Psychedelic Drugstore(1969/70)
Derivative, But Fun, Chilean Psych
I’m a fan of second-rate psych. The little known Aguaturbia, from Chile, is a basic, by-the-numbers, Cream & Frisco-influenced power trio… with a female lead. Frankly, they’re not all that good, but I’m mysteriously drawn to them anyway. You’ll hear plenty of familiar cues here, as if it was recorded while an FM radio was playing one day in 1969. Electric, blues-based trio jamming, plenty of wah, radio psych pop (“Somebody To Love,” a freaked out 10 minute version of “Crimson & Clover”), filler boogie (“Rollin’ & Tumblin’”), a “Manic Depression” rip (“Ah Ah Ah Ay”) and even some soft-core erotica (“Erotica”) – complete with orgasmic writhing and a funky studio jam. Getting psyched yet? Psychedelic Drugstore is actually a compilation of the band’s first two albums, Aguaturbia (1969), (HERE), and Volumen 2 (1970) (HERE), both recently re-issued on vinyl. Want the experience of hearing a new band in a friend-of-a-friend’s basement back in the late 60s again? Here you go. Amazon has it, HERE. NOTE: We’ve just added a CD reissue, below.
Somebody To Love (3:05)
Erotica (3:50)
Rollin’ ‘n’ Tumblin’ (3:06)
Ah Ah Ah Ay (2:49)
Crimson & Clover (10:35)
Heartbreaker (5:42)
Blues On The West Side (6:17)
Waterfall (3:46)
Evol (8:45)
I Wonder Who (2:56)
Aguaturbia (2:22)
Complete Tracks(1969/1970)
The Band’s 1969 & 1970 Albums w/Bonuses
AQUATURBIA
Baby (3:04)
Erotica (3:51)
Alguiem Para Amar (3:02)
Ah Ah Ah Ay (2:13)
Rollin And Tumblin (3:08)
Uno De Estos Dias (5:32)
Carmesi Y Trebol (7:07)
Eres Tu (2:51) VOLUMEN 2
I Wonder Who (2:59)
Heartbreaker (4:34)
Blues On The West Side (6:18)
Waterfall (3:46)
Well All Right (3:48)
Jailhouse Rock (2:44)
E.V.O.L. (8:46)
Aguaturbia (2:25) BONUSES
El Hombre De La Guittarra (3:35)
Hermoso Domingo (3:19)
Flaco (3:29)
ANALOG BIRDS “No Knock” b/w “Master Breacher”(2013) ASA MILBANKX “Roads + Junctions” b/w “Before We Say Goodnight”(2013)
An Outstandingly Creative Collective
More excellent free music from Analog Birds… and a solo release from vocalist/band member, Asa Milbankx. What you’ll discover listening to these guys is a rewarding variety of offbeat ideas, melodies, harmonies, instrumentation and creativity… music I’ve had a hard time describing in the past, as much of it seems to materialize out of thin air, like it was transmitted instead of composed. A curious, other-worldly allure. Friends-era Beach Boys? Even weirder Godley & Creme? Lost Emitt Rhodes? None of that is accurate or even comes close to describing what they do, but that’s part of the appeal (to me, anyway). That, and the fact that repeated listens always uncover hidden ideas lurking beneath the surface. What can I say? I don’t really get hooked on new groups anymore, but I really, really like what these guys do – as you can see by our earlier posts, where I’ve waxed more poetically about their inventiveness and criminally unnoticed work (which includes an offshoot configuration, The Latters); Music Concrete (Analog Birds 2007), “Angry Sun” (Asa Milbankx 2012), Simple Shapes + Patterns (The Latters, 2008) & “Fresher” b/w “Abaco” (Asa Milbankx 2011). See all our posts HERE). Listen to both new releases on the players below, but you should visit their website, Mount Valley.net (HERE) to dig deeper into their many free releases, available in 320/mp3s or FLAC. Listen… Go… Get More… Congratulate Their Work… They Deserve Attention. Great theremin work.
Across 110th Street(1972)
Average Film, Above Average Soundtrack
Famously lumped in with the other so-called blaxploitation flicks of the early 70s, Across 110th Street (the movie) actually has a lot more going for it than your typical Brother vs. The Man shoot ‘em up. More style, more savvy and better music. Across 110th Street (the soundtrack) is practically two soundtracks in one; highlighted by Bobby Womack’s soulful, dignified compositions – including the timeless “Across 110th Street” (the song) and the touching acoustic ballad, “If You Don’t Want My Love” – mixed with J.J. Johnson’s clavinette-heavy score (and added film dialog). Amazon, HERE.
BOBBY WOMACK Across 110th Street (3:48) “We Thought We Are OK” (Dialogue) (0:30) J.J. JOHNSON Harlem Clavinette (2:15)
BOBBY WOMACK If You Don’t Want My Love (2:29)
“Punk Errand Boy” (Dialogue) (0:33)
J.J. JOHNSON Hang On In There (2:49)
“The Man” (Dialogue) (0:10)
BOBBY WOMACK Quicksand (1:40)
“150 Rounds” (Dialogue) (0:31)
J.J. JOHNSON Harlem Love Theme (3:11)
“Sick & Tired” (Dialogue) (0:13)
J.J. JOHNSON Across 110th Street (Instrumental) (2:30)
“Take The Money” (Dialogue) (0:13)
BOBBY WOMACK Do It Right (3:09)
BOBBY WOMACK Hang On in There (2:27)
J.J. JOHNSON If You Don’t Want My Love (3:07)
“This Is The Police” (Dialogue) (0:26)
BOBBY WOMACK Across 110th Street (Part II) (2:56)
Get It Together(1997)
Crib Notes Review: Get Shorty Scored By Curtis Mayfield Over At John Lennon’s House
A personal fave. A cool, jazzy, amalgamation of soulful pop and jazz that will make you wonder just how Pete Belasco has remained under-the-radar for so long… not to mention why it took seven years for a label to give him another shot. The slickly articulated arrangements offer a bright, retro, jazzy bedrock for Belasco’s pop workouts, at times not unlike something from the film soundtrack for Get Shorty, but, you can also hear echoes of The Beatles in the simplistic, heavily reverbed, “Love Is,” and Belasco’s nods to Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield are spot on. As a consumer, I might be indicative of Belasco’s hurdles in reaching ears, as I sat on this disc for months before listening to it back in 1997 – simply because the white boy cover reeked of jazz-lite. When it was the only music in my car for a couple of days, I was easily won over by Belasco’s smooth, flawless mesh and melodic flair. And, yes, while the disc’s commercial elements do seem safe, it’s Belasco’s smart fusion of sophisto-lounge-pop, uber-cool vibes and all original (if derivative) material that makes this music winning on multiple levels. I’ve included three streaming examples as a cross-sectional crib sheet that will give you an overall feel for the entire album; the Lennon-esque, “Love Is, “”Love Train,” a Curtis Mayfield homage and the upbeat, Get Shorty-like arrangement, “All I Want.” Get It Together is out of print, and not as cheap as you’d expect at Amazon, HERE.
All I Want (3:13) Love Is (3:39)
I’ll Be Gone (2:59)
I’ll Never Tell (3:53) Love Train (4:39)
Heat (2:33)
Without Within (4:13)
Get It Together (2:36)
All In My Mind (4:53)
Even As A Kid (3:52)
Dirty Deed (3:09)
Make More Love (1:44)
THAT’LL BE THE DAY (1973) Part one of the well done, two-film story of Jim McClain (David Essex) and his quest for music fame and fortune (and more birds) in 50s working class Britain. Also features Ringo Starr (reprising his early years as a teddy boy), Keith Moon and Billy Fury. More of a character study than a music film (though, it has some cool music), That’ll Be The Day covers McClain’s early years as a shit, routinely cheating on, then leaving his wife with a new-born baby. Producer David Puttnam told MOJO Magazine that his original idea for this film was based on Harry Nilsson’s semi-autobiographical song, “1941,” about a child abandoned by his father, only to grow up and abandon his own. Thanks to JB for sharing this film with us. Part two, the excellent, Stardust, is below. Click the pages for readable pop ups of the latest MOJO magazine about the making of the movie. Find the DVD at Amazon, HERE.
STARDUST (1974) Since we were wallowing in Rockpile alumni [a while back], and the topic of the 1974 movie Stardust was kicked around on our Dave Edmunds post (HERE), I was nudged to seek out an online copy for viewing. The flick was a personal fave in the mid-70s, but I was, frankly, suspicious of my fond and fading memories. What a surprise to see that it really is a solid film, with outstanding performances by David Essex and Adam Faith in a cautionary tale of a Beatle-esque band of British pals making it to the top. Fans of the era will spot all the cheeky references (“At least he didn’t say ‘turn left at Greenland’”) and familiar scenarios, but these now jaded eyes were relieved to find the film’s subtlety and nuance fully intact. Especially the way Faith, as the road manager, cuts quiet deals behind the band’s back to make Essex the star (“fancy a drink?”). Dave Edmunds co-stars and supplies most of the original music and Keith Moon appears as the drummer of the fictitious Stray Cats. Nick Lowe even makes a cameo (see comments). The print is excellent, but the night scenes are a bit dark in the beginning. Just work through the first 5 minutes and enjoy. Find the DVD at Amazon, HERE. NOTE: Dave Edmunds 2013 re-release of Subtle As A Flying Mallet now includes, as bonus tracks, his musical contributions to Stardust, HERE.
