tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89213822024-03-18T18:43:09.761-04:00PowerPopAn idiosyncratic blog dedicated to the precursors, the practioners, and the descendants of power pop.
All suggestions for postings and sidebar links welcome, contact any of us.NYMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863355110457910935noreply@blogger.comBlogger5794125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-39736741168038725852024-03-18T10:42:00.000-04:002024-03-18T10:42:37.479-04:00If It's Monday, It Must Be Musician Jokes<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsf-sB7p3EpeLzcINiopAqI-ZnbP35cKhcp9_C3U7H2NOwgsZNEksDfuEqM3TJZ-LmIRgbdvIscVNdfPPwTFr-uq-kFtsq69t9AQLAa0XkU5mxw928X3Stvn1Ywns-Gkg8uWG5uRxzPne7x-AOo5lwhL1QgomZQOnMH12pQz8WCuZPBOa-kkm0Pw/s443/432473030_17914800965905638_5853294900158861331_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="443" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsf-sB7p3EpeLzcINiopAqI-ZnbP35cKhcp9_C3U7H2NOwgsZNEksDfuEqM3TJZ-LmIRgbdvIscVNdfPPwTFr-uq-kFtsq69t9AQLAa0XkU5mxw928X3Stvn1Ywns-Gkg8uWG5uRxzPne7x-AOo5lwhL1QgomZQOnMH12pQz8WCuZPBOa-kkm0Pw/s400/432473030_17914800965905638_5853294900158861331_n.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
<blockquote>Q: What is something you never hear in the music business?<p>
A: "There's the banjo player's Porsche."<p>
<p><p>
Q: What do you call a trombonist with a pager?<p>
A: An optimist<p>
<p><p>
Q: What do you call a drummer in a three-piece suit?<p>
A: The defendant.<p>
<p><p>
Q: How do you get a bass player off your porch?<p>
A: Pay for the pizza<p></blockquote>
<p><p>
Hey -- I'm laid-up with a cold. Regular posting, involving actual writing and real music, resumes tomorrow, Benadryl permitting.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-25972492111652922142024-03-15T09:21:00.000-04:002024-03-15T09:21:09.126-04:00La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special "Ampersands Rule!" EditionFrom 1973 and their album <i>Louisiana Rock & Roll</i>, please enjoy unaccountably little-known Southern Rock stalwarts <b>Potliquor</b> and their cautionary on-the-road tale "You Can't Get There From Here."
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DczUF_sPh2U?si=FWP_js90a6sXPakd" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Those guys were, as you can hear, a killer two-guitar band, but unlike their better known and indulgently verbose genre/geographical blues-based brethren (<b>Skynyrd</b>, <b>The Allmans</b>) they actually have more in common on a sonic and compositional level with the likes of later, punkier avant-gardists like <b>Television</b>. I also hear a lot of the kind of mutant/metal stylings reminiscent of Brit contemporaries like <b>The Move</b>. And I can't think of another American act of their day who sounded so interesting production-wise.
<p>
Ooh -- I just remembered that not only have I written about these guys before, but that I actually had some interraction with people in their orbit. You can check that out <a href="https://powerpop.blogspot.com/2020/11/great-lost-guitar-solos-of-70s.html">OVER HERE</a>,
<p>
I should also add that the aformentioned <i>LR&R</i> (I love the &), from whence the above song derives, is no longer officially available (although you can hear the rest of it on YouTube). Its predecessor, <i>Levee Blues</i>, however. remains available for streaming at Amazon and is highly recommended.
<p>
But now, of course, it's time to get to the business at hand. To wit:
<p>
<i><b>...and your favorite obscure '70s rock/pop/country/folk or soul album by an equally obscure band or solo artist is...???</b></i>
<p>
I emphasize 70s here, for obvious reasons. And by obscure, we mean something that the average reasonably well-informed music fan probably wouldn't be familiar with beyond perhaps the artist's name or album title. If that.
<p>
Discuss.
<p>
And have a great weekend, everybody!!!steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-82807131911402995912024-03-14T08:41:00.001-04:002024-03-14T09:36:11.417-04:00Songs I'd Forgotten Existed, Let Alone Loved (An Occasional Series): Special "You Can't Copyright a Title" EditionFrom 1991, please enjoy Boston alt/folk-rock indie faves <b>Knots and Crosses</b> and their utterly heart-wrenching, gorgeously sung and brilliantly performed look at the relationships that happen to "Creatures of Habit."
