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Time for me to do a li'l vileness signaling (which, like the spewing of oh-so-smart set prosody you readers engage in, is only done to make me feel warm and toasty not to mention SUPERIOR to you all) with another one of my big deal posts where I get to tell you about records and all other sorts of things that are happening in this utopian world of yours which just happens to be a dystopian world of mine. Gotta admit that I did have some moments of joy 'tween these "bigtime" posts what with the weather being so cold (at least it was for a good January weekend --- it's springtime warm as I type this!) that I had nothing better to do than stay snuggled up in the old farted up boudoir with a whole load of recordings and books to keep me well occupied. Just hope that we get one of them good ol' snowstorms soon so I can be holed up for a few days and just devote myself to these better things in life, getting away from the rat race that's been wearing me out for quite awhile so's I can really indulge in them oft neglected sounds 'n pix that make life more worthwhile than Bud Lite. But knowing me I'd probably have an appendicitis attack and die due to the ambulance not being able to make it through, so maybe I just better be glad just for the way things are right now.

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Despite the tragedy of real life I sure have been crankin' these posts out at what could be described as a fever pitch as of late. Way more than I had been the last two years, and although I'm not quite ready to get back into my old weekly grind (which I doubt I ever will but eh!) I gotta say it sure is grand to be perhaps a bit more active in the rock fandom game than usual even if (as if I really cared) nobody's gonna read this. Actually this new pace is just fine since I don't feel as if I have to be pressured to get these posts out to you peons who eagerly await every dribble I have to spew, and to top that I really don't give a hoot when these things hit the blogosphere because really, does this blog matter at all other than to give me something to do with the little free time I have? Remember, it's my world and Frank Sinatra is just living in it, or something like that.

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Hey, howdja like that way doctored up snap of me I've posted on the upper left of the screen in yet another lame attempt at grabbing a little attention? AI sure can do some goldurned wonders, which it sure did with the pic taken from my teenbo years (and during a particularly enthralling Christmas break spent buying records and watching tee-vee!). Sheesh, I don't remember looking anything at all like that, especially with that luscious glory on top of my skull having skedaddled a good twenny or so years after this snap was taken!

Hey, I like it. It kinda reminds me of some eighties vintage Warhol work that was done up after everyone on this earth knew he had nothing to do with it but he was so mimeographed that it didn't matter. Better yet, it comes off like a snap from one of those SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 'tween commercial inserts that they used way back when the show was actually funny. Then again it also reminds me of the front cover of the first Lewis Furey album and everyone knows what a floperoo that was (well, it was back when I gave it a listen oh so long ago --- who knows, maybe it's changed). Whatever I think of it one thing's for sure, and that is I never knew that my left hand could be so Plastic Man-esque pliable!

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A good fiftysome years too late, but at least it happened.

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Now onto the writeups, which I'll warn you aren't quite as on the ball as I would have liked but I can't be Christgau every day! Maybe my lack of Wheaties in the morn has contributed to my even more lack of creativity than usual or more likely it's the utter stupidity built right into my DNA, but rather than have no reviews I thought I'd just trudge on and present whatever I was able to muster up even during this dip in the roller coaster of my creative process. Be thankful for that, that is if your life is so vapid that you actually long for the type of dribble that I've been cranking out for a longer time that I can remember. Thanks be to Bob Forward for the donations.

Martin Rev-THE SUM OF OUR WOUNDS (CASSETTE RECORDINGS 1973-1985) CD (Bureau B records, Germany)

Smattering of various idea fleshouts courtesy the not-so staid mind of Suicide's "musical half". Familiar themes pop up just begging for the feral yelps of Alan Vega, although these tracks are powerful enough on their lonesome that maybe he isn't necessary a'tall. Stimulating to the nervous system in ways that haven't affected me in quite a while, THE SUM OF OUR WOUNDS not-so strangely enough has me flashing back to the days of my original prowling of the avgarde idiom, a time that I was pretty open to this music to the point where a whole load of yells and shouts were directed at me whenever something along the line of Varese would be spinning on the ol' stereo. Coulda used some detailed info on what's what tho. 

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John's Children-A STRANGE AFFAIR --- THE SIXTIES RECORDINGS 2 CD set (Grapefruit Records, England)

Shee-yucks! After making a Gnu Year's resolution not to spend any precious lucre on non-essentials what do I do but plunk down that hard-earned for John's Childrens material I've had in various configurations for years on end! Eh, it's got the Silence tracks which I've never lent ear to as well as some Andy Ellison singles that have eluded me so it ain't exactly like I was spending my moolah like a drunken sailor. It also got all of ORGASM not to mention a whole batch of different takes and other bits 'n feces which all sound great when placed under one solid roof. 'cept whoever put this one together left off the BBC seshes and Bolan's vocalized "Sally Was An Angel" from THE BEGINNING OF DOVES, but were these compilers ever perfect? Got any leftover Xmas cashage? If so, one of these little dandies just might be good way for you to pour your precious pennies down a rathole!