Rare Funk Volume One(2005)
Scratchy, Grimy Funk And Soul Sides
Can’t tell you anything about this one. I found it on my hard drive and kept it because it’s a collection of artists I’m unfamiliar with, performing a cross-section of long-lost 60s/70s soul & funk sides. The kind that never made it to the Hit Parade, as evidenced by the artists’ monikers, which tell you they were never once subjected to the scrutiny of internal focus groups bent on star grooming; Johnny Cool And The Cycles, Hunts Determination, Bob Smith And The Boo-Koos, The Packeys?!?… Probably why I was attracted to all this in the first place. The music comes from old 45s (natch) and the styles, while a slightly mixed bag, are sometimes fun, sometimes dated (dated prior to their own already dated recording date) and sometimes just plain curious. The price is right, anyway. Hear some examples below.
TIMMY SIMS Countdown (2:15)
NELSON CALLOWAY Funky Horns (3:12)
JOHNNY COOL AND THE CYCLES Peel The Banana (2:44)
THE SEVEN SOULS Groove In (2:41)
SOULSETTERS Can You Dig It (1:53)
BO DUD AND JOHNNY TWIST The Get It (2:50)
MIGHTY GROOVE MAKERS Let’s Dance Some Mo’ (2:55)
SHINDIG SMITH AND THE SOUL SHAKERS Through Fooling Around (2:33)
MERGIE HENDRIX Nothin’ But A Tramp (2:38)
GLORIA WALKER You Hit The Spot Baby (2:52)
LEVERT ALLISON Chase The Sun Boy (2:07) THE 20th CENTURY Hot Pants (3:28)
THE PACKEYS Dig In (1:51)
LEON FERGUSON Miss Dolores Funk (2:00)
HUNTS DETERMINATION I Need Love (2:31)
GROUP THERAPY Mechanical Funk (2:35)
JONATHAN Trackin’ (3:14)
BERNARD CALVIN TLC (3:11)
BOB SMITH AND THE BOO KOOS That Thing Is Green (3:00)
ROBERT HARRIS Funk On (3:10)
Shades In Bed aka The Records(1979)
Music That Makes You Want To Start A Band
What a great release. Shades In Bed aka The Records should really be considered a Deluxe Edition, as this 20-track set gathers together The Records’ outstanding 1979 debut (“a pure pop masterpiece,” sez The All Music Guide), bonus tracks and their limited edition 12″ of cover songs, High Heels. The great Will Birch and John Wicks, late of the Kursaal Flyers, formed The Records as a throwback tribute to bands like Big Star and Badfinger, knocking out at least two classic pop singles in the process, “Teenarama” and “Starry Eyes” for Shades In Bed (mutated in America to simply, The Records), a pop album that has stood the test of time, even if it never made much of an impact back in the post-punk/pre-new wave Brit invasion. With excellent remastered sound, which helps to bring the band’s potent harmonies to life, this smart collection should satisfy the sweet tooth of any savvy student of power pop. Thanks again to Don From Oregon for posting this in C-Box earlier in the year. I’d never seen it before and it was a pleasant surprise. We’ve had The Records’ outstanding live studio demos for this set, Paying For The Summer Of Love, HERE in the archives since 2007, so you need that one, too. Shades In Bed aka The Records is nicely priced at Amazon HERE.
Girl (4:10)
Teenarama (4:02)
Girls That Don’t Exist (3:41) Starry Eyes (4:35) Up All Night (4:39)
All Messed Up And Ready To Go (3:47)
Insomnia (3:02)
Affection Rejected (3:51)
The Phone (3:22)
Another Star (4:37)
Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?) (2:45) – from High Heels
See My Friends (3:46) – from High Heels
1984 (3:33) – from High Heels
Have You Seen Your Mother Baby (2:56) – from High Heels
Starry Eyes (45 version) (4:24) – Bonus Track
Paint Her Face (3:08) – Bonus Track
Rock ‘n’ Roll Love Letter (alternate version) (3:52) – Bonus Track
Wives And Mothers Of Tomorrow (4:16) – Bonus Track
Held Up High (3:34) – Bonus Track Teenarama (Remix) (3:59) – Bonus Track
As a teenager, I had just moved to St. Louis, and on my second day there my mother gave me $5 to go downtown and ride the elevator up to the observation windows inside the Gateway Arch – completed just two years before in 1967. Instead… I went into a department store and used the money to purchase Blind Faith. My saint-of-a-mother never knew – to her dying day – that I never once stepped foot in (what the locals called) “that fool arch.” Everybody’s got at least one album that brings the past rushing back in technicolor with every spin and, for me, Blind Faith is one of those albums. I won’t bother discussing the music, since there’s not much to say about Steve Winwood’s brilliant “Can’t Find My Way Home” or the uber-bizarre jam that is Ginger Baker’s “Do What You Like.” In 2001, Blind Faith finally got the Deluxe treatment, with over an hour-and-a-half of outtakes and jams. Curiously, the set did not include two tracks that first appeared on a 1986 Blind Faith German import CD, “Exchange And Mart” and “Spending All My Days.” As it happens, those cuts never really sounded much like the band anyway, and 3410 informs me they’re actually bassist Rick Gretch’s solo recordings (get them both HERE, courtesy of 3410). The lengthy jams found on on disc two, on the other hand, feature just the trio of Clapton, Winwood and Baker. By the way, contrary to a longstanding rumor, the young girl on the cover is not Ginger Baker’s daughter (…and between this, an old Scorpions LP and a John Zorn CD, I’ve got way too much classifiable kiddie porn in my house for comfort). We’ve got some more Eric/Derek (Rainbow Concert, The Last Sessions and an unmentionable surprise – HERE) & more Winwood/Traffic/Spencer Davis (BBC Maida Vale Studios – June 17, 2010, Heaven Is In Your Mind and The Second Album – HERE) in the archives. Get the (apparently out of print) Deluxe Edition of Blind FaithHERE at Amazon.
1
Had To Cry Today (8:49) Can’t Find My Way Home (3:16)
Well All Right (4:27)
Presence Of The Lord (4:51)
Sea Of Joy (5:22)
Do What You Like (15:23)
Sleeping In The Ground (2:52)
Can’t Find My Way Home (Electric Version) (5:43)
Acoustic Jam (15:54)
Time Winds (3:18)
Sleeping In The Ground (Slow Blues Version) (4:45)
2
Jam No.1: Very Long & Good Jam (14:03)
Jam No.2: Slow Jam #1 (15:09)
Jam No.3: Change Of Address Jam (12:09)
Jam No.4: Slow Jam #2 (16:06)
Music From Warner Bros. Cartoons 1936-1958 (1990) More Music From Warner Bros. Cartoons 1939-1957 (1995) The Music That Subliminally Warped An Entire Generation of Kids
American kids of the 50s & 60s could hardly be expected to comprehend the musical chaos underscoring the talking ducks, wily rodents and dimwitted dogs that populated the world of Warner Bros. cartoons. If you’re of a certain age, Saturday mornings provided a steady, subliminal diet of mis-shaped modern composition and avant-garde orchestral music, courtesy of Warner’s house composer, Carl Stalling. Stalling’s genius was how he mixed his sometimes wildly careening orchestrations with recognizable classical cues and lighthearted adaptions of Americana song (e.g. “How Dry I Am”), creating a mashed-up pastiche of song & sound. All you need to do is listen – without the visuals – to hear how truly revolutionary Stalling’s work was; the plucked cellos that accompanied tiptoeing characters, the mad flurry of strings & woodwinds that signaled a frenzied dash and the sudden, violent outbursts of brass and percussion, now synonymous with a mallet in the face. Operatic show tunes, Parisian fanfares and hairpin tempo changes were all part of these live, real-time studio recordings. Without realizing it, we were all experiments in Warner’s own “Ludivico Technique” (HERE) – spellbound by the violent imagery while Stalling’s beautiful dissonance entered our brains via the soundtrack. No one’s been quite the same since. Is it possible that Stalling’s work subliminally introduced radical musical experimentation to the 1960s? Maybe. Guys like Frank Zappa and John Zorn have always admitted the direct lineage from Stalling’s work to their own. 50 to 70 years later, Stalling’s inventions are still profoundly subversive. Below, you can hear the 1955 Road Runner soundtrack, “Guided Muscle,” from Vol. 2. The great Hal Willner produces. Both CDs, Music From… (HERE) and More Music From… (HERE) are at Amazon.
Bonus:
Thanks to Dinosaur Gardens for posting a rare Carl Stalling bonus track, “Stupor Duck,” which appeared only on the cassette version of the original 1990 release. Hear it above, get it in Comments.