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ji1gqtheIo0?si=HPwCFuve75TtgzJw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
K&C were one of those occasional shoulda/coulda music biz sad stories; after a couple of DIY albums that sold a remarkable 20,000 copies in the pre-internet days, they got signed to a major label (Island) and then got dropped almost immediately. Lead singer <b>Carol Noonan</b>, however, went on to release a whole mess of well-received solo efforts of similar quality in a similar stylistic vein and she's also, as I just learned, a big NPR fave and the co-proprietress of the <a href="https://www.stonemountainartscenter.com/">Stone Mountain Arts Center</a> in Maine.
<p>
In any case, I bring the whole thing up because I also just learned that <b>Harry Shearer</b>'s wife(!) <b>Judith Owen</b> -- who I had never heard of until last Monday morning -- had written and recorded her own "Creatures of Habit" in 2008, and it's pretty damned impressive as well.
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_eTctR4VRhA?si=J2lg3om98jQRulk2" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
I should also add that the bit about not being able to copyright a title is actually true; apparently, if you wanted to publish a novel about a flatulent meteorologist and call it <i>Gone With the Wind</i> you would be completely within your rights. If there are any lawyers out there reading this, feel free to clarify it if I'm wrong.
<p>
[h/t Captain Al]
steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-27081843748436323172024-03-13T08:59:00.000-04:002024-03-13T08:59:13.405-04:00Eric Carmen 1949 - 2024The auteur of <b>The Raspberries</b> has passed. I needn't remind anybody that he and they pretty much sum up the mission statement of this here blog.
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6kY3ITqAAm8?si=A5PY7kMMMriXuUpi" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
I should add that a certain Shady Dame and I had our first date at a Raspberries show in Manhattan in 2007; they were promoting the <i>Live on Sunset Strip</i> album from whence the above clip derives. So you can imagine my surprise when said <i>jeune fille</i> told me yesterday that she'd saved the Raspberries button the record company (Ryko) had thoughtfully provided for the industry attendees that night. (Cue: Steve getting a little verklempt.)
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KzIAEswKPuwqEmC6j627kfJd3c926ct9sqp2IX61ffL_aWSfXgon7n93N7tvEak9e_OVXxvZlht9tZwsXoUlA9j5QvBU690xGKwn1U4d2sePn2hFARe7Ikx0hJHW6R0lnxNPWiVaDi-hEmT4j-c5qY3AoYe2c1-Q0Qng97o4SZxKHc3iSyNnKQ/s1500/432597421_10228054138351127_226767020845748713_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KzIAEswKPuwqEmC6j627kfJd3c926ct9sqp2IX61ffL_aWSfXgon7n93N7tvEak9e_OVXxvZlht9tZwsXoUlA9j5QvBU690xGKwn1U4d2sePn2hFARe7Ikx0hJHW6R0lnxNPWiVaDi-hEmT4j-c5qY3AoYe2c1-Q0Qng97o4SZxKHc3iSyNnKQ/s400/432597421_10228054138351127_226767020845748713_n.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
I should also add -- just to annoy the less fortunate -- that I also saw the Raspberries in their early 70s heyday. At Carnegie Hall, if memory serves; they were flush from the success of "I Wanna Be With You" (the opening 12-string riff of which is still one of my favorite several seconds of recorded music ever) and, alas, wearing those dopey matching suits that kept them from being considered hip in that far away era. Come to think of it, they were actually the opening act for somebody else (I forget who). But they were very impressive, and in any case, what I remember most about the show wasn't their ability to reproduce the sound of their records live, but rather that they rolled two(!) Mellotrons onstage at some point and proceeded to surprise everybody with a killer rendition of -- dig this -- "Be My Baby."
<p>
Have I mentioned that this death shit is really starting to piss me off?
steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-45214148803137397972024-03-12T09:25:00.001-04:002024-03-12T20:54:10.750-04:00Karl Wallinger 1957 - 2024The auteur of <b>The Waterboys</b> and <b>World Party</b> has passed. Damn, I'd forgotten how much I loved this song of his.
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KxIdCo48Fsk?si=glAE09DWDLLLhvzR" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
I've said it before and I'll say it again -- this death shit is really starting to piss me off.
<p>
<b>PS:</b> I'd also forgotten that I reviewed the album from whence that song derives. Here it is, in the September 1990 issue of Stereo Review.
