tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77826150954248726672024-03-13T09:06:38.114-06:00LoftholdingswoodThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-29500997308380868642022-08-28T09:28:00.000-06:002022-08-28T09:28:50.450-06:00Zenspark: Tales from the Sea<p> <span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto">Ben Marcune has created his magnum opus with “Tales From The Sea.” The twelve tracks that make up this collection of music showcase not only Ben’s fantastic guitar playing but his outstanding songwriting and production talents. The concept and music evolved over a period of time that roughly coincided with the Covid Pandemic. This music can be a healing balm for the many people that have survived the tumultuous chaos that we were exposed to the last few years. It can broadly be described as Progressive , melodic, ambient music that encompasses a full range of emotions. Shimmering 12 string acoustic guitars combine with tasteful electric guitar leads and keyboard/drum/bass to create an uplifting sound that is unique in today's music world. When was the last time you listened to a complete album in which all songs and instruments were written, played and produced by one person ? I’ve been a music fan, concert goer and reviewer for over fifty years and this music needs to be heard! </span></p><p><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto">-Jim Webb <br /></span></p>The Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-19211751478150963742020-06-07T19:45:00.001-06:002020-06-07T19:45:53.687-06:00Sweet - Action - Top Of The Pops 24.07.1975 (OFFICIAL)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zM0IWyQ5zcg" width="480"></iframe>The Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-29182516071283155942020-06-07T19:10:00.000-06:002020-06-07T19:15:02.900-06:00All That Glitters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr">
<br />
<br clear="none" />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The American experience of an early 1970’s UK music style known as Glitter Rock and/or Glam
Rock is quite different from what our older cousins across the pond enjoyed. Though some
cross pollination in dress, style, attitude and musical craft occurred between the two Rock
Tribes, the Brits embraced it in an all-round much bigger way. The ever-changing 70’s Rock
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">scene was characterized by the swiftness in which new musical fads appeared, dominated the charts, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and then became extinct. How did Glitter and Glam take hold? Gradually, and then
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">suddenly, like a tidal wave heading toward shore that no one sees until it’s massive waves are
breaking over your head.
<br clear="none" />
<br clear="none" />The period of 1967 - 1970 is known as the Blues Power era in England, and had a big spillover
effect in the U.S. as well. The original power trio
<b>Cream</b> featured
<b>Eric Clapton</b>, and their
reworking of
<b>Robert Johnson</b>’s 1934 dusty acoustic blues song
<i>Crossroads</i> into an electrified
Rock assault signaled the beginning of long solos as well as the need for a “Blues Feel'' to be part of the new hip sound. A high level of musicianship had to be present, no amateurs allowed
onstage;
<b>Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac</b> (ex-members of
<b>John Mayall’s Blues Breakers</b>),
<b>Free</b>,
<b>Ten Years After</b>, and a whole slew of groups required to have "Blues Band" in their title.
<br clear="none" /> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But soon enough the lads got tired of listening to
<b>Chicken Shack</b>, and the whole Blues Rock scene
crumbled under a bland conformity in sound.
Meanwhile<b>, Marc Feld</b> (Bolan) and
<b>David Jones</b> (Bowie)
had been lurking, ligging, and busking around the London music scene for so long they were
almost invisible to everyone, just a couple of wannabes who would do anything to get a record
deal and become stars. Ultimately, they understood that fashion, style and presentation would
be as important as their sound. If long hair, beads, flowing blouses, and Hippie music were in,
then they would follow that path until it dead-ended. In June of 1970
<b>Ray Davies</b>, bard of the
British Rock Scene, released his most prophetic song yet: “
<i>Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls, it’s a mixed-up, muddled-up shook up world</i>.” The Future would be for those unafraid to try
<br clear="none" />something new.
<br clear="none" />
<br clear="none" />British Rock fans were growing slightly older and now listening to “serious” rock music;
<br clear="none" />The Cold Wind of Prog Arsery was in a full force gale during the early 70’s with
<b>King<br clear="none" />Crimson</b>,
<b>Yes</b>, and
<b>ELP</b> leading the way. The technical musicianship of those bands had no
<br clear="none" />appeal to the youth who wanted to have a good time.
<b>Deep Purple</b>,
<b>Black Sabbath</b>, and
<b>Rory Gallagher </b>-to name but a few- all supplied crunching riffs to their predominantly male fan base,
but the younger teen crowd watching
<i>Top of the Pops </i>needed something flashy. The
Glitter/Glam attire of platform boots, makeup, wild fashion and hair styles all created a
distinct look that emphasized glamour and fun.
<br clear="none" />
<br clear="none" />Bolan smashed through first with his glitter pants, makeup, and Boogie guitar riffs,
<br clear="none" />understanding that the look was important - but the kids still had to dance.
<b>T.Rex</b> helped unleash
a need to have fun, look crazy, and escape from the conformity that society tries to impose on
everyone. Bowie became the ultimate chameleon who would nick a good idea (dress, sound)
from anyone. His N.Y.C. fascination with
<b>The Velvet Underground </b>and
<b>Lou Reed</b> led him to
the early
<b>New York Dolls</b>. He saw first-hand how outrageous the reaction was for men
to dress up like women; he could now wear make-up onstage (like his old performances with
the
<b>Lindsay Kemp Mime Troupe</b>.) Bowie’s <i>Ziggy Stardust </i>creation showed he wasn’t going to let
his pal Bolan get too far ahead in the race for Stardom. T.Rex,
<b>David Bowie</b>,
<b>Slade</b>, and
<b>The Sweet</b> were all part of the huge first Glam wave that engulfed the U.K. Rock Scene circa 1971-1973.
The mass hysteria and adulation for the new sound was reminiscent of Beatlemania just ten
years before.
<br clear="none" />
<br clear="none" />While T.Rex and David Bowie had the most obvious early success in The States,
<b>Alice Cooper</b>
and
<b>Lou Reed</b> were homegrown leaders of the Shock Rock style that still emphasized makeup,
costumes and outrageous behavior onstage. With Bowie off to conquer America,
Slade and The Sweet dominated the Pop charts. They were soon joined by
<b>Roy Wood’s Wizzard</b> ,
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Mott the Hoople</b>,
<b>Gary Glitter</b>,
<b>Mud</b>, and Detroit's own
<b>Suzi Quatro</b>. While this was all happening,
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<b>Gene Klein </b>(Simmons) and
<b>Stanley Eisen</b> (Paul Stanley) were plotting how to create a band that
would encompass the Glam style of platform boots and make-up but also adding a new theatrical
component that would create a fantastic explosion of lights and music. The
<b>Kiss </b>Army was
about to start their march across the globe.
<br clear="none" />
<br clear="none" />When the Glam/Glitter Era began to collapse in England around 1974/75, it was time for a
<br clear="none" />new flavor of the month. Teens now had
<b>The Bay City Rollers</b> to scream over,
<b>Freddie<br clear="none" />Mercury</b> was leading
<b>Queen</b> onward with his dramatic look and, in the Summer of 1975,
<b>John Lydon</b>
stood in front of a jukebox with his
<i>I Hate Pink Floyd </i>T-Shirt and mimed to Alice Cooper's
<i>School's Out </i>with a few friends. Punk Rock would officially bury Glam, like they eventually
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">buried Prog Rock and other
<span class="yiv8609936940ox-8a4a0735bb-ydpafea305st">passé </span>music forms. The kids could now dress up in ripped clothes, wear
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">their spiky hair in multi colors, and claim an angry, powerful sound that was all their own. Marc
Bolan died in a car crash in 1977. At the time of his death, his music career was at a low ebb,
never having found a way forward musically after his early Glam peak. David Bowie continued to
ch-ch-ch-ch change through the years, from a heavy Soul period (
<i>Young Americans</i>)
to a new character labeled the Thin White Duke. Bowie always embraced change, a true
chameleon who took pleasure in revamping his whole sound and look periodically. The Punk style that
<br clear="none" />
</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
started the initial 1976-77 revolution soon made room for Power Pop, labeled “New Wave” by the record</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> companies, who hoped to generate more mass sales. With music
trends, you never knew when one was going to end and the next one begin.
The Rock scene changes, gradually and then very suddenly. It’s how the
music business has always worked.
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
-Jim Webb
</span></div>
</div>
The Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-67785761559841164642013-06-06T12:49:00.001-06:002013-06-06T13:47:46.063-06:00The Secret Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Wal-Mart Country: No Shoes, No Shirt, No Music</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The summer concert
season is about to begin, and that’s when most big name artists start their
annual ritual of playing the large outdoor amphitheaters located across the
U.S. These glorified sheds are basically just big square boxes for a stage,
with facilities able to hold fifteen to twenty thousand paying customers. We
are accustomed to hearing the basic outdoor warnings about using sunscreen,
wearing light colored clothing and hats. It’s finally time someone spoke about
the real danger that has plagued concertgoers and the listening public for many
years: Wal-Mart Country. </div>
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<br /></div>
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What exactly does Wal-Mart Country mean you are asking, and
what’s it got to do with music? You know that all Wal-Mart stores are bland,
sanitized structures that are built to maximize income, with absolutely no
deviation allowed for any originality or style. Same store layouts, same
signage, thousands of similar stores all across the country, all designed to
soothe the average customer while maximizing profits. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Wal-Mart Country is the description of a type of music being
played by today's so called “Country” artists. You know the names, but here’s a
partial rundown to start; Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, and Brad Paisley. These
singers all have the same basic sound, same image, and sing about the stuff
that is guaranteed to increase their fame and fortune. Yes, their goal, like
Wal-Mart stores, is to get the hard earned money in your pocket to be put into
their pocket. They’re masters at spinning phony tales about pickup trucks and
flag waving heroes. The original Country music artists from the 40s, 50s, and
60s were real people singing about everyday problems. You didn’t have to be
beautiful to sing songs; even average looking men and women could, and did,
become popular. Good shit kickin’ honky tonk music can’t be faked, and that’s
why it doesn’t exist anymore. You have to go all the way back to Hank Williams
to hear it start, and while you’re at it spend a little time with Lefty
Frizzell, George Jones (who recently dropped his body, probably sick of all the
Wal-Mart Country singers everywhere), Buck Owens, and Wynn Stewart. It was the
song that mattered then, where today you better look like a model, or don’t
even try to get a song recorded. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s wrong with
singing, swaying and sippin’ wine coolers to Chesney, the longtime mayor of
Wal-Mart Country? To borrow a phrase from John Lydon – Chesney gets the cash,
and you get the lies. It’s a robbery of your precious time on the planet and
your money. Let’s say you went to a gala event thrown by the master rip-off
artist Bernie Madoff before he was imprisoned. You didn’t know that the champagne,
caviar and entertainment were paid with stolen money. If someone asked you how
the evening went, you would probably say it was very enjoyable. If you found
out Madoff was a thief, stealing from others to pay for his extravagance, you
would never spend an evening with him again. Switch the name Madoff for
Chesney, and you now become an accessory to fraud by willfully participating in
Kenny’s charade. Don’t try and say, “I didn’t know”. From here on out you’ve
been informed about how his con game works. You are responsible for your
musical decisions. If anyone now buys Chesney downloads or concert tickets, you
are contributing to a massive Ponzi scheme that only benefits him. No shoes, no
shirt, no music.</div>
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<br /></div>
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If you do find yourself at an outdoor music venue this
summer take all necessary precautions. Drink a lot of water, limit the amount
of fried foods you’re eating, and have a designated driver. If it’s a “Country”
music concert at least you’ll now be aware of the scam. Also know that Bernie
Madoff will be laughing hysterically in prison while you’re at the concert. He
always appreciates when a well-planned heist has been pulled off. Welcome to
Wal-Mart Country.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Have a nice summer,</div>
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Jim Webb</div>
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<br /></div>
The Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-69445337928553909422012-05-14T20:10:00.002-06:002012-05-14T20:10:34.889-06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Secret Museum: </div>
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Maher Shalal Hash Baz</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be Quick if You
Steal!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maher Shalal Hash
Baz started in 1984 as a noise/punk rock group in Japan before eventually heading
out into more conceptual waters. Band leader Tori Kudo is the visionary force
behind their music, and is joined by his wife Reiko and a rotating cast of
fellow musicians for their projects( some ex -members have formed the group
Tenniscoats). They very quickly dropped the “constraints” of writing three
minute rock songs, for the “liberating” effect of even shorter pieces. The
music falls somewhere between psych – folk, and pop, with helpings of experimental
and purely improvised group interplay added to the mix. </div>
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What would you say if I told you this band have released a
two cd set that has 177 songs on it, with most between thirty to sixty seconds
long! We might debate over what actually constitutes a “song”, but there is no
denying the audacity of their 2009 release titled “C’est La Dernier Chanson” (English
translation from my almost 24 yr. old daughter Mackenzie who majored in
French<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from The University of New Mexico
is : “This is the Last Song”). Mr. Kudo has likened listening to this music as
if you are visiting an art museum. The general public normally spends a couple
of hours walking through a museum, stopping at various paintings briefly before
moving on to the next offering. Most people will find this 2 cd set from Maher
Shalal Hash Baz: A) their most enjoyable, or B) their most maddening. I think
you already know without listening to a note of it what side you’ll be on. When
I first read it was 177 songs on 2cds, with most under a minute in length (some
only five to fifteen seconds!), I had to have it. Others might recall a painful
trip to the dentist when reading about such brief snippets of arrangements and
melodies. I think you will find it very likeable, as long as you accept the
brevity of the music. Some might call this simple music, and that wouldn’t be
an inaccurate comment, but it is very difficult to know what exactly should be
simplified to make great art, or music. </div>
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The Velvet Underground, for one example, derived great power
from their less is more approach to rock n’roll, and understood the hypnotic
effect of well placed repetition in their songs (“Sister Ray”, “Heroin”). Kudo
also knows how to strip down the unnecessary parts of a song to make great
music. He has been involved with pottery for a long time, being taught the
basics of that craft by his father, and knows how to strip clay, and now music,
down to its most essential core. After many years of practice and discipline in
cutting away the unneeded parts to his songs, what’s left is a beautiful
simplicity to his music that is rarely attained by others. While the band’s
primitive sound and lyrics that express real emotion may not be for everyone,
it comes from their heart, and isn’t that all you could ever ask for from
musicians?</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have
infrequently performed live through the years, and it’s also hard to find their
music since they have been on a number of smaller independent labels
(Geographic, Yik Yak, and K Records). You can pick up a handful of Tori and
Reiko’s solo releases from the Japanese label PSF Records, but some of the band's
titles are getting impossible to find and are quite collectable (3 cd Return Visit
to Rock Mass, 1996).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the 2 cd
“Chanson” seems too daunting to start with, you might try “Blues de Jour”, or
“Maher on Water”, both of those releases have more of a pop/guitar oriented
sound. The instrumental/group improvisational stuff is featured more on“Faux Depart”,
and “Live Aoiheya”, but any of the releases will have their trademark
minimalism, and abrupt writing style. Their name Maher Shalal Hash Baz comes
from a biblical passage from the book of Isaiah, and band leader Tori Kudo’s
translation of the phrase is, “Be quick if you steal”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know about Maher Shalal Hash Baz
being thieves, but there is no doubt that they are very fast indeed! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jim Webb</div>
</div>The Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-34402551564631892402012-04-05T08:33:00.000-06:002012-04-05T08:33:51.261-06:00The Bevis Frond Map GuideThe Secret Museum<br />
<br />
By Jim Webb<br />
<br />
Nick Saloman is one of the most underappreciated guitarists/songwriters of our generation. Notice I didn’t say singers, even though he does have a unique voice; that is more of an acquired taste. He is “Bevis Frond”, even though other mates of his (Adrian Shaw, Martin Crowley to name two) have periodically contributed to the musical journey. Working out of his bedroom led to a certain lo-fi ambiance on his earlier recordings, with the initial LP titled “Miasma” appearing in 1986. While there is a wealth of diverse styles that Nick is comfortable writing in, it is important to know what recordings might be most compatible with your tastes. Why waste time trying the song- oriented releases, if what you really wanted was the psychedelic inspired guitar freakouts. I will not say “they’re all great”, that’s a fanatic’s phrase that shows he’s been so captured by a musician’s spell that he’s now lost in the forest of infatuation. The Bevis Frond just recently ended a seven-year hiatus with the release in 2011 of “Leaving London.” I think it’s time to navigate the musical topography that he has travelled these last twenty-five years, and point out a few significant sites along the way.<br />
<br />
The Lo-Fi / Psych - Guitar Blow Outs:<br />
<i>Miasma / Inner Marshland / Triptych / Acid Jam / Auntie Winnie/Through the Looking Glass</i><br />
<br />
While there is any number of great shorter “songs” on any of the aforementioned releases, they are dominated by piercing lead guitar work, longer instrumental passages, and watery keyboard/organ fills. Psychedelic might mean Grateful Dead/Quicksilver Messenger Service to some, to Nick it is a hyperextension of what Jimi Hendrix was doing. He layers plenty of raw guitars that explode out of the studio speakers, no time limit as to when the lava will stop flowing off his fret board. The problem with trying to classify his output is that you have such ultra-Pop gems like “Lights Are Changing” (Triptych) on the same cd with the 19:47 long “Tangerine Infringement Beak”. Let’s not split hairs- Saloman will always be a stylistically divergent cat. Remember that a maps job is to get you close to where you want to be. <br />