Double Bonus: Bugs Bunny On Broadway (1998)
Long-Haired Hare
Studio recordings of material that would appear on Broadway in the early ’90s. Most of these scores are newly recorded, spiced up with some familiar cartoon songs and original 50s dialog to give the entire program a big cartoony production (as if the music alone couldn’t). Milt Franklyn, who (righteously) succeeded Carl Stalling as Warner’s house composer, gets some due here alongside Carl’s work. The modern studio quality shines, though Hal Willner’s not on board for this one. Amazon.
Shaun Cassidy, younger pop-star brother of David “Partridge Family” Cassidy, was caught in the receding tide of popularity when he enlisted Todd Rundgren and Utopia to help reshape his kiddie-worn persona for the new wave. A smart move… except all it did for his career was end it. Wasp was Cassidy’s last album, a gathering of cover tunes by David Bowie, David Byrne, Pete Townshend and Ian Hunter, alongside original songs by Rundgren and Utopia. Todd’s production, as usual, makes everything around him sound like Todd… even Cassidy. Since Utopia performs (and Todd writes), it’s almost more their album – 80s synths, robotic beats, brusk pop harmonies, et al. “Cool Fire” should have been at least a minor hit and, while it’s not as easy to defend, I like their version of “Rebel, Rebel.” As for the historic union, the potential new fans didn’t trust any of it and – this time – the little girls didn’t understand. Wasp has never been on CD and online rips are few, and/or lacking in quality. So, big thanks go out to Sal over at Burning Wood (HERE), who went to the effort (and actual expense) to donate this fresh vinyl rip for us here (he doesn’t even have the entire set posted at his place). Thanks Sal. Only on vinyl at Amazon (HERE). We don’t have any more Cassidy, put there’s more Todd in the archives (HERE).
Rebel, Rebel (4:02) (Bowie) Cool Fire(4:10) (Rundgren/Cassidy/Powell/Wilcox) The Book I Read(3:31) (Byrne) Pretending(4:57) (Rundgren) Shake Me, Wake Me(3:32) (Holland/Dozier/Holland) It’s My Life(4:39) (Atkins/D’Errico) So Sad About Us(3:00) (Townshend) Wasp(3:09) (Rundgren) Selfless Love(4:46) (Rundgren) Once Bitten, Twice Shy(4:02) (Hunter)
The Philly Sound: Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and the Story of Brotherly Love (1966-1976)(1997)
Sweet, Sweet Soul Music
Many thanks to Don From Oregon for posting this very cool 3CD collection in comments earlier this year. Wonderful soul concoctions – characterized by epic string arrangements, old school soul harmonies, pre-disco rhythms and a few nods to grittier side of Memphis soul – all organized like a perfect storm of soul in the hands of Gamble & Huff who, through their own Philadelphia International Records, came to embody the sound of “Philly Soul.” Plenty of essential hits, like “Expressway To Your Soul” and “Me And Mrs. Jones” highlight a collection heavy on The O’Jays, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and MFSB, with material almost all written by Gamble & Huff. When I first grabbed this, I cued up the first disc just to get a taste and ended up listening to the entire set non-stop. We’ve got another, promo-only collection of Gamble & Huff material in the archives, HERE (where you’ll also find a rabbit hole of cool, promo-only compilations by Robert Lamm, Harry Nilsson and Pomus & Shuman). Find this one at Amazon HERE.
1 SOUL SURVIVORS Expressway To Your Heart (2:19)
THE INTRUDERS Cowboys To Girls (2:38)
ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS I Can’t Stop Dancing (2:20)
JERRY BUTLER Only The Strong Survive (2:35)
THE O’JAYS One Night Affair (2:18)
THE INTRUDERS (We’ll Be) United (2:51)
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD Silly, Silly Fool (2:31)
WILSON PICKETT Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You (2:47)
JOHNNY WILLIAMS Slow Motion (Part 1) (2:57)
BILLY PAUL Me And Mrs. Jones (4:45)
BUNNY SIGLER Regina (3:09)
LAURA NYRO & LABELLE The Bells (2:55)
JOE SIMON Drowning In The Sea Of Love (3:20)
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES If You Don’t Know Me By Now (3:26)
THE O’JAYS 992 Arguments (6:06)
THE EBONYS You’re The Reason Why (3:04)
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES I Miss You (8:37)
THE O’JAYS When The World’s At Peace (5:19)
BUNNY SIGLER That’s How Long I’ll Be Loving You (2:53)
THE O’JAYS Back Stabbers (3:06)
2
THE O’JAYS Love Train (2:58)
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES The Love I Lost (6:23)
THE O’JAYS Now That We Found Love (4:40)
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES Yesterday I Had The Blues (7:33)
THE INTRUDERS I’ll Always Love My Mama (6:37)
THE O’JAYS For The Love Of Money (7:19)
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES Bad Luck (6:24)
THE O’JAYS Don’t Call Me Brother (8:56)
MFSB Zach’s Fanfare (I Hear Music) (0:51)
MFSB Love Is The Message (6:36)
BILLY PAUL Am I Black Enough For You (5:17)
THE O’JAYS Sunshine (3:42)
THE THREE DEGREES When Will I See You Again (2:58)
MFSB (featuring THE THREE DEGREES) TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia) (5:49)
3
THE O’JAYS Livin’ For The Weekend (6:36)
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES Wake Up Everybody (7:33)
THE JACKSONS Enjoy Yourself (3:25)
ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS I Could Dance All Night (2:41)
THE O’JAYS I Love Music (6:52)
THE TRAMMPS Love Epidemic (4:49)
THE O’JAYS Stairway To Heaven (6:17)
THE JACKSONS Show You The Way To Go (5:30)
PEOPLE’S CHOICE Do It Any Way You Wanna (3:17)
MFSB My One And Only Love (4:34)
THE O’JAYS Rich Get Richer (4:24)
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES Hope That We Can Be Together Soon (3:41)
DEE DEE SHARP Ooh Child (5:09)
BUNNY SIGLER Love Train (7:01)
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others(1978)
First Rate Boot
Excellent Stones boot from one of their last truly fertile periods, amidst the backdrop of the Some Girls Tour. Originally an FM broadcast, the sound is good (or, at least, typical of the period), while the performances are culled from shows in Detroit, Memphis and Houston, 1978. You wouldn’t know that to listen, however, as this gathering is well-paced and the performances are stripped and streamlined, thankfully missing much of the pomp and circumstance that would later infect the band’s live shows. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of this stuff wind up as official releases from The Stones Archive (we’ve got four of those releases in our archives). Find much more Stones… (including Live In England ’65, L.A.Friday (Live 1975), Sticky Fingers, Stripped (Deluxe), Palais Royal Ballroom (2002), Ladies And Gentlemen… The Rolling Stones (1972), 2120 South Michigan Ave. and Singles 1963-1965, 1965-1967 & 1968-1971) HERE.
Let It Rock (2:43) All Down The Line (4:13)
Honky Tonk Women (4:03)
Miss You (7:48)
Imagination (7:30)
Shattered (4:39)
Hound Dog (2:04)
Respectable (3:23)
Beast Of Burden (6:55)
When The Whip Comes Down (5:14)
Love In Vain (5:56)
Tumbling Dice (5:30)
Happy (3:17)
Brown Sugar (4:06)
Jumpin’ Jack Flash (6:31)
PATTI SMITH Twelve(2007) THE RAMONES Acid Eaters(1994)
Punks On 45
Two well executed covers albums from a couple of punks. Patti Smith tackles Hendrix (“Are You Experienced?”), JeffAir (“White Rabbit”), The Beatles (“Within You Without You”) and some left field choices like Paul Simon (“The Boy In The Bubble”) and Tears For Fears (“Everybody Wants To Rule The World”). The results are calmly reflective but, overall, pretty decent – depending on how you like your covers covered… and how much you like Patti Smith. The Ramones, on the other hand, don’t leave any interpretations to chance on Acid Eaters, bending and breaking most of their renditions to fit into The Ramones’ mould, with little concern for the originals. But, since they’ve gathered a lot of catchy, irresistible rockers to emulate (The Who’s “Substitute,” Max Frost & The Troopers’ “The Shape Of Things To Come,” & JeffAir’s “Somebody To Love”), the success rate is extremely high. Acid Eaters remains one of my favorite Ramones albums, but I grew up with the same shit they did, so it’s to be expected. Check the archives for more Smith (Horses/Horses Live & Gung Ho, HERE) and Ramones (Bonus Tracks, 9 Studio Albums, HERE). Twelve (HERE) & Acid Eaters (HERE) are @ Amazon.
