Mondobongos!

Seriously Deep

2008-07-13T12:33:00.003-05:00

Dusty Grooves has issued a nice edition of David Axelrod's 1975 fusion effort Seriously Deep.

"One of the rarest albums ever from funky maestro David Axelrod - and quite different than his earlier work for Reprise and Capitol Records. This time around, Axe is working in a jazz funk mode - in a setting that's heavy on the keyboards from Joe Sample, and also features reeds and vibes, plus a nice undercurrent of strings. There's a subtle dose of fusion in the mix, but one that's never too jamming - and Axelrod always maintains his trademark sense of space and timing - turning the simplest musical measure into the kind of groove that holds up well into the 21st Century!" [from the liner notes].

I found the album much more approachable than his somewhat ponderous antebellum concept album The Auction [1972] which was the last one I bought. Seriously Deep lacks the grand concepts of his earlier LPs, but in many ways is stronger for it as the listener can just focus on the music alone. And the focus is rewarded with the surprises that I expect from Axelrod such as the cello solo on "1000 Rads". Cool.

Today is Only Yesterday's Tomorrow

2008-05-11T15:32:00.001-05:00

I stopped by Sonic Boom a few weeks ago. What a great record store. How great? They had two (not one, but two) cds I was looking for in the racks. It's not everyday that one can find releases by The Poppy Family and Lothar & the Hand People in a retail setting. Go check.

I've written about both bands in the past, so I won't repeat myself. But I will tell you something about the cds. First up The Poppy Family's A Good Thing Lost 1968-1973 [What Are Records? 60017-2]. It's a good place to start as it covers most of the bands high points: "Free From the City", "Which Way You Goin', Billy?", "There's No Blood in Bone" and "Where Evil Grows" with track by track notes by Terry Jacks. But it is Susan Jacks voice that makes the countryesque- lite-psych tunes so effective.

Everything that Lothar & the Hand People released is available as Space Hymn: The Complete Capitol Recordings [Acadia ACAD 8058]. Nice that I could finally upgrade my battered vinyl copy of their second LP Space Hymn. What I like about the theremin named Lothar and his pals was how eclectic the group truly was: catchy folk pop, electronic experimentation, and that particular 60's whimsy. I would like to say that "Machines" was steampunk before anyone knew what that was. What can I say, Lothar & the Hand People are engaging, likable and weird. It's what you want in a pop group.

While I'm here I'd like to say that I'm looking forward to the nationwide release of Mono In VCF 's debut. They cover The Poppy Family's "There's No Blood in Bone" and Terry Jacks' guests. How cool is that?

Kaleidoscopes and Tall Dwarfisms

2008-03-02T10:31:00.003-06:00

Despite the snowstorm on Friday, yesterday was sunny with only a minimum amount of slush on the sidewalk and that meant going for a walk. And since all walks should have a destination, I stopped by BMV books and headed straight to the cd bins.

The first find was a budget Sony Special Products edition of Kaleidoscope's 1969 album Incredible! If you know their first two LPs, Side-Trips and A Beacon from Mars, you may know what to expect: Middle Eastern Cajun Psychedelic fusion. And it's even better than my description might suggest. I'd go so far as to suggest that the eleven minute "Seven-Ate Sweet" alone is worth the price of admission. Stop by the excellent Pulsating Dreams fansite for a bit of history.

The second disc was Chris Knox's Songs of You & Me, which features the complete Hanging Out for Time to Cure Birth and A Stranger's Iron Shore albums. My experience has been that his and his band the Tall Dwarfs' material does not often appear in local shops so I had better buy them when I see them. His songs are witty, catchy, and many other good things. Find out more at the Flying Nun site here. Also on-line is his interview with Forced Exposure, readable here, sadly without the hilarious footnotes that appeared in the print edition.

Here's a video of Knox's first band, The Enemy. Enjoy

Cambodian Psych-Out

2008-02-03T10:43:00.001-06:00

I found a copy of Cambodian Psych-Out in a local shop last week. I knew the lp had been out for a while but never got my act together to order one through the mail. Now that an actual copy was in my hands...well...no more excuses. Not that I was looking for any, as I have loved Cambodian rock music since I bought a copy of the Parallel World release Cambodian Rocks back in the mid-90s. Cambodian Psych-Out [Defective/El Supremo Records] features the King (Sinn Sisamouth) & Queen (Ros Sereysothea) of Phnom Penh pop before the nightmare of the Khmer Rouge. It breaks my heart to read of their fates.

Late 60's/early 70's Khmer pop is, without a doubt, absolutely phenomenal music you should hear. Kick ass garage rock with farfisa organs and fuzz guitars. Sereysothea's cover of Shocking Blue's "Venus" is worth the price of the LP, the proceeds of which go to land mine removal in Cambodia.

What else? I snagged a rare grooves collection compiled by Gareth 'Cherrystones' Goddard. Cherrystones Hidden Charms [Family Recordings 9817656] is a nicely eclectic collection of psych, 60's beat, and funk which includes Shocking Blue's sitar groover "Hot Sand" (SB is everywhere it seems), Ennio Morricone's "Svolta Definitiva", Cher's cover of Dr John's "I Walk on Gilded Splinters", and Montrealers Mashmakhan's "Afraid of Losing You". Not a dud to be found on the disc.

Basket of Sounds

2008-01-20T14:27:00.000-06:00

Picked up another couple of discs over the holidays. First up is The Dragons' BFI [Ninja Tune ZENCD135] which sounded interesting, judging by the reviews. It was originally recorded in 1969/1970 and remained unreleased apart from a track included on a mid-70's surf soundtrack. Long story short, Strictly Kev of Ninja Tune discovered the soundtrack and contacted Dennis Dragon who informed him that there was an entire lp's worth of material that Dennis recorded with his brothers Doug and Daryl. Trivia note: Daryl Dragon gained fame as "The Captain" of The Captain & Tennille).

First things first, despite what every other review states, this is not a psychedelic record. Nope. It's a progressive rock album with a touch of soul and a very good one at that. The band's arrangements call to mind the British prog band Second Hand and in a strange way, Steely Dan (probably due to the jazziness of the arrangements).

Decided after many years to investigate the legendary jazz/folk band The Pentangle. After asking for suggested titles on the Up-Tight music list, I settled on 1969's Basket of Light. I was immediately taken with Jacqui McShee's vocals: clear as a bell with an ability to soar. The instrumental backing is of course first-rate, but that is to be expected when Bert Jansch (Guitar), John Renbourn (Guitar & Sitar), Danny Thompson (Double Bass) and Terry Cox (drums) are on board. Musically quite eclectic and adventurous.

45 rpm

2008-01-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

There's something special about the seven inch 45 rpm record. Back in the late seventies it was my format of choice when buying music, and I've found myself buying singles again. Sure, wading through thousands of discs is a bit daunting, but when I have the time and patience I'm rewarded.

One of my favourite recent purchases is a single by The Bob Crewe Generation: Miniskirts in Moscow b/w Theme for a Lazy Girl [Dynovoice Records]. What a great single it is with that special bachelor pad/now sound 60's optimism. Who among us could pass up a song entitled Miniskirts in Moscow? Well, no one I would want to talk to, that's a certainty.

I've written about Syrinx before , so when I happened across a copy of their moog-pop instrumental hit single Tillicum (Theme from "Here Come The Seventies) b/w Melina's Torch [True North Records] I snapped it up. My search continues for a copy of the picture sleeve. You may be interested to know that there is a MySpace page for the band where you can hear both songs on the single plus Field Hymn. So what are you waiting for, go here.

I've had a bit of an obsession with Canadian Pop/Folk/Lite Psych outfit The Poppy Family for a while now. Not a band as such, but more the project of then-husband and wife team of Susan & Terry Jacks. On the surface many of their songs are straightforward pop songs, but at the same time they have a very dark undercurrent. Track down a copy of There's No Blood in Bone and you'll see what I mean. In the meantime, you may want to read Kim Cooper's history The Partridge Family + The Manson Family = The Poppy Family for a bit of background.

I had the opportunity to add two singles to my collection. The first is Which Way You Goin' Billy? b/w Endless Sleep [London Records]. Which Way... was a big hit for them and is a fine song featuring Susan's ethereal voice. The real treat is the B side which features a great garage band guitar line and lyrics about a lost love drowned at sea. Next up is Where Evil Grows b/w Concrete Sea [Underground Records]. The A side deals with an unwise romantic choice: "Evil grows in the dark/Where the sun, it never shines/Evil grows in cracks and holes/And live in peoples' minds". Did I say dark undercurrents? I meant dark overcurrents. The flip is one of my favourite tunes by the Jacks, catchy with a nice sparse production.

One thing I've noticed about Poppy Family singles is that they are repackaged for different labels with different combinations of songs. I already had a copy of Where Evil Grows as a B side for I Was Wondering on the London Label. Last week I picked up two singles for a friend in the UK: one was Which Way You Goin' Billy b/w That's Where I Went Wrong [Underground Records] and the second was Terry Jacks' big hit Seasons in the Sun b/w The Love Game [Goldfish Records]. I was surprised to discover that The Love Game is in fact Concrete Sea (the same recording as The Poppy Family track as far as I can tell) and was even more surprised to discover that I now enjoy listening to his version of the Jacques Brel/Rod McKuen song. Admittedly, it requires a certain ironic distance.

Unfortunate Brakemen, the Memphis Flu & Titanic Blues

2007-12-16T09:17:00.000-06:00

Over the last couple of months, I've been reading rave reviews of People Take Warning! Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs, 1913-1938 [Tompkins Square Records TSQ1875], so as a present to myself ('tis the season after all), I plunked down the cash for a copy.

On a purely visual level, the set is first rate. Packaged as a book, there are detailed notes about each track in addition to period photos, not to mention some of the lyrics in the event that you'd like to sing along with the Trial of Richard Bruno Hauptmann or the Ohio Prison Fire, although the latter's melodramatic interlude between the distraught Mother and the Warden is not reproduced.

On to the music, the cds are broken up thematically by producers/compilers Christopher C. King and Henry Sapoznik: the first disc's theme is Man Vs Machine, the second's is Man Vs Nature, and the third's is Man Vs Man (and Women too!). Some disasters loom large in the imagination of the hillbilly and blues performers: the Titanic, plagues of Boll Weevils , mining disasters, train wrecks, jealous rages, and tales of ruin.

Terrific stuff.

If this collection interests you at all, pick up a copy soon as only 5000 were made.

You can find interviews with King here and here.

Turkish Bongo Madness!

2007-12-02T10:59:00.000-06:00

I purchased a copy of Mustafa Özkent ve Orkestrasi's Gençlik Ile Elele [Finders Keepers/B-Music BMS003]. Hoo ha! This one's a blast: high energy instrumental funk with a Bosphorus gloss. Yes, there is some similarity in sound to The Incredible Bongo Band as several reviewers have pointed out, but the flavour is more exotic than would be expected.

From the liner notes: " Regarded amongst hardened collectors of Anatolian rock as THE DADDY of all Turkish rarities, this record simply has to be heard to be believed and even then it's still literally UNBELIEVABLE. Is this record for real? Either these guys had time-machines or DJ Kool Herc had secret Eastern connections. If a box of original copies of this seldom-sighted album had made its way to the South Bronx in the late seventies then Mustafa Ozkent would be sharing throne space with other ultimate breaks and beats such as Michael Viner's 'Incredible Bongo Band', Funky Drummer, and Johnny The Fox bringing modern record collectors' new-found Turkish obsession forward by some 20 years. "

If you're at all interested in following the road less traveled, and after all why wouldn't you, buy a copy. It'll fill you with the all-important 'pep' and you know you need that.

While I'm here I'd like to point you towards a rare interview with Kalahari Surfers mastermind Warrick Sony located here. I haven't kept up with his music for quite some time (my loss) but reading the interview prompted me to pull copies of Own Affairs, Living in the Heart of the Beast, and Sleep Armed from the Mondo Bongos library. I can say that they hold up very well, due in my opinion to their basic eclecticism: Art Rock, Reggae, Afro-Funk, and Audio Verité. Music that wide-ranging just doesn't date.

