and Sparks mixed with a load of mid-seventies glitter punk a la Another Pretty Face or the Fast. Dunno why this one was held back for so long because frankly the contents of this is what used to be known as HIT MATERIAL that woulda had the boys swooning and the girls forming rock bands way back when. Music for foxy babes as well as guys who wanted to dress like foxy babes, and even normal people like presumably you and me could get a huge kick outta the big glam stomp of it aa well!

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CHRISTMAS WITH "BIG" TINY LITTLE CD-r burn (originally on Coral Records)

Haw, for once in my life I pull a Bill burn outta the pile that's, howshallwesay, copasetic with the whatever it is that passes for the holiday spirit these days. At least it recalls somewhat the sense of a holiday spirit like it used to be when I was a kid and the entire Christmas Season brouhohoho was something to look forward to.  Tiny and his rinkydink piano do the Christmas break (called so because all your toys got smashed to bits before you had the chance to get back to school) swell with the olde tymey arrangements and presentation, but I gotta say that it'll never replace our old scratchy album with the Four Aces singing "Silent Night" in four part early-fifties singing group harmony!

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GERALD MOHR IN THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP MARLOWE CD-r burn

Two 1951 episodes. "Nether Nether Land" deals with a gal named Carolyn with a figure that could stop an orgy who, after being followed and sheltered by Marlowe, mysteriously goes missing. You'll go nuts along with Marlowe trying to find out just who abducted her and why and if the thing just ain't one weird diversion from the truth which of course finally comes out when the horns emit those tones of doom. "Heir For G-String" features the connection between heir and skid row denizen Buff Ryan and a stripper which, again, has a sorta fishy air about the whole thing, At least the horns end this 'un up on a more upbeat blast!

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Aaron Dilloway-FEAR SWEPTHTE POOLSIDES CD-r burn

You probably know way more'n me about the whys and wherefores of this 'un. Loads of pretty snat noise mangipulations caused by affecting various soundsources to the point of madness while even Jim Morrison's not spared from being treated (actually, he sounds a lot like R. Meltzer here!) in more of Dilloway's maddening experiments. You've heard it all before re. various "cassette culture" styled cut ups etc., and you might as well hear it again wherever you can find this thing!

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Various Artists-BIG NEWS ON THE GOLD COAST CD-r burn (Bill Shute)

Not really a "Virtual Floor Sweeping" but a sampling of what Bill calls "Airwick-scented vintage lounge appetizers". 

The early-sixties ambience (with a few charges into late-sixties attempts at hipsterism) really does send this writer back to his early turdler times when there was that electrical thrill even to the more poppier platters that were gettin' spinned, and although things like Bill Justis's take on Ray Barretto's "El Watusi" certainly sound watered down next to the real deal they sure zap me into that world I just didn't get enough of back when I was living concurrently with POST WORLD WAR TWO CIVILIZATION AT ITS GREATEST

Still a whole lot of this does remind me of some rainy dark evening when my dad 'n me would be stashed away in the car on a rainy dark evening for whatever reason and music such as the kind here would be playing through the static 'n all I could wish for was to be home away from alla this nature that was goin' on! Funny, when I was but that mere pre-pubesprout I thought that music like this was grown up stuff, and here I am (more or less) a grown up and I'm listening to it just like I thought I would have way back when. Boy was I prophetic even then or what!

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I know that many of ya aren't exactly enthralled with entire fanzine concept as people like Fredric Wertham were and people like myself are, but if you do collect such things may I suggest a real good deal you just can't live without???

30 comments:

debs said...

lol the yardbirds were one-hit wonders lol but they did give us eric clapton and jimmy page lol how did those kewl guys wind up in a loser band? lol

Alvin Bishop said...

A friend got me to listen to those Back From the Grave LPs in the 1980s. Ted Mack would've rejected those rejects. (Chuckle!)

Most of that so-called "garage rock" was less musically accomplished than The Ohio Express. There are notable exceptions, though. By 1968 The Blues Magoos and The McCoys had evolved into good rock bands.

Cheers!

MoeLarryAndJesus said...

Hey, Alvin - The Swamp Rats > Yes.

All day long.

bob f. said...

re: FEAR SWEPT THE POOLSIDES...originally a cassette release on LAFFS & DANGER label. side one is Aaron (original member of Wolf Eyes so MI represent...later moved to Oberlin so OH represent, too!) Side two: heavy desecration of Doors' bootlegs so have to figure the lawsuits came quickly! L&D= Detroit "label". What all the kids were looking for!

Charles Hodgson said...

Moe hates women, because his tiny penis penis is embarrassed by the size of the average female clitoris. Except those he is obliged to suck on by his black ANTIFA sisters. Those turned out to be tiny cocks too, but at least they had foreskins.

Charles Hodgson said...

Little Moe is anti gender science, but he will still disolve in acid. Its Worth a try, at least.

MoeLarryAndJesus said...

"penis penis"?

So Hoggy works for Little Caesars?

I didn't think Scutland could afford such delicacies.

Also, is "disolve" some sort of peculiar Scuttish slang?

(((Happy Merchant))) said...