PATTI SMITH Are You Experienced? (4:46)
Everybody Wants To Rule The World (4:07)
Helpless (4:03)
Gimme Shelter (5:01)
Within You Without You (4:51)
White Rabbit (3:55)
Changing Of The Guards (5:48)
The Boy In The Bubble (4:31)
Soul Kitchen (3:46)
Smells Like Teen Spirit (6:32)
Midnight Rider (4:03)
Pastime Paradise (5:27)
THE RAMONES
Journey To The Center Of The Mind (2:52)
Substitute (3:16)
Out Of Time (2:41) The Shape Of Things To Come (1:47)
Somebody To Love (2:32)
When I Was Young (3:16)
7 And 7 Is (1:51)
My Back Pages (2:28)
Can’t Seem To Make You Mine (2:43)
Have You Ever Seen The Rain (2:22)
I Can’t Control Myself (2:56)
Surf City (2:27)
The Turning(1987/1997)
Don’t Let God’s Presence Spook You On This One
Excellent 1987 release from the great Sam Phillips (back when she was going by the name Leslie), released on the Christian label, Myrrh Records, and produced by her soon-to-be-husband, T-Bone Burnett. I’ve been meaning to post some Phillips for a while now (most know her best for 1994′s Martinis & Bikinis, below) and figured this would be a good place to start. Pay no attention to the Man behind the curtain, however, as Phillips’ Christian orthodoxy generally takes a back seat to the melodies, expression and invention. And this LP is rich with all of the above. The All Music Guide calls The Turning “a cross between Any Grant and The Go-Go’s,” which is stretching the point, but it does draw attention to the multi-layered pop harmonies that dominate this release. T-Bone Burnett’s presence is tangible, too, with a hand in writing three of the tracks and providing an acoustic undercurrent to ballast the late-80s pop approach. The Turning was reissued a decade after its original release – under the moniker of Sam Phillips – though it’s still considered a long lost release. Listen below to hear what you’ve been missing by affiliating yourself with the Devil’s music all these years. Many thanks to JB for the share. Find it at Amazon HERE. T-Bone Burnett’s The True False Identity is in the archives, HERE.
River Of Love (2:46) Love Is Not Lost (4:02) The Turning (3:37)
Libera Me (3:12) Carry You (4:25)
Beating Heart (2:57)
Expectations (3:17)
Down (3:29)
Answers Don’t Come Easy (4:10)
God Is Watching You (3:48)
MORE SAM PHILLIPS…
Martinis & Bikinis(1994) Fan Dance(2001)
Phillips had already issued a couple of secular pop/rock albums – The Indescribable Wow (1988) and Cruel Inventions (1991) – but it was 1994′s Martinis & Bikinis that broke through to a wider audience, buoyed by a savvy, slightly psychedelic pop production by T-Bone Burnett that harkens back to numerous 60s touchstones, via baroque arrangements (“Strawberry Road”) and Beatlesque guitars (“I Need Love”). Fan Dance, on the other hand, is a curiously dour and reflective collection of mostly acoustic songs, half clocking in at a mere two minutes. This seems purposeful, but still inexplicable. I’ve always been a fan of Fan Dance, but it’s admittedly not Phillips’ most accessible release, though its mood and atmosphere run deep. Find Martinis (HERE) and Fan Dance (HERE) at Amazon.
MARTINIS & BIKINIS
Love & Kisses (0:56)
Signposts (2:19)
Same Rain (4:11) Baby I Can’t Please You (3:30)
Circle Of Fire (3:13)
Strawberry Road (4:06)
When I Fall (5:07)
Same Changes (4:44)
Black Sky (4:04)
Fighting With Fire (3:01)
I Need Love (3:39)
Wheel Of The Broken Voice (4:00)
Gimme Some Truth (3:27)
FAN DANCE
The Fan Dance (3:46)
Edge Of The World (3:01)
Five Colors (3:43)
Wasting My Time (3:08)
Taking Pictures (1:57)
How To Dream (3:08)
Soul Eclipse (3:12)
Incinerator (2:03) Love Is Everywhere I Go (2:04)
Below Surface (1:42)
Is That Your Zebra? (1:49)
Say What You Mean (3:38)
The Proposition(2005)
Weird Scenes Inside The Goldmine
Another mesmerizingly oblique soundtrack offering from Nick Cave and fellow Bad Seed, Warren Ellis. Cave also wrote the screenplay for this brutal Australian outback western and his soundtrack score is a masterclass in the use of space and distance to capture an elusive intangible through music. Dreamy atmospheric instrumentation, scratchy longing solo violins, ghostly indecipherable vocals… all add up to something that’s tough to wrap your senses around. I first came to the Cave/Warren party after hearing their exquisite work on The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (highly recommended, HERE), an all instrumental effort cut from a similar cloth. The Proposition, however, uses a slightly broader palette to paint its pictures, and the eerie, unsettling sensation created by the duo is tangibly felt. Recommended for those who like their music elusive and weird. Find it HERE at Amazon.
Happy Land (1:37)
The Proposition #1 (3:25)
Road To Banyon (1:40)
Down to the Valley (3:49)
Moan Thing (2:46)
The Rider #1 (1:16)
Martha’s Dream (3:08)
Gun Thing (4:28) Queenie’s Suite (3:30) The Rider #2 (3:00)
The Proposition #2 (2:42)
Sad Violin Thing (0:50)
The Rider #3 (1:09)
The Proposition #3 (3:00)
The Rider Song (2:31)
Clean Hands, Dirty Hands (3:35)
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Music To Be Murdered By (1958)
Good Evening…
Recently, one of the cable channels has been airing nightly episodes of Alfred Hitchcock’s late 50s/early 60s television show, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (or Alfred Hitchcock Presents), one of the tube’s most devious murder mystery broadcasts. If you remember them, or you’ve been watching lately, note how Al’s epilogues always contain a disclaimer to explain how the story’s perpetrators were eventually apprehended by authorities – a demand from the networks who didn’t want 60s viewers to think it was so easy to get away with the murders that often took place in Hitchcock’s teleplays. Also, recently in the theaters was Hitchcock, featuring Anthony Hopkins as everybody’s favorite femme obsessive (the tales of Hitch’s relationships with his carbon-copied leading ladies is the stuff of legend). So… since I’ve got Hitch on the mind lately, I thought I’d post this ancient 1958 album, Alfred Hitchcock’s Music To Be Murdered By. The music is by the Jeff Alexander Orchestra, and features mostly re-workings of titles with a murderously macabre theme or twist. Standards like “I’ll Never Smile Again” and “After You’ve Gone” are given a tongue-in-creepy feel to fit the theme. But, unless you’re the type that lives for this kind of music, this LP might only be a one-play novelty for you, even if the spooky “Suspicion” (listen below) sounds like it could have come out of Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks. The highlight for many will likely be Hitch’s dead-panned introductions, a staple of the TV show as well. The player below includes one example of the many intros Al provides. His iconic TV theme music is included on the LP, too, in case you need a copy for your own party entrances. Believe it or not, it’s available as a CD release at Amazon, HERE.
Music To Be Murdered By (4:12)
I’ll Never Smile Again (3:13)
I Don’t Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You (3:16)
After You’ve Gone (3:15)
Alfred Hitchcock Television Theme (2:28) Suspicion (3:11)
Body And Soul (2:40)
Lover Come Back To Me (3:52)
I’ll Walk Alone (3:43)
The Hour Of Parting (2:22)
This looks like it might be fun… a documentary of Cream/Blind Faith/Baker-Gurvitz/Air Force drummer/madman, Ginger Baker. Released to theaters in January, the DVD comes out in May (HERE), but is available for viewing on Amazon now (HERE). Below is a 3 minute trailer and an interview with Baker and the film’s director, Jay Bulger, who – by the way – is seen in the doc (and trailer) getting his nose broken by Baker during an altercation.
Summer Holiday(1978) Ian Gomm “Talks” - Stiff Records Radio Interview D.J. Album(1979)
A Pop Essential That Should Be In Every Collection
Anyone else have a hard time reconciling how Ian Gomm didn’t become a household name in the late 70s/early 80s? He came from prime stock – guitarist/vocalist/writer of the Brit-rock petri dish, Brinsley Schwarz (along with Nick Lowe & The Rumour) – and his debut solo album, Summer Holiday, was hands down one of the smartest records to emerge from Britain’s second major invasion. It was so chock full of memorable tunes, performances and… savvy, that it’s mind-boggling how limited Gomm’s name recognition has remained. I saw him opening for Dire Straits back in the day (still the best sounding concert I’ve ever been to) and his set blew me away. You’d think there’d be enough Nick Lowe fans alone that would have embraced his effortless melodic prowess, especially since many of Summer Holiday‘s tunes could very easily be mistaken for Lowe compositions. Even the only two non-Gomm covers (“Come On,” “You Can’t Do That”) are above average. But, you already know how the business of music can swallow up some of its finest. The All Music Guide called Summer Holiday “radiant,” and the LP’s consistent, summery feel backs that up. That it’s all performed without even a hint of tongue-in-cheek pandering just might rate Gomm (for some) above his more famous ex-bandmate, Lowe. When the album made it stateside the following year, it was retitled Gomm With The Wind, with a slightly different running order and a couple less songs. To help promote it, Stiff/Epic released a banded interview LP for radio DJs who wanted it to appear that Ian was hanging out with them at the station in Peoria, Illinois. The back cover features questions for Ian’s recorded answers (along with a half-dozen tracks from the US release). Gomm never gave up his passion, recording worthy (if largely forgotten) works for decades (his last was a 2010 collaboration, Only Time Will TellHERE). Find our Brinsleys/Rumour/Lowe related stuff in the archives (HERE) and Summer Holiday at Amazon (HERE).