Cheap Bin Voodoo

2007-10-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

When visiting a used record/cd shop I usually avoid the clearance bins. You just know what they are filled with: cheapo compilations of dance and "alternative" music, forgotten Boy Bands, the store's overstock of New Country, Matchbox 20 cds and other items that might, just might sell with a sticker price of five for five dollars. What is more likely is that they will eventually end up in a landfill.

So last week I decided to see what She Said Boom! (a Toronto shop) had in the three-for-ten-dollar bin.

I snagged a copy of Wall of Voodoo's The Index Masters which I would have paid $10 as a single item. If you are unfamiliar with them, they performed a kind of neo-noir clickety-clack sounding futurism, almost as if Eraserhead was scored by Ennio Morricone. The cd contains their debut EP for the Index label plus ten bonus live tracks, nine of which are previously unreleased (the previously released track is their medley of "The Good the Bad & the Ugly/Hang 'Em High"). Another aspect that made them distinctive is that Stan Ridgway must have been one of the few new wave musicians who told stories in their songs. I can't think of anyone else who did.

What else? A disc by 00-Soul caught my eye. Entitled The Solid Sounds of the 8-Piece Brotherhood I initially thought they may have been a late addition to the lounge/surf revival. Why did I think this? Some of the song titles are "Cosmic Voodoo", "Squad Car", "Intoxica", "Jungle King" and "Super Agent Steve". Nope, no Tiki sounds here, rather very tight, very fine latin-flavoured funk played on real instruments (as opposed to bits of 70's albums with reverb and computerized beats added). This one was a most pleasant surprise.

One more item to get my money's worth. I picked up a copy of the United Future Organization's self-titled cd. I have had a copy of their Third Perspective release for years that I still like: a mix of trip-hop, acid jazz, Goblin samples (OK, one sample) and James Bond suaveness. This cd is similar, but less developed. Still, pretty good in-a-bits-of-70's-albums- with-reverb-and-computerized-beats-added way.

The Now Sound of the Juche All-Stars

2007-10-21T10:31:00.000-05:00

I had my eye on a copy of Radio Pyongyang: Commie Funk and Agit Pop from the Hermit Kingdom [Sublime Frequencies CD SF023] for some time. I had a notion of what to expect: a strident and heroic sound praising the revolution and the leadership of Kim Jong Il. And that's what I got, in spades, or rather a spade connecting with my skull. What was surprising was the relentless and oppressive cheerfulness of it all...or maybe not. What else would one expect from the Orwellian nightmare of North Korea?

When I first played the CD at home, my wife mentioned that the music sounded like clowns and circuses. Yes it does have a cheesy karaoke quality to it and I would put it down to the ever-present electronic keyboard, an instrument I usually associate with 80's synthpop or DIY outsider recordings. Not that the music particularly sounds like the aforementioned genres, but it is odd, very odd all the same.

Kudos to compiler Christiaan Virant for creating a mixtape from the real-world Airstrip One. I can only imagine what life would be like if this was the only music one could hear.

Note: The disc appears to be out of print at the Sublime Frequencies website, but it should still be available from several on-line retailers.

Open Your Ears

2007-10-10T13:11:00.000-05:00

I've been listening to Takes on Words' second release Incredible World [Ordnung & Hartman Records] regularly over the last two weeks. For those not in the know, Takes on Words (a modal song project) is a collaboration between vocalist and multimedia artist Aja Waalwijk and veteran of the German Rock underground Uli Trepte.

Anyone who knows me will be aware that I've been a fan of Trepte's music since the 70's when I bought a copy of Guru Guru's UFO which was a mind-bending sonic assault. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Uli has remained true to the promise of the underground and this has shaped his musical projects since that time: Kickbit Information, Spacebox and his solo works (of which there are many).

From the Incredible World liner notes:

"Their new song creations here minimalize the sound, groove and form of the pop song, while the words have the complexity of an art song. Especially the lyrics of Aja possess a poetic flair that is unique, and those of the Dadaists Hans Arp, Christian Morgenstern and Paul Van Ostaijen are still contemporary as flipped out."

Special mention should be made of the other musicians involved: Edgar Hofmann on reeds and violin, Ben Waalwijk on keyboards and Tapsi Kim on djembe. Their contributions are perfect for the crystal clear sparseness of the arrangements: nothing cluttered, but full of colour.

I've also been spinning Gétatchèw Mèkurya's Negus of Ethiopian Sax [Éthiopiques #14] which is awe-inspiring as so much of late 60's/early 70's Ethiopian music seems to be. What makes so much of the music appealing is its unique take on western musical styles blended with local forms. Mèkurya adapted the shellèla vocal style to the sax. Historically, shellèla was sung before a battle to "galvanise one's troops".

From the notes:

"Beyond the military references, here we encounter a musical form that is daring, improvisational, angry and impetuous, where each melisma spirals dizzyingly towards less structure and greater freedom in the playing."

Remarkably hypnotic sounds. Like I said, open your ears and be amazed at what you can hear.

E & I

2007-10-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

As you may, or may not, know, "Ebony and Ivory" has been voted the worst duet in history. Personally I've always disliked the song for its cloying naïveté. Admit it: the tune wouldn't be out of place in an Up With People stage show.

This of course reminded me of Culturcide's legendary 1986 album Tacky Souvenirs of Pre-Revolutionary America where they...er...covered the song. OK, not really a cover as such, more in line with the Situationist concept of détournement.

The remarkable thing about Tacky Souvenirs is that once you hear the Culturcide version, the originals will forever fade away from your consciousness: "We Are The World" becomes "They Aren't the World" [There are people dying/whooaah and they just noticed] and "We're An American Band" becomes "We're An Industrial Band" [On the road for two days...last night in Reno we didn't play/The club got itself shut/We ate dinner at Pizza Hut/"What kind of music do you play?"/It's a cross between Cyndi Lauper and early S.P.K.].

Someone has quite wisely attached Culturcide's song to the video original. Enjoy!

The Horror, The Horror!

2007-09-09T10:20:00.000-05:00

Over the past week, The Horrors' full-length Strange House: Psychotic Sounds for Freaks and Weirdos [Loog Records BOOO892902] has been a steady resident of the cd player. It's good; very, very good. That wasn't a surprise after hearing their debut EP which I wrote about here.

Their 'hit' Sheena is a Parasite is included, as is the Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages cover, Jack the Ripper. There's nine more tracks with not a dud among them. Horrors' Theme ranks as the catchiest with the pulsating Silver Apples-esque Gil Sleeping being a surprising inclusion.

The sound harkens back to the sixties lo-tech DIY spook rock of Joe Meek. That's an influence that opens sonic possibilities. Hell, what else is there? Marilyn Manson? I should hope not.

Fly Assassin and Visionary Appalachian Ragas

2007-08-29T08:47:00.000-05:00

I've been listening to Jean-Claude Vannier's 1972 album L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches [B-Music/FindersKeepers] which has been on my to-buy list for awhile. I finally took the plunge on this edition as it features a video of a live performance from an Yves Saint Laurent fashion show circa 1971 (!). One of the reason that the late 60's/early 70's are such an interesting time for music is that so many seemed willing to mix every possible style of music and instrument into a single lp, today it's all so flat. I put it down to the pernicious influence of focus groups, narrowcasting and that mindset (I sound like an old codger I know). Anyway back to Vannier: fantastic stuff. Bits that suggest Krautrock or Musique Concret or sitting-at-a-sidewalk-cafe accordion music or groovy Yves Saint Laurent fashion show music circa 1971.

Currently playing is Henry Flynt's Ascent to the Sun [Recorded]. I'm still assimilating this one but I can tell you that it was recorded in 2004 which means that Henry has returned to music production. That is a good thing.

You can file the disc next to C Tune and Purified by the Fire as it contains a single 40+ minute track, but Ascent is more challenging and somewhat harsher sounding. This may be due to the fact that C.C. Hennix's tamboura isn't present so that comfortable drone is absent and what is left is the voices of Flynt's multitracked violin. It's enough.

The Fantastic Voyage of Goblin

2007-08-03T11:16:00.000-05:00

Goblin came to my attention when I first saw George A Romero's Dawn of the Dead in the theatre. It must have been 1978 when my friend Jim and I headed from the suburbs into the city to see what we hoped would be an extremely cool film. After all, the script excerpt that was published in Heavy Metal looked more than promising. What can I say, Romero delivered with his story of survivors taking refuge in a shopping mall from the mass zombie uprising. Then there was the attacking Biker gang. Yes, there was something for everyone.

It didn't take long for me to order a copy of the soundtrack on Varese Sarabande and that LP has remained one of my prized possessions. When I came across a copy of Goblin's score for Dario Argento's Suspiria, buying it was a no-brainer. This soundtrack was even better and came across as a nightmarish version of Tubular Bells. Yes, Goblin was a progressive rock band, but don't let that put you off. If anything, they could be filed next to Van Der Graaf Generator in the Non-Guilty Pleasure/Non-Cape Wearing branch of of the prog-rock world. Like VDGG, Goblin's music was more intense than most and lacked the muso noodling that made progressive rock so damn fussy sounding.

If you're interested in delving into the world of Goblin, may I suggest The Fantastic Voyage of Goblin: The Sweet Sound of Hell [Bella Casa/Cherry Red Records CASA1CD]. It's a 19 track compilation of their better known themes from Profondo Rosso, Suspiria and Dawn of the Dead among others, as well as a couple of cuts from their non-soundtrack albums. Special mention should be made of the funky "Snip-Snap" (from the score for Patrick) and the space-age bachelor pad sounds of "Sicilian Samba" from Squadra Antigangsters.

If more is desired, track down a copy of Goblin: Their Hits, Rare Tracks & Outtakes Collection 1975-1989 [DRG Records 32904].

To round out this post, here is the trailer for Dawn of the Dead and a TV spot for Suspiria:

Zanzibara

2007-07-22T10:29:00.000-05:00

Since we moved to Toronto last year, one of my favourite record shops is Kops on Queen Street. They have a nice selection of cds and vinyl and have been marking down the prices lately so I have picked up quite a few bargains.

Recent purchases have included Zanzibara: Golden Years of Mombasa Taarab 1965-1975 [Buda Musique 860119]. This collection is wonderful and the music displays centuries of cross-cultural contact and assimilation with Bollywood filmsong particularly looming large over the mix of Arabian musical forms, Western and Eastern instrumentation (the Tashkota, a Japanese instrument being a popular addition) over "...a strong Kenyan coastal and Swahili tinge". As usual Buda Musique has done a first rate job with informative liner notes, photos and cover scans.

What can I say, there is so much music in the world and I want to hear it all.

Next up is Lucio Battisti's 1972 album Umanamente Uomo: Il Sogno [Water Music. Water 175]. The sticker blurb caught my attention with references to "experimental pop" and "gorgeous, unusual arrangements" and the cd does deliver an engaging blend of singer-songwriter plaintiveness with progressive rock and lite-psych flourishes. Special mention should be made regarding the avant-garde closer "Il Fuoco" which calls to mind some of Sonic Boom's dronecentric cuts.

If you enjoy David Axelrod's late 60's/early 70's albums, Serge Gainsbourg or (perhaps) Tim Buckley, I think you'll be pleased with the album. I was.

Yellow Pills

2007-07-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

The Yellow Pills: Prefill [Numerogroup 004] compilation has been on my 'to buy' list for a while with the only thing holding me back being the price that hovers around the $35.00+ mark. Long story short, I won the 50/50 draw at work so I would like to thank my co-workers for their help in expanding my music collection.

Jordan Oakes compiled this double disc set of obscure power pop recorded (primarily) between 1978 - 1982 and it's a great collection that plays like a mixtape from a friend. Not every track is a winner of course, but the parade of breezy jangly pop and snappy vocal harmonies makes for a very enjoyable listen. Standouts (for me) include the Toms' "Sun" and the Tweed's homage to buying vinyl "I Need That Record" as well as the tracks by LMNOP, Speedies and the Shoes, the latter being probably the best known act on the collection. Special mention should be made regarding the first rate packaging from Numerogroup with excellent liner notes and documentation, something I've come to expect after buying the label's Grand Bahama Goombay set.