<br />
The Bard of Walthamstowe:<br />
<i>Any Gas Faster / New River Head / Son of Walter / North Circular</i><br />
<br />
I do not mean in any way, shape or form that these are Sweet Baby James, Jackson Browne confessional diary-type songs that can be used as sleep aids. Nick has always taken the time to write interesting lyrics with a personal slant, he still has a lot of muscular guitar riffs flying around on these songs; they just seemed to get compacted into a shorter structure. The two cd North Circular is the high water mark to these ears, with New River Head not far behind. Some of these riffs during this period wouldn’t have sounded out of place on a Dinosaur Jr. cd for an American reference, but Saloman’s words (Stars Burn Out) and vocal delivery take him way above other talented three chord masters. The song “New River Head” shows just how far Nick has come, lyrically and melodically.<br />
<br />
Riff City:<br />
<i>Gathering of Fronds / Superseeder / London Stone / Scorched Earth </i><br />
<br />
Ok, Scorched Earth is a side project from 2008, but “Woman Gone Bad” has such a heavy slamming riff that Ron Asheton shat his pants when he first heard it (I’m assuming). London Stone features the slashing “Well Out of It”, that riff you could loop into a thirty minute remix and I wouldn’t get tired of it. “Gathering” compiles a lot of rarities onto a full-length cd, featuring a guest appearance by guitarist, and Nick’s boyhood friend, Bari Watts. If you like the heavy guitar aspect of Bevis Frond, then Bari’s band The Outskirts of Infinity should also be checked out. <br />
<br />
<br />
Other Stuff:<br />
<i>It Just Is / Vavona Burr / Valedictory Songs / What Did for the Dinosaurs</i><br />
<br />
I wouldn’t call anything from The Bevis Frond “bad” but there are a few that didn’t do much for me. His various styles from these cds all had better songs on other releases, and a little bit of the old Bevis energy seems to have dropped a notch. All of them still have a few nuggets (High on a Downer from Valedictory), but not surprisingly Nick took a brief break from his Bevis activities from 2004 to 2011. The most recent cd titled “Leaving London” shows that Nick Saloman remains as creative as ever, and doesn’t intend to get bogged down in following other people’s ideas of style and order in his music. You can expect, and get, anything from a folk inspired bash to a full-blown guitar rave up. Let’s hope we get another twenty-five years of Nick Saloman’s music, God bless The Bevis Frond and all who sail with her.The Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-8664417978196004222011-12-30T08:24:00.001-07:002011-12-30T08:38:06.085-07:00The Secret Museum: The Hare Krishnas, The Misunderstood, & MeI have had a long standing interest in the Hare Krishna movement since the first time I bumped into them outside of the Spectrum arena in Philadelphia. They were distributing their magazines and selling incense on a hot summer day in July of 1975 before the rock band Yes played later that night. Through the years I've read a lot of their books and visited the Radha - Krishna Temple in West Philly a number of times, I haven't tired in keeping track of what has happened to "them" these last 35 plus years. There is something fascinating to me about this large group of American devotees that have renounced meat eating, alcohol, gambling, and sex ( other than sex for procreation), and also accepted a 16th century Bengali holy man from India, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as the incarnation / avatar of God (Krishna). Krishna appeared as Caitanya to bring the singing and chanting of the Lord's holy name to the masses during these harsh godless times known as Kali - yuga (which we are still in). Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare. Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to December 28, 2011 and I've been reading up on all of the recent ISKCON ( International Society for Krishna Consciousness) related news. Two or three times a year I'll check out the numerous web / blog sites and try and get a feel for the current issues that they are dealing with.The whole modern Hare Krishna movement was begun single handily by a 69 year old Indian reunciate preacher In a small Second Ave. N.Y.C. storefront in 1966. It slowly splintered apart almost from the day the founder of ISKCON, A.C.Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, died in November of 1977. Before passing away he named eleven senior devotees to be in charge, but all too quickly there were various power struggles and conflicts that still haven't been totally resolved as of today. The late 1970's, and into the 1980's sadly had numerous cases of young children being sexually molested in the movement's school system, and many of the original eleven handpicked disciples that formed the Governing Body Commission (GBC) had either quit (" fell down" ), died, or been forced to resign over various sex, drugs, and money issues. ISKCON today is very vibrant in its native India, and has had varying degrees of success in finding new devotees in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. The U.S. temples have gradually changed from a proselytizing emphasis based on distributing Prabhupad's books, to one of retrenchment that now largely caters to the local Indian communities that are their major support group. The counter - culture in 1966 was ready to throw off all of the "Establishments" views including having a career focused life, with traditional Christian values and rituals. More than a few people decided to tune in, turn on, and drop out. But it wasn't all drugs that they were turning on to.<br />
<br />
I googled Santa Fe, New Mexico ( where I now live) for things related to Hare Krishna and got a wide assortment of choices to investigate. I wasn't surprised at all to see that in 1968 Santa Fe had one of the first ISKCON temples opened in the U.S.A. on Water Street, not far from the historic downtown plaza. New Mexico has been home to many religious denominations, hippie communes, art communes, writer groups and just about every alternative life style choice that North America has to offer. Currently the Vedic Cultural Center is one of the few Hindu related organizations active in nearby Pecos, NM and is led by Hamsavatar Das (Howard Beckman), and his wife. He was a disciple of Prabhupad in the 1970's/80's and has commented through the years on all of the changes ISKCON has gone through, and is also an esteemed Vedic astrology and gem specialist. His website led me back to google where I found another Krishna devotee named Hrisikesh (Richard Shaw Brown)who also currently specializes in gems, but has an interesting footnote in his personal biography. Richard Shaw Brown was the lead singer in a legendary California psychedelic rock band from 1966 named The Misunderstood.<br />
<br />
The Misunderstood have a great web page at www.themisunderstood.com/band, and you should definitely check that out, loads of audio clips and info there to bone up on. I immediately sent that weblink to my friend and Secret Museum founder Mike Mooney, knowing that he would appreciate all things related to psychedelic/garage bands circa 1966. After emailing him, I suddenly had the feeling he might had heard of them, even though they were a very obscure group with little recognition. Mike is currently the lead singer/guitarist in the New Mexico garage rock band Manby's Head with Peter Greenberg. I then decided to google - The Misunderstood,Manby's Head, and was surprised to find on the 6th entry on the page a link to LOFTHOLDINGSWOOD, MY OWN BLOG SITE WITH MR. MOONEY!! Mike had indeed mentioned The Misunderstood in a piece he had written a year before on guitarist Randy Holden.<br />
<br />
So what does this all mean? I guess anyone can play an Internet version of six degrees of Kevin Bacon, but I didn't think my googling of Hare Krishna would lead so quickly back to my own blog site! Maybe it means Mike is destined to join up with Richard Shaw Brown and create some intense music with him in 2012 ( I just hope we get more Greenberg / Mooney music in the new year). The Mayans were right, we have to expect a lot of big changes this coming year, and Hamsavatar Das agrees wholeheartedly with massive changes due based on where the planets are aligned right now. I was thinking of having Hamsavatar Das work up a full astrological reading on me, the real advanced type where they need not only your exact date and time of birth, but your parents exact date and time of birth as well. It's not a bad deal, for $175.00 I'll know what to personally expect in 2012. Instead, maybe one of these days I'll finally realize that all you have to do is chant Hare Krishna, ... and be happy. <br />
<br />
<br />
Happy New Year,<br />
Jim WebbThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0Santa Fe, NM, USA35.6869752 -105.9377989999999835.6154597 -106.02664899999998 35.758490699999996 -105.84894899999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-551976634974257522011-02-25T06:32:00.000-07:002011-02-25T06:32:55.889-07:00UpdateThe Horse Fly does not appear to be returning to print. We haven't shopped the column elsewhere. Jim should be filling space here soon.<br />
-mmThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-61032127887821382922011-01-06T05:21:00.000-07:002011-01-06T05:21:13.180-07:00The Soul of Peter Greenberg<b>The Secret Museum</b> <br />
by Jim Webb <br />
<br />
It’s not often that you meet a solar company executive who is also one of the most underrated guitarists in America. Many in the Taos Valley can now make that claim since Peter Greenberg and his wife Milissa moved to Arroyo Seco in 2008. Music aficionados of the local rock scene have seen him playing with Manby’s Head in a garage rock style, and a recent show at the KTAO Center had Peter on stage with his old Rock n’ Soul group Barrence Whitfield & The Savages. Throw in his previous membership with Boston punk group DMZ and the ‘60’s influenced Lyres and you have someone who has attacked his fret board with a passion in a variety of styles these last thirty-five years, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.<br />
<br />
He is a music fan, as well as a writer and performer of songs, but his music collection isn’t like mine or yours. First of all he doesn’t buy cds, only old style vinyl 45s and LPs are allowed into his home. He has turned his back on any mainstream release through the years, and concentrates with a gold miner’s intensity in looking for lost nuggets in a variety of styles that others have missed. Listening to forgotten swing / jump blues artists from the 1940’s like Louis Jordan and Bullmoose Jackson, along with old time country singers from the 1950’s including Floyd Tillman, Webb Pierce and Moon Mullican is his idea (and mine) of a fun evening. Obscure blues artists and rockabilly bands form another core of his library that pretty much ends by the late 60’s. His real passion though falls under the category of Soul music. There has been a lot of Soul Music sub -genres through the years including Memphis Soul, Philly Soul, Detroit Soul, Chicago Soul, and the broader, overlapping Northern Soul. Detroit Soul, more popularly known as Motown, had the most mass commercial appeal, while Philly Soul generally had more of a “sweeter” sound than the grittier Stax/Volt label artists who recorded in Memphis. Chicago Soul had at times a harder blues edge, and Northern Soul is a general catchall phrase for a lot of obscure artists from the North who never had hit records but released a lot of quality music. Northern Soul also caught on big in certain U.K. clubs during the 60’s and 70’s that were specializing in playing these lesser known Soul musicians. No matter how you classify Soul records, it always has a lot of feeling inside the grooves.<br />
<br />
I spent an evening with Peter recently, and he kept pulling out rare and unknown Soul 45s while we discussed the various artists on the small Chicago labels of Onederful and Mar - V- Lus. He recorded the songs he played onto a cdr; here are a few of what we listened to:<br />
<br />
1.) Carl O. Jones / Betty Everett – “Days Gone By” (Chicago / Northern Soul). Betty had a hit with the “Shoop Shoop Song”, this was less commercial, but just as satisfying.<br />
<br />
2.) Johnny Sayles – “You Told a Lie” (Chicago Soul). Deep, wrenching tale of loss and betrayal.<br />
<br />
3.) Soul Brothers Six – “Your Love is Such a Wonderful Love” (Rochester, N.Y.) Five brothers and a friend, uptempo group who recorded on the Atlantic label<br />
<br />
4.) Otis Clay – “I Got to Find a Way” (Chicago Soul). Powerful vocalist still <br />
performing live.<br />
<br />
5.) Alvin Cash – “Twine Time” (Chicago Soul) Big instrumental hit in 1965<br />
<br />
6.) McKinley Mitchell – “A Bit of Soul” (Chicago Soul). One-derful label, he epitomizes the talented, unknown mid – sixties Soul artist.<br />
<br />
7.) Bobby Moore & the Rhythm Aces – “Go Ahead and Burn” (Alabama). The Deep South never sounded so good.<br />
<br />
8.) Freddie Scott – “I’ll Be Gone” (Rhode Island). Knock out lost single on the Shout label.<br />
<br />
9.) Eddie Floyd – “Big Bird” (Memphis Soul). Lesser known song than his big hit “Knock on Wood”<br />
<br />
10.) Johnnie Taylor – “Love Bones” (Memphis Soul). Stax / Volt label magic.<br />
<br />
<br />
In one evening of playing music we didn’t even scratch the surface of his massive collection of hard to find records. Singers like O.V.Wright and Harold Burrage will have to be saved for another day. After repeated listening to the cd he made for me, I learned more than a few things. Johnny Sayles has Soul. Bobby Moore has Soul. Freddie Scott has Soul. Peter Greenberg has Soul.The Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-49630371497855086922011-01-05T05:38:00.003-07:002011-01-05T05:39:35.882-07:00The F – Word<b>The Secret Museum</b><br />
By Jim Webb<br />
<br />
It has a deep impact on most people when heard, no matter what the circumstances might be. It’s also an adjective that can be used to describe a whole range of feelings and emotions when calmer vocabulary seemingly just won’t do. A lot of people refuse to even utter the letters that comprise its meaning, because by even saying it you have accepted a certain responsibility for choosing such a descriptive word. There are some who freely accept it as an expressive term, while others have run away from it for as long as they’ve heard its sound. Yes, I am talking about the musical category known as Fusion.<br />
<br />
A recent concert appearance in Santa Fe by Fusion pioneer John McLaughlin has reopened this long running debate on the merits of this style of music. He is the pre-eminent Fusion musician on the planet, still releasing new cds and touring all over the world at sixty-eight years of age. He has played the guitar for the last sixty years and has been at the forefront of this highly technical brand of music since its creation in the late 1960’s. No one that has ever seen or heard John McLaughlin play would doubt that he has a tremendous command of the guitar. Not only does he play at times with a blazing pace on the fret board, but he is also a master improviser in the great Jazz tradition. What has made McLaughlin such an imposing figure is that he does have more than just technical virtuosity plugged into his amp. There is a lyricism to the guitar lines that he endlessly weaves, and he has also proven himself to be one of the original innovators in creating a true World Music style. He has played with both Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix, and that high octane mixture of jazz and rock is what Fusion is all about. His 70’s electric band Mahavishnu Orchestra had some of the best musicians around (Cobham, Goodman, and Hammer), while he later created Shakti as a vehicle to explore his interest in Indian music. Guitarists Jeff Beck and Pat Metheny have both called John the best guitarist in the world, lofty praise from two highly respected musicians. His performance with The Fourth Dimension band was a microcosm of all things good and bad that have been debated about Fusion since its creation. Excessive soloing might be a downer for some, but how do you argue with such mind blowing technical virtuosity? Others might cry about a lack of “songs” (a la Burt Bacharach), but these four musicians exhibited a cohesion rarely seen that trumped any mundane need for familiar tunes. If someone said it sounded like a guitar / drum clinic at times I wouldn’t argue, but what a sound they threw at us! Etienne M’bappe was a revelation with his unique bass lines, while Mark Mondesir kept the drum seat red hot all night long. Keyboardist Gary Husband added a lot of tasteful licks with McLaughlin the whole evening smiling as if he had finally found that lost chord he’d been searching for all these years. John called himself just an aging hippie at one point during the concert, and that humility rang as true as any note from his guitar. Like a Zen master patiently waiting for his future students to find him, McLaughlin has explored the fret board in a variety of styles throughout his life, and has stayed open to its possibilities. Many people aspire to be the best at what they do, but hard work and skill will only get you so far. After many years he came to the realization that a true master doesn’t just play the guitar, you also have to let the guitar play you.<br />
<br />
Immediately after the final notes ended a concert goer one row away from me leaned over to his friend and said - “what do you think”? After forty years people still don’t know what to make of it. If you have any doubts buy John’s latest cd entitled “To The One”, after listening to it then you’ll know exactly what side of the fence you’re on. When it comes to the F-Word, I don’t give a f**k what anyone else says. McLaughlin’s Fusion. I love it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Peace,<br />
Jim WebbThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-16062080142031846592010-12-07T18:14:00.000-07:002010-12-07T18:14:19.695-07:00To 1971 and Back Again: T.S. McPhee and his Mighty Groundhogs; America Cried<b>The Secret Museum<br />
Jim Webb and Michael Mooney</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Groundhogs—Split</b><br />
(Liberty Records/United Artists 1971)<br />
At first I don’t believe the things I thought the night before,<br />
But now they come back like a torrent of ignorance once more,<br />
I can’t accept life isn’t a dream; it doesn’t seem real any more,<br />
My mind and body are two things, not one.<br />
T.S. McPhee (Split Part Three)<br />
<br />
Making the most of the LP record format, Tony (T.S.) McPhee utilizes the first side of his claustrophobic masterpiece, Split, 1971’s sixth bestselling album in the United Kingdom (!), to document his (subsequently recognized as mistaken) descent into schizophrenia. I believe it’s the Post-Sixties Life-In-London Comedown he’s describing here—see Ray Davies’ Muswell Hillbillies LP for further proof that 1971 wasn’t the best of times to be residing in The Smoke—or maybe just the drugs, but McPhee does a convincing job of relating the terror of psychic disconnect regardless of its nature (I should know).<br />
<br />
Briefly John Lee Hooker’s UK backup group, The Groundhogs use the archetypal Power Trio format, a la Cream, Experience, Cheer, Grand Funk, and Budgie (Budgie!) as a springboard for uniquely furious and unglued shape-changing riffage, with a flair all their own for spontaneous shifts in tone and rhythm. This definitive ‘Hogs lineup of T.S., Peter Cruickshank and Ken Pustelnik play an equivocal configuration of Rock: Blues-derived in the loosest sense (more a mood than a style), but stripped of all Brit B-Boom artifice, then layered with dense distortion, wah wah-fired guitar dementia, and an unsettling lyrical fatalism. I call it Punk Rock. The four Splits (Parts One, Two, etc.) of side one create a mood of paranoia matched only by Van Der Graaf Generator’s Pawn Hearts (also from 1971, more evidence that maybe it was the times.). Split One set the tone and rocks its multi-tracked-axes-self silly, as T.S. descends into the psychogenic inferno, but the entire side is a monster. Tony doesn’t find any answers by the end of Split Four, though one gets the sense that redemption may be found by flipping over the record.<br />
<br />
Almost. Side two modulates the mood a little, but not the attack, beginning with leadoff cut—and hands down bonafide Rock Classic scorcher—Cherry Red. Not much optimism for T.S., though:<br />
<br />
All night long I loved her<br />
Morning came too soon<br />
I knew she’d be gone by the afternoon<br />
I said, “Please don’t go”<br />
Still she said goodbye<br />
But as she turned around she had a crafty look in her eye. <br />
<br />
All next day I waited for her return <br />
But she didn’t show<br />
The daylight turned to the dark of night<br />