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Sonny Sharrock-SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST/SAVAGES CD-r burn

One from Mr. Forward who seems to (at least some of the time) hone in on the musical wants and needs of mine with little if no error. This is the first time I got to hear all of the Space Ghost music laid down by guitarist supremo Sonny Sharrock right before his own capsizing and it sure exceeded my expectations. This swan song material's nowhere near the neo-new fusion I thought it was going to be and in fact it's pretty much on par with the man's various seventies workouts so don't worry that the guy went out on a sour note like Lou Reed did. I've heard and reviewed the 1974 Savages material before but it's pretty much hokay having this repeat in my collection! Now if someone could locate those live shows the man did with Material which everyone seemed so interested in yet hardly anybody got to actually hear.

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Bill Cosby-WHERE YOU LAY YOUR HEAD CD (Verve Records)

Don't worry, I only got this one for Sharrock's presence on the thirteen-minute closer "Why is It I Can Never Find Anything In The Closet (It's Long But It's Alright") which also has Don Pullen on the keyboards and Jack DeJohnette on drums. It ain't MONKEY POCKIE BOO but it's still listenable, as is the entirety of this album featuring various Bill Cosby compositions that were written pretty much in the same way Jackie Gleason did with all those make out albums of his that you still see at flea markets. He even does some percussion on a few of 'em. Other players featured include David Murray and John Scofield so you know that Cosby has some taste regarding the more out-there areas of jass (at least as far as Murray's concerned since Scofield was always a refined sort of guitarist --- classy yet somewhat engaging).

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Neo Neos-KILL SOMEONE YOU HATE CD-r burn (originally on Neck Chop Records/Another Label)

Refreshing switch from the usual neo neo-hippie feely-feel that passes for punk rock these days. Low-fi reminiscent of the old Screamin' Mee-Mees/Fuckin' Flyin' A-Heads scronk that seemed oh so admirable before many a lesser mind rammed the whole home-produced DIY lo-fi concept right into the dirt. The six-year-old singer spouting obscenities was a nice touch. Maybe its because I haven't been listening to any of the ten thousand other groups doing the frenetic grind lately that this sounds fair enough but whatever, I sure feel glad that the future is in the hands of such stalwart, stoic youth as these.

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Various Artists-A RECOMMENDED SAMPLER 2 CD-r set (originally on ReR Megacorp Records, England)

Now that some of that "Rock In Opposition" music that once seemed somewhat obtuse sounds rather adventurous and even toe-tapping in retrospect, perhaps I should hail Mr. Forward for jetting this 25th anniversary of the '82 Recommended Sampler my very way. 

Some of it sounds as unique as I'm sure it did to many an against the grain musical freak looking for something different in their musical pottage, while at times the usual Zappa specter seems to seep in (and I mean Zappa like in late-seventies Zappa when his usual egotistical musical approach became too overbearing even for the old time fans). It's full of surprises though, from soundtrack music for thirties-vintage French avant garde films (Felix Gasul) to late-seventies punk rock with the proper oomph to it (the Homosexuals). Something for (almost) everyone who at least reads this blog, and for me the more European it sounds the better. Even ends with Robert Wyatt's own version of "The Internationale" for all you spiritual communists out there, and judging from the response I get regarding this blog there must be many!

(One weirditie here's the presence of a Henry Cow spinoff group called the Black Sheep who perform a number called "Strangelove"...making me wonder whether or not this track is indeed a tribute to the famed Strangeloves of "I Want Candy" fame considering that those guys also went under the name the Sheep! Is the mess of a sound they make here supposed to be some sort of tribute to an act that I really doubt would have ever considered the Strangeloves to be part of their musical DNA makeup? Doubt it is but sheesh, wouldn't it be just marvy if it was?????)

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Hawkwind-OF TIME AND STARS, THE SINGLES CD-r burn

I tried to get info on this 'un via the internet, but all I could latch onto was some Arthur C. Clarke short story compilation. I guess this collection of early Hawkwind single sides was one of those come and go things if it's so obscure that it doesn't even turn up on discographies. (The Butterboy blog has not only the only mention of this item on the 'net but a download as well for all you penny pinchers out there.) Longtime Hawkwind fans have no need for this one, but if you're an upsprout wanting to learn something about this band and don't wanna spend the moolah why not go on Butterboy and discover for yourself what kind of a group Hawkwind was? It's got the classics from the English hit "Silver Machine" to those familiar Hawkwind showstoppers that unfortunately never did make their way to the charts here in the United States. Personal fave's the Robert Calvert effort "Urban Guerilla" which Jon Tiven once mentioned was custom made for the Deviants fan in us all. And it was!

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Yes, it has been reduced to me just wanting to see these magazines ridded from my presence. It used to be fun writing, pasting, distributing and waiting for the response as to what I and my various contributors have pecked out, but eventually it all became more like a business I took way too seriously which certainly did put somewhat of a damper on things. And besides, it does get rather tiresome painting a target on my back and having all of my "friends" take pot shots at it. It's come to the point where whenever I glance upon the stack of these unsold items piled up in the corner all I can think about is what a bad move (one amongst many) that I made in this at-times hideous thing called life. Tell you what, buy a whole sack load of these fanzines from me and maybe I'll stop with the nauseating self-pity. But I doubt it.