I have to admit that I'm a recent convert to power pop. Sure I remember the white shirts and skinny tie bands of the New Wave era and I liked some of the music well enough at the time, but it was always a minor interest at best. A few years ago I finally took the plunge and bought Big Star's #1 Record and Radio City and slightly later, The Raspberries Capitol Collectors Series disc [CDP-592126]. Both have been steady residents of the CD player, at home and in the car. Now that I think of it, power pop sounds best while driving. Try it, you'll agree with me.

Moondog

2007-06-24T09:50:00.000-05:00

I was introduced to the music of Moondog (Louis T. Hardin May 26, 1916 - September 8, 1999) in the early 90s by a friend and fellow unusual music fan, Pierre M. "You have to hear this music!" he said, "You're going to love it". The two lps he loaned me were the Columbia releases: Moondog and Moondog 2 . It took the time to get halfway through one side before I decided I needed to find my own copies. The sounds were a surprising mix of jazz, large scale orchestral works on the first album and medieval madrigals on the latter, with Moondog's invented percussion instruments providing unity.

The next LP I heard was an earlier (1956) self-titled album on the Prestige label [Prestige OJC-1741]. This one has proved to be my favourite with smaller-scale works of great charm.

From the liner notes by Robert S Altshuler:

"A vast amount of the world's music is part of Moondog's working vocabulary. This reservoir of material serves his eclectic approach to composition. Moondog chooses deftly amongst all of music to elicit his surprising couplings. A pair of violins bowing Bach influenced counterpoint might be heard over a rhythmic pattern of Cuban drumming. The ability to find unexpectedly complementary areas of music is an essential ingredient in these miniature portraits of life's many parts".

Which brings me to a terrific double CD entitled Rare Material [Roof Music]. If you are new to Moondog's music, this may be the best place to start as it covers the scope of his vision: swinging jazz, pipe organ compositions, formal orchestral pieces, and the very impressive "Invocation" which Urban Sax ought to perform and if they haven't already I don't know what the hell is wrong with them. On top of that, a couple of tracks from the aforementioned Prestige release are included: "Frog Bog" and "Surf Session".

I'd also like to take this opportunity to plug a forthcoming biography by Robert Scotto entitled Moondog: The Viking of Sixth Avenue The Authorized Biography.
This one is on my to-buy list, that's a certainty.

To round out the post, here's Mr Scruff's video for "Get a Move On", a track from his Keep it Unreal release. The basis for the tune is an extensive and uncredited sample of Moondog's Lament 1 (Bird's Lament). It's a fun tune all the same. Enjoy!

Silver discs which have brought me happiness

2007-06-16T14:47:00.000-05:00

Regular visitors to this blog have probably figured out that its purpose is for me to tell you about my record collection. Well why not? My taste in music is superior to almost everyone else and I'm quite willing to act as cultural gatekeeper. Just so you know.

Recent purchases that have pleased me no end are as follows:

Kinky Friedman's Last of the Jewish Cowboys - The Best of Kinky Friedman [Shout Factory] has been spinning almost constantly at home and the workplace. He's funny as hell in a very un-P.C. way, so much so that I wish I was a Texan so I could have voted for him as Governor. The CD contains a few of his most famous tunes, "The Ballad of Charles Whitman", "Get Your Biscuits in the Oven & Your Buns in the Bed" as well as live versions of "Asshole from El Paso" and "They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore". My favourite song is probably the set's most sentimental: "People Who Read People Magazine" which is a sincere appreciation of 'regular folk'. I would also like to point out that his novels are entertaining and he is kind to animals in case you need further reasons to buy the cd for yourself.

I read a review of Cult Cargo: Grand Bahama Goombay [Numero Group] and set out to locate a copy for myself. One of my main interests is to hear music I haven't heard before, and this collection of funk and soul records from the Bahamas seemed to fit the bill. It's a nice compilation of tunes from the GBI studio and label recorded from the early to mid-seventies. Not that every track is a classic unknown gem, but there are more hits than misses. It starts off strong with Cyril Ferguson's "Gonna Build a Nation", Ozzie Hall's unusual arrangement of "Take Five" and the twelve-minute plus version of "Mustang Sally" by Jay Mitchell. Extra points for the well-designed packaging and liner notes.

It's been a while since I bought any krautrock so the new edition of Cluster's Sowiesoso [Water Records] was a welcome addition. Over the years I have accumulated several Kluster/Cluster albums as well as Moebius andRoedelius side projects and Sowiesoso continues the style I expect by quite happily humming, whistling and bubbling away in the player. I should point out that it is not passive new age noodling as some may tell you, but rather a kind of Philip K Dick-esque exoticism.

Last up, Rahsaan Roland Kirk's Blacknuss [Collectables] which is filled with funky goodness from the opening track, "Ain't No Sunshine" through the Marvin Gaye medley, "What's Going On/Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" ending with the Kirk-penned title track. There is so much to admire about Kirk's career, not the least of which is that towards the end when he was partially paralyzed by a stroke, he would still get on stage to perform. That's dedication.

Love Song for the Dead Ché [Oscillations Part Two]

2007-06-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

Of course, the Silver Apples were not the only rock band experimenting with electronic music in the 1960's. I suppose it's difficult to find a band that doesn't these days, but at one time the idea of introducing moogs and ring modulators and other miscellaneous electronic gadgets to a pop setting was incredibly wild and weird.

The best of these bands were The United States of America whose sole lp stands up remarkably well and would be of interest to fans of psychedelia or even trip hop (Portishead fans take note). At it's best the album features driving rock numbers such as "Hard Coming Love" and "Coming Down" and ethereal numbers like "Cloud Song" and "Love Song for the Dead Ché". It's on these numbers where all the elements blend perfectly; Dorothy Moskowitz's clear voice, Gordon Marron's electric violin and Joseph Byrd's electronics.

There are the low points of course. It was the 60s and there are the obligatory denunciations of the emptiness of middle-class existence: "Where is Yesterday" and "I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar", the lyrics of which are more than a little tiresome. Then again, Dear Leader Roger Waters has made a career out of that sort of thing (The Wall, Animals and so forth.) Tell me I'm wrong.

A couple of years ago, Sundazed produced a reissue with ten bonus tracks. Buy that one.

OK. You've now bought the Silver Apples and the United States of America, what else is there? There are still some fine, fine bands to be heard like the very strange Fifty Foot Hose whose story can be told here and here. Their Limelight album Cauldron is truly great with spacey psychedelia and short abstract tone poems and a wonderful cover of Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child".

Last, but certainly not least, is Lothar and the Hand People who were in many ways the oddest yet most approachable of all these groups. Much of their material is a kind of upbeat country/folk/pop with theremin and moog flourishes, yet they can out-weird anyone when they put their mind to it: just spin "Ha (Ho)" and the Devo-like "Machines".

Why not check it out for yourself?

Oscillations

2007-05-20T11:23:00.000-05:00

Way back in the mists of time, I discovered a copy of Lillian Roxon's Rock Encyclopedia in my High School's library. This was just the book to start a budding young rock snob on his way. I'm working from memory here (I would kill for a copy, if anyone on the interwebs has a spare copy...yeah right), but the book featured a nice mix of the well-known and the obscure. And one of the obscure entries was a duo called the Silver Apples who from the description sounded too cool.

What made them so unusual? The lineup for starters, Danny Taylor on drums and occasional vocals and Simeon on the simeon, vocals, banjo and recorder. What the hell's a "simeon" I wondered? Turns out it was a home-made primitive synthesizer cobbled together from oscillators and a telegraph keyboard and other odds and ends. Its inclusion as the main instrument gave the band a very unusual sound: a kind of pulsating rhythmic hum that predates even Neu! as the first motorik band. Sometimes with experimental bands, the experimenting is done at the expense of the tunes, but this is not the case with the 'Apples two albums: Silver Apples [Kapp Records 1968] and Contact [Kapp Records 1969]. Oscillations, Seagreen Serenades, Ruby and the bitter A Pox on You can stand on the strengths of the melodies alone. What I mean to say is, if the songs were played on the standard rock band instrumentation, they would still be good songs. A spin of Electronic Evocations - A Tribute to the Silver Apples [Enraptured. RAPTCS02] proves it.

So what do you need to own? The two sixties albums are obligatory purchases. A third album was in the works at the time the band broke up and was subsequently issued as The Garden . This cd features seven songs recorded in 1968. The set is rounded out by a series of "noodles" which feaure Taylor's original unaccompanied drum tracks with Simeon adding synthesizer flourishes. The "noodles" are OK, but do not sound right as he using a contemporary commercially made synthesizer and not the original instrument that disappeared onto a scrap heap decades ago.

The Silver Apples name is still in use and Simeon continues to make quality music, but it is the sixties recordings that matter the most to me.

Bi-Bi-Ba-Ba-Boum-Boum

2007-05-13T10:56:00.000-05:00

This time around, it's another release on the Mucho Gusto label: Freak Out Total Volume 3: Quebec-France-Belgique 1968-1973 Psyche Jello [MGCD005]. First things first: there doesn't appear to be a volume 1 or 2 and it's probable that the earlier titles were the Ouba and Les Maledictus Sound, or perhaps the L'Infonie releases. That's just a guess, mind you.

Be that as it may, so what do I hear on this compilation? Some psychedelia, Acid Rock, atypical one-offs, novelty cash-ins and a kazoo tune from a future Star Trek:The Next Generation composer. Oh man, but is this set entertaining!

High points, for me, are the most ridiculous ones: Quo Vadis' s "Zeppelin Party" which is an hommage to you-know-who. "Whoa Ha! Led Zeppeleen! Whoa Ha! Rock and Roll!". I had to listen to the track three times before moving on to Les Sound Track's "S.T.P. #1". There is La Volonte's "CEGEP Blues" which isn't likely to make much sense unless you went to school in Quebec like I did (John Abbott College was my school). I can't leave without mentioning Les Lunours' "Nous Sommes Bi-Bi-Ba-Ba-Boum-Boum" a cheery and spacey pop tune performed by a band who dressed up as bears in spacesuits. That project could only end in tears.

If I had to make a comparison, which I know is lazy as all get out, the set is similar to the Kraut compilations that came out a couple of years ago. Only not German.

Motorik Musik

2007-05-06T11:27:00.000-05:00

Some music never, ever gets old. I fell in love with the music of Neu! after buying a copy of a budget sampler called German Rock Scene [Brain Metronome] which opened with a track called "Neuschnee". I know I bought that comp in '75 because of some of the other acts: Guru Guru, Embryo and Thirsty Moon, but it was Neu! that grabbed my attention. Although it took some doing, I managed to track down copies of their three lps and proceeded to wear the grooves out.

Neu! were a duo of Michael Rother on guitar, keyboards, etcetera and Klaus Dinger on drums, guitar, keyboards, whatever vocals were necessary and the obligatory etcetera. Previously they were members of Kraftwerk (as seen in an historic Beat Club clip) before heading off on their own to be a precursor to Punk, Industrial and any number of post-rock experimentalists.

Their self-titled debut [Brain Records 1004] set the template: the archetypal motorik beats of Dinger and the loping, ringing guitar chimes and buzzsaw drones from Rother that sound a little like an experimental version of The Stooges' Funhouse. Face it, Stereolab based their career on Hallogallo alone. My personal favourite is the ten minute "Negativland" where the variation in tempo is created by slowing down or speeding up of the backing track. Priceless.

When faced with recording Neu! 2 [Brain Records 1028], the story is that they were forced to improvise to bring the album up to length, and they did this by re-recording two tracks at (what sounds like) 16rpm, 78 rpm and on a defective cassette machine, complete with skips, surface noise and other audio artifacts. Here's a bit of trivia: A portion of "Super 16" appears on Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill soundtrack.

