BLOG TO COMM

Welp, I got past the Christmas hurdle...now onto New Year's. Dunno about you, but I made it through intact if only because I spent most of my time huddled up in my room listening to music, reading old fanzines and whatnot and trying to avoid that strange hideous thing that's otherwise known as reality. Just like I do most of the time anymore since my life really has turned into the lyrics from "I Am A Rock", only without the snarkness that Paul Simon was belittling his fan base with. And you kin betcha that I don't have any books and poetry to protect me either, bub!

As usual these holidays keep bringing back the old memories, not of what used to be, but what I sure wish those days coulda been had things been way different. For one thing I sure wish I had a whole lot more of that long green back then, enough to the point where I coulda walked into one of those great outta the way record emporiums like White Wing in Niles Ohio and dumped a few hundred on various newies, imports, boots and the occasional juicy cutout that should keep me occupied for a few well-crammed hours on end. Sheesh, that's the kinda olde tymey memories I wish I could have, not the ones regarding my only having $1.99 in my Indian moccasin wallet wonderin' whether to spend it on a cheapo cassette cutout or towards a MAD SUPER-SPECIAL containing a sheetfulla Don Martin stickers with enough change left over to get myself some Dynamints to load up on! 'n with a life centered around what to do it a measly $1.99 no wonder I sure wish I had more bountiful buck memories that I really could appreciate!

Got some nice surprises for ya this time as well, including a couple outta-nowhere entries that were send to me gratis. I know that longtime fan Charles Hodgson was responsible for the Nectarine No9 entry but whoever sent me the Boris platters remains a mystery. Thanks to whoever that mystery Santa was, and also thanks to Bill Shute and Paul McGarry for being so generous with their time and effort.

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Before we get to the goodies I gotta say farewell to none other'n ex-Vagrants/Mountain/West Bruce and Laing guitarist Leslie West, dead at 75. Funny thing is, I thought the guy woulda died long ago given his extreme girth and diabetes problem which eventually led to the amputation of both legs. But soldier on he did, and if it is true that the original Rocket From The Tombs covered "Mississippi Queen" maybe his memory needs all the more cherishing if only for that not-so-miniscule fact!

The Nectarine No9-A POSTCARD RECORDING OF SCOTLAND CD (Shake the Record Label, 598 Victoria, C.P. 365687, St-lambert, Quebec, J4P-358, Canada)

Yeah, this is the Cee-Dee that reader in good standing (well, I never saw him sitting down!) Charles Hodgson requested be sent to me, and although I don't find it evil or distressing I also don't find it exciting or life-reaffirming. Like a lotta that early-eighties post-rock music that was supposed to be the next step up from alla that glorious anarchy that was the late-sixties/seventies sonic sprawl this is quiet, refined and downright nowheresville music that sounds as if the practitioners had spent their growing up years listening to early Eno and, like the man himself, entered the eighties a particularly subdued form of specimen sans the visceral energy that made things like TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN such a teenbo thrill. Not really my cuppa tea, but for those of you who were still ordering expensive imported records from Rough Trade and Systematic inna mid-eighties this just might be thee one for you!

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Screaming Urge-IMPULSE CONTROL CD-r burn (originally on Homework Records)

For being from Columbus Ohio these guys're pretty good. And considering that the best rock group to ever come outta Columbus were the Electric Eels that's really sayin' somethin'! Right mix of grit and doof which doesn't copy directly from any specific new-unto-gnu-wave influence making for a sound that is uniquely Ohio to the point where you woulda thought they woulda been invited to play an in-store show at the Drome. Complete recorded output (or so I'm led to believe) in one package on one shiny disque --- as the guy on the Car Shield ad says "who does that anymore?"

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Apache Dropout-MASTERS CD-r burn (originally on Bristol Archive Records)

Might appeal to the West Coast fans who happen to read this blog what with the country laid-backisms and general sensitive girl in the seventh grade appeal that these guys have. Neil Young if his testicles had descended. Nothing that I'd wanna go out and seek for my own even though I do find quite a bit of this palatable. But that's about all.

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Sid King and the Five Strings-GONNA SHAKE THIS SHACK TONIGHT CD-r burn (originally on Bear Family Records, Germany)

If you're a tru-blu rockabilly fan 'n not just a pinkie dabbler such as I, you probably know all about King and his band who had a pretty extensive discography throughout the early days of that thing we used to call rock 'n roll. Hefty Gene Vincent influence permeates "Good Rockin' Baby" while you can also hear echoes of alla your favorite fifties faves throughout this purported to be complete collection. It even has some early more Swing-y efforts that sound like they were custom made for some rural radio station circa. 1955.  Bound to dredge up a few good memories in some of you more ancient readers. 

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Boris-LφVE & EVφL 2-LP set (Third Man Records)

Two albums (wrapped together but packaged separately if that makes any sense to you) from yet another one of those legendary Japanese hard noise rock groups I used to go nuts about back during the turn of the century. Still massive in sonic screech and the closest thing I've heard to what pneumonia would sound like if it had a voice, LφVE & EVφL can be quite overbearing especially if you ain't used to these sonically-inspired acts but after awhile you might get used to the way your brain is vibrating like wobbly gelatin inside your very bean. And please do congratulate me for goin' through this entire review without succumbing to my temptation to mention Natasha. 

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David and Sylvain-TOKYO DOLLS LIVE CD-r burn (originally on Fan Club Records, France)

This is actually the New York Dolls Mk. II with Johansen and Sylvain joined by those latterday Dolls like Peter Jenner and Tony Machine, sounding pretty snat in the process unlike what some wags onna scene woulda led ya to believe. The audience eats it up just like they did on alla those other live in Japan albums and who could blame 'em since these guys did put on a pretty wild show that was on par with the kinda act they were doing in smaller clubs back in the states. Old songs and new all done up with that patented punch and yeah, Thunders etc. ain't here but you can still get way more of a good time out of this than you can while listening to those old Casey Kasem shows that always seem to be playing at the Dollar General.

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Various Artists-WANDERING SWIVEL BLUE SENSATIONS CD-r burn (Bill Shute)

A shortie but goodie ('n the shorter the better given my extremely limited attention span) consisting of some of the bigger duds that Bill could whip up for me. Some good duds here tho even if the Swivel Hips' take on "Walk Don't Run" totally messes up the lead guitar line and the sixties pop tends to be more schmoozier than thou ifyaknowaddamean... I mean, if the Cornel Trio's "Klingeling" wasn't the kind of music that Lieutenant Gruber listened to in order to "get in the mood" I don't know what was! Of course Bill snuck a double-sided country flop on here, and the who kit 'n kaboodle ends with an EP from some French rockers called Les Aigmons who do a pretty good early-sixties instrumental rock even though, at least judging from the song entitled "Expo '64", they were outta date by at least a year. Oh well, better this kinda outta-dateness 'n the kind you get with alla those fart-encrusted rioters you still see who think it's 1968 all over again!

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Do you make new year's resolutions? I've made one and that is to get rid of all unnecessary pieces of paper that are cluttering up the ol' igloo. And naturally most of those unnecessary pieces of paper just happen to be BLACK TO COMM back issues! If you haven't made yer resolution yet howzbout enriching your rockist reading matter with a whole hunkin' supply of these mags---sheesh, it's a whole lot easier'n tryin' t' lose weight as if yez ever followed up on that 'un lo these many years.