I said, “Please come soon”<br />
Still there was no sign.<br />
As the dawn returned <br />
I knew that look in her eye was just a lie <br />
And I thought it said:<br />
“When the moon rise this evening, you turn round in your bed,<br />
The warmth of my body will heat you, <br />
Make your blood run Cherry Red”<br />
<br />
Cruickshank’s bass and, especially, Pustelnik’s unbridled drumming approach brilliance here, yet McPhee’s incandescent playing outguns them both. You will not have lived a full life until you’ve heard this song. The somber, near-gothic ecological paean A Year In The Life follows, then the truly lunatic Junkman (famously covered by The Fall) with its skronky atonal solo guitar that takes up the song’s entire second half. And lest anyone forget that T.S. was/is an expert Blues player (a version of The Groundhogs still exists in 2010), the record ends on a relatively quiet note with a grungy roots version of Hooker’s Groundhog Blues—basically Tony, his masterful vocal, authentically bluesy guitar, and wavering stick tapping for accompaniment.<br />
Also recommended:<br />
Thank Christ For The Bomb (1970)<br />
Who Will Save The World? The Mighty Groundhogs! (1972)<br />
-Michael Mooney<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>America Cried</b><br />
<br />
In the fall of 1971, singer, songwriter Don McLean released his epic song about experiencing the tumultuous 1960s, entitled “American Pie.” It has a lot of specific and vague references to musical events that shaped his (and our) consciousness while growing up in the 1950s and ’60s. It is also a lament for the idealistic “America” that finally vanished during that same period. The Civil Rights Movement, political assassinations, and events of the Vietnam War changed our country, and the music that was being created became a reflection of those turbulent times. Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson and Richie Valens were killed in 1959 when their plane crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa, while on tour. Don McLean felt we had lost a whole lot more than just those three gifted musicians, and his tale still resonates to this very day. Much has happened since 1971, so I thought it was time to add a few more verses for these last 40 years.<br />
<br />
They were singing,<br />
“Bye – bye miss American pie”<br />
Drove my chevy to the levee,<br />
But the levee was dry.<br />
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye<br />
Singin’, this’ll be the day that I die.<br />
___________<br />
<br />
We mixed Funk and Soul with Rock n’Roll<br />
I thought that sound would never grow old<br />
Some went so high they just drifted away<br />
And while Son of Sam cruised with the power turned off<br />
The studio dancers could never stop<br />
Too busy tasting the real thing in the dark<br />
Freaking out like tomorrow would never come<br />
<br />
The King fell over, and never got up<br />
Now he wanders in Vegas, another lied to ghost<br />
Sometimes you got nuthin’ when you think you have it all<br />
The corporate suits still controlled the game<br />
But a Rotten smell wouldn’t go away<br />
So they disguised it with skinny ties and short cropped hair<br />
<br />
While JB was discoing all around<br />
The street gangs stole his processed crown<br />
And the Great Black Music slowly faded away<br />
The plastic ono man was then cut down<br />
Bigger than Jesus with the Woodstock crowd<br />
We all gathered in the park, the day the music died<br />
<br />
The TV screens replaced the record machines<br />
With grown men dressed like runway queens<br />
All that sprayed up hair only made us laugh<br />
The angry young boys then had enough<br />
Yelling here we are now, entertain us<br />
Some things just don’t ever change<br />
<br />
I met a jazz man who played the blues<br />
I asked him for the latest news<br />
He said they’ll call this the Black Holocaust soon enough<br />
Always Rappin’ guns and drugs, the new stars are throwaway thugs<br />
That same song has been playing far too long<br />
<br />
Wanting too much fame, has been an expensive ride<br />
Ask the princess if her fare was too high<br />
No one’s heard her answer from the grave<br />
There was a young boy who loved to sing and dance<br />
In front of millions he grew into a lonely man<br />
With his gloved hand he never got to wave goodbye<br />
The day the music died<br />
<br />
They were singing,<br />
“Bye – bye miss American pie”<br />
Drove my chevy to the levee,<br />
But the levee was dry.<br />
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye<br />
Singin’, this’ll be the day that I die.<br />
<br />
Don McLean—“American Pie”<br />
Jim Webb<br />
webbjuice@comcast.netThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-53444155973978431822010-12-06T05:51:00.010-07:002010-12-06T06:15:55.914-07:00The Christmas Letter; Randy Holden: Population IThe Secret Museum<br />
Jim Webb & Michael Mooney<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Christmas Letter</b><br />
<br />
I’m sure you are familiar with the practice of old friends filling you in with a little too much information as regards the trajectory of their life and children during the past year in a Christmas letter. Triumphant tales of job promotions or high school class achievements from the kiddies are added to what their Golden Retriever is up to for a recap of their important events from the last year. It’s nice to hear that Jennifer made the lacrosse team, or that an old acquaintance is now higher up the corporate ladder, but if someone was a friend you would’ve talked to them (or emailed etc.) occasionally for these updates. Sending an Xmas letter seems like a great cover for not wanting to actually speak to a person, but you make sure they know all about your “big accomplishments” from the past year. The only problem is that you never get to hear about the really important stuff. I’m talking about what new musical infatuations they’ve gotten into; like a late adult entry into Glam, or finally having a deep Sinatra immersion. In response to such routine letters I have decided to compose my own year end Holiday recap that will bring everyone up to date on what I consider to be the key music events that I have experienced in the last twelve months.<br />
<br />
2010 will be remembered by me as the year when Taos favorites Manby’s Head played their first live shows. Mr.’s Greenberg, Mooney, Reid, and Whitlock broke out of their rehearsal space near Arroyo Seco and brought their brand of garage / psych- rock to the masses. They played several shows at Seco Pearl, and also raised hell at The Shadows Bar & Grill, as well as playing through a minor dust storm outdoors at the Kannaroo Festival near Questa in June. Add in their Santa Fe and Albuquerque gigs and they became a thirst quenching drink for New Mexicans that were parched by the continually dry local music scene. Two other club shows stood out during the year, The Meat Puppets at the Santa Brewing Co. in May, and a series of shows in September by Barrence Whitfield & The Savages. The Puppets brought their mangled sound of hard rock, punk and psychedelic cowboy tunes up from Tucson and entertained a packed crowd with a great set. Barrence Whitfield is a soul shouter that hails from the Boston area, his good friend and guitarist Peter Greenberg of Arroyo Seco reunited the original Savages for three gigs in New Mexico, and the KTAO Center show in September was a welcome blast of fresh air for these parts.<br />
<br />
A lot of new infatuations did occur (Blue Note record label - see earlier Secret Museum /Horse Fly), but certainly the biggest was a 100 CD collection that I stumbled upon from the German Membran Label. Every jazz song that charted from 1917 to 1954 was included on this epic compilation of old Ragtime, Swing and Jazz tunes. Detailed liner notes helped bring the music of Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, and hundreds of others back to life. We are now quite a bit away from the original 1935 – 1940 explosion of the Swing Band era, but all I can say is that current bands like Arcade Fire and Maroon 5 forced me into cannon balling toward the past for new kicks. The biggest disappointment has to have been the recent cd from Hobbs, New Mexico native Ryan Bingham titled “Junky Star”. He was on an upward flight after releasing “Roadhouse Sun”, and sharing a Grammy for his song in the movie “Crazy Heart”, but this was a step in the wrong direction. He abandoned his slashing rock band sound, for a mostly dull collection of late night campfire songs that could only be recommended as a sleep aid. <br />
<br />
The best concert of the year was a no brainer – Roger Waters “The Wall” was a spectacular multi media extravaganza that had epic ticket prices ($99.00 - $250.00) as well. This intense story from the ex-Pink Floyd bassman included a German Messerschmitt fighter plane smashing into the wall early on, and the huge mechanical puppets and other effects surprisingly never dwarfed his core tale of alienation, and rage at all forms of institutional control(All in all we’re just another brick in the wall). Part Broadway show, part Rock concert, a total success in creating thought provoking entertainment. A dream come true for progressive rock music fans, grab the DVD when it finally comes out if you didn’t make it to one of the shows. <br />
<br />
I didn’t get promoted at work, my car has over 100,000 miles on it, and I’m trying to downsize everything in the wake of the continuing economic recession (except buying CDs and concert tickets of course). The good news is that 2011 is just around the corner, and there’s still a lot of great music to be discovered.<br />
<br />
Merry Christmas,<br />
-Jim Webb<br />
webbjuice@comcast.net<br />
<br />
<b>Randy Holden’s Sonic Adventure: The Fender IV, Sons Of Adam, The Other Half, Blue Cheer, Population II</b><br />
<br />
Self-proclaimed (with justification) Guitar God (and gear head), Randy Holden’s recording career began in 1964 with Los Angeles’ Surf-influenced Fender IV. Signed to Imperial Records, their entire output consists of six reverb-drenched songs that owe more than a nod to Dick Dale. 19-year-old Randy already shows a tremendous command of his instrument on these early cuts, though I can’t listen to much Surf Music— kinda makes me edgy (there’s a weird Kenneth Anger/Jayne Mansfield/Big Daddy Roth air about early— and mid AND late—60s L.A. that’s difficult to explain, but it’s evident in everything from dingbat apartment buildings to the Beverly Hillbillies to Ed Kienholz. The whole place reeks of such a creepy pre-memory I’ve-seen-this-somewhere-before vibe that I eventually found it impossible to live there.) Fender IV are particularly spooky sounding, with their proto—ska beat, Middle-East melodies and small room recording atmosphere.<br />
<br />
Sons Of Adam trade reverb for sustain, add vocals, and increase the garage factor. The results occasionally sound like The Leaves, or Love minus the songs (and Arthur Lee), plus Jeff Beck on guitar. I also detect traces of The Misunderstood, Beau Brummels and Shadows Of Knight in the mix (none of the dozen cuts I’ve heard would sound out of place on Nuggets.) A pre-Love Michael Stuart contributes some very sharp drumming, and Holden continues to evolve as a guitarist—Beck comparisons aside-— while beginning his initial experiments with volume, feedback and alternate tuning. Good L.A. Pop/proto-psych with Freakbeat leanings.<br />
<br />
Transplanted from So Cal to San Francisco, The Other Half’s main claim to fame is Punk classic Mr. Pharmacist. Their lone album suffers from sludgy production and unnecessary cheesy canned audience applause on the opening track, but there’s some great stuff here, notably Flight Of The Dragon Lady, Morning Fire, and Wonderful Day— a Summer of Love stunner about, in Randy’s words, “this guy who's really happy, generally just happy about everything in life. And he's got some girl that is just pissed. So it's a conflict.” With the exception of What Can I Do For You (a BIG exception to some), nowhere is the LP reflective of the contemporaneous San Francisco sound. This is tough psychedelic street punk, similar in certain aspects to the first Amboy Dukes album, and Holden’s work is outstanding. Too bad the record was released in 1968, at least a year past it’s sell-by date.<br />
<br />
Randy’s complete Blue Cheer output, consisting of Side Two of 1969’s New! Improved! (three Holden-composed and sung tracks totaling fourteen minutes forty-two seconds), is, ironically, his best-known work. Suffice to say that Holden’s inclination toward heaviness is well matched by Cheer rhythm section Dickie Peterson and Paul Whaley. Drummer Whaley in particular has never sounded better. If Blue Cheer had continued in this vein, they wouldn’t have ended their career playing their first two albums exclusively on the live circuit. Instead, they opted for the prevailing California Mellow approach on the remaining other half (!) of the LP, and future recordings. Randy, meanwhile, just got heavier.<br />
<br />
Population II teams Holden with Kak’s Chris Lockheed on an unparalleled study in guitar extremism, or the heaviest record you’ve never heard. Lockheed plays drums and keyboard (simultaneously!!) and Randy does the rest. Sixteen two-hundred watt Sunn amps and a 10-hour-per-day-every-day rehearsal schedule in an empty opera house- the only place big enough to handle the power- set the stage for one massive slab of Strat-fired bedlam (the Sunn getup didn’t do Randy’s Gibson justice, so he switched to Jimi’s axe of choice. Comparisons abound.) Holden takes up the story: “Chris first searched me out after Blue Cheer… So when he had a meeting with me, he said that he also played keyboards. And loving sensationalism as I do, I asked him, ‘Can you play both at once, drums and keyboards?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ I thought okay, if this guy's got the confidence and the nerve to say that, he's gotta be able to do it. But it was really laborious for him... It was very numerical and mathematical and calculated. It was very difficult to do. And I realized that the job he faced sucked. To me, it would have been no fun at all. Because you're totally restricted. On one side you have to have this soft touch on keyboards, and the other side, you have to be slamming. So your personality’s divided right down the middle. It's amazing that he didn't overdose on schizophrenia.” Consequently, Population II has a slowed down feeling, almost leaden at times (and just about perfect for the emerging Quaalude generation.) And it’s unbelievably loud. Had it been given a proper offical release in 1970 instead of never (there have apparently been more than a few bootleg pressings over the years, and a questionable “legitimate” Swedish cd issuance), this album might be mentioned in the same breath as Black Sabbath’s first or Paranoid, instead of Bloodrock’s second or Kingdom Come.<br />
<br />
Partial discography:<br />
<br />
Randy Holden Early Works ’64-’66 (Captain Trips CD 1997)<br />
Sons Of Adam- Moxie EP (7” 1981)<br />
The Other Half (Atco LP 1968)<br />
Blue Cheer- New! Improved! (Philips LP 1969)<br />
Randy Holden Population II (unreleased 1970)<br />
-Michael Mooney<br />
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=loftholdingsw-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B00004U8VX&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=loftholdingsw-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000006ZEX&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=loftholdingsw-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B00004SVIK&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=loftholdingsw-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004785J7K&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>The Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-60999049487056832852010-12-02T17:35:00.001-07:002010-12-02T18:02:16.634-07:00Curtains...<div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="583540619-02122010"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow';"><strong>Via email earlier today:</strong></span></span><br />
<span class="583540619-02122010"><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Arial Narrow';"><strong><br />
</strong></span></span><br />
<span class="583540619-02122010"><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Arial Narrow';"><strong>Hello everyone!</strong></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="583540619-02122010"><strong><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Arial Narrow';">I want to let you know that it has been decided to close the Taos Horse Fly. There will not be a December publication. Feel free to submit your pieces to any other publication.</span></strong></span></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="583540619-02122010"><strong><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Arial Narrow';">I thank you all for your past contributions and wish you all the best in the future.</span></strong></span></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="583540619-02122010"><strong><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Arial Narrow';">For those of you have subscriptions, the remaining balance will be calculated and returned to you.</span></strong></span></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"></div><div align="left" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7782615095424872667&postID=6099904948705683285" name="OLE_LINK4" rel="nofollow"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7782615095424872667&postID=6099904948705683285" name="OLE_LINK3" rel="nofollow"></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: teal;"><strong>Lydia</strong></span></span><span style="color: teal;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial;"><strong> </strong><span style="color: teal;"><strong>Garcia<br />
Publisher</strong></span></span></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: teal;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: teal;"><strong><br />
</strong></span></span></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>We're not sure what's going on here, but hopefully it'll get sorted out soon. Loftholdingswood and the Secret Museum will continue.</strong></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>-mm</strong></span></div></div>The Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-48794593744169609762010-11-06T12:21:00.002-06:002011-02-19T09:28:28.794-07:00The Zombies, David Gates and Johnny Otis<div class="headline1" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Secret Museum</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">By Michael Mooney and Jim Webb</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"></div><div class="body1" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 11px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">David Gates & Bread vs. The Zombies: A Word of Caution</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the annals of Rock, one would be hard pressed to find two more prominent groups with greater self-esteem issues than The Zombies and Bread. Both were responsible for some of the mid-20th century’s most delicate and tuneful music (in Bread’s case, treacly so), yet were much too sensitive for their own good (in Bread’s case, falsely so.) And both bands displayed varying symptoms of mental illness, and in very different ways. As such, their musical message must be declared extremely dangerous to any potential listener who may be experiencing the slightest hint of emotional vulnerability. The behaviors demonstrated in the following songs are not recommended. Consider this a warning.</span></span></div><div class="body1" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
The Zombies got off to a good start in the late fall of 1964. Their debut single “She’s Not There” shot to Number Two on the Billboard Top Hot 100 chart and heralded them as strong contenders during the second wave of the British Invasion. The Zombies’ jazzy sophistication set them apart from other less polished chart invaders that autumn, such as The Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Honeycombs and The Rolling Stones. “She’s Not There” reveals the group’s innate sensitivity, but suggests, via Rod Argent’s alternating direct/nebulous lyric and the equally alternating resignation/fury of Colin Blunstone’s vocal, a reluctant indifference to the song’s subject (everybody sing):</span></span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span> Well, no one told me about her—the way she lied<br />
Well, no one told me about her—how many people cried<br />
But it’s too late to say you’re sorry<br />
How would I know, why should I care?<br />
Please don’t bother trying to find her<br />
She’s not there<br />
<br />
Well, no one told me about her—what could I do<br />
Well, no one told me about her—though they all knew …<br />
<br />
Well, let me tell you about the way she looked<br />