Their third effort, Neu! '75[Brain Records 1062] proved the most incredible feat of all, three near perfect albums in a row. This time around Dinger and Rother were joined by two additional drummers, Thomas Dinger and Hans Lampe. I'm not sure that it was due to their involvement, but '75 is probably the most rockist and in many ways their most approachable. Even then, they still find time to record a few atmospheric oddities like Leb'Wohl. It's no secret that Bowie heard the recording and that it helped shape his Berlin recordings. A single listen to Neu!'s "Hero" is all the proof you'll need.

A final note, over the years there have been a couple of posthumous releases: a cd called Neu! 4 and a live set. Neither are critical, the former being studio outtakes and the latter, a lo-fi cassette recording. Only obsessive completists need track these down.

Here is a fan-made video. It's basically a set of still images set to "Negativland".

Freak Out Total!

2007-04-29T10:42:00.000-05:00

Back in constant rotation at the Mondo Bongos luxury pad is the 1968 release by Les Maledictus Sound [reissued by Mucho Gusto in 1999]. The album was the demented brainchild of Jean-Pierre Massiera and remains a classic of psychsploitation. The album has it all: Now Sound and loungecore big bandisms, psychedelic backward tapes, fuzz guitars, sound effects, cartoon voices and songs about monsters. Come to think of it, Les Maledictus Sound could almost be a Gallic Joe Meek production.

As an added bonus, the cd reissue featured a track from the J.P. Massiera production and NWW list item, Horrific Child. Thank you WFMU for pointing that out.

File next to The Vampires Sound Incorporation's score to Vampyros Lesbos, Bob Crewe and The Glitterhouse's Barbarella soundtrack, and the priceless Astro Sounds from Beyond the Year 2000 by the 101 Strings, which I like to think of as inflatable chair and shag carpeting music. That being said, Les Maledictus Sound is far stranger.

In lieu of anything Massiera-related, here's the trailer for Barbarella. YouTube also has the trailer for Jesus Franco's Vampyros Lesbos, but I'll let you search that one out.

Sunil Ganguly and Humshakal

2007-04-22T11:22:00.000-05:00

Carol and I went to the Little India area of Toronto yesterday for lunch at Siddartha's, which also called for another visit to the Indian Record Shop. Why? They still have vinyl!

I bought a copy of Rahul Dev Burman's score for the 1974 film Humshakal [Odeon/The Gramophone Company of India]. This purchase was a no-brainer as the vocals are handled by the playback legends Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd. Rafi and Kishore Kumar. The album's high point is the disorienting tune "Dekho Mujhe Dekho" which can best be described as Hindi take on Film Noir. It must be the bongos and the vibes and the smooth horn section. Very cool.

That's the film's poster above and on the left by the by.

My other purchase was an LP by guitarist Sunil Ganguly: Hindi Film Tunes [Odeon/EMI/The Gramophone Company of India]. I hadn't heard of him before happening across a copy of this 1982 album, but thought it looked interesting. My instincts were correct as this turns out to be one of the most unusual and pleasant recordings I've added to my collection over the last couple of months. Mr Ganguly plays the pedal steel and Hawaiian guitars. And he is very, very good indeed.

Brad's page of Steel describes him:

"Sunil Ganguly plays Indian film songs (the most popular Indian music nowadays). And he plays like nobody else does. HE IS GOOD, and he adds his own twists and subtle changes to it, which makes it even more melodious. He is very proficient in Indian classical music and hence can play complex tunes from them. Uses control over volume of the plucking and makes amazing effects. He is the leader, and all else follow him."

Ganguly performs the sort of music I like the best: a mix and match of styles from around the world, in this case Ventures-style guitar instros, 80's video game sound effects, a little Mariachi flavouring and some disco beats. Perfect for music omnivores.

DynoVoice and Lavalamp sounds

2007-04-15T10:20:00.000-05:00

I bought a double cd set with the unwieldy title of Bob Crewe Presents...The DynoVoice Story...The Label That Had To Happen!!! 1965-1968 [WestSide Records WESD226]. The album looked great with 56 tracks of mid-sixties pop, soul and rock in addition to an informative 12 page booklet.

I'd been a fan of Crewe's productions for some time based on The Bob Crewe Generation's Music to Watch Girls By LP and the (of course) the Barbarella soundtrack. Granted that those two albums are cheesy fun in a space age bachelor pad way, but that certainly wasn't the sum of Crewe's skills as the DynoVoice Story demonstrates. Just open your ears to the rock 'n' soul of Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, the R & B girl-group sounds of The Toys (8 and 10 tracks respectively) in addition to fine 45's from Dianne Renay, Norma Tanega, The Invitations, Duff Thurmond (his "If You Loved Me Baby" is a show stopper) and my personal favourites The Sky's "I'm Not A Fool" and Peter Antell's suave "Warm Smoke". I know that I sound like one of those cranky old guys, who, when not yelling at the kids to stay the hell out of my yard, will go on for ages about how pop music used to be better. But it did.

Also purchased is the Dennis Coffey compilation Big City Funk: Original old school breaks and heavy guitar soul [Vampisoul Records]. Coffey is a a funk legend for several good reasons, being a member of Motown's Funk Brothers during the late sixties and early seventies not the least of them.

This set compiles choice cuts from his seventies Sussex albums. So the lucky consumer gets 15 tracks including his most famous tune "Scorpio" as well as two covers: Schifin's "Theme from Enter the Dragon" and Led Zep's "Whole Lot of Love". The sound is very seventies which is telegraphed by the numerous tracks with zodiac-related titles, and I can tell you that the disc sounds truly great under the warm glow of the lavalamp.

Coffey collaborated with Luchi De Jesus on the score for Black Belt Jones, and here are the opening credits courtesy of YouTube.

Crate Digging at Home

2007-04-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

As a result of our move last summer, my record collection got seriously scrambled. Basically the LPs got filed on the shelves in whatever order they got unpacked. The downside is that it became difficult to find anything, so if I got a notion to play The Revolutionary Ensemble...well, it took some time to locate. On the upside, these searches prompted me to listen to albums that I had not spun in ages. Here's what I've been playing over the last couple of days.

The Third Ear Band still stands as one of the most unusual bands of the progressive rock era. What made them so is the decision to jettison the usual rock instrumentation ( there is an apocryphal tale of their electric instruments being stolen) in favour of oboes, violins, cellos and assorted hand percussion. Hovering somewhere between experimental and folk, TEB performed what could best be described as atmospheric medieval ragas. Their debut Alchemy features eight tracks with titles like "Stone Circle" and "Dragon Lines" which would have made an appropriate soundtrack whilst reading Lord of the Rings. It was the sixties after all. More intense, and probably the best introduction would be their second self-titled LP a.k.a Elements a.k.a. Earth Air Fire and Water.

Here's a film clip of the Third Ear Band recorded in Hyde Park in 1970. The music is quite different from their first two lps as they are performing a vocal folk rock number.

OK, what else? Terry Riley's double lp Persian Surgery Dervishes [Shanti Records] which I bought at some point in the mid-seventies. I remember that I found this record at the most improbable place: a Discus shop (a long-gone record chain) in Pointe Claire, Quebec. How it found it's way there is a mystery. At any rate, this is a dearly loved record of mine. The album features two interpretations of Persian Surgery Dervishes: first from a live recording dated April 18, 1971 in Los Angeles and the second recorded May 24, 1972 in Paris by Riley on 'electric organ + feedback'. I would also like to point out that Terry Riley's tape-delay system pre-dates Robert Fripp's unoriginal "frippertronics" by a comfortable margin. Go for the real thing, accept no self-aggrandizing rockist substitutes.

Today, I've been working through three albums by The Revolutionary Ensemble: Vietnam [ESP Disks], Manhattan Cycles [Indian Navigation] and my personal favourite: The People's Republic [Horizon/A & M] which is pure genius. Leroy Jenkins on violin, Sirone on bass and Jerome Cooper on drums created a series of incredibly evocative and expressive tracks, especially "Ponderous Planets" and "The People's Republic". I'm not sure if any of these are currently available, but you'll discover they are worth their weight in gold if you are at all interested in the outer reaches of free improvisation.

Aloha Real Kids

2007-03-25T11:02:00.000-05:00

Helping ensure that my work day passes quickly are two cds of pre-punk fun: Radio Birdman's The Essential (1974-1978) [Sub Pop SPCD 553] and The Real Kids self-titled debut [Norton Records CED-222].

To be perfectly honest, I probably wouldn't have liked the bands the first time around. What was I listening to at the time? Mostly Euro-Art Rock of the Rock In Opposition variety and was just getting into The Clash, Sex Pistols and the Buzzcocks. So on the one hand, over-reaching poker-faced progressive rock (I'm talking to you Henry Cow) and on the other, the art school shocks of the first generation British bands. Groups like Radio Birdman and The Real Kids would have struck me as too traditional sounding. Ack, what did I know, I was young. But as the years went on, The Stooges and the Velvet Underground climbed ever higher in my estimation, and their children along with them.

The main hook for the Radio Birdman cd is their song "Aloha Steve & Danno", an irony-free hommage to Hawaii Five-O. But the other twenty-one tracks are winners as well: think the MC5 meets The Doors minus Jim Morrison's college-boy-Carlos Castanedaisms. Never forget that they were named for a Stooges' mondegreen: Iggy was actually singing radio burnin'.

Here is Radio Birdman's video for "Aloha, Steve & Danno":

The Real Kids album was originally released on Marty Thau's Red Star Records back in 1977. Thirty years later the 'Kids' stripped down catchy-as-hell garage rock ("All Kindsa Girls", "Reggae Reggae") still sounds amazing. To think that I believed that the Flamin' Groovies were the only band keeping the traditional flame alive.

The following video is the band performing "All Kindsa Girls" at CBGB's in 2004. The Real Kids still have what it takes.

Outsider Art Punk

2007-03-18T10:51:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how the conversation started on the Up-Tight list, it might have been about outsider art and music, or perhaps the stories of H.P. Lovecraft. At any rate, there were several posts about Nick Blinko and his band Rudimentary Peni.

I had heard of them through the Crass Records/Anarcho-Punk connection, but wasn't familiar with any of their music at that point. I was told to check out Cacophony [Outer Himalayan Records 1987 - pictured left]. It's weird, it's intense and it is inspired by ole' H.P.. As I wasn't able to find a copy of Cacophony, I bought a copy of their 1995 release Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric [Outer Himalayan Records]recorded after or during, depending on the story, Blinko's institutionalization for schizoaffective disorder. I was completely blown away by it, from the booklet of Blinko's obsessive pencil drawings, to the very focused music created by Blinko on guitar and vocals with Grant Brand on bass and Jon Greville on drums.

After browsing in a local record shop, I did manage to finally buy the shop's last copy of Cacophony. It was everything I was promised. It's fantastic punk rock, if you want to enjoy it at that level. If one is a fan of weird fiction, dive into "Arkham House", "Nightgaunts" and "American Anglophile in the World Turned Upside-Down". Outsider art? Marvel at the detailed cover art.

To investigate further:

The Raw Vision interview with Blinko.

Blinko's art at the Henry Boxer Gallery.

Ian Glasper's book "The Day the Country Died". I'm told it has a chapter on R.P. It's on my 'to buy' list.

Swell Personalities

2007-03-11T09:55:00.000-05:00

I bought, yes purchased (I hate downloading) the relatively recent Swell Maps' compilation, Wastrels and Wippersnappers [Overground Records] and the Television Personalities return, My Dark Places [Domino Recordings].

The Swell Maps set compiles home-recordings from 1974-1978 and sounds exactly like what they were: teenage Van Der Graaf Generator, T. Rex and Krautrock fans. Not that you should expect "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" Mark II or anything of that nature. The disc has 23 examples of engaging lo-fi experimental instros in addition to early versions of Dresden Style, Full Moon and Harmony in Your Bathroom among other favourites. I will say that no band could careen through an art-damaged tune quite like the 'Maps. The package features liner notes by Jowe Head and Nikki Sudden (RIP).