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2BWnUVouWltdKNXL46dcr1TqkayBFMaaxXpF0hHIYc9svigtFpuguA6HO5h2dmzKoJuX7s15hF0D1_TcZSBeK5zeXqRajsd1F3vyjDXscb8KXOaHFHWHWwEzuU_vLpp6MmO3p_qnVdU9i6C2F_iE8zgxb9KR8S_n6iXo-RXVDHAH7PxFg1uVhA/s1850/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%207.23.57%20PM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="1850" data-original-width="1418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2BWnUVouWltdKNXL46dcr1TqkayBFMaaxXpF0hHIYc9svigtFpuguA6HO5h2dmzKoJuX7s15hF0D1_TcZSBeK5zeXqRajsd1F3vyjDXscb8KXOaHFHWHWwEzuU_vLpp6MmO3p_qnVdU9i6C2F_iE8zgxb9KR8S_n6iXo-RXVDHAH7PxFg1uVhA/s400/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%207.23.57%20PM.png"/></a></div>
<p>
Jeez, I really was a cynical bastard back then. I mean, the digs at <b>XTC</b> and <b>Todd Rundgren</b> strike me as a bit much. Other than that, however, I think I got the album right.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-56999170541315238162024-03-11T08:30:00.000-04:002024-03-11T08:30:02.461-04:00Les Cahiers du Jet Screamer!!!From some time in the apparently distant future, please enjoy the aforementioned Mr. Screamer and the greatest rock record of all time, "Epp! Opp! Ork!".
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U15rzqfSofo?si=su9M9_xjcugwrDLM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Okay, maybe not the greatest rock record of all time, but <b>Judy Jetson</b>'s favorite fer sure.
<p>
And I think we can also agree that Judy's dad George's opening drum solo rules.
<p>
In all seriousnes, I have not been able to determine who actually sang and played on EOE (an uncomfirmed rumor has it that the vocals were by Mel Brooks alumnus Howie Morris), but we do know that it was in fact co-written by the great <b>William Hanna-Joseph Barbera</b> team who created <i>The Jetsons</i> and much, much more.,
<p>
I would also be remiss if I didn't post this 1995 cover version by <b>The Violent Femmes</b>.
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QkYVuRt08Vc?si=T9_8OZxqZUvdWWuP" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Pretty fab, and I should add that it derives from the unaccountably forgotten compilation album <i>Saturday Morning Cartoons Greatest Hits</i>, which also features a version of "The Banana Splits Song" by <b>Liz Phair</b>(!) and <b>Material Issue</b>(!!) that really IS one of the greatest rock records of all time. But that's a subject for a future post.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-89621396471327287932024-03-08T08:30:00.000-05:002024-03-08T08:30:40.176-05:00Weekend Listomania: Special "You Can't Get There From Here" Edition<i>[I posted the original version of this in 2008 -- Hole. E. Shit!!! -- but it struck me as newly pertinent now that our esteemed New York governor, in a ludicrously tone deaf attempt to co-opt the Trumpist Republicans' cynical and stupid THE IMMIGRANTS ARE COMING TO RAPE YOU! campaign, is actually deploying the National Guard into the NYC subway system to do bag checks of little old ladies purses. Genius!!!
<p>
In any case I've done a lot of re-writing of the thing, and switched in a couple of new items so as not to seem like the slacker asshole I actually am. That notwithstanding, enjoy.]</i>
<p>
And the subject of our new and revised Listomania is...
<p>
<i><b>BEST POST-ELVIS POP/ROCK/SOUL/COUNTRY SONG OR RECORD WHOSE TITLE REFERENCES A MODE OF TRANSPORTATION!!!!!
</b></i><p>
Totally arbitrary rule: No title utilizing the words "road" or "street" need apply. Sorry.
<p>
Okay, that said, here's my totally top of my head Top Eight.
<p>
8. <i>Bitchin' Camaro </i>(The Dead Milkmen)
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZeY2nut3Gj8?si=pT7itpb374AOZcSB" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
I'm not sure if this is as funny as the DMs thought it was at the time, but you gotta give it this -- it's got one of the longest spoken word intros in rock history.
<p>
7. <i>Little Deuce Coupe</i> (The Beach Boys)
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F4yqWPVjA80?si=T5OwRm-z8UU8MQQw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Pretty much my all time favorite car song, and I love this clip, from a closed-circuit theater concert which I actually saw in a local (Jersey) cinema when it was first broadcast.
<p>
6. <i>Last of the Steam Powered Trains</i> (Ed Kuepper and Mark Dawson)
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zie4LHesiHQ?si=SxKGWPxu0Jx8dHAZ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
The original is from the Kinks' epochal <i>Village Green</i> album, of course, and I've always wondered why nobody ever covered it. Turns out Ed Kuepper, the lead singer of the great Australian punk band The Saints, actually did.
<p>
5. <i>Chestnut Mare</i> (The Byrds)
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_SdiSjpOdyU?si=EHnjg6ktq8fMPnZQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Because "A Horse With No Name" is just too stupid for words, and I couldn't find a video for Procol Harum's "A Christmas Camel" that I liked. Heh.
<p>
4. A tie!!!
<p>
<i>Theme from Route 66</i> (Nelson Riddle)
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LbvsqtPmaHc?si=78DwErsut0Dq2RKH" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
George Maharis and Martin Milner come home -- all is forgiven.