The way she’d act and the color of her hair<br />
Her voice was soft and cool, her eyes were clear and bright<br />
But she’s not there …</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is a very peculiar song. The singer is compelled to describe details of the subject’s physical characteristics and behavior, perhaps indicative of the power she may still hold over him, meanwhile admitting his bewilderment that others (his friends?) had been aware of her deviousness all along, yet chose to keep the secret from him. His anger and confusion are obvious, and who can blame the guy?</span></span></span></i></div><div class="body1" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Second single “Leave Me Be” (written by bassist Chris White) is a signpost for things to come: Blunstone admits his self-pity over her departure, and would like to be left alone, please, until he’s completely recovered. Alas, it is not to be, for The Zombies’ third single bears all the markings of full-blown psychosis.</span></span></div><div class="body1" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
With “Tell Her No” (another U.S. Top 10 smash), The Zombies’ psychological sickness (it should be noted that most of these songs are the work of Rod Argent; White’s songs, while occasionally lacking amour propre, rarely approach the self-loathing shame of Argent’s more autophobic material. And to be fair to Rod, not everything he’s composed is like this—how could it be?—but surely enough is like this to make you wonder) becomes fully manifest:</span></span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span> … And if she should tell you “come closer”<br />
And if she tempts you with her charms<br />
Tell her no …<br />
<br />
I know she’s the kind of girl who’d throw my love away<br />
But I still love her so<br />
Don’t hurt me now, don’t hurt me now …<br />
<br />
And if she should tell you “I love you”<br />
Just remember she said that to me …</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The lack of self-respect revealed in these words defies comprehension. Because he is still in love with his ex, Colin is asking her new lover to call off the relationship. The 63 “no’s” repeated during the song (second only to The Human Beinz in the Great Rock Negatives competition) probably won’t help his cause, but if anyone in the history of Planet Earth has ever succeeded in reconciling through the use of this uniquely masochistic method, I would be extremely interested in hearing the details.<br />
<br />
Here’s more (from Chris White):</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
She told me she loved me<br />
With words as soft as morning rain<br />
But the light that fell upon me<br />
Turned to shadow when he came …<br />
<br />
Maybe after he’s gone<br />
She’ll come back, love me again …<br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Once in a while, Rod acknowledges his illness:</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
… Can’t you see that you were wrong<br />
Can’t you see I knew how long you’d lied and cheated …<br />
<br />
If I worry that’s my business, anytime I want to cry<br />
If I want to feed this sickness<br />
Keep away from me<br />
Cause I’ll keep trying till you come on home …<br />
Keep trying till you come on home to me</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mostly, though, it’s more of the same (to differing degrees) forever and ever, or at least until, with the exception of “Maybe After He’s Gone,” of course, Odessey and Oracle.</span></span></span></i></div><div class="body1" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></i></div><div class="body1" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Any analysis of Bread must begin with the manipulative pack of lies quoted below:</span></span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span> It don’t matter to me<br />
If you really feel that<br />
You need some time to be free<br />
Time to go out searching for yourself<br />
Hoping to find time …<br />
To go to find.<br />
<br />
And it don’t matter to me<br />
If you take up with some<br />
One who’s better than me<br />
’Cause your happiness is all I want<br />
For you to find peace …<br />
Your peace of mind.<br />
<br />
Lotta people have an ego hang-up ’cause they want to be the only one<br />
How many came before, it really doesn’t matter, just as long as you’re the last<br />
Everybody runnin’ ’round and ’round and tryin’ to find out<br />
What’s been missing in the past.<br />
<br />
And it don’t matter to me<br />
If your searchin’ brings you<br />
Back together with me<br />
’Cause there’ll always be an empty room<br />
Waiting for you<br />
And an open heart<br />
Waiting for you<br />
Time is on my side<br />
<br />
’Cause it don’t matter to me.</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yes it does matter, liar. David Gates is contemptible. He wants to get back into her pants, plain and simple. He uses words like “don’t” instead of “doesn’t” (and phrases such as “Baby, I’m-a want you” and “I wanna make it with you”) to show that he’s just plain folks, and not some slippery West Coast studio hack (or posh Home County boy like those Zombies.) The hippie sentiments expressed in this song are so unmistakably untrue it’s hard not to laugh: that you must have self-image issues to desire commitment in a relationship. Gates certainly has those issues in spades, as evidenced here:</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
I found her diary underneath a tree<br />
And started reading about me<br />
The words she’d written took me by surprise<br />
You’d never read them in her eyes<br />
They said that she had found the love she waited for<br />
Wouldn’t you know it, she wouldn’t show it<br />
<br />
Then she, confronted with the writing there,<br />
Simply pretended not to care<br />
I passed it off as just in keeping with<br />
Her total disconcerting air<br />
And though she tried to hide<br />
The love that she denied<br />
Wouldn’t you know it, she wouldn’t show it.<br />
<br />
And as I go through my life, I will give to her, my wife<br />
All the sweet things I can find<br />
<br />
I found her diary underneath a tree<br />
And started reading about me<br />
The words began to stick, and tears to flow<br />
Her meaning now was clear to see<br />
The love she’d waited for was someone else not me<br />
Wouldn’t you know it, she wouldn’t show it<br />
<br />
And as I go through my life, I will wish for her, his wife<br />
All the sweet things that she can find<br />
All the sweet things they can find</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i> Oh please. You’ve been made a fool, and that’s the best you can do? At least The Zombies would have gone straight to the other man and begged him to end the romance at once. This instant, my good fellow! Instead, David Gates wishes the both of them all the best “things” in life. Gates is no Gandhi. He probably realized the guy was too big to reckon with and went looking for another Top 10 hit instead (sorry, Dave: this one only got to number 15.)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Finally, in “Everything I Own,” after relating all the wonderful “things” his lady taught him (and I’m positive David Gates is precisely the type of chauvinist to refer to his partner as “my lady”), Gates declares that he would give the title of this song, plus his house, and his heart, and his own life in order to touch her body once more. Which begs the question: if she trained you so well, why did she go? David Gates won’t quite commit to admitting that he took her for granted, though he does go on to warn us against similar behavior. The Zombies would never do that.<br />
<br />
Recap:<br />
Zombies<br />
1. She is a liar, my friends provided her cover, but I’d rather give a rundown of her physical attributes. (She’s Not There)<br />
2. I won’t leave this room until I’m certain not to liquefy the next time I see the girl who jilted me. (Leave Me Be)<br />
3. She doesn’t love me; she loves you. But I love her. So please, new boyfriend, don’t hurt me. Break up with her. (Tell Her No)<br />
4. She took off with another. I hope she’ll return once it’s over. (Maybe After He’s Gone)<br />
5. She’s a liar, plus she cheated on me. I admit that I am sick, but I will never give up on her. (I’ll Keep Trying)<br />
<br />
Bread<br />
1. If you love someone set them free, ’cause I’m easy like Sunday morning. Also, I’m better than everyone else, so I really don’t care if you never return. But if you do, that’s fine, too, because I’m also a liar. And horny. (It Don’t Matter To Me)<br />
2. I’m not troubled by your “disconcerting air,” probably because I’m a sap. But all the best anyway, even though you’re marrying him when I thought you would be marrying me (because I’d like you to think that I’m easy like Sunday morning, but in reality I’m a sap.) (Diary)<br />
3. You kept me warm, but left with him anyway. And I would die if it meant getting you back, which makes absolutely no sense, but I’ll try anything. Oh, and you people out there: let this be a lesson!<br />
4. I wanna make it with you because life may be short, except it may also be long. (Make It With You)<br />
5. I’m-a keep-a talking like-a this until I’m-a make it with you (apologies to Mark E. Smith) (Baby I’m-A Want You)<br />
<br />
-Michael Mooney<br />
<br />
</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Who Is This Man?</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
He is a member of the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, the Rhythm n’ Blues Hall of Fame, and the Blues Hall of Fame. This musician was the driving force behind 17 Top Forty R n’ B hits between 1950 and 1969, and during 1950 he had 10 songs appear on the Billboard Retail Rhythm n’ Blues lists. His job duties have included being a singer, writer, producer, band leader, performer, author; TV & radio show host, club owner, community organizer, painter and preacher. Not only has he drummed for The Count Basie Orchestra, but he has also played with everyone from jazz legend Charlie Parker to bluesman T-Bone Walker, R n’ B great Big Joe Turner, and Rock icon Frank Zappa. He discovered and nurtured many great singers like Etta James, Hank Ballard, Jackie Wilson, Big Mama Thornton and Little Willie John. In 1945, his big band had a huge hit with “Harlem Nocturne,” and in 2000 he headlined the San Francisco Blues Festival. The person in question has been described as one of the great unknown renaissance men of the 20th century. His parents were Greek immigrants; with the last name on his birth certificate listed as Veliotes. Known as a great ambassador for African American culture, he just happens to be white.</span></span></div><div class="body1" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
I’m describing the legendary Johnny Otis, and his remarkable life is the subject of a recent biography by George Lipsitz, titled “Midnight at the Barrelhouse, The Johnny Otis Story.” The Barrelhouse was a music club that Johnny opened in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1947, and he was instrumental in shaping the sound that was to become Rhythm and Blues. Big Band jazz groups were finding it too expensive to stay together in post World War II America, and Johnny was at the forefront of creating music for small combos that played for the black community. Early on, he repeatedly experienced many different forms of racism as a musician. He saw black musicians’ songs that wouldn’t be played on mainstream radio stations become massive hits when inferior versions by white singers were recorded and released. As an olive-skinned ethnic Greek, Johnny passed for being a light-skinned black, but the various problems that he had in the Jim Crow Deep South were truly unique. He always ate and slept with his band members in the black side of town, but Otis tells a poignant story that occurred in 1952 after playing in Memphis, Tennessee. He was refused a hotel room in the black part of town for being white, so he proceeded to a nearby all white neighborhood, only to be refused a room there for being black. You might already know Johnny from his big hit “Willie and the Hand Jive,” but he is much more than just another name on an oldies radio station. The book touches on all phases of his life, including his thoughts and experience of living through the L.A. Watts riots of 1965, as well as becoming a minister late in life. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Johnny Otis doesn’t shy away from making negative comments about White America and their acceptance of the racial status quo that had African Americans treated as third class citizens. His anger and at times bitterness might be too off putting for some people, but are examples to me of his complete honesty in recalling his experiences in life. Johnny retired in 2006, after almost 70 years as a professional musician. George Lipsitz should be commended for such an intimate portrait of a unique individual, and we are lucky that Johnny is still with us today at 88 years of age.</span></span></div><div class="body1" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Mr. Otis found a way to connect with many different people—through his music, his social work, and the church pulpit he spoke from. Today’s entertainers think success is measured by how large their bank account is, or how many paparazzi trail them around town. Johnny Otis has consistently shown what it means to be committed to your work, to try and help others in need, and to always give back to the community that has nurtured you. Who is this man? I think the best answer is that he’s a real success.<br />
<br />
Jim Webb<br />
webbjuic@comcast.net<br />
<br />
Suggested listening: “Midnight at the Barrelhouse” 5-CD box set, JSP label.<br />
Further reading: “Upside Your Head, Rhythm and Blues on Central Ave.” by Johnny Otis.</span></span></div><div class="body1" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><br />
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<br />
<br />
By Jim Webb & Michael Mooney<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Death of a Salesman: Sir Michael Philip “Mick” Jagger</b><br />
<br />
<br />
He sold because that’s what he did best. Some people knew him only as a musician, a singer, and writer of songs. Mick never straightened them out—part of being a master salesman is letting the customer think they know you, are comfortable with you. No one would ever have considered him an innovator in the musical products he packaged and sold since 1963 with various members of his sales team called The Rolling Stones. The quality of his wares varied considerably, with a noticeable decline in later years. In the fast changing tastes of the pop culture market place, he figured out how to stay active for almost 50 years, when others simply faded away.<br />
<br />
<i>“The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle and comes out, the age of 21, and he’s rich!”</i>—Willy Loman*<br />
<br />
The last great product he had to sell was from 1972, called “Exile on Main St.” This period was at the tail end of when Jagger still gave a damn about what he was pushing on the showroom floor. His vocals on “Sweet Virginia,” “Loving Cup,” and “Torn and Frayed” have an authenticity that was rarely heard again. What followed in the coming years exposed how naked his ambition was to sell, regardless if it affected his credibility. A track from 1973’s “Goat’s Head Soup” called “Dancing with Mr. D” was complete nonsense, foreshadowing the inconsistent studio and unnecessary live albums to come. It took the young punks selling rebellion in the U.K. to get Jagger & Co. hustling again with “Some Girls” in 1978. By the mid-eighties, Mick was so bored he decided to go solo, before quickly coming to his senses when the sales figures for those efforts were reported. While his old buddy Keith Richards had been mostly chasing drugs, Mick was interested in being a celebrity and chasing women more than anything else.<br />
<br />
<i>“Just wanna be careful with those girls, Biff, that’s all. Don’t make any promises. No promises of any kind. Because a girl, y’know, they always believe what you tell them.”</i>—Willy Loman<br />
<br />
Mick Jagger was one of the greatest salesmen in the last 50 years. At one time or another he sold sex, seduction, danger, attitude, style, albums, 45s, CDs, DVDs , T-shirts, hats and anything else he could put his big lips logo on. We bought it all, and in the process he became a very rich man. A brief nod should be given to his first manager Andrew Loog Oldham who showed him how to use the media to his advantage. The group formed their own Rolling Stones record label in 1971 to increase profits and cut out the middle man, and also became one of the first to accept corporate sponsorship when touring. Budweiser, Volkswagen, Tommy Hilfiger, Sprint and Levi’s are just a few of the companies that have paid big money to be associated with The Rolling Stones traveling circus. Ultimately, the product that Mick Jagger sold best was always himself.<br />
<br />
<i>“The man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead.”</i>—Willy Loman<br />
<br />
In 2010, “Exile on Main St.” was re-released with a couple of previously unused tracks from the original sessions. After all these years, the strength of the writing and performances from 1972 still stands out as one of the high points in their long catalogue. “Exile” has unfortunately also reminded us that the Mick Jagger who wrote great songs has been a missing person for so long that it is time to officially announce his passing. Mick had a lot of big sales through the years, but his biggest was making people believe he was just a singer in a famous rock n’ roll band. It was a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Jagger. I won’t forget to put roses on your grave.<br />
<br />
<i>“He had a good dream. It’s the only dream you can have—to come out number 1 man.”</i>—Willy Loman<br />
<br />
*“Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller.<br />
<br />
Jim Webb<br />
webbjuice@comcast.net<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20src=%22http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_top&bc1=000000&IS1=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=loftholdingsw-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=B0039TD7RC%22%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20frameborder=%220%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_top&bc1=000000&IS1=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=loftholdingsw-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=B0039TD7RC" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>An Interview with Jim Webb</b><br />
<br />
MM: Jim, what is your earliest Rock memory, and why do you suppose it stuck with you through the years?<br />
<br />
JW: <i>At first I was going to say seeing The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show, then I remembered a special dance I did for parents to an early Herb Alpert/Tijuana Brass hit single. After about 30 seconds of making sure they were my first Rock recollections, I realized that the truth was that on Saturday mornings when I was about five years old (1963) I used to watch a TV show called “Sky King.” I don’t know who the actors were, but it was a Roy Rogers type cowboy show that was unique because the main cowboy flew around in a small airplane solving crimes and helping people. It took place in the Western U.S., and all of the scenery—mountains, boulders and trails—made it seem like a magical place. Not long ago, I researched the show on the Internet and found out it was from the mid fifties, with reruns being shown into the sixties.</i><br />
<br />
MM: I faintly recall Sky King—mainly, I think, because of daughter Penny. But I don’t remember any music. Did the Sky King sing?<br />
<br />
JW: <i>That doesn’t ring a bell, him singing, but the combination of him flying a plane and being a cowboy seemed like an exciting life. The Sky King was surrounded by rocks, mountains, etc.…</i><br />
<br />
MM: I see. But that hardly explains your subsequent interest in Rock Music, especially if Penny doesn’t factor in there someplace. Let’s go back to Herb Alpert for a moment. As an eight year-old, I dug him almost as much as The Association. Still do.<br />
<br />
JW: <i>My parents didn’t buy a lot of LPs, but they did buy some Herb Alpert & the TJB. My dad loved listening to the mid-sixties Ramsey Lewis Trio and anything by Anthony Newley. “Roar of the Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd” was played a lot when it came out. The TJB was fun music, and not too complicated.<br />
</i><br />
MM: Miles Davis once said that you could tell a Herb Alpert lead within three notes. Herb probably took that as a compliment. <br />
<br />
So a nice mid-sixties Adult Contemporary vibe was going on at the Webb compound? In Philadelphia, you’d hear some of that stuff on the AM giants WIBG and WFIL, but mostly the mellower songs were only played on WIP. That’s where I first encountered The Free Design back in ’68. Did you know Chris Dedrick passed away recently? <br />