I missed out on the Television Personalities back in the 70's and 80's and count myself a recent convert. Now if anyone asks, I will say that "Part-time Punks", "I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives" and "Three Wishes" are among the best songs ever. It seems that T.P. mainstay Dan Treacy vanished from sight at one point and rumours of his demise were rife. Not dead, but a decline fueled by drug abuse had him incarcerated. He hit bottom and bounced back. On My Dark Places his whimsey survived intact; it would have to in order to sing "Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone but Lou Reed" ("Velvet Underground"). But some of the songs, Special Chair and Sick Again for example, are so raw and personal it was almost uncomfortable to listen. Still, there is no one quite like Treacy and it is wonderful to see him recording once more.

The video below is for "All The Young Children on Crack", a track from My Dark Places.

Arizona Leviathan

2007-03-04T09:46:00.000-06:00

These days you know a band is obscure when they do not have A: a Wikipedia entry and B: no Youtubery. Say hello to the Black Sun Ensemble.

Back in the late eighties, I played the BSE's first two releases on the Reckless Records label to death, they were that good. The self-titled album pictured on the left [RECK 6] (a compilation of their private press lp and several cassette-only releases), and Lambent Flame [RECK 11] were bright spots in an otherwise drab period of music.

Fronted by guitarist Jesus Acedo, the BSE performed exotic psychedelic instrumental rock ragas: think a Tibetan Can via Hawkwind's "Hassan I Sabha". Yeah, basically everything I enjoy in music but isn't recorded nearly often enough.

There were a further two albums released: 1991's Tragic Magic [A Go Go Records AGO 1994-1] which featured one side of live tracks recorded in '89 and a side of acoustic tracks featuring just Acedo on 'acoustic peacock feathers' and Robert Brett on tablas and percussion. It's a good album and a nice compliment to the two Reckless lps. 1990's Elemental Forces [Reckless RECK22] I thought something of a disappointment. Not a bad album, but a somewhat ordinary one with the vocals brought forward and the exoticism pushed to the background.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that after an hiatus, the band is back and very prolific. Follow the link for a review of their latest and an interview.

Excellent Choices

2007-02-25T10:17:00.000-06:00

I must admit that I was initially put off by The Horrors' big-haired goth look. But the fact that these kids dropped the names of cult favourites like Joe Meek, The Silver Apples and the like in interviews and have been known to cover The Sonics' "The Witch" in concert prompted an investigation. So off to the record shop to purchase a copy of their self-titled CD EP [Loog B0004401-02] because, as hard to believe as it is, I do enjoy some music recorded in the last twenty-five years. In the player it went and their sound grabbed me and tossed me to the ground. For once the hype is right: The Horrors produce seriously great garage rock. No kidding.

The disc has five tracks in total: three originals "Death at the Chapel", "Sheena is a Parasite" and "Excellent Choice" and two covers (and this is where the Joe Meek connection comes in) The Syndicats' "Crawdaddy Simone" and Screamin' Lord Sutch's "Jack the Ripper". All the tracks have the raw immediacy of 60's garage punk right down to Spider Webb's Vox Continental.

Their full length album Strange House is due in March. I, for one, am looking forward to it.

Click on the link below for their Sheena is a Parasite video. The video is also on the cd, by the way, but my steam-powered PC refused to play it.

Gal Costa

2007-02-11T10:08:00.000-06:00

I purchased two cds by Tropicália veteran Gal Costa just before Christmas: Legal [1970] and Índia [1973] and it has taken me this long to wrap my head around these eclectic albums. The 70's was the time where no one would balk at an artist producing an LP where consistency of style would not be an overriding concern as opposed to today where pop productions are market focussed to sterility. The Tropicália were famous for this wild mix of styles, where the Brazilian musical traditions were blended with a dozen popular music trends, at times within a single song, or so it seems to me.

Legal kicks off with a high-energy loungecore number "Eu Sou Terrível" with a big band plus fuzz guitar accompaniment. Another surprise is the old-timey "Love, Try and Die" which wouldn't sound out of place on Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers' Bongos Over Balham release. Now I know that seems like an odd comparison to make: Brazilian Pop Diva mentioned in the same breath as a British pub rock band, but that is the sort of unexpected associations I made while listening. I wasn't kidding when I said eclectic.

Legal's oddest track is the Caetano Veloso-penned "London, London" which features a chorus of "Looking for flying saucers in the sky". That alone should guarantee purchase.

Índia starts with a lushly orchestrated title track, and then into the conga driven "Milho Verde (folclore Português)" which is hands down my favourite tune on either cd (click on the link above for a video of Costa performing the piece on Brazilian TV). Índia has a considerably more unified sound as compared to Legal, but it's still a mighty fine listen on the old Hi-Fi.

Fantastic music all'round.

"You do that again and I'll tell Mom!"

2007-02-06T09:55:00.000-06:00

"I want to go down to the ice cream shop/I don't care what you read about Dr Spock/ I'm gonna eat ice cream 'till I rot in hell/I don't care what you think, I'll get another pair of parents who'll give me ice cream all day unless you gimme some now!/ 'cause ice cream is better than you Mom and Dad."

Happy Flowers - Not Fade Away

I was inspired to take my beloved Happy Flowers albums off the shelf after reading the update regarding their use as an interrogation tool (click on the link above for the story).

So on the turntable went Making the Bunny Pay(a collection of their first two eps), and then on to their full-length releases My Skin Covers My Body, I Crush Bozo and Lasterday I Was Been Bad. I never picked up a copy of Oof, an oversight I cannot explain.

This is what you need to know: The Happy Flowers were/are/and ever shall be a duo of Mr Anus (guitar, bass, noise, yelling) and Mr Horribly-Charred-Infant (guitar, bass, drums, noise and more yelling). All their songs are from the perspective of a maladjusted eight year old. This explains why we get songs entitled "Mom, I Gave the Cat Some Acid", "Jenny Tried to Kiss Me at Recess", "My Frisbee went under a Lawnmower", "I'm the Stupid One", "The Vacuum Ate Timmy", and "If It was Broken You'd be Screaming". The latter, I swear was something my Mom once said to me.

It's tough being a kid.

They also performed a choice selection of covers: the Silver Apples' "A Pox on You", Big Star's "Thirteen" and Nick Drake's "Know" as well as a medley of "Hungry Like a Wolf" and the "Theme from the Love Boat". The songs don't sound a whole lot like the originals.

I could go all rockcrit and talk about the band's transcendent use of feedback...but that wouldn't be right. It's all just an hilarious gut churning racket.

The Happy Flowers are clearly not for everyone. I once made a best-of compilation for a friend and all I got in return was a look of blank incomprehension.

There you go.

A rare groove boxing day

2007-01-28T12:14:00.000-06:00

I stopped by a couple of local shops on Boxing Day and found a number of bargains. One was a compilation called Heading in the Right Direction: Soul/Jazz from Australia 1973-1997 [Luv N'Haight Records]. This is a nice one without a dud track. The disc starts with a smooth vocal number by the Renee Geyer Band (Hard Head) immediately followed by a superb jazz/funk track Pyramid Piece by the Jazz Co-op and onwards with cuts by Joyce Hurley, the Bruce Clark Quintet, the Col Nolan Soul Syndicate, Arena, Chris Williams, and The David Martin Group. The one that really stands out for me is the Alan Lee Jazz Quintet's Flying Saucer which features odd lyrics about seeing a UFO over a swinging jazz setting!

One of the other purchases was Galt MacDermot's Up from the Basement: Unreleased Tracks Volume 1 & 2 [Kilmarnock Records]. The name nagged at me until I remembered he was one of the authors of the musical "Hair". That caused a moment's hesitation, but I decided the cd was too cool to pass up. The disc features previously unreleased demos (some drawn from acetates)recorded between 1967 to 1973. It's a mix of funky vocal and instrumental tracks. Some have an unfinished quality to them, but overall it's a satisfying listen especially the soundtrack pieces Rhinoceros, Lost Dreams and a fun version of Let the Sunshine In.

If you have further suggestions regarding other albums by any of these acts, please leave a comment.

As Mercenárias - The Beginning of the End of the World

2007-01-21T09:24:00.000-06:00

The Beginning of the End of the World [O Começo do Fim do Mundo] collects tracks from this all-female post-punk-funk band's two lps: Cadê As Armas and Trashland. The subtitle Brasilian Post-Punk 1982-88 caught my eye as this is exactly the sort of release I'm interested in: pop and rock music created outside of the US/UK orbit, where local bands mutate the musical template to create something new and unusual. Do they succeed in this? Sorta.

As Mercenárias perform post-punk in the (cliché alert) angular and skeletal manner of ESG, Gang of Four and the Au Pairs. They are easily as good as the better known outfits, very tight sounding with good songs. Worth buying? Yes, definitely, but not the revelation that some reviews might suggest. That being said, the cd will sit nicely along side other historical explorations of the São Paulo underground: Não Wave and The Sexual Life of the Savages.

Kalacakra - Crawling to Lhasa

2007-01-13T08:53:00.000-06:00

This time around it is an old favorite: Kalacakra's completely cracked krautrock cacophony...what can I say, it's the sort of album that inspires alliteration. 'Lhasa was one of the last major German obscurities I was on the hunt for. Attempts at obtaining various pirate reissues came to naught. Just as well, as the album received the deluxe reissue treatment from the Garden of Delights label.

Kalacakra was a duo of Claus Rauschenbach and Heinz Martin who recorded their sole lp in Duisburg in 1972. Playing over a dozen instruments, the resulting album was a classic blend of eastern flourishes and proto-world music filtered through a mystic haze. Sort of like an Incredible String Band without the scientology.

Crawling to Lhasa is seriously odd and great from beginning to end: from the opening track Naerby Shiras' trance inducing whirl of instruments and sinister whispers to the stunning instrumental Raga No. 11 Native American inspired Arapaho's Circle Dance. Mind you, it's not all strange, September Full Moon is pastorally mellow.

A final word on the two bonus tracks which are dismissed by most reviewers: Vamos and Deja Vu were recorded by Heinz Martin in '93. Well, 1993 is not 1972 and the years brought forth some changes. The two instrumentals are not bad at all and sound mostly like soundtracks for nature documentaries about sea anemones or quasars or some such thing.

Like Wyrd folk? Amon Düül, Third Ear Band or Joanna Newsom? Trust me, you'll enjoy this one.

Music from Meeksville

2007-01-06T10:54:00.000-06:00

After going on a Joe Meek kick in the 90's, I decided to once again jump into the world of Meek compilations. So off I went to Vintage Sounds to see what I could find.

I initially read about Joe Meek Freakbeat: You're Holding Me Down: 30 Freakbeat, Mod and R & B Nuggets [Castle CMQCD1415] and thought it sounded interesting, but like many, I was dismissive of Meek's forays with the beat groups. It seemed to me that his later productions lacked the stylistic quirks of his earlier and better known hits. Try as I might, every spin of RGM Rarities Vol 2: The Beat Group era went in one ear and out the other. Freakbeat, however, made a good case for reassessment as it is better organized with a stronger selection of tracks than the earlier RGM collection. Standouts include The Buzz's You're Holding Me Down, The Syndicats (featuring a young Steve Howe) have a couple of stompers, and an outstanding track from Tornadoes '66: No More You and Me. Thirty tracks in total with liner notes and photos. It's good place to start if you are interested in rock, but not Meek's teen idol and pop productions.

My second purchase was the budget double set Telstar: The Hits of Joe Meek [Castle Pulse PDSCD 651]. It has a couple of obvious hits by The Tornados, John Leyton, Heinz and The Riot Squad, all of which have appeared on other sets, but it does include a couple of new cuts not previously familiar, at least to me: The Athenians' Bouzoukis and a number of doubleplusgood instros from The Tornados: Robot, Globetrotter and of course the obligatory Telstar. But there are some duds, the unintentionally hilarious and overwrought Garden of Eden by Gary Miller, and the Vegas-lite of Betty Miller's The Next Train Out of Town. Not the best inroduction to Meek, but at $10.99 the price is right.

Still the best place for a Meek introduction/overview is the out of print It's Hard to Believe It: The Amazing World of Joe Meek [Razor and Tie], but The Alchemist of Pop: Home Made Hits and Rarities 1959-1966 [Castle Music]would do in a pinch.

Music is a Better Noise!