Hooked On Love (2:17)
Sad Affair (2:54)
Black And White (2:00) Come On (2:55) Hold On (3:07)
Airplane (2:20)
Images (3:53)
24 Hour Service (3:02)
That’s The Way I Rock ‘n’ Roll (2:49)
Dirty Lies (3:22)
You Can’t Do That (3:02)
Chicken Run (2:28)
Another Year (2:33)
Goin’ Thru The Motions (3:06)
Brown Sugar(1995) Voodoo(2000)
Slightly Weird Sweet Psych Soul
Questlove was recently quoted as saying that D’Angelo’s upcoming album, the 13-year long follow-up to Voodoo, will be an “instant classic.” Which reminded me to hit the shelves and listen to D’Angelo’s only two official releases, Brown Sugar and Voodoo, albums I thoroughly enjoyed when first released, and ones I’ve hung onto despite numerous purges. Of course, Questlove may be biased, having produced and drummed on the as yet unreleased (tentatively titled) James River, and was responsible for D’Angelo’s first US appearance in 12 years at Bonnaroo last year. But the excellence of Brown Sugar and Voodoo are both a matter of record. Primarily beats and voices, both albums mix jazzy, soulful, stoner grooves with multi-tracked vocals that seem more like they’ve been sent via transmission, instead of being written up or worked out. D’Angelo’s process – not style – reminds me of Marvin Gaye’s late 70s work… full of improvised, multi-tracked vocal layers built from the ground up. Though, the hard modern beats tend to unnecessarily overshadow the singer’s nuance. Guests like guitarist Charlie Hunter and trumpeter Roy Hargroove lend the proceedings a slightly askew ambiance, while pals like Lauren Hill and Method Man help to nail the hip/soul cred. This stuff will go 3-D with a joint. Find Brown Sugar (HERE) and Voodoo (HERE) at Amazon.
BROWN SUGAR (1995) Brown Sugar (4:23)
Alright (5:14)
Jonz In My Bonz (5:56)
Me And Those Dreamin’ Eyes Of Mine (4:47)
Shit, Damn, Motherfucker (5:14)
Smooth (4:19)
Cruisin’ (6:25)
When We Get By (5:45)
Lady (5:46)
Higher (5:28)
VOODOO (2000)
Playa Playa (7:07)
Devil’s Pie (5:22)
Left & Right (4:47)
The Line (5:16) Send It On (5:57)
Chicken Grease (4:39)
One Mo’ Gin (6:13)
The Root (6:33)
Spanish Joint (5:45)
Feel Like Makin’ Love (6:22)
Greatdayindamornin’ / Booty (7:35)
Untitled (How Does It Feel) (7:11)
Africa (6:14)
PAUL and LINDA McCARTNEY RAM(1971/2012) PERCY “THRILLS” THRILLINGTON Thrillington(1977) VARIOUS ARTISTS RAM On L.A.(2009) VARIOUS ARTISTS TOM: A Tribute To RAM(2009) TIM CHRISTIANSEN Pure McCartney(2013)
Five Takes On Paul McCartney’s Best Album
Debate it all you want, RAM is still Paul’s most consistently rewarding solo album. After being eviscerated by the critics in 1970… for breaking up The Beatles… for a debut album considered unworthy of The Beatles’ legacy… for not being dead… Paul McCartney buckled down and got to work. RAM was the result. It’s a surprising album in that it spotlights every strength McCartney honed as a Beatle, but sounds nothing like a Beatles album. Which, in itself, is amazing. RAM is dense, for sure, but repeated listens provide hidden charms within the jammed-packed harmonies and wonderfully cluttered arrangements. It’s not commercial pop candy, though, so it refuses to quickly wear out, as Band On The Run did for me. More importantly, its “filler” quotient might be the lowest of all Paul’s LPs. You can quibble about some of the tracks, of course… but, you can do the same with any Beatles album, too. To this day, one of my all time favorite McCartney moments is the ripping guitar solo that climaxes “Too Many People,” the first grooves that disintegrated on my old vinyl copy. I could go on, but most have already made up their minds about RAM, pro or con. We’ve included the bonus tracks disc from the 2012 Archive Collection release. Find it at Amazon (HERE), along with the 4CD/1DVD version (HERE). Hear 5 versions of “Dear Boy,” below.
It’s obvious Paul thought highly of RAM, because he used it as a launching pad for the first of many inexplicable concepts and releases (not to mention aliases) throughout his career. This idea he took to the extreme, by placing ads and news items into various UK papers long before the album’s release, just to establish the name of fictitious socialite, Percy Thrillington, man about town. Thrillington, the album, recorded in 1971 but not released until 1977, is a song for song instrumental muzak version of RAM. But… why do a muzak album? And, why RAM? It never added up. Though Paul’s ghostly visage was seen on the back cover, nobody knew the album was McCartney’s doing. Why would he? Even those who might have been suspicious were never sure. It was a full-fledged ruse that McCartney maintained until the 80s, when he officially admitted his involvement. Years later, Paul attempted a similar gambit with his electronic alter-ego, The Fireman, but by that time people were wise to his antics (and his production company logo). To this day, Thrillington is still one of Paul McCartney’s least known LPs.
I’m generally suspicious of various artist gatherings of unknown bands (unknown to me, anyway), but this 2009 collection is a charmer. While each band has their individual strengths and weaknesses, no one here attempts to disembowel or re-invent the material, so – as a whole – RAM On L.A. remains, first and foremost, a pop album… just as it should be. Bands include (in order); Earlimart, Frankel, The Parson Redheads, Bodies Of Water, Radar Bros., Naptunes, Los Baby Fools, Le Switch, The Broken West, Amnion, The Parson Redheads (again, for the “Ram On” reprise) and Travel By Sea.
Here’s another tribute to RAM from Tom, over at WFMU. It was originally created in 2009 for a station fundraiser, and includes material recorded specifically for this compilation. Along with the original album, Tom added bonus covers of PM’s first single, “Another Day”/”Oh Woman Oh Why.” Artists include; Aimee Mann, Death Cab For Cutie (hear “Dear Boy,” below), Portastatic, The Black Hollies, Dump, Hank IV, The Royal Purple, Danielson, Cynthia Santiglia with The Thrillingtons, Spider Bags, Themeweavers LLC, Ted Leo, The Barbaras & The Stone Throw Singers. Note: There’s a little distortion at the end of Ted Leo’s track, sorry. Many thanks to JB for the tip.
An April 2013 release of Danish singer/songwriter Tim Christensen’s live concert tribute to RAM. I don’t know the guy myself, but Wiki’s got some info on him and his activities (HERE) that may be common knowledge to others. The album’s idea, entitled Pure McCartney, was hatched between Christensen and Mike Viola (Candy Butchers) who surprised each other by pinpointing RAM as their all-time favorite album. The song for song live RAM also includes a few extras/encores, “Venus And Mars/Rock Show,” “Coming Up,” “Live And Let Die,” “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Junk” and “Band On The Run.”
RAM
Too Many People
3 Legs
Ram On Dear Boy
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
Smile Away
Heart of the Country
Monkberry Moon Delight
Eat At Home
Long Haired Lady
Ram On (Reprise)
Back Seat of My Car
RAM Bonus Tracks
Another Day (3:43)
Oh Woman, Oh Why (4:36)
Little Woman Love (2:09)
A Love For You (John Kelly Mix) (4:09)
Hey Diddle (Dixon Van Winkle Mix) (3:50)
Great Cock And Seagull Race (Dixon Van Winkle Mix) (2:36)
Rode All Night (8:45)
Sunshine Sometime (Earliest Mix) (3:22)
Thanks to time & Don From Oregon for offering up these great Turtles and Flo & Eddie releases in comments & C-Box last week. I’m reposting them just to draw attention to them before they drift away. I’d forgotten how much I loved the 1969 Turtles. Back when I started collecting them in the early 70s, I remember Wooden Head was simply impossible to find (at least in my neck of the woods). When I finally got ahold of a copy, I was disappointed that it wasn’t “new” material, but older 45s, b-sides and unfinished tracks (mostly circa 1966). Hearing it now, that’s exactly what I now cherish about the album, and I’ve been playing it for days. Somehow, it even seems to flow nicely with 1969′s all original offering, Turtle Soup (this one’s the bonus track version). Shell Shock and Chalon Road, both released in 1987, as a result of Mark & Howie’s association with Rhino Records, were new to me. But, I fell in love with them for the reason stated above… each contains older material mostly from 1967-69. Chalon Road is another gathering of 45, b-sides and unissued tracks, and includes a killer alt version of The Battle Of The Bands’ psych track, “The Last Thing I Remember.” While Shell Shock is sort of an attempt to reconstruct a working version of a Turtles last unreleased album, using singles and previously unheard tracks (with many titles crossing over with the other releases here). It should be noted that Shell Shock is @128, but it sounds fine and is hard to find, so no complaints. Flo & Eddie’s Illegal, Immoral And Fattening includes live material that should be familiar to fans of their years with Zappa (“Eddie Are You Kidding,” “The Sanzini Brothers Return”), and Moving Targets gives the duo’s scattershot randomness a rockin’ rhythm that, not surprisingly, never quite made it to radio drive time. Click the covers for links to Amazon. Track listing are in comments. Thanks again to time and DonFO for the contributions. Check the archives (HERE) for more Turtles & Flo & Eddie.