<br />
JW: <i>I didn’t know Dedrick had died. The first radio station I can remember listening to fanatically was CKLW from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. We lived in Toledo, Ohio, from 1965 to 1969 and that station was close to Detroit— it easily reached us. I have three brothers and four sisters, but my older brother and sister were buying 45s regularly in ’66 & ’67. We weren’t buying albums; the first 45 I can remember buying was The Rolling Stones “Ruby Tuesday.”<br />
</i><br />
MM: Good choice for a very first purchase, and an extremely poppy song. CKLW—were they playing the noisier sounds coming out of Detroit at the time?<br />
<br />
JW: <i>A little bit of everything. But mostly they were a Top Forty station that took chances. Things like Bob Seger’s “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” was a monster smash in Toledo/Detroit, and they played The Who’s “Call Me Lightning.” Whatever they played I thought were big hits across the country—turns out some were just regional hits. The first 8-track I bought was The Cream—Best of, 1969. An older neighborhood friend was into The Doors, Hendrix and The Cream.</i><br />
<br />
MM: Same situation in Philly. I always assumed Some Kind Of Wonderful by the Soul Brothers Six was a nationwide smash, as did Grand Funk Railroad, apparently, who were to discover otherwise when their version went Top Ten seven years later. Ditto Billy Harner and the Kit Kats. I’m still amazed that Call Me Lightning broke out in the Upper Midwest and nowhere else.<br />
<br />
In 1969, your family relocated to the East Coast. Did you find the musical climate in the Delaware Valley to be much different from Northwest Ohio?<br />
<br />
JW:<i> I remember we moved during the middle of sixth grade. One of my teachers that year in Bensalem, PA., asked the class to write down their favorite group. Three Dog Night won, closely followed by Sly & The Family Stone. I was a little puzzled by that result, having written down The Rolling Stones.<br />
</i><br />
MM: Hmm. It seems that the divide was already in place. I guess Bobby Sherman and The J5 hadn’t arrived yet. I, too, was firmly in the Stones camp in late ’69.<br />
<br />
You are five years away from witnessing your first concert. Give us a sense of how your musical tastes expanded during the interim.<br />
<br />
JW: <i>The period of 1970 to 1973 didn’t spark any great new finds, I wasn’t looking that hard for any. I still listened to Top Forty radio, but that was getting hard to find good songs. People like James Taylor did nothing for me, and Jethro Tull’s “Thick as a Brick” seemed too weird. A good friend of mine got Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” but neither one of us could understand what all the fuss was about—not driving enough for my 15 year old ears. In late 1973/early ’74, the New York Dolls cleared the decks. Watching them on Don Kirshner’s TV show with their platform boots, wild hair and slashing songs made me realize I had ignored the great non-commercial bands that would never be on AM radio. I started listening to progressive FM station WMMR, and just kept checking out all the bands/artists that I hadn’t heard before. Any Rock magazine like Circus, Rolling Stone, Hit Parader was now consumed cover to cover.<br />
</i><br />
MM: And so, the Dolls served as your catalyst to the possibilities of Rock. I would suggest that proximity to Manhattan, and later trips to London, were also springboards to wider musical appreciation. Many have taken that road and never looked back, yet you’ve always remained faithful to some of the less exploratory sub-genres. Explain.<br />
<br />
JW: <i>I’m not sure, but listening to all the great radio hits and almost-hits from the sixties made me appreciate a good three-minute song. Roger Miller’s “King of the Road” just seemed like a great tune when I first heard it. Once I got into the history of Rock music, it didn’t take long to have to run down all their influences from Blues, Country and R n’ B. The history of pop music and how it quickly evolved through the years just seemed like something important to check out. It was still reasonably new; in ’74, Elvis had only been around for about 20 years. Pop Rock music was being created by our extended peer group, for our enjoyment. The Rock community still existed in the mid-seventies, though corporate big money was already changing things.</i><br />
<br />
MM: The decline of AM radio gave rise to the creation of specific airplay formats and a splintering of broadcast choices. Is that fragmentation responsible for the deplorable state of radio these days? Or does it no longer matter?<br />
<br />
JW: <i>For a long time, the record companies had no idea what would sell, they just released 45s and albums, hoping some of them would be big sellers. Then they signed a lot more bands that sounded like what was selling. The Underground/Punk scene in both the U.K./U.S. (1972-77) was a reaction to the corporate suits, and the kids finally could make “their” music. Radio today is simply about holding the most listeners as possible until the next commercial break comes. Someone like Sheryl Crow is very safe—she has homogenized the last 30 years of pop/rock music to the point that there is nothing left to taste.</i><br />
<br />
MM: Apart from the U.S. Hardcore phenomenon (the ’80s version of a Folk revival, in my opinion) and some interesting rumblings from the world Underground, that decade appears today as a musical wasteland. Two questions: What happened to the promise of Punk, and is there anything of merit to come out of the 1980s that still resonates?<br />
<br />
JW: <i>The eighties didn’t have much to offer me that I could find at the time. I’m sure I still haven’t heard some great stuff released on obscure labels. My current favorite unknown/unheard (at least in the U.S.) band from the eighties is the U.K. group Half Man Half Biscuit. After about 1983, I dove into The Blues and didn’t come to the surface until 1987. I immediately went into a prolonged Jazz infatuation that ended around 1995 (thankfully I missed Grunge). The shambolic indie/punk band The Fall really blossomed in the eighties, and I still like their stuff.</i><br />
<br />
MM: Which brings us to the last 15 years, and my final question: Do you see any hope in the future of Rock, or will it continue to splutter and meander before ultimately petering in the next decade or so?<br />
<br />
JW: <i>Mainstream corporate-promoted Rock is dying as we speak. What gives me hope is the young men and women who are currently pumping their enthusiasm into varying styles of music. As an example, there is a young band from Albuquerque called The Squash Blossom Boys that embodies that pure love of music. They take old blues and folk songs from the 1920s and ’30s and rave some of them up into an out of control freight train. When any group of people get together to pursue their shared love of music, great things are always possible. <br />
</i><br />
Michael MooneyThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-33916893368859956222010-09-07T06:31:00.000-06:002010-09-07T06:31:17.681-06:00Lisa Germano Redux/Jager Shots Live<b>The Secret Museum</b><br />
Michael Mooney & Jim Webb<br />
<br />
<b>Lisa Germano: Magic Neighbor, In The Maybe World, Lullaby For Liquid Pig</b><br />
<br />
I was wrong. A few issues back, a particularly nasty review of Lisa Germano’s (somewhat) recent recordings appeared in this column. Actually, one recording: Lullaby For Liquid Pig, from 2003 (I’d never gotten around to listening to 2006’s In The Maybe World, and wasn’t even aware of last year’s Magic Neighbor.) I made a big deal about why I couldn’t relate to Lisa’s newer music, how her self-pity bored me, and that she seemed stuck in a self-created rut only she could wallow in. Exceedingly boorish accusations, I’m ashamed to admit. The fact of the matter is that I hadn’t truly listened to Lullaby For Liquid Pig. But now I have, and I was wrong.<br />
<br />
Jim has a rule, which demands that one listen to a recording at least three times before consigning lesser works to eBay (or wherever those thousands of CDs go each year.) I’m impulsive. If something doesn’t grab me immediately, I’ve been known to hit the eject button and move on to something else. Lullaby For Liquid Pig is not an easy first listen. Maybe it’s the sequencing, but the three initial songs killed the album for me the first time around. And while it picks up considerably from there, I didn’t give the record a chance. That’s a shameful admission, particularly from someone who prides himself on his musical tastes, because LFLP is a pretty good disc. While not quite approaching the caliber of Lisa’s groundbreaking 4AD LPs, it does maintain an appealing unsteady quality throughout, and the tunes are definitely there, although she occasionally buries her hooks beneath provisional-sounding—and surely intentional—home-studio dissonance (especially on those first three tracks, which are, of course, my favorites now.) Another thing I was wrong about: Lisa’s still self-deprecating (a rare quality in the overweening world of Pop,) and she’s still, at times, terribly funny.<br />
<br />
There’s nothing humorous about In The Maybe World. This album ranks right up there with Berlin, The Painted Word, and Germano’s own Geek The Girl as one of Rock’s classic works of introspective sadness. The theme is loss. These are the lyrics to Too Much Space:<br />
<br />
In the morning without a sound<br />
And the stirring of dreams around<br />
Then you wake up<br />
He wasn’t there again<br />
<br />
On the way home you feel it there<br />
Cause your heart needs to be somewhere<br />
But you wake up<br />
To too much space again<br />
An illusion it’s just not true<br />
We’ve always been me and you<br />
<br />
But I wake up<br />
And you’re not here again<br />
You never know<br />
You wait too long<br />
You need a fire<br />
It’s all gone wrong<br />
<br />
He gave it up he hit the dust<br />
And now your heart is made of rust<br />
<br />
You dig a plant<br />
And put it there<br />
And hope and hope<br />
And swear and swear<br />
One of us.<br />
<br />
Lisa Germano has the rare ability to render complex emotional states into deceptively astute and intelligible lyricism. The music on this brief record (34 minutes) is equally beautiful, at times heartbreakingly so. That it’s taken me four years to discover the album is regrettable. In The Maybe World is a small masterpiece.<br />
<br />
So is Magic Neighbor. The fact that an artist can produce her best work nearly 20 years into a solo career that hasn’t exactly set the world on fire is (may I say?) remarkable. That the same artist only got started well into her fourth decade proves that Pop is not exclusively a young (or someone pretending to be a young) person’s game, and that creativity need not diminish with age. It’s inspiring that a musician as distinctive as Lisa Germano continues to remain true to her own musical intuition while expanding its possibilities. Magic Neighbor is a little more impressionistic than most Germano recordings (French Impressionistic to be exact). Not as tranquil-sounding as In The Maybe World, though every bit as melodic, there’s also a degree of luminousness in the subject matter here that is not usually found on a Lisa Germano album. That may bode well for those of you who are unwilling to hang tough with Lisa for fear of reaching for the stop button (or the razor blade), just like me several months ago. I won’t make that mistake again.<br />
<br />
Lisa Germano Top Ten:<br />
In The Maybe World (2006)<br />
Geek The Girl (1995)<br />
Magic Neighbor (2009)<br />
Happiness (1994 version)<br />
Inconsiderate Bitch EP (1994)<br />
Slide (1998)<br />
Happiness (1993 version)<br />
Excerpts From A Love Circus (1996)<br />
OP8: Slush (L.G. and Giant Sand- 1997)<br />
On The Way Don From The Moon Palace (1991)<br />
-Michael Mooney<br />
<b><br />
Drunk on Profits: Jagermeister, Live Nation & Rush</b><br />
<br />
The Canadian Rock band Rush recently played the Hard Rock Casino Pavilion in Albuquerque. This year’s main outdoor summer concert series in the Duke City is again being handled primarily by Live Nation, who earlier this year merged with Ticketmaster to create an entertainment powerhouse called Live Nation Entertainment. Live Nation signs bands to long term deals where they become the exclusive promoter for all of their live concerts. Madonna, U2 and Jay-Z are just a few of the big names that have been locked up with huge guarantees from the deep financial pockets of Live Nation. As the traditional market for CD sales keeps shrinking, bands are relying even more on concert revenue as their biggest source of income. Ticketmaster was the largest company that handled ticket sales for hundreds of main venues throughout the Unites States before joining up with Live Nation in 2010. We all know them for the service charges, facility and shipping charges that are added to the base price of the tickets we purchase either online or by phone. As I drove into the parking lot at the Pavilion, nothing was outwardly different since Live Nation and Ticketmaster joined forces. The same hassle getting into the venue off of Rio Bravo Boulevard occurred—you’d think one day they would realize 10,000 plus concert goers were coming and would have a better traffic pattern in place. Rush came out promptly at 7:45 p.m.—this was the opening North American concert on their 2010 Time Machine Tour. The band sounded good as they opened with “The Spirit of Radio” and played a couple of unrecorded new songs in the first set as well, but I kept getting distracted by the young women constantly selling Jagermeister shots.<br />
<br />
A recent phenomenon in outdoor beverage concession sales is roving sales teams of ladies bringing “Jager Shots” to your seat. At first it seemed as normal as the beer and soda sellers, employees wading through the crowds to save you from having to wait in line. But the frequency of seeing them pass by with trays of test-tube size shots was surprising. There will be no moralizing from me on people who choose to get high or feelin’ good on beer, wine or pot at concerts. I personally enjoy a few beers as much as anyone, but the constant effort Pavilion employees were involved in to sell as much “Jager”as possible seems to me to have crossed the line. No one forces you to buy shots at a concert, but this easy access “service” just seems potentially dangerous for others. Let’s see, tickets ranging from $49.00 to $150.00, $25.00 T-Shirts, $8.50 beers, $13.00 hamburgers with chips and a soda is not enough profit from 10,000 people? Why don’t we all tip the Jager ladies $1.00, BUT DON’T BUY THE JAGER SHOTS. I contacted the Pavilion management office and they refused to answer any questions or comment on their concession/alcohol policies.<br />
<br />
Rush has created a unique sound where hard rock and progressive rock have blended together. Some people are there for the radio hits like “Tom Sawyer” or “Freewill”; others like me enjoyed the longer instrumental pieces. They played the entirety of their 1981 “Moving Pictures” album in the second set, but they aren’t just a nostalgia band like ’70s stalwarts Crosby Steals the Cash or Chicago. Rush has been rewarded with one of the most loyal followings in Rock history by continuing to release new CDs and always introducing new songs to their performances. After 36 years of being onstage together, these three musicians show no signs of slowing down. As much as I liked what Rush was playing, I decided not to fight the crowds back to I-25 and left near the end of the concert. I’d also had my fill of Jagermeister, without ever buying a shot.<br />
-Jim Webb<br />
webbjuice@comcast.netThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-21814411081589158922010-07-29T05:26:00.000-06:002010-07-29T05:26:02.899-06:00Doll By Doll: Gypsy Blood; Lew Lewis<b>The Secret Museum</b><br />
Michael Mooney & Jim Webb<br />
<br />
<b>Doll By Doll</b><br />
<br />
<i>“I see the bars of your prison when you cry.”</i><br />
<br />
Released in the early morning of the Thatcher era, “Gypsy Blood” is a towering monument to the failure of Punk. Working loosely within the Classic Rock idiom, on this recording (their second LP, following the speed-fueled sonic claustrophobia of “Remember”—a relentless, dualistic masterpiece of horror and beauty) Doll By Doll blended elements of pub-rock, doo-wop, folk, country, psychedelia, gospel, early-’60s pop melodrama and the Velvet Underground, added their own unique guitar ferocity (albeit tempered here) and a late-’70s dynamic production sheen (think “Born To Run” or “Bat Out Of Hell.”) The result is a singular work of breathtaking magnificence, capped by the sweeping power of Jackie Leven’s vocals.<br />
<br />
This record simply sounds like no other. From the 1-2 radio-friendly punch of “Teenage Lightning” and the title track, through the majestic “Stripshow,” “The Human Face” and “Highland Rain,” and finally the unsettled and unsettling “Endgame” and “When A Man Dies,” Doll By Doll achieve that rarest of aims: absolute timelessness. The album could have been recorded in 1969, or last week. That it evokes a Britain (and Europe) about to disappear forever is the only clue to its moment in time.<br />
<br />
Roundly ignored upon release (the album was un-issued in the U.S.), the failure of “Gypsy Blood” signaled the coming musical backslide—Spandau Ballet were just around the corner—that the English record buying public willingly accepted. 30 years later, it still stands alone, reflective of a time when music took chances and changed lives.<br />
Michael Mooney<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>“The Devil of Dreams is Black”</i><br />
<br />
Why is this record so different and important that you should immediately pop round the local shop to order a copy? If I rave about how brilliant “Gypsy Blood” is, I risk becoming just another fanatic trumpeting his favorite group. But there is truly something special about Doll By Doll, a U.K. rock band from the late ’70s/early ’80s led by singer, guitarist and main writer Jackie Leven. Two guitars, bass and drums were the basic components, playing in a straightforward rock style that we’ve all heard before. They are musically tight as a group and play with passion. The magic for me, however, lies in two things that elevate this band from hundreds of others who suddenly appeared on the late ’70s scene.<br />
<br />
Jackie Leven’s vocals are unique and will have you on the edge of your seat with the passage of each song, wondering where he will soar to next. I won’t compare him to Roy Orbison, or other celestial-voiced wonders, because, while he has taken on many influences (as Gypsies do), what comes out of his mouth is ALL Leven ALL the time. Jackie’s range is unbelievable and he has the gift of a classic saloon singer for putting across real depth and emotion.<br />
<br />
The other aspect of this band that is so enjoyable to me is the subject matter. These are no run-of-the-mill tunes about whiskey, women or life on the road. Leven writes from an idiosyncratic perspective that makes his lyrics so much more interesting than anyone else’s. He will walk that lonely street and, by the time he reaches the next corner, you will feel that his world and yours are one. “Stripshow” is one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard in over 40 years of listening to music. On “The Human Face,” Jackie sings about knowing why Jesus wept (for the next 30 years he’ll continue to unravel that particular mystery in his solo career). You may at times find yourself close to weeping, too, at the beauty of this music.<br />
<br />
Jackie’s like an insomniac bus driver, cruising the late-night streets. His passengers are the tired, the hurt and the truth seekers. He lets you know you’re not alone, and the common bonds we all share of joy and despair are illuminated by him in a way that reminds us of the beauty of everyday life. No matter how you’re feeling when you get on his bus, by the time you arrive at your stop, life has become a more interesting ride.<br />
<br />
1979 brought us a lot of great new music, but, in my opinion, “Gypsy Blood” battles The Clash’s “London Calling” for best LP honors. I vote for “Gypsy Blood.” Get this CD if you like rock music that has power and intensity, yet travels down a different path. You will not be disappointed.<br />
-Jim Webb<br />
<br />
<b>Lew Lewis & The Perfect Day</b><br />
<br />
