BLOG TO COMM

Once again time for me to devote some space to one of many in a long line of weekend posts, posts where I once again get to pour all of my passion and energy into a few of the ONLY THINGS that I love on this planet of ours. Now, you might think these forthcoming mutterings to be juvenile and way too altruistic for your own jaded worldviews which of course has that tad bit of "moral" rectification just so's you don't reflect a totally decadent amorality to your friends and companions. But to the contrary I still have the mad inner drive to absorb and cherish every bit of total eruption music that may pass my ears, as well as total eruption reading and visual stimulation and anything that helps get me through the past fortysome years of general banality I've had to endure. Maybe that's what's keeping me going on but hey, it's better'n macrame.

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MY CURRENT (AND PERHAPS ETERNAL) FAVORITE EXAMPLE OF FEMININE PULCHRITUDE AND DOWNRIGHT NO-DOUBT-ABOUT-IT HISTORICAL HEART-THROB!-Mitsuko Aoyama, a.k.a. "Mitsuko Thekla Maria, Countess of Coudenhove-Kalergi". If there  be any femme from the past who I sure wish I could have made my own...

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And as I am wont to do, thanks to those who have submitted the freebees --- Bill Shute, Paul McGarry, and come to think of it no one else!

Various Artists-MYSTICAL MALES --- SOFT SOUNDS FOR Various Artists-GENTLE PEOPLE RPESENT THE TRIPPED OUT TROUBADOURS FROM 1965-1970   CD-r burn

For those of you into the intricate subgenre of late-sixties post-folk orchestrated pop is this the collection for you! Names big and little contribute to this effort that does gather up some deeply intricate mewlings and not-so-sunshine pop efforts that I will admit does reflect a style that can yank a few hidden strains of sensitivity even out of your standard punque. Garners up a whole load of memories of the kinda music that woulda been performed on some sullen tee-vee special during those rather confusing days but sheesh, whenever I listen to these strains all I can think about is what kinda person would go for these sounds --- what first comes to mind is some bloke in an episode of either THE BOLD ONES or THE NAME OF THE GAME who is nineteen who wears his hair in a Joe Nameth sideburns and ear-cover fashion and is contemplating dodging the draft while staying true to his flat-chested girlfriend! Hope there's a good moom pitcher on THE CBS FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIE that's for sure!

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John Cale-EVEN COWGIRLS GET THE BLUES CD (Danceteria Records)

Another one of those early Cee-Dee rips from an old ROIR tape, this of that Cale @ CBGB effort that sounded as if it was taken from an audience recording and thus not as crystal clear as, say, SABOTAGE LIVE. Still a good effort with some stunning moments (such as Judy Nylon's recitation on "Dance of the Seven Veils") and more of that singer/songwriter-y Cale that turned off quite a few fanablas out there but we soon caught on many years after the fact. Overall a rather emotion-packed affair and given my nerve-wracked disposition as of late this sure added to the tension more than alla those Mountain Dews I've been drinking have!

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THE WHO SELL OUT CD-r burn (originally on Universal Records, Japan)

I sure am a lucky guy. Y'see, there was this copy of THE WHO SELL OUT that used to sit in the record bin at D'onofrio's supermarket for quite some time mixed in there with a whole lotta hooey including that Motor Mouth thing that I reviewed quite some time ago. That copy of SELL OUT was only going for a mere $2.50 or so and me with my depression-era wages actually thought I could afford the thing if I only pinched my pennies a bit. Turns out i couldn't and thus I never got the platter which probably woulda gotten me yelled at for anyway. Good thing that Paul McGarry sent me this burn because hey, I guess I did save $2.50 or whatever that amt. would be given the inflation rate o'er the years. Of course that copy didn't have the bonus tracks which have popped up on bootlegs since but hey, I'm glad I have that extra moolah in my pocket. 

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John Foxx-THE GOLDEN SECTION CD-r burn (originally on Virgin Records)

This '83 spinner was s'posed to be ex-Ultravox frontman Foxx's goin' back to his musical roots effort which, in many ways, probably were similar to the same sounds that put hair on your chest and bulged your biceps, and as far as you MEN go... Unfortunately this sounds just like those platters that Foxx was recording with Ultravox right before his skidoo which is a shame since, if anything, it was their eponymous as they all say debut that really reflected the guy's true under-the-underground roots that attracted more than a few curious import bin hoppers to their music. One of those platters that I am sure glad to say I didn't pay for, but the guy who burned the thing for me's probably still scratching his head as to why I asked for it in the first place.

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YESTERDAY AND TODAY CD-r burn (originally on London Records)

This is just more of that dull one-dimensional mid-seventies hard rock (too considerate of heavy metal to call it heavy metal) records that I'm sure SOMEONE out there bought back when the bins of 1976 were flowing with a whole load of items one could pick up at depression-era wages. Gotta say one funny thing about it, and that is I first thought that. on the song "Alcohol", that the group was singing "El Kabong", that great alter ego of Quick Draw McGraw who used to swing about hitting people with his guitar! Maybe if they did write a song about him with a few of those "boiiinnnggggs" in it...

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CHURCHILLS CD-r burn (originally on Hed-Arzi/Rockfever Records)

Never did hear this legendary Israeli band made up of furriners working there so this was a nice li'l somethingorother. Nothing special considering alla the Yardbirds/Zep/Doors rips therein but it should satisfy fans of the more late-sixties fluff psych sounds out there. The additional tracks might make this one a worthwhile platter to snatch up somewhere. But then again, they just might not. 

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Various Artists-TRANS-ATLANTIC EDEN ALLIANCE CD-r burn (Bill Shute)

Bill's even more teenbo garage band minor chord 'n usual on this collection which has some rarities that I'm sure have been comped elsewhere, but just try to find alla them GARAGE BAND BLOWOUT compilations that the Golden Disc used to see at inflated prices back inna eighties! So mid-Ameriga in their approach that you can practically smell the Brylcreem these Beatle wannabes were still gloppin' in their hair. So desperate in their approach to the more angst-riddled aspects of teenbodom, you can just feel their desperate attempts to search out nookie only to get noogies in return. Alla these groups were from New England (well, that is if you consider Maine part of New England) which might account for the at-times dankness. Standouts : the two versions of the End single, the first a bit loose like Ex-Lax and the second tighter than your mother's corset! Dunno about you, but given this Eastern Seaboard session's overall prowess I can sure go for a lobster roll right about now!

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Yet another reminder that, due to the plain unadulterated fact that just way too many people did not, and for that matter, don't have an appreciation for the true astral forms of critical applications of ranch house mentality music appreciation, back issues of BLACK TO COMM are still available! Mucho hard work and toil went into creating these fine examples of definitely NON journalistic rock commentary and like, it would be a shame to let your mind traverse on without it being touched by the high energy spurt and drone that this magazine continues to blare from its yellowing pages even a good twenty/thirtysome years down the line! So what's keeping you anyway --- trying to budget yer dough between these and a new package of two-ply 'r sumpthin'?