MOJO PRESENTS – Blues Breakers! 15 Classic Tracks As Covered By Eric Clapton(May 2013)
The latest free CD from the May, 2013 MOJO Magazine is a “roots” collection of mostly early blues sides, made familiar to many a young 60s teen via Eric Clapton and his various bands. It’s yet another MOJO‘s blues collection, but – because of the music – they’re always worthy, even if you have these tracks already… which you should.(Besides… the Clapton tie-in works nicely.) Find 132 more MOJO‘s in the archives (HERE).
OTIS RUSH All Your Love (I Miss Loving)
‘BIG MAMA’ THORNTON Hound Dog
LITTLE WALTER It Ain’t Right
BIG BILL BROONZY Hey, Hey
ELMORE JAMES I Can’t Hold Out
ARTHUR ‘BIG BOY’ CRUDUP Mean Ole Frisco Blues
EDDIE BOYD Five Long Years
FREDDY KING Have You Ever Loved A Woman
T-BONE WALKER Stormy Monday
LEROY CARR Blues Before Sunrise
BO DIDDLEY You Don’t Love Me
THE MISSISSIPPI SHEIKS Sitting On Top Of The World
HOWLIN’ WOLF Spoonful
SKIP JAMES I’m So Glad
ROBERT JOHNSON Crossroads Blues
The Turtles Present The Battle Of The Bands(1968)
A Concept Album?
Former Turtle, then-Turtle producer, Chip Douglas was introducing songwriter Harry Nilsson to everyone he knew back in 1967/68. While producing The Monkees’ Headquarters, he brought in Nilsson to play them some of his songs (captured for posterity, HERE) and the Monkees snapped-up “Cuddly Toy” immediately, and even took a stab at Nilsson’s “The Story Of Rock And Roll.” When Douglas took the reigns of his former band’s 4th album, the comically conceptual, The Turtles Present The Battle Of The Bands, Nilsson was there, too. Playing on the sessions and offering the Douglas/Nilsson co-written title track (the album’s concept, as it were) and the 45rpm bonus, “The Story Of Rock And Roll.” After the success of “Happy Together,” The Turtles thought they could do whatever they damn well pleased, so they put together this cheeky mash-up of the history of modern pop (up ’til 1968, anyway), as they donned costumes and monikers for these loving smack-downs of mindless surf rock (The Crossfires), country music (Quad City Ramblers) and lite psychedelia (The Atomic Enchilada). Mixed in with the irreverent look at the music of the music business (and their own past) were two more of the glorious singles that have helped to keep The Turtles’ memory valid… the Top 40 hit, “Eleanor,” and the beautifully arranged McGuinn/Clark composition, “You Showed Me.” This album, more than anything they did early on, is a blueprint for what Mark Volman & Howard Kaylan – via Flo and Eddie – would later become; unapologetic gagsters with enough chops to pull off moments of pop excellence when the inspiration hit them. Don’t miss the mix of Turtles & Flo & Eddie in the archives, HERE – including Flo & Eddie, Live At The Roxy 1976, Gumby, Solid Zinc & It Ain’t Me Babe. This …Battle Of The Bands is the Sundazed version. Get it at Amazon, HERE.
The Battle Of The Bands (2:15) The Last Thing I Remember (2:56) Elenore (2:31)
Too Much Heartsick Feeling (2:44)
Oh, Daddy (2:46) Buzzsaw (1:59)
Surfer Dan (2:43)
I’m Chief Kamanawanalea (We’re The Royal Macadamia Nuts) (1:35)
You Showed Me (3:16)
Food (2:40)
Chicken Little Was Right (2:48)
Earth Anthem (3:54)
Sound Asleep (2:29) – Bonus Track
The Story Of Rock And Roll (2:38) – Bonus Track
BONUS:
While researching, I came across the first half of a cool documentary, Happy Together – The History Of The Turtles. Maybe the second half will show up, but even if it doesn’t, this half hour-long blast of lost footage, interviews and classic appearances is a fun ride. Mark & Howie’s tale of meeting Dylan, over 18 minutes in, is a hoot.
It Ain’t Me Babe(1965)
Teenagers With A Record Contract
I’ve never quite understood my own interest in The Turtles. They weren’t especially unique and they certainly weren’t groundbreaking, offering a blend of folk-influenced rock and 50s folk harmonies. There are hints of The Byrds in their approach, but their reliance on outside songwriters early on – Dylan, Sloan and others – managed to diffuse their ‘band persona’ to the point of oblivion. They were a catchy, sing-along, almost fad-bound outfit that, save the hits, weren’t especially memorable. Granted, that’s not much of a ringing endorsement, but I’ve always liked them just the same. The best reasoning I can offer is the mysterious allure of Howard Kaylan’s lead vocals, which are unique… and distinctive… and first-rate. If, like me, you followed Howard and partner Mark Volman into Frank Zappa’s Mothers (after The Turtles initial run), you’ve probably also been brainwashed into perceiving everything Howie sings as cynically insincere. An attitude that inexplicably has filtered back to the pre-Frank years and even this album. Seems that all that crap they were singing about in 200 Motels about being stigmatized by playing “comedy rock” turned out to be true. This album, their first, was a quickly recorded affair to take advantage of a surprise hit single, a cover of Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe.” These days, however, it’s kind of hard to appreciate forgotten covers like “Eve Of Destruction” and “Like A Rolling Stone” (recorded the same year as Dylan’s), as they don’t offer much alternative to all the other covers. Personally, I cherished those two, blue and gold “Golden Hits” albums they released in the late 60s. It Ain’t Me Babe might be more for fans, but if you’re just Turtle curious, we’ve got a good 2CD best of, Solid Zinc, in the archives, as well as some Flo & Eddie if you’re interested (all HERE), along with something else tomorrow. For you hard-core types, you need to check out Howie & Mark’s video, “The Turtles Management Lecture” (HERE) where in 4 minutes they spell out, with the use of a blackboard, how they got screwed by management throughout their career. All music fans are advised to check out a rare 2 hour broadcast of Flo & Eddie’s By The Fireside radio show over at For The Love Of Harry (HERE). Find It Ain’t Me Babe at Amazon, HERE.
MONO Wanderin’ Kind (2:09)
It Was A Very Good Year (1:57)
Your Maw Said You Cried (1:45)
Eve Of Destruction (2:45)
Glitter And Gold (2:09)
Let Me Be (2:23)
Let The Cold Winds Blow (2:19)
It Ain’t Me Babe (2:14)
A Walk In The Sun (2:14)
Last Laugh (1:47)
Love Minus Zero (2:54)
Like A Rolling Stone (3:15)
We’ll Meet Again (Single Version) (2:28) – Bonus Track
Gas Money (2:14) – Bonus Track STEREO
Wanderin’ Kind (2:08)
It Was A Very Good Year (1:58)
Your Maw Said You Cried (1:44)
Eve Of Destruction (2:42)
Glitter And Gold (2:10)
Let Me Be (2:25)
Let The Cold Wind Blow (2:20)
It Ain’t Me Babe (2:13)
A Walk In The Sun (2:14)
Last Laugh (1:45)
Love Minus Zero (2:54)
Like A Rolling Stone (3:12)
SOMETHING TO LOOK FROWARD TO: Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles, Flo and Eddie, and Frank Zappa, etc.(April 2013)
I can’t think of many better ways to spend $24.99 than to relive some of the twisted tales of Turtle Howard Kaylan, soon to be issued as Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles, Flo and Eddie, and Frank Zappa, etc. Actually, if you pre-order at Amazon (HERE), you can lock in the current price of $14.10 (or lower… discounts fluctuate prior to release), which is a bargain in any universe. (Oops… it’s already up to $14.19.) Here’s a taste of what to expect, from an excerpt printed in Rolling Stone, about The Turtles’ visit to Richard Nixon’s White House in 1969.
“I was snorting coke on Abraham Lincoln’s desk in the White House. Yes, that Abraham Lincoln and that White House. A bunch of hairy peacenik dopers from California though we were, it seems that Tricia Nixon, daughter of Tricky Dick himself, was a fan of the Turtles and had requested our presence. Our first instinct: you’ve got to be kidding! No way in hell!