2006-12-29T17:18:00.000-06:00

Essential Logic - Fanfare in the Garden

This double CD set on the Kill Rock Stars label gathers together the Essential Logic album Beat Rhythm News (Waddle Ya Play?), Lora Logic's solo lp Pedigree Charm, several singles and some recordings from the late 90s, but not everything as some reviewers suggest, e.g., the Wake Up 12" is missing.

The set is a great introduction to one of post-punk's brightest lights. Lora Logic created out of whole cloth a jittery, off-kilter and perpetually surprising musical carnival that bridged the gap between the Swell Maps and Etron Fou Leloublan.

A large part of the charm is due to Logic's voice, a chirpy and cheerful warble that was a perfect match for her absurdist social commentary lyrics.

Music is a better noise indeed.

The Jack Nitzsche Story

2006-12-23T08:51:00.000-06:00

Helping me through the workdays lately has been two compilations dedicated to performer, arranger, and producer extraordinaire Jack Nitzsche. Google the track listings and you'll be stunned by the acts that he worked with over the years.

Hearing is Believing 1962 and 1979 and Volume 2 Hard Workin' Man [both Ace Records] play like an ideal radio station or a particularly successful mixtape. And the quality of the inserts and notes is the standard that all reissue labels should strive for.

There is a unity of sound to Nitzsche's productions, yet at the same time an ability to adapt to the needs of the performer. I guess what I'm saying is that he didn't attempt to fit the artists into some sort of production template.

Not every track is a winner of course, but all are listenable. Ah, but there are killers: on Hearing is Believing we have two solo tracks by Nitzsche, The Lonely Surfer and an orchestral cover of Link Wray's Rumble, and terrific tunes by Lesley Gore (No Matter What You Do) and Marianne Faithfull (Sister Morphine).

Hard Workin' Man starts with the song of the same name featuring vocals by Captain Beefheart and is followed by another solo Nitzsche number "Surf Finger" which I had to play five times before being able to continue on with the rest of the disc. Special mention should go to the The Everly Brothers' take on psychedelia, "Mr Soul".

What surprised me is how much I enjoyed the material by artists that I had heard of, but never investigated because I assumed they wouldn't be for me like the aforementioned Leslie Gore or The Everly Brothers.

Live and learn.

Rita Lee

2006-12-16T10:03:00.000-06:00

I've been on a bit of a Tropicália kick lately so this reissue of Rita Lee's second solo lp Hoje é o primeiro dia do resto da sua vida [Rev-Ola Records. Originally Polydor 1972] looked mighty appealling. What clinched the deal is that this is basically an Os Mutantes lp in disguise and I was pleased to discover that all the eccentricity was carried over intact. Not surprising as it was 'directed and produced' by Mutantes alumni Arnaldo Baptista.

The album presents a blend of progressive and psychedelic rock tropes, war whoops, purple moog solos, Elvis and lounge singer pastiches and even some Kurt Schwitters-like tone poems.

All in all, a nice psychedelic artifact.

David Axelrod

2006-12-08T09:24:00.000-06:00

I'm a recent convert to the jazz and pop music productions of the legendary David Axelrod. In many ways most famous for his 60's and 70's recordings being looted for breaks, but those in the know recognize his work for Capitol Records during the label's golden years of the 60s.

The following two compilations provide a decent overview of his work from the mid-60s to 1970. The Edge - David Axelrod at Capitol Records 1966-1970 [Capitol Jazz] starts with two tracks from David McCallum's recordings from '66 (House of Mirrors and The Edge) through cuts from Lou Rawls (Lifetime Monologue and You've Made Me So Very Happy), Letta Mbulu (Pula Yetla), Don Randi (Theme from The Fox) and Cannonball Adderley (Tensity) and ten tracks from Axelrod's own solo lps Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience and Earth Rot.

1968 to 1970 An Anthology [Stateside] duplicates some of the solo material, however this set does provide additional tracks from Rawls (For What It's Worth), Mbulu (Kukuchi and West Wind) and Adderley (Space Spiritual and Why Am I Treated So Bad) with one cut from The Electric Prunes (Holy You Are), perhaps the only misfire.

What strikes me about both collections is the unity unusual for retrospectives. All the tracks have a spare and spacious production where the performers have room to breathe.

Recommended.

Outsider entertainment

2006-12-03T09:34:00.000-06:00

For myself, the attractive aspect of collecting outsider music is the unpredictability of what is stamped into the grooves (or encoded on those new fangled silver discs). Imagine a Cracker Jack box of eccentricity and sincerity.

First up, Abner Jay's "One Man Band" [Subliminal Sounds]:

"For over fifty years Abner was a one-band, hambone and bone player. Except for the six string banjo he also played the old swamp style guitar, harmonica, bass drum, cymbals and sang, all at the same time." (from the liner notes).

Last of the old style minstrel performers, Jay sang songs of social commentary interspersed with raunchy jokes. The set include tunes about Vietnam, cocaine, the hard life of the working man and treacherous women. Folk-art blues best sums it up. Wonderful stuff.

The music Tangela Tricoli [Angela Masson] was on my "must buy" list after hearing a few of her songs on the Incorrect Music and Songs in the Key of Z collections.

"Jet Lady" [Arf! Arf! Records] is a deluxe reissue of her 1982 album. Tricoli is a genuine polymath who flew jets, ran for Mayor of Los Angeles, hosted a cable access show and was most likely the inspiration for Lisa Kudrow's character on "Friends". So what have you accomplished?

Songs about being a Jet Lady, shopping, stinky poodles, glorious mornings and several references to cheese. It's naive and very, very charming. I did mention that this is deluxe reissue and it is that: the booklet contains a lengthy interview with Ms Tricoli and also included is almost a hour's worth of video: The Best of Tangela Tonight, Jet Lady Unplugged and television commercials from her Mayoral campaign. Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

The Enlightening Beam of Axonda

2006-11-24T09:01:00.000-06:00

My copy of Bobby Brown's 1972 outsider psych oddity The Enlightened Beam of Axonda [Akarma Records] arrived in the post.

Brown created his own instruments for the album and the result was a 311 string and percussion contraption which sounds quite remarkable and is as critical to the atmosphere of the album as, let's say, The Simeon was to the Silver Apples. At first listen Axonda comes across as a proto-New Age Eden Ahbez meets Donovan bit of exotica and to be perfectly honest, that feeling never goes away entirely. This is due in large part to the concept of the recording:

"The Story: an original contribution to the field of Religion & Science - based on physics - to my knowledge not yet discovered by other humanoids - more Evolutionary than Einstein's revelation of Newtonian physics - the application of this physics will perhaps (in fact) lead to the most significant change in the history of humanity (plus total religious unity)" - from the liner notes.

If one is going to make a concept album, go for a really BIG concept. Then again, such grand conceptions are an intrinsic trait of the true outsider and which provides recordings such as this their unique status. That is, if you can bend you ears and step outside.

Acid Head Sounds

2006-11-17T10:03:00.000-06:00

Wowza! Three posts this month, so I am managing to keep to my pledge of maintaining this blog.

I recently bought a copy of Ray Barretto's Acid + Head Sounds [Vampisoul] which collects tracks from two late 60's lps. You may be forgiven for thinking that the title suggests some sort of psychsploitation/space age bachelor pad/astro sounds fest. Well, no, but the eight minute Drum Poem (Free Spirit) and Espiritu Libre do take the listener on a trip. Overall, the cd delivers high energy percussion heavy latin boogaloo which deserves a place on your Christmas list.

Dipping into the used bins netted me a copy of Lee "Scratch" Perry & Mad Professor's Black Ark Experryments [Ariwa Sounds]. Perry extraplanetary dub reliably delivers sonic surprises and I'm guessing that the 'Professor is keeping Perry focused on the task at hand. High points: Thank You and Jungle Safari.

Krautrock veteran Uli Trepte [Guru Guru, Spacebox, Neu!, Faust, etc] has a new disk out. Credited to the Uli Trepte Quintett, Multiphonic Music [Ordnung & Hartmann Records] has ten tracks of his unique take on bass-heavy jazz instro's. He backed with regular collaborators Hans Hartmann, Edgar Hoffmann and Tapsi Kim and is joined by Geoff Leigh on flutes and sax. Trepte is one of the few sticking with the promise of the German underground and is deserving of your support.

The Indian Record Shop

2006-11-13T09:33:00.000-06:00

I stopped by The Indian Record Shop [1428 Gerrard St East in Toronto] and picked up two interesting releases. The first was an R. D. Burman collection entitled "Soulful Hits", part of Golden Collection series. The fellow behind the counter told me that it contains some of Burman's last recordings. Included from 1994 is Yeh Safar from "1942- A Love Story" and Khamosh Sa Afsana from the film "Libaas". It's all sounds mighty fine to my ears especially when the voice of Asha Bhosle leaves the speakers and circles the room.

The store also had a selection of vinyl and an lp by The Peter Moss Sound seemed to be a suitable purchase. "Eastern Avenue - Boney M Instrumental Hits" is it's name. What caught my attention (apart from the stock photo cover art) is that it features sitar, santoor, tabla and mandolin and plenty o'synths. Oh yeah, they also perform the psych tune "My Friend Jack". You might know the song by Smoke "My friend Jack eats sugar lumps/What wonderful things he sees", so goes part of the lyrics. No way I could pass this one by.

The album dates from 1981 and was released on the Multitone Records label out of Uxbridge, Middlesex. It sounds like a library release. Perhaps a little dry sounding but a nice east meets west project.

Nada as far as web goes, apart from folks selling this record or a listing of another Bollywood hits lp by the same outfit, perhaps someone could shed some light?

I Was a Creep

2006-11-10T11:46:00.000-06:00

Henry Flynt & Nova'Billy: I Was a Creep [Soul Mash] b/w Left Ear [Greensboro
Senior High Song] . Locust Music.

My copy of the latest Flynt arrived in the mail this week. I was looking forward to it as his music continues to surprise which explains why the cds are never far from my stereo. It's the odd synthesis of styles that appeals to me.

Recorded at a live show in 1975, the blurbs for this release propose a similarity to No Wave and yeah, I can hear it. But no Mudd Club habitué would have been prepared for the urban hillbilly square dance stomp of the flip.

The style of the music is similar to that included on the "Graduation and other new country and blues music" set. Very approachable for those interested in investigating Flynt's unique brand of Americana. Only 300 copies pressed so act quick.

I will wait patiently for the release of the full concert.

Recent Purchases

2006-10-22T11:11:00.000-05:00

Konono No 1 - Congotronics. I've posted news stories about this outfit from Kinshasa on my Up-Tight list [see link on the side bar]. Intense trance/percussion music made from car parts.

The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics. I didn't care for it when I first put in the player, but it is growing on me. I guess what through me was that it didn't have the musical unity of The Soft Bulletin or Yoshimi.

Dave Swarbrick - Live at Jackson Lane. This documents a solo concert
recorded in 1991. Just the Swarb on Fiddle, singing and random vocal exclamations. Has several 'naughty' folk songs such as The Bonny Black Hare.

Tom Zé - Estudando O Pagode. A recent release from 2005. Easily my current favourite. It's his feminist anti-authoritarian unfinished opera...I know that sounds awful, but it isn't really. Besides how many recordings do you have that feature ficus leaves as an instrument?

Mahmoud Ahmed - Erè Mèla Mèla. This is one of the Ethiopiques series. Trance inducing groove music from the Ibex Band with Ahmed's terrific vocals
leading the way.

Ananda Shankar - A Life in Music. A two-fer cd that features his best material recorded for the EMI/Gramophone Company of India. The first disc
features the up-beat sitar/moog tunes with the second showcasing the(somewhat) quieter compositions.

You Could Be Rich - One man’s adventure in the song-poem trade

2006-07-03T10:23:00.000-05:00

Daniel Cooper has written a fascinating and in-depth article about Ramsey Kearney, the man behind the song-poem outfit Nashco Music Service:

"The antithesis of focus-group, play list-scrubbed music, song-poems land down a magic industry rabbit hole where anything—anything—gets written and recorded. Heartland wordsmiths send him lyrics, or song-poems, and for a fee Kearney puts their words to music and cuts a demo. “I’ve had some lulus,” he says.