On Friday July 14, 1979, I was a 20-year-old American living in Holland Park, London, and working full time at a restaurant called BJ’s Roast Beef on Fulham Road near Chelsea. I was in the middle of a six-month visit to England; no definite plans, just soaking up as much of the British culture as possible (including the beer), before returning home. There was a lot of great music in London that summer; it was hard to choose who to see on any given night. From where I lived it was about a 15 minute walk to one of the main music clubs in West Kensington called The Nashville, a famous pub that from 1976 to 1980 had a lot of bands play there like The Sex Pistols and Elvis Costello. A co-worker had mentioned earlier that we had to see a guy called Lew Lewis that evening, so we met up around six o’clock and started walking toward the venue. We were still too young to have any real problems in the world; whatever we made each week at our jobs we happily spent all of by the next Friday. There were no bills or mortgage payments to fret about, no responsibilities. Looking back, I’m surprised we didn’t float away, we had so little worries to tie us down. As we got closer to the pub, a young man on a bicycle went past us; my friend Keith said, “Hey, that’s Lew Lewis.”<br />
<br />
Canvey Island is about 30 miles east of London, a mostly working class area in Essex that is known to music fans as the home of Pub Rock legend Dr. Feelgood. Pub Rock was a back-to-basics approach to music that had its peak around 1973–75 in the U.K., and in part was a reaction to Glam Rock (David Bowie, T. Rex) and some of the pretentious excesses found in huge bands like Pink Floyd and Yes. Most of the Country-Rock influenced pub bands never had a lot of mass appeal, but groups like Eddie & The Hot Rods and Dr. Feelgood drew bigger crowds with their high energy live shows, helping clear the decks for the coming Punk/New Wave explosion. Nick Lowe, Ian Dury, Declan McManus (Elvis Costello), and Graham Parker are some of the names that served time in the pubs before finding a bigger audience in the late ’70s.<br />
<br />
Lew Lewis was a harmonica playing maniac from Canvey Island who became an early member of Eddie & The Hot Rods in 1973. He ultimately tried to make it with his own band, scuffling around before signing with Stiff Records, which released his only album, titled “Save the Wail,” in 1979. I saw him twice that summer of ’79 and I can still picture him soaking his harmonicas in a pint glass and then flipping them wildly above his head as the band played ferociously behind him. He would spin around in mid song several times before sticking his hand out and pulling the harp out of the air to his mouth, quickly blowing some intense solos without missing a beat. He wasn’t a great singer and his record label had a hard time marketing a young, white Chicago Blues style harmonica player. This was the era when New Wave bands ruled with skinny ties and Power Pop’s jingle reverberated all around the world. Lew disappeared for a while and in 1987 made some minor headlines when he was sentenced to seven years in prison for holding up a post office with a fake gun. He’s had a number of illness and addiction issues throughout the last 15 years, but recently was still trying to get a new band together. He might’ve been just a bit player in the 1973–1985 U.K. music scene, but it’s people like Lew Lewis that add the unpredictable excitement that makes great rock music possible.<br />
<br />
Music has so much to offer us as listeners. There is the pure enjoyment of organized sound and rhythms, as well as getting into the history of a given style of music and hearing the reflection of the era from which it came. We all have certain songs that, when we hear them, magically transport us back in time. They might take you back to your wedding, or a graduation day from school; they can be a powerful reminder of any period in your life. I’ve been happily married for 28 years and now have three beautiful daughters, but when I hear the music of Lew Lewis, it’s July of 1979 again. I’m single and 20 years old, walking down the Cromwell Road in West Kensington, London. I don’t have a care in the world.<br />
-Jim WebbThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-61998519578807567842010-07-24T07:10:00.000-06:002010-07-24T07:10:03.030-06:00From The Archives: Jackson Browne and the California MythOne of the first to try and make a career out of hanging around other people while doing nothing: Jackson Browne. It wasn’t until the late 60s that it became possible to seriously think you could get away with it (Southern California had copious amounts of weed and cocaine amongst the hippie/music fringe types). Who needed a job when it was sunny?<br />
<br />
But then, who wants to listen to anyone’s constant personal diary, especially when it’s set to such uninspiring music? America’s youth lost 10 years of their lives listening to Browne’s and James Taylor’s navel-gazing drivel. He couldn’t even make his best song a hit; had to let those flannel-shirted idiots The Eagles smooth it out for national consumption.<br />
<br />
I saw Browne live in 1976. Even then he was the dullest headline performer I’d ever seen (out of 800 concerts). Lawyers In Love- the title says it all- you knew that would be a real sad-ass album before even hearing a note of it. In 2008, I thought I would give him one last chance and bought Solo Acoustic, Volume 2. This CD is so God-awful sleepy, I almost lost consciousness while trying to listen to it. I want to give him a little slack because he has been on the right side of most political issues of our day, but I’m sorry, this is strictly a musical critique. If you want to listen to a good singer/songwriter, try Fred Neil, Townes Van Zandt, Nick Drake, Kevin Ayers, John Hyatt, or Stephen Merritt (for starters).<br />
<br />
Joni was right- he’s a loser; stay away from him.<br />
-Jim WebbThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-46167602506924594052010-06-24T17:47:00.001-06:002010-06-24T17:48:02.320-06:00Two Ton Strap; Infatuation TherapyThe Secret Museum<br />
Michael Mooney and Jim Webb<br />
<br />
<b>INTERVIEW WITH TWO TON STRAP</b><br />
<br />
<i>Group history, please.</i><br />
<br />
We've been friends since the late ’90s. Kevyn, Danny and Max grew up in Dixon, and Kan, originally from Japan, spent his youth in the valley of San Cristobal. Later, after Kan lived on the couch ... for months ... the band was formed. "Restless nights," says Kan. Max and Kevyn used to play with Omar Rane and Rita O'Connell until they got fired and replaced by significantly better musicians. What up, Norm!<br />
<br />
<i>Obviously, some rootsy countrified influences are discernible in your music. Are you Mekons fans?</i><br />
<br />
We don't know who they are ... now we feel like real tools. It's surprising that anything in our music is "discernible." (What does that mean?) Our major influences are hangin' out and friends. And we're boozers. Also, the band Handsome Molly was a major influence on our music and our drinking.<br />
<br />
<i>Favorite tipple?</i><br />
<br />
PBR and a shot of Beam.<br />
<br />
<i>Banjo: open G tuning?</i><br />
<br />
The banjo was custom-made for Kan by Brooks Masten (brooksbanjos.com). If anyone knows how to tune a 4-string banjo, fuck you.<br />
<br />
<i>You have some very nifty gig fliers. Who's responsible?</i><br />
<br />
Our good friend, Taos resident Sarah Hart of Hart Print Shop (hartprintshop.com), designs and prints all of our flyers on recycled beer boxes. "She's an incredibly talented woman and we're blessed to have her in our lives," says Kevyn Gilbert. “With her help, we also make all our own shirts, underwear, beer koozies and other stuff.”<br />
<br />
<i>Can you offer some thoughts on the allure of Dixon, N.M.?</i><br />
<br />
"Stay the hell out of our town, yuppies," says Koko. "Except for the studio tour, when we'd like your money."<br />
<br />
<i>I've been listening to your music on MySpace, but the player produces a hyper echoey wobble, like Lee Perry and Martin Rushent on Ether fighting for control of a Pogues session. I'm sure it's just my computer. You should hear it though.</i><br />
<br />
Sounds like maybe it IS your computer. Call Gizmo Productions (575) 758-9522. We record all our own music. A lot of our online material is from live shows.<br />
<br />
<i>Does everyone write?</i><br />
<br />
Everyone does a bit of writing—some as group songs, some written solo and brought to the group.<br />
<br />
<i>What's your schedule looking like this season?</i><br />
<br />
Check our website: twotonstrap.com. We're too lazy to book our own shows. If someone else wants to do that, please call (575) 613-5914. Shadows and Dreams excluded. Fuck you. "Thanks for paying our bar tab, Brendan!"<br />
<br />
<i>Dreams? What was that about?</i><br />
"Hey bartender. D’ya know how to make a redeye?"<br />
<br />
4 ounces Beer<br />
1 ounce Vodka<br />
3 ounces Tomato Juice<br />
1 whole Egg<br />
<br />
<i>Recording plans?</i><br />
<br />
We record intermittently at Milton Records, and will be recording our full-length EP with Dave Costanza, hopefully.<br />
<br />
<i>Kannaroo—group effort or simply Kan?</i><br />
<br />
Simply Kan. June 19. Sunshine Valley. Lots of bands. Free show. Free camping. Free love. kannaroo.com.<br />
<br />
<i>You are one of the more higher-profile Rock bands in the area. What is your take on the local music scene, and what can be done to improve it?</i><br />
<br />
"Stale? Watered-down? Unoriginal?" says Max.<br />
"I'm improving the scene!" says Kan. "Come to Kannaroo."<br />
"They should change our name to the Brent BEAR Band," Koko pointed out, "because we're about to pull a grizzly on their asses."<br />
“If you're tired of the same-old, same-old, come out to Kannaroo. Don't be a tool.”<br />
<br />
Thank you, Two Ton Strap.<br />
<br />
-Michael Mooney<br />
manbys.head@yahoo.com<br />
<br />
<b>INFATUATION THERAPY</b><br />
<br />
Most of you probably have at least one or two hobbies that you spend some of your free time pursuing. You might be into gardening, playing golf or any number of other healthy diversions that help us cope with the pressures of everyday life. I’m sure you think you are pretty well adjusted and these leisure activities wouldn’t be considered an obsession or compulsion. But has your hobby ever crossed the line into a full-blown infatuation?<br />
<br />
An infatuation can frequently occur within a hobby, as an intense period of concentrated interest that can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. One example might be of someone who enjoys reading, suddenly having to track down every known book from a particular author, and refuses to read anything else until they’ve finished them all. A person that finds decorating their home rewarding could also exhibit some obsessive behavior by needing to find an accessory for their kitchen or living room, and then proceed to visit every antique shop/flea market within a hundred miles of where they live in search of the “perfect” piece. Hikers can feel compelled to reach all mountain summits over a certain height in the state they live in. These obsessions can go in any direction and are really endless in their possibilities. I bring this up because we may not share any of the same interests, but we can all understand each other’s need for the enthusiastic pursuit of personal happiness.<br />
<br />
The infatuations that infrequently take control of me are usually (but not always) music related. Countless times in the last 40 years of buying and listening to music, I have found myself needing to hear every album or CD a band has released. I’ll also have to track down all books written about that particular group or artist, and travel to see them perform live. Some early infatuations lasted for years (Grateful Dead), other times it lasts only three or four weeks (Rockabilly legend Charlie Feathers). Then I return to my normal listening habits. I have also done an extended immersion where, 24/7, I play nothing but a certain artist or group. A music immersion is a “burst” within an infatuation. An example of a musical immersion would be when you wake up and the first music you put on the stereo, ipod or computer is your current infatuation. You listen to their music while driving your car; it continues to be played at your place of work and is also heard when you get home in the evening. I’ve gone weeks with an immersion (Muslimgauze), until I feel that I have an initial understanding of their sound and history. Through the years, immersions have happened when an artist that I’m not familiar with (guitarist Derek Bailey) interests me, or there is someone I already like but realize I need to hear the rest of their extensive catalogue (The Fall). Currently, I am infatuated with the Blue Note jazz record label. Specifically, I’m immersed in everything they released from 1957 to 1967 by sax men Hank Mobley and Tina Brooks, pianist Sonny Clark and guitarist Grant Green. I’m not new to this period of jazz, but have realized that I had missed a lot of great music from that era by concentrating on established performers like Art Blakey or Dexter Gordon. This current immersion has been going on for about three weeks, and it could continue for quite a while—or it could end as quickly as it began.<br />
<br />
With all this talk of infatuations, obsessions and immersions, you probably think I’ve got a lot of personal issues to deal with on my end. You may be right, but the next time you spend every waking moment of a weekend skiing, or spend all day shopping endlessly for the perfect pair of jeans or a hanging flower basket for your patio, you have also experienced an immersion. We can debate the merits and labeling of all these different activities, and I obviously would never advocate getting lost in drugs or other destructive actions. The only thing I know for sure is that it’s the people who don’t have any healthy interests that are the ones who puzzle me the most. So much of our lives have to follow a daily routine, we all need something that keeps things interesting, an activity to look forward to. If you find your current lifestyle getting stale, may I suggest you start immediately in the fanatical pursuit of something. Life is short, and there are so many things to get wrapped up in before it’s all over. I can’t wait until tomorrow; you never know when a new infatuation might begin. <br />
Jim Webb<br />
webbjuice@comcast.netThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-67891710391830047252010-06-13T10:22:00.001-06:002010-06-13T10:25:22.198-06:00From The Archives: WORST GIGS EVER (part one)Michael Bolton/ Kenny G.<br />
Universal Amphitheatre,<br />
Los Angeles, 1990<br />
<br />
Diane had heard something by Gorelick on the radio at work, and decided that she liked his smooth style. I was able to get tickets to this sold-out show via a brokerage ($50 each), and had no idea what I was in for-I thought they might be Jazz guys like maybe Al Jarreau or Chuck Mangione or something. This was the single-most horrific musical experience of my life. Kenneth Gorelick made like a brain-dead Pied Piper as he lurched from the stage all the way up the center aisle to the lobby (keep going!); Mikey Bolton’s take-no-prisoners vocal histrionics gave new meaning to the term ‘stupefying’. Afterward, we retired to Bob’s Frolic Room in order to erase all lingering memories- double Jameson for me- though whenever I see a guy with a shiny mane of curls (not very often in Taos) or a Bolton-style mullet (seems like every day!) I’m reminded of that night, and want to be sick all over again.<br />
<br />
Here’s something I didn’t know:<br />
<br />
Gorelick's 1999 single, “What A Wonderful World” stirred controversy among the jazz community regarding the overdubbing of Louis Armstrong's classic recording. A common criticism was that such a revered recording by a musician known especially for improvisation should not be altered. Pat Metheny responded to this recording by saying, "With this single move, Kenny G became one of the few people on earth I can say that I really can't use at all - as a man, for his incredible arrogance to even consider such a thing, and as a musician, for presuming to share the stage with the single most important figure in our music."<br />
<br />
Santana/ Rusted Root<br />
Greek Theatre,<br />
Los Angeles, 1997<br />
<br />
Two years before the massive Supernatural, we find Carlos here at his career’s ebb, preaching to the largely upscale Hispanic audience that their lowly vocational choices (itinerant farming, lawn care, dry cleaning) determine how the world sees them. Also, only meditation will heal the planet. Interminable jams follow. Saving grace: the explosive power of Cuban percussionist Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez.<br />
<br />
And whose idea was it to allow the appalling Rusted Root a 75-minute opening set?<br />
-Michael MooneyThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-52209395150631857262010-05-21T05:35:00.002-06:002010-06-06T08:01:21.776-06:00Johnny Cash/Johnny Dowd / Lisa Germano<b>The Secret Museum</b><br />
<br />
<br />
By Jim Webb and Michael Mooney<br />
<br />
February of 2010 saw the release of Johnny Cash’s last studio recordings from 2003, titled “American VI: Ain’t No Grave.” These were his final sessions produced by Rick Rubin in a project that originally started in 1995. A few weeks later in March came Texan Johnny Dowd’s latest CD called “Wake Up The Snakes.” Two musicians: one who left a musical legacy as a certified American legend, the other a little known singer, writer, guitarist who’s happy to add a few more fans with every new CD and club tour. Each man brings a personal intensity to his darkest songs that few others can match.<br />
<br />
Johnny Cash was a deeply religious man his whole life. Even in the midst of his problems with drug addiction, he always looked at it as a test from God. Cash’s contradictions are apparent from early on as he embraced the wild rockabilly music of the ’50s while still singing gospel music every chance he had. He was known as “The Man in Black” who released hit albums and toured constantly. Throughout his career he sang thousands of songs; some of his best were about liars, robbers and killers. The main line from the title song on Cash’s last release goes “There ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down.” Near the end of his life the only songs that mattered spoke of faith, and the coming glory. He quotes scripture on “I Corinthians 15:15”—“Oh death, where is thy sting. Oh grave, where is thy victory.” His wife June passed away four months before him in 2003, and you can hear on these final recordings how ready he is to join her. There is a contemplative spirit that pervades these last recordings and the selection of buddy Kris Kristopherson’s “For The Good Times” was another beautiful choice. At the end of his life such lines as: “Don’t look so sad. I know it’s over. But life goes on, and this old world will keep on turning. Let’s just be glad we had some time to spend together” carry a gentle goodbye to his fans. “Ain’t No Grave” is a somber, melancholy album, but this poignant selection of final tunes ultimately becomes a touching farewell from one of America’s most popular performers.<br />
<br />
Johnny Dowd is now 61 years old and was born in Ft.Worth, Texas, but raised in Oklahoma and Memphis, Tennessee. He didn’t get his first CD released until he was almost 50 years old, so you know his early songs had been fermenting for quite a while. His overall sound could be compared to the carnival barker Tom Waits colliding with a ’50s psychobilly singer named Nervous Norvus. His voice isn’t as soothing as Cash’s, and at times he treats it with a megaphone effect, along with the static of a fading radio station. “The Wrong Side of Memphis” was his first studio recording that finally got released in 1998, and following efforts like “Cemetery Shoes” and “Cruel World” are just as strong. These evocative lines are from a tune called “Final Encore”: “He died in a motel, surrounded by women’s shoes. Lipstick on a mirror had the words—I’m the king of the Jews. A Fender amplifier was still warm to the touch, in the corner a telecaster against a wall, like a cripple’s crutch.” 2010 finds Dowd releasing his ninth CD, entitled “Wake Up The Snakes,” and it’s a continuation of the mangled garage/blues sound that has been his trademark from the beginning. The organ is a little more prominent now, but Dowd’s still sitting on the front porch of the Bates Motel singing mysterious songs with black humor and intrigue. It’s a shame that Cash never recorded any songs by Johnny Dowd before passing away in 2003 from a diabetes related illness. They would have fit perfectly with his other Rick Rubin-produced American Recordings, and given Dowd a much needed boost as well.<br />
<br />
Johnny Cash was a master singer of country, folk and gospel music whose sincerity and shared convictions with the common man appealed to a huge group of people. If Cash was a musical Billy Graham, bringing in large numbers of music lovers to his shows, then Dowd right now is just a small time itinerant tent preacher, scuffling to add a few more converts and barely having enough gas money to reach the next town. What Johnny Dowd does have is the storyteller’s gift, and a few more tales of his own still to tell. The circle remains unbroken.<br />
<br />