Yet here we were, our noses vacuuming lines off the surface of Honest Abe’s very own workspace.
We had gone through several managers during the past five years and been on the charts far more often than anyone would ever have guessed, considering that we were the only ones looking out for us, and that White Whale Records wasn’t much of a label.
There had been the folk-rock years, and we had been lucky enough to score a few big hits; we were among the earliest children of Bob Dylan, putting our cover version of his tune “It Ain’t Me, Babe” into the Top 10.
Then we had become the good-time music boys, influenced by the Lovin’ Spoonful and determined not to protest anything. We’d made it to Number One with a song that’s still recognized today as one of the classic rock & roll love songs of all time. “Happy Together,” indeed.
And, now, finally, we had engineered our own success with “Elenore,” our first self-penned Top 10 record, and “You Showed Me,” which we had changed from a Beatlesque rocker into a lush ballad.
We were lucky and we knew it.
Of course, now we had the big-time management to prove it.
Gone were the friends of friends—we’d realized that we really weren’t in any position to manage ourselves—and hello to the new Superstar Management Team.
We had been courted, successfully, by Ron DeBlasio and Jeff Wald, who were, at the time, top reps for the Campbell-Silver-Cosby Corporation.
That’s right—Bill Cosby.
Mister Pudding Pops.
Fat Freaking Albert.
Bill, his own self, was a full partner in the firm that represented him.
And us.
And others.
And his sweaters.
And he was the number one comic in America.
Across the hall was the office of the appropriately named Artie Mogul, who ran the in-house record company, Tetragrammaton, home to Deep Purple and more.
Of course, he had nothing to do with us. Neither did Mr. Cosby, but his name promised to open a lot of doors in Hollywood and that was exactly what we needed.
But what, I asked, could these guys bring to the table for a band that had been around the block and, hypothetically, overstayed their welcome?
We didn’t have to wait long.
••••
We had heard, through the grapevine, that the Turtles were Tricia’s favorite band, and we’d all had a good chuckle over that.
Old Man Nixon was the creepiest Dick of his generation, the least popular president among the under-30 crowd that had ever been, and a killer of our young men and women, as far as we were concerned.
We were deeply anti-war and deeply self-conscious. We weren’t Nixonites, that’s for sure. We were everything he stood against.
So when the hand-engraved invitations to perform at Tricia’s coming out party arrived at the Cosby office, we were none too thrilled. In fact, we flat out refused to play.
They started to freak out.
“What do you mean, you refuse to play?! Who the hell do you think you are?! This isn’t a political thing. It’s like a goddamned royal proclamation, you idiots! You play the White House because you’re an American!”
Blah, blah, blah …
They shamed us into it.
Not only that, but to add insult to injury, management now was requesting that we each go out and buy a classy new suit. Can’t play for the president looking like the sewer rats that you really are.
Perfect. There it was, again.
Too bad Johny Barbata wasn’t the drummer in the band anymore. He’d have loved the sight of us clumsily trying on the very Brioni suits that he’d been trying to get us to wear for three-and-a-half years.
Now we had each bought one. Talk about fish out of water.
****
Came the big day, May 10, 1969, we flew into Washington, D.C. on the taxpayers’ dollar. There, we were met by five separate cars, replete with drivers all flying the American flag, and taken directly to the White House. Once there we discovered that the Secret Service had dossiers on each of us. They kept us in a holding lounge while going through our intimate details individually.
After we had all been cleared, it was time to unload the equipment that we had brought with us all the way from L.A.
But we didn’t do the unloading. Instead, the Secret Service guys did. And they didn’t know the first thing about large equipment cases. So as they began to unload the trap case from the drum set, the large case that holds the snare drum, percussion goodies and miscellaneous items, they tipped it to one side and, unknowingly, triggered the tiny switch on the electric metronome/tuner that we always carried with us.
“…..tick….tick….tick.”
Out came the guns.
“Up against the wall!”
Oh, we went there. Up against that wall it was as they carted off our little black box. We stood there, a rock group inside of enemy territory, the Nixon White House, looking down the crosshairs from the wrong direction. Guys in HAZMAT suits were brought in to deal with our little plastic tuner and their freak-out escalated yet another notch when someone hit the tuning switch and the 440 cycle “A” tone started shrieking from the metronome.
When I first started roaming the web looking for music back in ’06, Al Kooper albums were impossible to find. They were almost as hard to find in stores, too, as Al’s impressive late 60s/early 70s catalog was often out of print, necessitating import pricing (or trips to Japan) to get a fix. I’ve been meaning to post these for a while, but haven’t had the time to properly write something up about them. Still don’t. So… I’ve just copied the text from an older post of I Stand Alone to get you started before I went fishing. We’ve got more Koop in the archives, including 1970′s very cool Kooper Session (HERE) and Al Kooper’s Lost Psychedelic Album (HERE). Seek out an online bio (here) and read about Koop’seye-opening career (from penning Gary Lewis & The Playboys’ “This Diamond Ring” to discovering and producing Lynyrd Skynyrd) or get his entertaining biography, Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards (here). Click the covers for links to Amazon. Some of Koop’s catalog is being reissued (in Japan, of course) on March 12th. But, from what we’ve seen, there don’t seem to be any bonus tracks involved. A crime.
I Stand Alone(1968) I Stand Alone ranks as one of the psychedelic era’s most underrated concoctions. It’s not your standard, fuzz-laden, dope-riddled excuse for unfettered expression, though. Instead, Kooper brought all his abilities and influences to bear for his first solo album, creating a mesh of pop/R&B, jazzy rock & blues that’s cut together as ably as any psych-era studio creation you’d care to name. After years in the biz – Brill Building composing, The Blues Project, a brilliantly opportunistic star-making session with Dylan, conceptualizing (then getting the boot from) Blood, Sweat & Tears, the outstanding Super Session (recorded before this debut) – Al Kooper finally decided to stand alone. His 1968 “debut” is a masterclass consisting of elaborately arranged overtures, grand and sweeping R&B, and a psychedelic, near Pepper-y elegance, evidenced by Koop’s horn and choral arrangements. I Stand Alone is enhanced by Kooper’s choice of, what he hoped would be, a cross-section of commercially viable material. His multi-layered vocals on Nilsson’s “One” are note perfect, framed with a grandiose “Eleanor Rigby“-styled string & horn arrangement. Al works a similar magic with a faithful reading of Traffic’s “Coloured Rain.” It’s when Kooper tackles his main musical love, R&B, that his reedy vocals get stretched to the breaking point, however, exposing his white/Jewish/Brooklyn roots. White guys and the blues… what are you gonna do? Still, many fans find Al’s limited vocal range charming.
Overture (4:39)
I Stand Alone (3:37)
Camille (2:56) One (2:53)
Coloured Rain (3:01)
Soft Landing On The Moon (4:02)
I Can Love A Woman (3:28)
Blue Moon Of Kentucky (2:15)
Toe Hold (3:53)
Right Now For You (2:34)
Hey, Western Union Man (3:41)
Song And Dance For The Unborn, Frightened Child (4:33)
You Never Know Who Your Friends Are(1969)
Magic In My Socks (3:57) Lucille (3:25)
Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (3:22)
First Time Around (2:49)
Loretta (Union Turnpike Eulogy) (3:50)
Blues, Part IV (4:39)
You Never Know Who Your Friends Are (2:56)
The Great American Marriage/Nothing (4:47)
I Don’t Know Why I Love You (3:24)
Mourning Glory Story (2:17)
Anna Lee (What Can I Do For You) (3:20)
I’m Never Gonna Let You Down (4:40)
Easy Does It(1970) Brand New Day (5:13)
Piano Solo Introduction (2:01)
I Got A Woman (4:33)
Country Road (4:26)
I Bought You The Shoes (2:00)
Introduction (0:51)
Easy Does It (5:28)
Buckskin Boy (3:10)
Love Theme From “The Landlord” (3:15)
Sad Sad Sunshine (5:08)
Let The Duchess No (3:20)
She Gets Me Where I Live (3:38)
A Rose And A Baby Ruth (3:32)
Baby Please Dont Go (12:30)
God Shed His Grace On Thee (3:28)
New York City (You’re A Woman)(1971)
New York City (You’re A Woman) (5:21)
John The Baptist (Holy John) (3:35)
Can You Hear It Now (500 Miles) (3:28)
The Ballad Of The Hard Rock Kid (4:20)
Going Quietly Mad (3:54)
Medley: Oo Wee Baby, I Love You, Love Is A Man’s Best Friend (4:24)
Back On My Feet (3:22)
Come Down In Time (4:40) Dearest Darling (3:56)
Nightmare #5 (3:01)
The Warning (Someone’s On The Cross Again) (3:01)
A Possible Project Of The Future/Childhood’s End(1972)
A Possible Projection Of The Future (6:30)
The Man In Me (3:44)
Fly On (3:17)
Please Tell Me Why (4:40)
The Monkey Time (3:21)
Let Your Love Shine (4:06) Swept For You Baby (3:34)
Bended Knees (Please Don’t Leave Me Now) (3:41)
Love Trap (4:04)
Childhood’s End (3:33)
Naked Songs(1973) (Be Yourself) Be Real (3:27)
As The Years Go Passing By (6:04)
Jolie (3:49)
Blind Baby (3:07)
Been And Gone (2:36)
Sam Stone (4:41)
Peacock Lady (3:23)
Touch The Hem Of His Garment (4:04)
Where Were You When I Needed You (3:13)
Unrequited (2:52)
Act Like Nothing’s Wrong(1976)
Is We On The Downbeat? (0:36) This Diamond Ring (4:13)
She Don’t Ever Lose Her Groove (3:48)
I Forgot To Be Your Lover (2:59)
Missing You (3:39)
Out Of Left Field (5:11)
(Please Not) One More Time (3:34)
In My Own Sweet Way (2:43)
Turn My Head Towards Home (4:36)
A Visit To The Rainbow Bar & Grill (0:41)
Hollywood Vampire (6:48)
For those interested… we’ve moved For The Love Of Harry to a new address (HERE), and have been adding lots of new stuff to older posts. We’ve also got information on the upcoming 17CD Nilsson box set Sony is planning for later this year, as well as fresh news about the first-time CD release of Nilsson’s last album, 1980′s Flash Harry. Not to mention info on the first-ever biography written about Harry. So… 2013 is shaping up to be a very Harry year. Stop by soon, as the site may not be long for this world in its present form.