Kearney would know. He co-wrote and sang the lulu of them all, John Trubee’s song-poem “Blind Man’s Penis.”

“It’s my worst song I ever have co-written,” Kearney says, “and it’s got more attention than some of my great songs.”

Often recorded in bulk sessions, one hurried take each, in every ersatz genre known to popular music, most song-poems are of no musical distinction whatsoever. Lyrically, they stick close to the classic themes: God, love, the flag, liquor, Elvis. Especially God. But some draw on delights or torments known only to the poets, images that flash on and off like a kitchen light in a faraway house you didn’t know was there. When colliding with the musicians’ porous production methods (where’d that organ come from?), song-poems can produce such low-fi genre favorites as the whimsical “Little Rug Bug” or the psychedelic knockoff “Human Breakdown of Absurdity.” "

Click on the link for the full story.

Parasite Culture, complete with soundtrack

2006-05-22T12:09:00.000-05:00

To one of my earlier posts, Anonymous commented "No good if we can't download them now is it ????????".

There is an implication that I owe someone something.

I can see the appeal of downloading rare and out of print recordings. Really I do. However it seems that the net has created a group of instant music snobs who can, with a few clicks, amass a truly awe-inspiring collection of the rarest of the obscure.

My question is, does one really value something that requires no effort or cost? Back in the pre-internet days, I spent a great deal of time and money trading records via snail mail, buying straight from the artist/label and spending hours in used shops tracking down that album I read about in tiny fanzines such as Impetus, Face Out, Outlet or Eurock.

It took some effort and cost to obtain the albums I wanted. I'm also saying that there was some satisfaction when that copy of ID Company or Hoisting the Black Flag fell into my hands.

No, I don't want to sit on a horde of records. Part of the enjoyment of music fandom is sharing the recorded treasures with friends and like-minded obsessives. The Gimme-Gimme aspect that seems to be developing is troubling.

Thoughts?

Atomic Bongos, Poptones and Instant Hits

2006-05-14T11:11:00.000-05:00

I've made another mix inspired in part by Simon Reynolds' book "Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-84" (see link above).

Many of the bands included have seen regular play at the Mondobongos homestead from the time I first purchased the vinyl. Chrome, This Heat, Pere Ubu and 23 Skidoo sound as current and innovative today as they did in the 70's and 80's.

Why the inclusion of Can you ask? Their influence is undoubted on the best of the post-punk crowd, especially PiL and The Fall. Frankly, I'll use any excuse to include them.

1. Can - Full Moon on the Highway
2. Lydia Lunch - Atomic Bongos
3. James White & the Blacks - Contort Yourself
4. Von Lmo - Flying Saucer 88
5. Chrome - Zero Time
6. This Heat - 24 Track Loop
7. Robert Rental - On Location
8. Pere Ubu - Final Solution
9. Cabaret Voltaire - Black Mask
10. 23 Skidoo - Fuck You GI
11. Public Image Ltd. - Poptones
12. The Slits - Instant Hit
13. Scritti Politti - Skank Bloc Bologna
14. A Certain Ratio - Rialto
15. Robert Rental - Double Heart
16. The Fall - Rebellious Jukebox
17. Can - Red Hot Indians
18. Cabaret Voltaire - Eyeless Sight [live]
19. Public Image Ltd. - The Cowboy Song

Umlauts of the Apocalypse

2006-04-29T09:25:00.000-05:00

I enjoy making mixtapes. OK, mixdiscs is a more accurate description, but it is difficult to relabel the files in my head, hence mixtapes. It’s been years that I’ve been buying them but I still refer to CDs as “albums”.

My most recent mixtape was drawn from a few choice vinyl examples of Euro-Style Art Rock. Ahhh, the sonic joy that is my taste in music…or so I think as I pass the finished project on to my friends.

Archaic national designations are deliberate.

Umlauts of the Apocalypse Volume 1

1. Banda Elastica – Pesadila [Mexico]
2. Dün – Arrakis [France]
3. Magma – Troller Tanz [The Planet Kobaia]
4. Egg – Contrasong [UK]
5. No Secrets in the Family – Toaster Tango [Switzerland]
6. Reportaz – Tytanik [Poland]
7. Þursaflokkur – Sigtrygurr vann… [Iceland]
8. Aquarium – rnA3 [USSR]
9. Brainticket – From Another Planet/Radagacuca [Switzerland]
10. Opus Avantra – Lust [Italy]
11. Witthüser & Westrupp – Erleuchtung und Berufung [West Germany]
12. Gong – A Sprinkling of Clouds [The Planet Gong]
13. Carmen – Fandangos in Space [UK/Spain]

Umlauts of the Apocalypse Volume 2

1. Heldon – Les Soucoupes Volantes Vertes [France]
2. Hawkwind – Hassan I Sabha [UK]
3. Zamla Mammaz Manna – The Forge [Sweden]
4. Magma – Soleil D’Ork [The Planet Kobaia]
5. Nazca – Estación De Sombra [Mexico]
6. Piirpauke – Uusi Laulu Paimenille [Finland]
7. Teddy Lasry – Nonsense [France]
8. East of Eden – Xhorkom/Ramadam/In the Snow for a Blow [UK]
9. Syrinx – Syren [Canada]
10. Melodic Energy Commission – Stranger in Mystery [Canada]
11. Teddy Lasry – Quasar [France]
12. Heldon – Perspective III (Baader-Meinhof Blues) [France]
13. The Plastic People of the Universe – Samson [Czechoslovakia]

Danny Kirwan et al

2006-03-05T12:02:00.000-06:00

As usual I’ve been haunting the used bins and have managed to purchase a couple of interesting items.

First up, Danny Kirwan’s "Ram Jam City" (Mooncrest Records) is a likable and easy going singer-songwriter/pub-rock recording…or at least it sounds like that to me. From what I understand, this collection consists of demos for his first post-Fleetwood Mac solo album "Second Chapter" and includes alternate versions (complete with false starts). Some high points are the country-esque "Falling In Love With You" (nice fiddle on that one), the slide guitar work on the mellow “Silver Streams”, and the title track which wouldn’t sound out of place on a Fairport Convention album.

His later years are a sad story of mental illness and homelessness so there is poignancy in listening to a talent cut short.

John Cale’s "Black Acetate" (EMI) is every bit as good as reviews suggest. Modern, cool, and trend-free (although much is made of the hip-hop influence). Buy it even if you aren’t impressed by the Velvet’s legacy.

What else? A double set compiled by Marty Thau entitled "Songs of the Naked City" (Red Star Records). I didn’t hesitate to lay down the cash for this one as it documents one of my favourite times and place (New York late 1970’s, a close second to West Germany 1969-72). C’mon, can you resist a compilation that features The New York Dolls, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Suicide, Fleshtones, Real Kids, The Ramones and Von Lmo? Not everything is a winner of course, I never did like Blondie and Brian Setzer’s first group Bloodless Pharaoh goes nowhere fast in six minutes, but that is offset easily by the two solo Martin Rev tracks from his "Clouds of Glory" set.

On the printed page side, I scored a copy of John Crawford’s "Baboon Dooley Rock Critic! – Baboon Gets Ahead in Life" (Popular Reality Press) for a mere $0.50. I remember his strips from the pages of Forced Exposure and dozens of other ‘zines. Is Baboon Dooley like me? No, no way. Heh.

Hunting the wily record album.

2006-02-26T11:54:00.000-06:00

A visit to a local antique market netted me a couple of records. Yes, vinyl records are considered antiques these days.

The best one first: a Shadows of Night single “Gloria b/w Dark Side” which is a fine garage rock stomper, but I’m sure you already knew that. A little noisy sounding, but playable. Also purchased was a single by The Poppy Family “I Was Wondering” b/w “Where Evil Grows”. The A side is the sort of light and breezy song that got them airplay back in the seventies, but it is the songs typical of the B side that add to their legend of recording dark, cracked and creepy pop songs. “Where Evil Grows” definitely has a place on my next mixdisk, no question.

What else? Leo Kottke’s ”6 and 12 String Guitar” on John Fahey’s Takoma label. It’s a great collection of instrumentals with strange song titles such as “Vaseline Machine Gun” and “The Brain of the Purple Mountain” which may perhaps suggest a more whimsical approach than is apparent in the performances. At $3.00, a bargain to be sure.

The final two were found in the International bin. I always check this section because this is where the oddest or must unusual records can be found (either that or the bin labeled “Misc.”). Records such as “Türk San’at Müziginden Seçmeler – Turkish Hit Parade” on the Request label. Despite what the title may suggest, it is a collection of traditional music: one side of wild-sounding ensemble playing and one of Taksim (solo instrument improvisations). Glad I bought this one.

Lastly, “Grand Prix/Folk – 3rd All Japan Light Music Contest” on the Polydor label. Oh wow, but this is great! Yes, the folk music, hoedown, and jamboree boom of the early sixties (a la Peter, Paul & Mary, and Kingston Trio) had admirers in Japan and here’s the proof in glorious mono.

Syrinx – “Syrinx” [True North Records. 1970]/”Long Lost Relatives” [True North Records 1971]

2006-02-19T12:05:00.000-06:00

I was just a kid at the time, but I remember a show called “Here Comes the Seventies” on Canadian TV. I can’t say that I remember much about the show except that it featured ‘future shock’type stories on what we could look forward to in that forthcoming magical (ahem) decade. What stands out most clearly in my mind was the opening and closing credits. The closing credits featured a nude woman walking into the ocean and the opener had an unusual band performing the show’s theme. The unusual band was called Syrinx.

Syrinx featured John Mills-Cockell on Arp and Moog synthesizers and keyboards (previously of the electro-acoustic outfit Intersystems), Doug Pringle on sax, guiro, bongos, and bells and Alan Wells on congas, tympanis, gong and tambourine. The odd combination of instrumentation ensured that the band sounded like few others, then or now. What they did manage to create was an exotic instrumental music that was both melodic and adventurous.

“Syrinx” was a strong debut which, although marred by a murky production, featured memorable soundscapes of pulsating synths and acoustic instrumentation in free-flight, just give a listen to “Melina’s Torch” or “Hollywood Dream Trip” and you’ll see what I mean.

“Long Lost Relatives” is however the masterpiece: a complete success from beginning to end. The band had expanded the template with the addition of a string section and a small choir for vocals on a couple of cuts. The high point for me is “Tillicum” (the theme for "Here Comes the Seventies") which is one minute and fifty-four seconds of moog pop bliss. That and “Aurora Spinray” have made their way on more than one mix tape of mine.

The LPs haven’t been rediscovered by a new generation of music fans and consequently can be found for only a few dollars at most. So, act now before their material starts appearing on rare groove collections.

A couple of final notes: Syrinx are often listed as being progressive rock or a psych band, of which they are neither. So if you buy the albums expecting the 13th Floor Elevators or (god forbid) Yes, you will be very disappointed. However if you enjoy Popol Vuh, Yatha Sidhra, The Third Ear Band or Tuxedomoon you’ll marvel how you might have missed this group in the first place.

Syrinx is a name that was been used more than once. My memory tells me that there was a string quartet who used the name, as well as a group who recorded an LP called “Pan Pipe Explosion”. These are not the Syrinx I’m talking about.

Some discographies include Mills-Cockell’s solo albums as Syrinx titles. Be aware that “Heartbeat”, “A Third Testament” and “Gateway” have their moments but are somewhat uneven. By all means, buy them if you see them, but they are not the place to start in my opinion.

Metabolist – Hansten Klork (Drömm Records. 1980)/Thomas Leer/Robert Rental – The Bridge (Industrial Records 1979)

2005-12-10T12:09:00.000-06:00

I’ve been revisiting a couple of old favourites this past week.

Metabolist were one of those bands that shone brightly and briefly during the Wild Planet era of D.I.Y. music makers and are sometimes lumped in with the interchangeable crop of industrial music-types…that is, if they are remembered at all. They recorded a full-length LP (Hansten Klork), a couple of cassettes, two 7”s and less than a handful of compilation appearances before vanishing. They should be the subject of a reissue campaign along the lines of the equally worthy Eric Random or The Homosexuals.