Jim Webb<br />
<br />
<b><br />
Lisa Germano</b><br />
I used to be a big fan of Lisa Germano back in the ’90s. There was something indefinable about her haunting, catchy music that struck a chord with me, and I had great affinity for her remarkably confessional (and frequently very funny) lyrics. Mainly, though, it was her voice that first caught my attention. Soft, measured and unaffected, with a barely-discernible Midwest twang, hers was the slightly cracked sing-song Voice Of The Prozac Nation. If you asked me in 1995 which female musical artists Rock Division were my all-time favorites, I would have obviously answered, "Number one: Kleenex/Lilliput," but Lisa ran a close third or fourth, right after Poly Styrene's consumerism-obsessed X-Ray Spex and—I'm almost embarrassed to admit (after all, it being 1995)—Huggy Bear or Bikini Kill, both of whom I stubbornly believed were about to rid the world of the growling Eddie Vedders (despite ample indications to the contrary).<br />
<br />
So what happened to Lisa? Well, for one thing, there's evidence of creeping decline in the Germano disco-chronology, and, for me at least, her tales of dejection, uncertainty and woe eventually began to lose their appeal. I can’t say that Lisa’s lyrics became farcical or myopic over time (her subject matter never changed), I just didn't relate to them personally anymore. It’s as if she got stuck in her own discomfort zone and invited everyone to join her there, then decided she didn't like the company. What once was self-deprecation became self-pity. Loyalist that I am, I responded by attempting to tune out the lyrics to her new songs and focus solely on the music instead. That didn’t work (and it never does): Lisa's trademark mix of creaking parlor recording and studio-created sound collage now appeared increasingly dull and indistinct. Look no further than 2003’s dreary Lullaby For Liquid Pig, in which, after a five-year recording hiatus, Germano returned with more of the ol’ mopey-dope (bizarrely, this particular dud was reissued in 2007 by infamous Rock Creep Michael Gira on his Young God imprint—just to piss me off further?). The humor is gone and she simply won't let you in; on this record the listener is left with nowhere to go but OUT. But I can take a hint. Here's hoping Lisa Germano will one day lose the funk and rediscover her creativity. Maybe she already has; In The Maybe World was released in 2006. I haven’t heard it.<br />
<br />
This bit comes from Lisa's own blurb for Lullaby For Liquid Pig (on her website):<br />
"ok i give up<br />
too hard to trust people<br />
stay alone and LOVE your addictions<br />
always there<br />
NOT A GOOD WAY TO LIVE<br />
so..........?"<br />
<br />
Michael MooneyThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-17971133604369146902010-05-10T05:35:00.000-06:002010-05-10T05:35:01.317-06:00From The Archives: Guilty PleasuresThe Secret Museum:<br />
Jim Webb & Michael Mooney<br />
<br />
Musical snobbery has its unhealthy roots in popular culture. If enough people love (and buy) a particular song, then the elitist saying goes, “it must be crap.” There are exceptions to the rule because sometimes quality songs just can't be denied. Roger Miller's 1964 smash King of The Road comes to mind, as well as The Beach Boys' Good Vibrations, but those are just two examples from the Golden Era of Pop. Don't tell me about all the great singles from The Beatles, British Invasion or Motown, because the Sixties was the time before Big Business got a real stranglehold on the music. Popular Music went downhill fast in terms of quality starting in the 1970's, when calculated fluff took over the airwaves and your local radio DJ become a puppet to corporate profiteers. The 70s saw the rise of Barry Manilow's super-schmaltz formula, The Bee Gees hollow disco, and Olivia Newton-John's plastic world of joy. The 80s were just as bad with Hall & Oates, Billy Joel and the impossibly sappy Air Supply. If you add Mariah Carey to this list representing the 90's, you would have a great set of mega-selling "artists" who collectively haven't received a good review in forty years. The music executives of corporate America have been fleecing you and your loved ones out of hard earned money for a long time now. They have it down to a science including focus groups telling them what kind of music to sell, with demographic trends and promotional budgets targeting the weak and easily duped.<br />
<br />
I have also been led astray by the greedy Music Moguls who live in high story condominium castles. The narcotic-like trap they set with music is a powerful one and sometimes you just can't get out of its grip. Phil Collins has sold over 150 million records in his solo career, and his brand of aural voodoo has proven to be an especially strong spell to break. The cover songs he has scored with include homogenized versions of Groovy Kind of Love and You Can't Hurry Love, both from the 60's. Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) is a typical emotional plea that ruled the charts in 1984 for 16 weeks. And let's not forget Easy Lover (no Pulitzer here for lyrics), or the great Sussudio. Phil's music to me is like a large Sonic Oreo Blast with whipped cream. You know it's not good for you, but you still got to have it occasionally. Yes, a founding member of The Secret Museum - an organization that is committed to uncovering the underrated and overlooked lost classics of music- listens to Phil Collins. Don't tell anyone.<br />
-Jim Webb<br />
<br />
<br />
While I tend to agree with your thoughts regarding musical snobbery, I have never been guilty of reacting to a piece of music based on its potential to reach (or avoid) the Top Twenty. My criteria are determined by how I respond intellectually and/or emotionally to the song itself. I know that I am simply not going to like much of what appears in the pop charts, though there have been unaccountable deviations. For example, Vanessa Williams' Save The Best For Last was Number One for five weeks in 1992. I love that song, and know I shouldn't: it's a banal topic- boy realizes girl was the one for him all along, she compares it to meteorological/astronomical phenomena- and lyrically very Moon/June (in a good way, and the writers were aware of it) but containing a degree of intelligence- probably Wendy Waldman's- that places it a notch above your standard modern ballad (N.B.- one of the guys involved in this also had a hand in Crazy For You, one of two or three Madonna songs I can almost stomach). These lyrics mean nothing to me. The appeal must be, and is, the music (it's catchy) and vocal performance- just like Crazy for You, only more so here- and though I believe that just about anyone could have made this song a hit, Williams does a tremendous job of not going over the top with it, and at the same time projecting a sense of wonderment that other Pop Divas of the day- Celine, Mariah, Madonna, Amy Grant?- would be incapable of pulling off. My emotions recognize this as melodic and well-crafted early-90s radio fodder. Intellectually, my response to Save The Best For Last is that Vanessa Williams works restrained magic on an above-average obvious Hit and turns it into Art. But if this song had only reached number 84 in the Billboard singles chart that year, I would probably never had heard it.<br />
<br />
One guilty pleasure I'll admit to is Sleeper, a musically and conceptually lazy (their lyrics were okay, though) U.K. rock group from the 1990s, one of many also-rans of the Britpop era. There's absolutely no reason I should REALLY like them any more than, say, Pulp or Elastica or The Boo Radleys or (even) Blur (whom I don't like much at all), or any of the dozens of others who waved the banner of 'Cool Britannia'. My guilt here derives not from any sense of embarrassment for admiring music such as this, but only because I can't figure out why I do. Maybe it's something about needing to have favorites in every conceivable category, like why are The Misunderstood my favorite 60s California Psychedelic band who didn't hail from L.A. or the Bay Area? Or why is Brigitte Bardot my favorite Ye-Ye girl, when she isn't a Ye-Ye girl at all? Or why The Big Boys but not The Dicks? Or Steve & Eydie but not Nino & April? The Vogues but not The Lettermen? Why is Turn Down Day my favorite summer song of 1966, and not Summer In The City? Or Summer Wind? Or Sunny Afternoon? Or Sunny? See You In September? You've got to pick something, and so, for 60s/New Wave-inspired, guitar-based, tuneful English Rock created between 1994 and 1997, I choose Sleeper.<br />
<br />
Now, about Phil Collins: apart from breaking up with his second wife via fax (so what if he didn't; he's capable of it), your comments reminded me of this memorable monologue from American Psycho's Patrick Bateman:<br />
<br />
Do you like Phil Collins? I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. Christy, take off your robe. Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins and Rutherford. You can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. Sabrina, remove your dress. In terms of lyrical craftsmanship, the sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. Sabrina, why don't you, uh, dance a little. Take the lyrics to Land of Confusion. In this song, Phil Collins addresses the problems of abusive political authority. In Too Deep is the most moving pop song of the 1980s, about monogamy and commitment. The song is extremely uplifting. Their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as anything I've heard in Rock. Christy, get down on your knees so Sabrina can... Phil Collins' solo career seems to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying, in a narrower way. Especially songs like In the Air Tonight and Against All Odds. Sabrina, don't just stare at it... But I also think Phil Collins works best within the confines of the group, than as a solo artist, and I stress the word artist. This is Sussudio, a great, great song, a personal favorite.<br />
<br />
So you can see, Jim, where this might be cause for concern.<br />
-Michael Mooney<br />
<br />
P.S. From the same film (nothing to do with Phil, but I still think it's funny):<br />
<br />
Patrick Bateman: Do you like Huey Lewis and the News?<br />
<br />
Paul Allen: They're OK.<br />
<br />
Patrick Bateman: Their early work was a little too new wave for my tastes, but when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercial and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far much more bitter, cynical sense of humor.<br />
<br />
Paul Allen: Hey Halberstram.<br />
<br />
Patrick Bateman: Yes, Allen?<br />
<br />
Paul Allen: Why are their copies of the style section all over the place, d-do you have a dog? A little chow or something?<br />
<br />
Patrick Bateman: No, Allen.<br />
<br />
Paul Allen: Is that a raincoat?<br />
<br />
Patrick Bateman: Yes it is! In '87, Huey released this, Fore, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is "Hip to be Square", a song so catchy, most people probably don't listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it's also a personal statement about the band itself.<br />
[raises ax above head]<br />
<br />
Patrick Bateman: Hey Paul!<br />
<br />
Phil Collins 80s LP discography:<br />
Face Value (1981)<br />
Hello, I Must Be Going (1982)<br />
No Jacket Required (1985)<br />
But Seriously (1989)<br />
<br />
Sleeper LPs:<br />
Smart (1995)<br />
The It Girl (1996)<br />
Pleased To Meet You (1997)<br />
<br />
Vanessa Williams:<br />
The Comfort Zone (LP 1991)<br />
Save The Best For Last (single 1992)The Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-34775983528440603292010-04-29T05:41:00.000-06:002020-06-07T19:16:09.138-06:00From The Archives: Concept Albums<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>The Secret Museum</b><br />
<br />
November 02, 2008<br />
<br />
<i>"This world is big and wild and half insane<br />
Take me where real animals are playing<br />
Just a dirty old shack<br />
Where the hound dogs bark<br />
That we called our home<br />
I want to be back there<br />
Among the cats and dogs<br />
And the pigs and the goats<br />
On animal farm<br />
My animal home<br />
On animal farm<br />
My animal home<br />
<br />
While I lay my head upon my pillow<br />
Little girl, come play beneath my window<br />
Though she’s far from home<br />
She is free from harm<br />
And she need not fear<br />
She is by my side<br />
And the sky is wide<br />
So let the sun shine bright<br />
On animal farm<br />
My animal home<br />
On animal farm<br />
My animal home<br />
<br />
Girl, its a hard, hard world, if it gets you down<br />
Dreams often fade and die in a bad, bad world<br />
I’ll take you where real animals are playing<br />
And people are real people not just playing<br />
It’s a quiet, quiet life<br />
By a dirty old shack<br />
That we called our home<br />
I want to be back there<br />
Among the cats and dogs<br />
And the pigs and the goats<br />
On animal farm<br />
My animal home<br />
On animal farm<br />
My animal home<br />
On animal farm"</i><br />
<br />
THAT IS FUCKING SONG WRITING<br />
-Jim Webb<br />
<br />
Hey! That's where I live! It's also a song from one of my Top Ten Concept Albums of all-time (yours, too, I'll bet.)<br />
-Michael Mooney<br />
<b><br />
The Top Ten Concept LP’S of All Time</b><br />
<br />
1.) Jesus Christ Superstar / 1970<br />
Music – Andre Lloyd Webber<br />
Lyrics – Tim Rice<br />
A Rock Opera that has Jesus of Nazareth, Judas Iscariot, and King Herod, among others, brought into the 20th Century medium of Rock and Roll. Controversial in it’s approach that Jesus was “just a man.” Tim Rice’s lyrics bind this narrative together with such clarity and force that you’d think he’d located a Lost Scroll as a guide to chronicle the true story of Jesus’ last days. What’s the Buzz and Yvonne Elliman singing I Don’t Know How to Love Him are just two of the many standout tracks on what was originally a double LP release. Great songs, coherent story line, well recorded: a masterpiece in concept and execution (no pun intended.)<br />
“ One thing to say for him, Jesus is cool.” – Caiaphus the High Priest<br />
<br />
2.) The Who – Quadrophenia / 1973<br />
A turbulent look at a week in the life of Jimmy the Mod, a U.K. teen circa 1964. While we Yankees may not totally understand the Mod vs. Rocker battles in mid 60’s England, the themes of despair, loneliness, and redemption are universal to any time period. Love Reign O’er Me is arguably Townshend and Daltrey’s finest effort ever. The Punk Meets the Godfather, The Real Me, and 5:15 are songs that show The Who flexing their muscles in the streets of Brighton, ready to take on all Rockers. Is Quadrophenia better than Tommy? I think it’s coming of age adolescent story is one which I can relate to more. The great thing about Quadrophenia is that the music will move you, even if the story line doesn’t. Don’t miss the film version, either.<br />
<br />
3.) The Who – Tommy / 1969<br />
Rightly praised as an instant classic, Pete Townshend reaches high and (mostly) delivers on the amazing journey of a deaf, dumb and blind boy “Tommy” Walker. The Beatles had taken small steps in turning Pop Music into certifiable Art with Rubber Soul and Revolver. Sgt. Pepper was a big advance, using recording technology to enhance the listening experience, and The LP suddenly was no longer a couple of hit singles with a lot of filler. Tommy was a giant leap forward in taking a complex story line and weaving a musical tale around it. Pete seemed to expound on and slightly alter what the story really meant through the years, but the spiritual essence never changed. This is Townshend’s baby as much as Mrs. Walker’s.<br />
<br />
4.) The Pretty Things – S.F. Sorrow / 1969<br />
Recording started in the summer of 1967 and was finished the following year. The delay in actually releasing the LP until 1969 was a huge factor in it’s getting lost in Tommy’s supernova explosion. The story of Sebastian Sorrow was (supposedly) heard by Pete Townshend. He in turn was influenced by the idea of using a conceptual theme for an entire album. Phil May and band deserve high praise for some excellent tunes like S.F. Sorrow is Born, She Says Good Morning and Balloon Burning. The overall song quality is high, but there are no classics to propel it into the stratosphere. FM radio didn’t grab onto it and make S.F. Sorrow a listening staple, unlike its more famous cousin Tommy. Maybe this should be number one for it’s importance as the first Rock story album. Sebastian will forgive me for putting this in the number four slot.<br />
<br />
5.) The Kinks – Arthur / 1969<br />
Ray Davies is a great songwriter who almost seemed destined to meld his keen eye for the workingman with his love of traditional Britain into themed stories. A tale about his sister and brother-in-law’s move to Australia, the poignant songs, celebrating the lost British Empire and its people’s simple lives, are extraordinary. Victoria and Shangri-la are two of Davies’ finest tunes in a career that has literally scores of them to choose from. Hard rocking tracks (like Brainwashed) compete with emotional remembrances of personal sacrifice (Some Mother’s Son) to create a varied and rich narrative that will have you brewing a pot of tea while wishing you had a Union Jack wrapped around your shoulders, as you listen to this beautiful creation.<br />
<br />
6.) The Kinks – Village Green Preservation Society / 1968<br />
A collection of songs whose central theme is loosely based on the life and people of a small English village, meanwhile showing how quickly the world has changed (mostly for the worse): this is possibly the best collection of songs of any concept LP in my top ten. Tracks like Animal Farm, Picture Book, Big Sky and The Village Green Preservation Society are all gems in their own right. The only thing holding back this effort from a higher position is that there is not a hard connecting story to these songs- some were written independently of each other, and later grouped together due to their neighborly connection to Old England and the everyday people who made it great- a small quibble about a wonderful basket of tunes that never grows old.<br />
<br />
7.) Jethro Tull – Thick As A Brick / 1972<br />
One song (43 minutes long) that was written as a send up of all concept albums: Ian Anderson was exasperated by all the critics who bashed Tull’s previous release Aqualung for being too highbrow and conceptual for a rock band. He vowed to give them a pompous themed concept LP that they would really dislike. Somehow, Thick As A Brick found its way to number 1 in the U.S. charts. The most prog-rock sounding of all Tull albums up to that time, the centerpiece of the story is a poem written by a fictional 13 year-old. The biting and sarcastic lyrics and humor of Ian Anderson became a top selling response to the charges of “Jethro Dull.”<br />
<br />
8.) David Bowie – Outside / 1995<br />
Based on Bowie’s short story The Nathan Adler Diaries, this is a futuristic, Bladerunner-meets-Nine Inch Nails concept that is startling in it’s originality. Nathan Adler has a Government job to decide what is Art and what’s trash. Throw in a good murder mystery, coupled with a surreal Dali- Enoesque production, and you wind up with an unqualified success. No one on this list took a bigger chance than Bowie with this release. If the Tin Machine project turned off the Ziggy Stardust/Thin White Duke crowd, Outside absolutely buried Bowie’s past. The musical risk-taking alone should have pushed this much higher in the rankings, but some of Townshend’s and Davies’ songs are just too strong to overcome. Jagger, Page & Plant, and all the other groups stuck dishing out the same meal should take note. But they won’t. This is my favorite concept release of the last 30 years; the future is for those who can hear it.<br />
<br />
9.) Lou Reed – Berlin / 1973<br />
Lester Bangs called this the most depressing record ever made. I don’t disagree, but personally think it’s more dark and heavy than depressing. Lou Reed takes a detour from his walk on the wild side and writes about a relationship that breaks down due to drugs and suicidal tendencies. This record has great sound and arrangements from Alice Cooper producer Bob Ezrin. Berlin is a concept LP that I can’t play very often, but when I do, the beauty of it is unrivaled by anything that Lou Reed has ever written. I wouldn’t argue if someone called this their favorite record ever, but its black hole gravity makes me hesitate to put it higher on my list. I’m afraid that somehow while listening to it, I’ll enter into the same downward spiral with no escape possible.<br />
<br />
10.) The Kinks – Soap Opera / 1975<br />