NOTE: This is one where we can’t use last names in comments, as comments are searchable. In fact, we shouldn’t use album titles, either… or even say much about the circumstances of this limited (to only 100 copies) package. We’re sure you’ll understand why… and thanks for playing the home game.
If, like me, your interest is piqued by artists whose careers are caught between generations, Chubby Checker’s Chequered might be right up your alley. By 1971 music had changed radically, and Checker’s twisted past had run its course. Chubby had obviously changed too, as Chequered seems to be a reflection of what was taking place within himself – which apparently included a little mind experimentation, if the title “Stoned In The Bathroom” is any indication. Checker was probably lucky he was able to even get this album made in the first place, 6 years (a lifetime in the 60s) after his last disco twist release. By 1971 he was into Hendrix and Sly, and was writing some very strange songs (all penned by CC, by the way). A Hendrix engineer, Ed Chalpin, produces, and the result is mesh of jam/boogie, soulful expression, social messaging and stoned lyricism. To be honest, it’s not really that good (production-wise, anyway), but it’s as fascinating as it gets, and repeated listens over the years have implanted some of these offbeat tunes firmly in the memory banks (“Goodbye Victoria” especially). Listen to a few examples below. Chubby wouldn’t make another album for over a decade (A Change Has Come, his last, I believe), and when he did, it was similarly informed by the musical landscape of the era – the E-Street revival of acts like Del Shannon & Gary US Bonds. One last stab that didn’t take, either. He probably got screwed out of most of his twist money, too. We’ve got an equally odd Bo Diddley album in the archives, Black Gladiator (1970, HERE), recorded when Bo was feeling the heat to stay relevant, that might interest the curious, too. Find Chequered at Amazon, HERE.
How Does It Feel (7:39) Stoned In The Bathroom (2:39) No Need To Get So Heavy (3:04)
Let’s Go Down (3:30) My Mind (4:18)
Goodbye Victoria (5:43)
Love Tunnel (5:09)
Slow Lovin’ (4:06)
He Died (3:30)
If The Sun Stopped Shining (3:46)
Gypsy (1973 Single) (4:57) – Bonus Track
When’s the last time you listened to Ringo Starr’s second solo album? If you’re like most, it was in 1970/1971, around the time of its release. You remember yourself back then, don’t you? When you were still a Beatles fanatic? So much so that you were buying their drummer’s country album… in some misguided, last-ditch attempt to savor one final sliver of “mania,” all because the band you worshipped as a kid up-and abandoned you (just like dad did…. but we won’t go there). Yeah, you remember. Back when you had zero appreciation for country music and little tolerance for things you couldn’t possibly imagine enjoying. You probably listened to Beaucoups Of Blues a couple of years later, too – after you got sidetracked by Wings, Lennon’s shenanigans and Harrison’s rising star – only to find out Ringo’s vocals hadn’t changed a bit. Well… maybe four decades will help the process. Now that you’re hipper to the stoic professionalism of the Nashville session scene, and the timelessness of some of the genre’s material, you’ll be able to better digest and appreciate BOB. Maybe. Because the problem certainly couldn’t have been lovable Ringo. You knew he couldn’t sing before you bought the damned thing in the first place (and besides… you had already heard Sentimental Journey, so the onus is squarely on you). So, have you grown enough as a connoisseur of the arts to dare taking another crack at a warbling skinman’s search for identity? Do you feel lucky, punk? Well… do ya? If you see the light – or if that collecting monkey on your back is itchin’ for those bonus tracks – here it is. [Why the session's best tune was relegated to a lowly b-side, and the cool unreleased jam was unreleased, is beyond me.] C’mon… it’s Ringo, for cryin’ out loud. And it now only costs about twice what it did in 1970 at Amazon.
Beaucoups Of Blues (2:37)
Love Don’t Last Long (2:47)
Fastest Growing Heartache In The West (2:37)
Without Her (2:38)
Woman Of The Night (2:25)
I’d Be Talking All The Time (2:13)
15 Draw (3:31)
Wine, Women And Loud Happy Songs (2:21)
I Wouldn’t Have You Any Other Way (3:00) Loser’s Lounge (2:25)
Waiting (2:58)
Silent Homecoming (3:58)
Coochy Coochy (4:48) – B-Side Bonus Track
Nashville Jam (6:40) – Previously Unreleased Bonus Track
One For The Road(1979)
Not A Live Album, Despite All Appearances
Another dose of Leon. For years I thought this release was a live album. In reality, One For The Road is a collection of classics and chestnuts, recorded with Willie’s Family of touring musicians, who infuse this loose, friendly gathering with hints of Texas swing, cowboy music, C&W, down home country rock and enough professional ease to make it a favorite of anyone who can appreciate an easy-going, multi-genre mash. The second half, more of a Willie album really, turns mainstream, easy-country trad (along the lines of Nelson’s Stardust) but the mood prevails. Willie was, at the time, in the midst of his mid-70s bevy of essential releases, while Leon – on the other hand – was struggling for attention after a couple of ‘wedding’ albums with his new wife (spouses… often the kiss of artistic death), which failed to ignite substantial interest or curiosity. Hearing them together is a blessing and sounds so natural it’s a surprise there weren’t a series of collaborations between the two. Originally a double album that ended up as a single CD, it’s at Amazon (nicely priced @ $4.99 new, with free mp3s, HERE). We’ve got more Willie around here, including Me And The Drummer (HERE), Willie Nelson & Family (HERE) and Nelson’s essential, Teatro (HERE). Plus some of Leon’s work as Hank Wilson (HERE).
Detour (2:27)
I Saw The Light (3:07)
Heartbreak Hotel (3:05)
Let The Rest Of The World Go By (3:50) Trouble In Mind (2:42) Don’t Fence Me In (2:28)
The Wild Side Of Life (3:25)
Ridin’ Down The Canyon (2:23)
Sioux City Sue (3:17)
You Are My Sunshine (2:52)
Danny Boy (4:00)
Always (2:19)
Summertime (2:30)
Because Of You (2:07)
Am I Blue (2:19)
Tenderly (4:02)
Far Away Places (3:11)
That Lucky Old Sun (2:41)
Stormy Weather (2:26)
One For My Baby And ‘One More For The Road’ (2:33)
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Psychedelic Drugstore (1969/70)
It’s obvious Paul thought highly of RAM, because he used it as a launching pad for the first of many inexplicable concepts and releases (not to mention aliases) throughout his career. This idea he took to the extreme, by placing ads and news items into various UK papers long before the album’s release, just to establish the name of fictitious socialite, Percy Thrillington, man about town. Thrillington, the album, recorded in 1971 but not released until 1977, is a song for song instrumental muzak version of RAM. But… why do a muzak album? And, why RAM? It never added up. Though Paul’s ghostly visage was seen on the back cover, nobody knew the album was McCartney’s doing. Why would he? Even those who might have been suspicious were never sure. It was a full-fledged ruse that McCartney maintained until the 80s, when he officially admitted his involvement. Years later, Paul attempted a similar gambit with his electronic alter-ego, The Fireman, but by that time people were wise to his antics (and his production company logo). To this day, Thrillington is still one of Paul McCartney’s least known LPs.
I’m generally suspicious of various artist gatherings of unknown bands (unknown to me, anyway), but this 2009 collection is a charmer. While each band has their individual strengths and weaknesses, no one here attempts to disembowel or re-invent the material, so – as a whole – RAM On L.A. remains, first and foremost, a pop album… just as it should be. Bands include (in order); Earlimart, Frankel, The Parson Redheads, 
Here’s another tribute to RAM from Tom, over at 