Plz, goyim, if you do collect such things may I suggest sending shekels to me for rare back issues of Blog to Comm? Regret it you will not!

debs said...

lol looooooozzzrrrzzzz lol why don't you gay lads rent a room? lol stop doing it in public lol

Alvin Bishop said...

Moe: I looked up The Swamp Rats online. Let me just say, erm, it's not easy, erm, listening to that sort of amateur stuff. They should've kept it in the swamp. (Chuckle!)

You see, I'm classically trained on piano, since age eight. Rock music had no appeal to me until I heard The Zombies and The Moody Blues first Top 40 hits. The former owed something to jazz, good jazz, while the latter were classically influenced. From there, I began to pay attention to The Beatles, and so on to The Left Banke, Beacon Street Union, Ten Years After, Weather Report, Chicago, Television, Tin Huey, Beefheart, et al.

I need to hear some muscianship if I'm going to listen.

All that said, to each their own! If The Swamp Rats getcha through the night, it's alright!

Cheers!

Charles Hodgson said...

Moe is such a stickler for tiny details (like his genitalia). But he believes sex is a spectrum, that men can be women (and vice versa) if they "feel" that is what they are. He wants to pump children full of puberty blocking drugs. His such a feminist he espouses misogyny. He is such an anti-racist that he favours bringing back segregation. He thinks white people today are responsible for slavery hundreds of years before their birth. That all white people are born with the "original sin" of inherited racism. He denies any black African, muslim or Jewish involvement in the slave trade.
He and his compadres are the death of civilisation, history and logic. They are also complete idiots. Even their own families must dread them coming round to spout this bollocks.

MoeLarryAndJesus said...

Hoggy has never had sex with a live woman without paying for it, of course. (Farm animals are another issue.) All that backed-up semen has led him to the abyss that is right-wing madness and he will never recover.

BTW, no one is born with any sort of "original sin," either in a religious or racial sense, and anyone who tells you otherwise is full of shit.

Christopher Stigliano said...

Moe, you're LIVING PROOF of the original sin of the smug moral superiority of the smart set. Still time for you to grovel down to your proper status in existence.

MoeLarryAndJesus said...

Here's a smugly superior moral judgment from an admitted member of the smart set:

FDR > Hitler.

This is a conclusion shared by all sane, educated adults. Stigs and Hoggy do not agree with it.

Ladies and gentlemen, draw your own conclusions as to why that is.

Christopher Stigliano said...

Wow, I'm totally in awe of your advanced beyond the ken of homo sapiens moral superiority!

Hozbout this pearl?: Hitler > Stalin.

Charles Hodgson said...

Moe's tiny brain will explode when he eventually realises his BLM sisters masturbating their ladycocks in female bathrooms, and uploading the footage to social media as part of the trans crusade, are actually part of the patriarchy.

Charles Hodgson said...

Donald Trump > JFK

MoeLarryAndJesus said...

Bobby Sands > Any Living Scotsman

BTW, Hoggy thinks JFK stands for Jesus Fucking Khrist.

Alvin Bishop said...

Kensington Market > The Swamp Rats

(Chuckle!)

Cheers!

Christopher Stigliano said...

OK---how about this?

Stalin > Mao

Charles Hodgson said...

An AIDS infected jism filled condom lying in the gutter at Boston harbour, on a dog turd > sad lil Moe

Christopher Stigliano said...

NOTE TO CHARLES HODGSON AND ANYONE ELSE WHO MIGHT BE LISTENING IN!: if you want to send me items to review, send them to me at 701 North Hermitage Road., Suite 23, Hermitage, PA 16148 USA. Got it?!?!?

MoeLarryAndJesus said...

Hey, that's an Asian massage parlor! I didn't know Stigs owned a bathrobe.

Christopher Stigliano said...

Unlike an upscale swinging uppercrust Marxist down with the Braceros like you!

Charles Hodgson said...

In a shocking display of supreme white abasement, Moe is planning to "cancel" himself. He's fundraising (more rent-boy prostitution, obviously) for petrol and matches, and vows to commit self-immolation outside the BLM annual awards show at Evergreen State College. He says it's just a shame his black 'allies' wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire, or he would go for the record - two suicides in one day!

MoeLarryAndJesus said...

It's not that they wouldn't want to help me out, Hoggy. But they just got done filling your mum's trough for her monthly bath and they're all tapped out.

Charles Hodgson said...

Moe, you clearly have a problem with women.
The ones with vaginas, that is

MoeLarryAndJesus said...

I never thought I would be accused of misogyny by a Mengele-loving Scot incel who lives off the meager proceeds of his elderly mother's prostitution, but then 2020 has been a very strange year.

Charles Hodgson said...

Moe, you live in a world where women are men in dresses and poorly applied make up with ladycocks and balls carefully tucked between their legs. You cant see the misogyny in that?

BTW, how's your charity program to relieve incels of their virginity by practising on your arsehole going? Shame their all going to catch AIDS.

MoeLarryAndJesus said...

Why can't Scots learn the their/they're distinction? Oh, right, they're a bunch of drunken inbred morons who are all on heroin by the age of ten. I guess it helps them forget the taste of English piss.