Perhaps the desired reissue campaign is unlikely as the music of Malcolm Lane, Anton Loach, Shaiga Simon Millward and Mark Rowlatt (not forgetting ally Jacqueline Baily) is colder, starker and bleaker than most of their contemporaries. Certainly the line-up of guitar, bass, sax and drums provided a bare-bones/dead-eyed soundtrack to a grim audio landscape.

Leer and Rental’s album for T.G.’s label sounds as good today as it did when I first slit the shrink wrap and dropped the stylus on the first track Attack Decay. The Bridge is split in two, with jagged (and oddly catchy) songs on the ‘A side and late-night ambient soundscapes of the ‘B and the result is pure gold from start to finish. What’s remarkable is how much they do with so little…vocals, guitar and a Wasp synthesizer and a home studio.

Buy, beg or borrow copies of these albums and you won’t be sorry, not if you have the slightest interest in irony and fashion-free post-punk sounds.

Al Telstar

Bernard Stollman: The ESP-Disk Story

2005-11-26T19:14:00.000-06:00

At the All About Jazz site, Clifford Allen has an in-depth interview with Bernard Stollman, the founder of the legenday ESP-Disk label. Don't miss it.

Curver

2005-11-26T19:02:00.000-06:00

Curver – Sjö (Ullabjakk Records. 1997)

A Google search of the web doesn’t bring up a mention of this limited edition vinyl LP (77 copies pressed). Understandable I suppose, as it’s not the sort of album that was widely distributed and likely to turn up in your local shop. So, my little review is an effort to correct this oversight.

There’s a limit to what I can tell you as I don’t read Icelandic (so much for the liner notes), but I gather Curver is one Birgir Örn Thoroddsen on guitar, vocals and beatbox and that’s pretty much it (other sonic elements make an occasional appearance like the English-for-tourists tape used on Mánudagur). Overall the recording is effective in its simplicity and there is no need to complicate things.

It is taking the easy way out to make comparisons, but Sjö does share some similarities to early Big Black (the Lungs or Bulldozer EPs come to mind) and a Krautrock/Loop vibe is created on the first cut Udagur and the closer Miðvik. What can I say, the whole album has a mighty appealing drone rock vibe. It may not be a lost “must-have” classic, but it is a gem.

Also worthy of mention is the Curver/Stilluppsteypa single “Inside AM/Make Star Shine” [Fire Records 1994] which is a killer: chanted vocals, guitar riffing and shortwave sounds on the ‘A side and creaks and wailing reeds on the ‘B. The single is included as part of the Haf reissue on the Smekkleysa label (just follow the link).

Al Telstar

V.D.G.G (One More Time Pt 2)

2005-11-19T16:41:00.000-06:00

A successful reunion doesn’t even come close to describing the triumph of Van Der Graaf Generator’s Present. The line-up is the same as their classic Godbluff/Still Life/World Record albums of the seventies: Hugh Banton on Organ and Bass, Guy Evans on drums, David Jackson on Saxes and flute and Peter Hammill handing the vocals, piano and guitar. On Present it’s like they’ve never been away and most importantly do not sound the least bit dated. If you’re worried about this being trot-out-the-relics time, rest easy.

I’ve been of the opinion that they have always stood head and shoulders above their prog rock contemporaries primarily because they never fell for the muso indulgences of their peers and had an edgy musical aggression to spare which may explain John Lydon’s oft-mentioned fan status. Hammill who was never the sweet-tempered singer-songwriter at the best of times sounds downright pissed on ‘Every Bloody Emperor’ and ‘Nutter Alert’. There is a second disc of in the studio improvisations, which are fine, and you should treat them as what they are: a bonus look and listen.

Al Telstar

Big Star (One More Time Pt 1)

2005-11-19T16:32:00.000-06:00

I was surprised when I heard that Big Star was back in the studio. Was I expecting the return of ‘Radio City’? No, not really. So let’s say I approached the recording with modest expectations. Good plan.

In Space isn’t the complete disappointment that some reviewers have suggested, but neither is it a return to the glory days. There are some high points like ‘Lady Sweet’ and ‘February’s Quiet’ which are as good as anything they’ve done in the past. There’s a couple of enjoyable but middling songs like the surf pastiche ‘Turn My Back On The Sun’ and the freakout album closer ‘Makeover’. There are, however, several unmitigated disasters like ‘Do You Wanna Make It’ and the leaden ‘Aria, Largo’ which just seem to be sloppy add-ons/filler which add a drag to the proceedings. What can I say, as an album it would have made a good EP. If you are thinking of entering the Big Star universe go for a copy of the “#1 Record/Radio City” two-fer or Chris Bell’s I Am The Cosmos solo. You’ll be happier with your purchases.

Al Telstar

Udder Milk Decay

2005-11-12T11:57:00.000-06:00

Udder Milk Decay – Take A Teat [no label]

This album is one of my favourite and most mysterious LPs. The packaging itself is DIY at its most basic: Plain white jacket with spraypainted colour and the groups’ name and album title rubber stamped on the cover. No date of release but I’m guessing early Eighties. The labels on the record itself are recycled and appear to be originally slated for a Saxon release on Carrere. There is a one-sided insert which carries the records information. There isn’t much, so I can reproduce the entire liner notes here:

"Take A Teat by Udder Milk Decay. Produced by Tim Hunkin and Jim Hunkin."

Not very enlightening. There is a sculptor by the name of Tim Hunkin but when I emailed him regarding this album, he assured me that it wasn’t him ("Good name though"). By all means have a look at Mr Hunkin's page at http://www.timhunkin.com

On to the music which is primitive lo-tech electronics at its best. The album starts with a short track, which sounds like plucked strings (could be a guitar or a harp or bedsprings for that matter); the second has Wasp-like whirrs, beeps, bloops and whistles that evolve at a leisurely pace which has some similarity to Nik Raicevic’s ‘Head’ album but less circular. Track three sounds like a radio tuning in and away from white noise. Track four? Like track two after a bulk eraser had a pass over the tape.

Side two begins with a triple-speed recording of a conversation. I can’t make out what the voices are talking about, but it does sound quite earnest. The lengthy second track suggests a BBC Radiophonic Workshop soundtrack for a stop-motion version of Dr. Who. The final cut features heavily processed sounds (a treated orchestral recording perhaps?) broadcast from a cavern.

So, in the unlikely event of finding a copy in a used shop or thrift store: buy it as it is a curious and improbable album that probably isn’t going to get the deluxe cd reissue treatment.

Al Telstar

Strange Sounds - Offbeat Instruments and Sonic Experiments in Pop

2005-11-11T09:34:00.000-06:00

Mark Brend : Strange Sounds - Offbeat Instruments and Sonic Experiments in Pop

"Strange Sounds tells the story behind history's most popular recordings that used unusual musical instruments. It includes some of the biggest names in pop music from the 1950s to the present, explaining and illustrating what instruments were used-their history, how they were played, how the artists came to choose them-and in the process uncovering a parallel history of pop music, one where guitars and drums make way for claviolines, ocarinas and stylophones. The accompanying CD includes demonstration
recordings of many of the instruments documented."

Top 100 Albums Part 4

2005-11-06T08:56:00.000-06:00

1. Amon Duul – Collapsing
2. Suicide – s/t
3. Slapp Happy – s/t
4. The Stooges – s/t
5. The Stooges – Fun House
6. Eno – Taking Tiger Mountain [By Strategy]
7. The Velvet Underground & Nico
8. The Velvet Underground – White Light/White Heat
9. Amon Duul II – Yeti
10. Can - Ege Bamyasi
11. Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band – Shiny Beast [Bat Chain Puller]
12. Can – Future Days
13. Faust – s/t
14. Various – Cambodian Rocks
15. The United States of America – s/t
16. 23 Skidoo – Seven Songs
17. The Monks – Monk Time
18. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
19. Neu! – Neu 2
20. Neu! – s/t
21. Neu! – Neu 75
22. Big Star – Radio City
23. Syd Barrett – Barrett
24. Orchid Spangiafora – Flee Past’s Ape Elf

Top 100 Albums Part 3

2005-11-06T08:55:00.000-06:00

25. Silver Apples – s/t
26. Silver Apples – Contact
27. Bladder Flask – One Day I Was So Sad the Corners of My Mouth Met and Everybody Thought I Was Whistling
28. Curtis Mayfield – Superfly [ost]
29. Joe Meek & the Blue Men – I Hear A New World
30. Clock DVA – Thirst
31. Syrinx – Long Lost Relatives
32. Vampires Sound Incorporation – Vampyros Lesbos Sexadelic Dance Party [ost]
33. Chrome – Alien Soundtracks
34. The Parasites of the Western World – s/t
35. Gavin Bryars – The Sinking of the Titanic
36. Metabolist – Hansten Klork
37. Eric Random & the Bedlamites – Earthbound Ghost Need
38. Syd Barrett – The Madcap Laughs
39. Cabaret Voltaire – Mix-Up
40. Swell Maps – A Trip to Marineville
41. Swell Maps – In Jane from Occupied Europe
42. Eno – Here Comes the Warm Jets
43. Thomas Leer/Robert Rental – The Bridge
44. Wire – Pink Flag
45. Faust – So Far
46. Can – Tago Mago
47. Tom Dissevelt/Kid Baltan – Song of the Second Moon
48. Spacebox – Kick Up
49. The Homosexuals – The Homosexuals Record

Top 100 Albums Part 2

2005-11-06T08:53:00.000-06:00

50. Simply Saucer – Cyborgs Revisited
51. Hatfield & the North – The Rotters’ Club
52. Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom
53. Throbbing Gristle – D.O.A.
54. Nick Drake – Pink Moon
55. Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left
56. Nick Drake – Bryter Layter
57. Fille Qui Mousse – Trixie Stapelton 291
58. Van Der Graaf Generator - Godbluff
59. Harmonia – Music Von Harmonia
60. Pere Ubu – The Modern Dance
61. Television – Marquee Moon
62. Red Crayola – Parable of Arable Land
63. Faust – The Faust Tapes
64. Udder Milk Decay – Take a Teat
65. Terry Riley – A Rainbow in Curved Air
66. Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells
67. Boyd Rice – s/t [The Black Album]
68. Holger Czukay/Rolf Dammers – Canexis
69. Mychael Danna – 8MM [ost]
70. Julee Cruise – Floating Into The Night
71. Guru Guru – UFO
72. Bonzo Dog Band – Tadpoles
73. Bonzo Dog Band – Gorilla
74. Isaac Hayes – Shaft [ost]

Top 100 Albums Part 1

2005-11-06T08:51:00.000-06:00

I know that it is a very Rock Snob/High Fidelity thing to do, but here is my list of may favourite 100 albums of all time. They are not in any particular order and the entries are subject to change without notice.

75. Joy Division – Closer
76. Hatfield & the North – s/t
77. Guru Guru – UFO
78. The Ramones – s/t
79. Quiet Sun - Mainstream
80. Popol Vuh – Nosferatu [ost]
81. Henry Flynt – You Are My Everlovin’/Celestial Power
82. The 13th Floor Elevators – The Psychedelic Sounds of…
83. Dengue Fever – s/t
84. The Sonics – Here Are The Sonics!!!
85. Roxy Music – s/t
86. New York Dolls – s/t
87. This Heat – s/t
88. This Heat – Deceit
89. Nurse With Wound – The Sylvie & Babs Hi Fi Companion
90. Optiganally Yours – Spotlight On…
91. Kvartett O Jonson og Grjoni – Karnival I Texas
92. Xhol Caravan – Electrip
93. Richard Hell & the Voidoids – Blank Generation
94. Mayo Thompson – Corky’s Debt To His Father
95. Red Krayola – God Bless the Red Krayola & All Who Sail With Her
96. Phil Manzanera – Diamond Head
97. Various – Hoisting The Black Flag
98. Fifty Foot Hose – Cauldron
99. Van Der Graaf Generator – Pawn Hearts
100. Julian’s Treatment – A Time Before This