Is there a Kinks bias on this list? Yes, because Raymond Douglas Davies is the greatest rock conceptual songwriter of all time. I could easily have put in the number ten position Muswell Hillbillies, Lola Vs Powerman And The Money-go-round, Preservation Act 1 and 2, or Schoolboys In Disgrace. I chose Soap Opera because of its simple tale that resonates so well with today’s celebrity-fixated culture. The story revolves around Norman, a common man who wants to be rock star in order to escape his mundane world. Ray Davies has always been in tune with everyday feelings and emotions. Is there a more real story than the idea that we all want to be famous? Soap Opera accurately foreshadows the beginning of the modern celebrity cult that we find so fascinating today. I envision a slightly revised Broadway show with Norman now playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band 2 on his play station as he rules the universe. With Ray Davies as the writer, everybody’s a star.<br />
<br />
Honorable Mention:<br />
<br />
You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown<br />
Gong- Radio Gnome Trilogy<br />
Pink Floyd- The Wall<br />
Frank Zappa- Joe’s Garage<br />
Spock’s Beard- Snow<br />
Genesis- The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway<br />
-Jim Webb<br />
<br />
Some might argue that a few of my titles don't meet the minimum requirements of 'concept album.' I conclude that a concept can be dictated by the overall mood of the recording, particularly one that is not reflected elsewhere in the artist's body of work. Peculiarly, a good many of these records have an autumnal flavor, including the "rock opera" selections. Here's my list:<br />
<br />
1. Forever Changes- Love (1967)<br />
"We're all normal and we want our freedom"- Arthur Lee's eulogy to Los Angeles. Also his self-requiem: "When I did that album, I thought I was going to die at that particular time, so those were my last words."<br />
<br />
2. Muswell Hillbillies- The Kinks (1971)<br />
Life in the welfare state, North London (and Stereo Review's Album Of The Year- 1972): "Gotta stand and face it- life is so complicated."<br />
<br />
3. The Who Sell Out (1967)<br />
LP as pirate radio broadcast, but they drop the concept at the beginning of side two. Perfect!<br />
<br />
4. Geek The Girl- Lisa Germano (1994)<br />
Need to clear the room? Put this on. You'll probably leave, too. Lisa Germano: "Hi. This is the story of geek the girl, a girl who is confused about how to be sexual and cool in the world but finds out she isn't cool and gets constantly taken advantage of sexually, gets kind of sick and enjoys giving up but at the end still tries to believe in something beautiful and dreams of still loving a man in hopes that he can save her from her shit life.........ha ha ha, what a geek!"<br />
<br />
5. Pet Sounds- The Beach Boys (1966)<br />
Mike Love didn't 'get’ it': what better endorsement do you need??<br />
<br />
6. Histoire de Melody Nelson- Serge Gainsbourg (1971)<br />
Melody's riding a bicycle when Serge hits her with his Rolls. Age-gap romance ensues, only to end tragically when the cargo plane goes down over New Guinea. Don't ask.<br />
<br />
7. Pink Flag- Wire (1977)<br />
Media-informed Art Punk tour de force: 21 songs in 35 minutes 37 seconds that work best when experienced as a whole.<br />
<br />
8. It Falleth Like The Gentle Rain From Heaven-The Mekons Story (1982)<br />
A collection of outtakes, live tracks, b-sides, etc.: what ties it all together is David Spencer's (who?) drunken - on cider, to be precise- narration. Mine's another!<br />
<br />
9. Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake- The Small Faces (1968)<br />
"Are you all seated comfortable, too square on your botty? Then I'll begin..." Here the 'concept' starts on side two (see Sell Out), being the story of Happiness Stan's 'trip' to find the missing half of the moon. Hmm.<br />
<br />
10. Odessey and Oracle- The Zombies (1968)<br />
An Invasion-era beat group on the brink of disbandment give it one more try, and create a pop marvel. The theme, whether intended or not, alternates between desire/longing and resignation/acceptance. Seems to summarize The Zombies own career, sadly.<br />
<br />
Also:<br />
<br />
David Bowie- Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars<br />
The Flaming Lips- The Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots<br />
Horslips- The Man Who Built America<br />
The Jam- Setting Sons<br />
The Kinks- VGPS*, Face To Face, Arthur<br />
The Pretty Things- SF Sorrow<br />
Lou Reed- Berlin<br />
Spirit- Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus<br />
The Who- Quadrophenia, Tommy<br />
<br />
(*Village Green Preservation Society is truly my number one, but since it made your list, I left it off.)<br />
-Michael Mooney</div>
The Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-14367090230211638672010-04-20T05:43:00.001-06:002010-11-07T08:01:02.355-07:00George Harrison; Art of Flying<b>The Secret Museum</b><br />
By Jim Webb and Michael Mooney<br />
<br />
<b>George Harrison</b><br />
I was listening to “The Radha Krishna Temple” CD recently and started to dig deeper into George Harrison’s involvement with the Hare Krishna movement in the late ’60s and ’70s. George produced and played harmonium on “The Hare Krishna Mantra” single, which was released in August of 1969 on Apple Records, and it quickly went to No. 12 in the U.K and No. 1 in Germany & Czechoslovakia. “Govinda” was the second single released in March of 1970 and it peaked at no. 23 on the British singles charts. George has said that watching the Hare Krishna devotees sing on the UK TV show Top of The Pops 40 years ago was one of the greatest thrills of his life. As big as The Beatles were, George Harrison’s role in helping The Pepsi Generation discover the sacred vibrations and religion of ancient India might be a bigger accomplishment than anything he ever recorded with The Fab Four. To all of the smart asses who want to know why, if Krishna (God) is so powerful, his devotees didn’t always have a no. 1 hit in every country—that’s just another mystery you can ask The Big Man (or gasp, Woman) about when you finally leave the material world. Chant and be happy.<br />
<br />
George’s Spiritual Timeline:<br />
- Born February 25, 1943 in Liverpool England<br />
- First Holy Communion, age 11, 1954 (Anglican father/Roman Catholic mother)<br />
- Spring 1965 takes LSD for first time<br />
- June 1965 meets Indian musician Ravi Shankar in London<br />
- October 1965 plays sitar for first time on Beatles record (“Norwegian Wood”)<br />
- September 1966 visits India/Kashmir with Ravi<br />
- July 1967 sings Hare Krishna Mantra for first time on holiday in Greece<br />
- August 1967 meets Maharishi Mahesh Yogi<br />
- February 1968, travels with Beatles to Rishikesh, India, for retreat with Maharishi<br />
- December 1968 meets Hare Krishna devotees for first time<br />
- August 1969 Apple releases “Hare Krishna Mantra” single, produced by George<br />
- September 1969 meets Swami Prahbhupada, head of Hare Krishna movement<br />
- March 1970 records “Govinda” single with devotees of The Radha Krishna Temple<br />
- October 1970 finishes recording for his “All Things Must Pass” LP<br />
- January 1971 “My Sweet Lord” single no. 1 around world with Hare Krishna refrain<br />
- May 1971 “The Radha Krishna Temple” LP released, produced by George<br />
- August 1971 organizes/performs at The Concert for Bangladesh in N.Y.C.<br />
- March 1973 purchases Tudor Manor on 70 acres outside London for Krishna Temple<br />
- February 1974 visits Krishna’s birthplace in Vrindavan, India<br />
- November 1977 Swami Prahbhupada dies, Hare Krishna Movement struggles<br />
- December 1980 John Lennon killed, George retreats to his Friar Park estate<br />
- April 1996 travels to Vrindavan, India<br />
- August 1997 undergoes surgery for throat cancer<br />
- December 1999, attacked/stabbed repeatedly at his home outside London by intruder<br />
- September 2000 makes trip to India<br />
- March 2001 cancer spreads to lungs<br />
- Spring 2001 visits India for last time to bathe in Ganges River<br />
- November 29, 2001 dies at a friend’s home in Beverly Hills, California<br />
- George’s body is cremated and his ashes are rumored to be scattered in the sacred Ganges and Yamuna rivers of India<br />
<br />
References:<br />
“I, Me, Mine” by George Harrison<br />
“Here Comes The Sun” by Joshua M. Greene<br />
-Jim Webb<br />
webbjuice@comcast.net<br />
<b><br />
Art Of Flying</b> Interview: David Costanza, Anne Speroni, and Peter Halter<br />
<br />
(For Anne and David): <i>Your press kit states that you were both participants in the 1980s Los Angeles Free Rock/improv scene through your membership in The Whitefronts (I presume this was during the Downtown/loft heyday, e.g. Blue Daisies, Party Boys, Savage Republic, etc., so correct me if I'm wrong.) Tell me about those times, the San Francisco connection and what led you here. Also, a word or two about The Lords of Howling.</i><br />
<br />
Anne: ’80s-’90s- When we started out in the ’80s it was kind of the heyday of college rock and we were pretty tuned into that stuff, though I don't remember being crazy into any one thing. The Minutemen were a big inspiration, and older stuff like Velvet Underground, but we were also exploring stuff like Art Ensemble of Chicago, Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor. We moved away from song and form for a while and connected with some free improv players from the Boulder/Denver area. That was when we started playing with Lords of Howling, a move back into song and deeper into language, and met Peter, our drummer, who we have been playing with since then.<br />
<br />
David: I think the L.A. part is a bit over-stated—we once stopped at the MUSIC MACHINE in Santa Monica or West Hollywood & saw five bands play—"blood on the saddle” was one & a band I forget the name of that had Hilel Slovak & Flea & would be later called “red-hot-chile-peppers” & of course the MINUTEMEN which would be the reason we were there—BUT, basically—the band lived in Santa Barbara which isn't as cool—we played parties in people's little apartments & we tried to play 'second-wave' ska like the selector & english beat—these parties deepened our love for improvisation—as we just kept the few songs we knew going & going & going until the keg ran out—later we would hear the MINUTEMEN & meat puppets & husker DU & mixed that into the ska bit & the improv bit—the whitefronts ended up in San Francisco—which was very cool musically & had 4 guitarists & 2 bass players & really started making some NOISE & having fun—& weren't really appreciated all that much—we hooked up with Camper van beethoven & played shows with them & then turned down an offer for a record on their pitch-a-tent/rough-trade label & high-tailed it for the land of enchantment—I toured with camper once as a trumpet player in 1986 or thereabouts & played on their first album for VIRGIN “our beloved revolutionary sweetheart” & made a little $$$dough which I really thought was cool. the guy from savage republic—Bruce Licher—had a label & a letter-press & put out a bunch of beautiful albums—camper's first being one of them—that letter-press stuff was a big influence—-'let's move out to new mexico & get a letter press & record our own albums & release them'—lots to learn—ThOUGH the LIGHT seem SMALL is AoF's 6th CD—we did get to do an album—GALALA—that was on a label in SF & was all beautiful & letter-pressed by our friend Shane De Leon in Portland, OR.<br />
<br />
The Lords of Howling started around 1990 after the demise of the whitefronts—we had a crazy great time & recorded 12 cassettes at the barn & one CD—toured the NorthWest maybe five or six times & really learned—again—how to play—we made some beautiful music & I got to be around an amazing & scary-prolific songwriter—which influences me to this day.<br />
<br />
<i>Your songs seem particularly well suited to this region. Is that by design? To what extent, if any, does the physical environment of Northern New Mexico, specifically your neck of the woods, influence the music you create?</i><br />
<br />
Anne: PLACE, well, I'm sure it plays heavily into our writing and sound. All that vastness and beauty, and even the isolation, in terms of not really being part of something scene-wise certainly feels inspiring. The intention or design was not necessarily an artistic one, but rather a lifestyle choice. Choosing to live in a place where the music we created was rarely heard by anyone, was obviously not very wise in a career sense, but brilliant in the sense that we have been able to continue to go deeper into the realms that really interest us, and in turn, the music has kept us well fed spiritually and artistically for all these years and hopefully many more. I just look at it as the soundtrack to our lives.<br />
David: I like to mention places/people/things around me in a song—when I can—I don't know how this town affects the music—other than being so far from a 'current' music scene—it allows us to breathe & make music & let it sound like whatever the song wants to sound like—we've been making music in the BARN for over 20 years—all kinds of music—the 'marching band' kind of stuff & the free-improv stuff & the folky song singing kind of stuff—the People central to Art Of Flying & the friends around them—they make as much music as they can—always working towards some sort of beauty & playfulness—never mentioning the words 'genre' & 'style.'<br />
<br />
<i>CD Baby recommends your music to fans of Bob Dylan, Nick Drake and Tom Waits. However, your latest release, thOUGH the Light seem SMALL (am I getting the cases correct here?), reveals other, less-obvious influences. I'll go out on a limb and suggest Syd Barrett, early Milhaud, Peter Perrett, Dr. Strangely Strange, Van Dyke Parks and The Plugz. How wrong am I?</i><br />
<br />
David: I don't know any of those bands except Syd Barrett that I listened to maybe twice—I wasn't that into him—I might listen to it again if an LP was lying around the studio—I listed a bunch of influences above—& they were really LIVE stuff influences—watching D. Boon (minutemen) sing & jump up & down—just watching people play—in real time—like—shit—how do they play & sing at the same time—on record I listened to DESIRE by Bobby D a thousand times—& slow train coming—& Peter Tosh & Richard & Linda Thompson & rolling stones—Art Ensemble of Chicago & Cecil Taylor—monk, mingus & the Clash- tons of Glenn Gould bach piano solo stuff- & now I'm listening to the bach cello stuff & a little beethoven violin/piano sonatas—I listened to ziggy stardust (bowie) a bunch before making the last CD hoping that would leak in a bit—<br />
<br />
Anne: I don't know about influences really. I love Dylan. I like Nick Drake. I like Tom Waits. Dylan is always on the top of my list. The other stuff I’m not that familiar with, Syd Barrett a little.<br />
<br />
<i>What’s your opinion of the local music scene?</i><br />
<br />
David: My favorite parts of the 'music seen' around here are: the people I get to play music with; the seco pearl; KUNM free-form & my recording studio up in Questa: the BARN.<br />
<br />
Anne: I love Two Ton Strap<br />
<br />
(For Peter Halter): <i>Sir, explain yourself.</i><br />
<br />
Peter: At age 13 I watched Count Basie turn a high school auditorium into a hip joint. The drummer Sonny Payne became my idol, with his driving laid back beat. Since elementary school I played the drums and my brother played the trumpet. We'd listen to albums along with my father, a lover of jazz. Rock and roll (from my older sisters) and jazz were my first musical influences, which led to free jazz, Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler and Art Ensemble of Chicago. Listening to free jazz led to Fred Frith, John Zorn and avant-garde music, which expanded to more obscure groups. Then working with community radio, KGNU in Boulder opened me to all musical genres. But, the most fulfilling influence is playing music, the language of music and camaraderie. Currently, I play with Art of Flying and The Marching Band. In the past I've played with Frio (Front Range Improv Orchestra), Oriental Surfer Head and The Lords of Howling.<br />
<br />
<i>You are in the unique position of owning your own analog studio. Setting aside my envy for a moment, doesn't that particular method of recording require a degree of preparedness and/or patience beyond what's normally expected of a 21st century Rock group?</i><br />
<br />
Anne: Having our own studio (Dave's studio) has always been our saving grace. We've never had to work with the pressure of the clock ticking away. Though there have been numerous other technical challenges which continue to try our patience, we all have a good sense of humor about it. The Barn (the studio) has been as much a part of our process as anything else, and for me, it doesn't ever get any better than playing there. I enjoy going out and playing for other people to a certain extent, but really, it's all there, all the feedback I need is in the energy of that room that has accumulated over the years.<br />
<br />
David: pATIENCe is (sometimes) ALL there is ... well ... there IS more ... but how to see IT without patience?<br />
-when I returned to the BARN in 2006 the first thing I put in the (out of) control room was a cast-iron BuddhA I got at a flea-market. "what do you have to teach me, mr. Buddha?" I asked. "PATIENCE." he replied—"GREAT!" I said, "I'll be here 'til 4:0-clock!"—then I bought the old QUAD EIGHT conSOUL...<br />
It took me two years of wiring & crying to get a sound to come out of the new (old) thing; another year before we finished the first record: thOUGH the LIGHT seem SMALL ... patience—yes—I am beginning to understand ... ALL during that time I was writing the songs—my impatience being slowly peeled off of me like an old skin ... no more use for it ... impatience ...<br />
Chris the Beautiful said: "no one can stop us from making records ... not even by not listening to them."<br />
I guess I'm not interested in what is expected from a 21st century rock group—how about a 19th century rock group? Herman Melville on guitar. Walt Whitman on turn-tables. Emily Dickinson on bass. Abe Lincoln on drums.<br />
<br />
<i>thOUGH the Light seem SMALL is truly an exceptional record. Why are your local appearances so infrequent?</i><br />
<br />
Anne: Where would we play??????????<br />
<br />
David: right now—other than the Seco Pearl—there isn't any place in town that's a very good fit for us—we love to play LIVE—& we play quite a bit at the BARN—our musical 'bat-cave' so-to-speak—going out 'into the world' needs to be something special—<br />
<br />
<i>Choose one: Melville or Hawthorne?</i><br />
<br />
Anne: Hawthorne<br />
<br />
David: Melville … and even if it isn't a photo-finish- I would have trouble saying sayanara to all Hawthorne forever ... (I've only read the Scarlett Letter—& it was so great—I couldn't put it down—unlike theWHALE which I've put down maybe 25 times—maybe only 10 ... BUT, it seems like 100!) like BOWie—Hawthorne reached th'MILLION-which I have great respect for ... the title: ThOUGH the LIGHT seem SMALL- is either hawthorne or Melville—I took a bunch of notes a few winters back & I no longer remember which book it came from—the chorus from 'the LOVE song for LARRY YES' is definitely Moby Dick—<br />
<br />
<i>You've got some European shows set for late spring. What comes after?</i><br />
<br />
David: we're booking an Italian tour right now—15 shows & a festival—we're rehearsing a bunch for it—we have a show in Albuquerque at a place called the KOSMOS April 30th then May 1st at SHADOWs w/ Manby's Head & then May 15th at Seco Pearl—those 3 shows should get us warmed up for Italy—I want to head back to the NorthWest in the fall—in between I want to continue on this new record we started—we have a bunch of stuff on tape—some old methods of making sounds & layering it & seeing where it goes & some folk songs just sung on to the tape wondering if something/anything is needed to be added to it—we have SUANFEST #11 this summer—lots of music going on.<br />
<br />
Anne: I am dying to get back in the studio. There is never any shortage of material, and after the last session of recording we did, which was a bit of a departure, i'm really anxious to get into a different space and experiment a bit more, leave space for some more unknown elements to emerge.<br />
<br />
<i>Art Of Flying releases can be obtained at their performances, and website: www.discobolus.net</i><br />
<i>Also, here: http://artofflying.bandcamp.com/</i><br />
<i>thOUGH the LIGHT seem SMALL is available locally at Taosound.</i><br />
<i>Art of Flying calendar:</i><br />
<i>April 30 @ The Kosmos, 1715 5th Street NW, Albuquerque</i><br />
<i>May 1 @ Shadows Lounge & Grille 330A Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos</i><br />
<i>May 15 @ Seco Pearl, 590 Hondo-Seco Road, Arroyo Seco</i><br />
-Michael MooneyThe Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7782615095424872667.post-32610975822819940022010-04-15T06:00:00.004-06:002010-04-17T05:55:36.238-06:00Adventures of Flannery : A Portrait of Cathal Coughlan by Bandit Filmshttp://vimeo.com/9730708The Secret Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155249983997070121noreply@blogger.com0