<p>
...and...
<p>
<i>Route 66</i> (Some asshole whose name rhymes with Sleeve Nimels)
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q-DoPs8an8I?si=ZXqUwj6IMJk2BM-a" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
I can't think of another rock song that's inspired so many terrific covers in so many styles -- Depeche Mode, anybody? -- but this isn't one of them. Hey -- if memory serves, there were some alcoholic beverages being consumed.
<p>
3. <i>Rocket in My Pocket</i> (Jimmy Lloyd)
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GxUH3xanfGY?si=JaoyDBSInLDvY66b" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
That's Jimmy Lloyd a/k/a Jimmy Logsdon ("The Man Without a Subtitle" in Nick Tosches brilliant <i>Unsung Heroes of Rock n Roll</i>, still the best and funniest book about roots music ever) and what was for many years one of the rarest and in-demand rockabilly obscurities ever recorded. You might recall it from <i>The Iron Giant</i> soundtrack, of course.
<p>
2. <i>My White Bicycle</i> (Tomorrow)
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/62yWU4ryrgI?si=XkNL2ww_lI7WxGir" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Brilliant Summer of Love psychedelic pop, even if the guitarist is the pre-Yes Steve Howe.
<p>
And the number one transportation-themed song, it's not even a contest so don't bug me, is --
<p>
1. <i>Trains and Boats and Planes</i> (Fountains of Wayne)
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X7P54AB7LyQ?si=Az5HCPfXsHKEj3_z" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
For obvious reasons, of course, not the least of which it's just so gorgeously mournful. Yeah, yeah, I realize the Dionne Warwick version is pretty much the peak product of her Bachrach/David collaboration, but a lot of the covers out there are really good. And I think FOW pretty much nailed it, no?
<p>
Awrighty then -- what would your choices be?
<p>
And have a great weekend, everybody!!!!
steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-53530839183054971302024-03-07T08:42:00.000-05:002024-03-07T08:42:48.850-05:00Closed for Monkey Business: Special "Primary Exhaustion" Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BYjVx3qFBgFQVr_m_kIRh6BxtLTgUSYtFv2bBMPBm2rAZ_roVqoq9IOMZ9GlTBLHH-xlqqRuBNhZNzFVOPsxQh76vbd2m4iMRpPGZL98vvkiVThQl3upLUrY9-k0GcX9LJ1lYtnAeKdtxAt18ire9FlnF1Hk1kvJOOg7ajx7AdRlKeSU2VqHCg/s295/vootie.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BYjVx3qFBgFQVr_m_kIRh6BxtLTgUSYtFv2bBMPBm2rAZ_roVqoq9IOMZ9GlTBLHH-xlqqRuBNhZNzFVOPsxQh76vbd2m4iMRpPGZL98vvkiVThQl3upLUrY9-k0GcX9LJ1lYtnAeKdtxAt18ire9FlnF1Hk1kvJOOg7ajx7AdRlKeSU2VqHCg/s400/vootie.png"/></a></div>
<p>
Sorry -- Super Tuesday just wiped me out.
<p>
Barring the unforseen, regular posting -- and hopefully a Weekend listomania or some such -- resumes on the morrow.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-20466871885497313402024-03-06T08:49:00.000-05:002024-03-06T08:49:58.689-05:00Great Lost Singles of the (We Think) '80s (An Occasional Series): Special "This is the Big One, Elizabeth!!!" EditionOkay, hold on to your seats, kids, and please enjoy should-be-a-household-word <b>Richard Orange</b> and his absolutely drop-dead astounding guitar-driven power pop masterpiece "Hole in My Heart."
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hfQTEmUnJVg?si=H1JK9yDS6zB8aFpK" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Words fail me.
<p>
So where is that from? And why haven't you heard it before?
<p>
The short version: As attentive readers will recall, two weeks ago I had <a href="https://powerpop.blogspot.com/2024/02/let-us-now-praise-famous-women.html">very nice things to say</a> about the cover version done by <b>Cyndi Lauper</b>, which plays over the end credits of her underrated film debut (with <b>Jeff Goldblum</b> and <b>Peter Falk</b>) in the 1988 sci-fi rom-com <i>Vibes</i>.
<p>
So anyway, a certain Shady Dame and I watched the flick, and when the song came on I wondered a) why it hadn't been a bigger hit and b) and more important, who wrote it? So I looked it up, and when I found that Lauper wasn't the author, I figured I should track down the original, if there was one. Hey -- never let it be said I don't do the heavy lifting for those of you reading this here blog.
<p>
Result:I found the above vid on YouTube, and it blew my tiny mind. Great lost singles of the 80s? Hell, I'd nominate that for THE great lost single of all time, period. I mean, if I was still in a band, I'd want to play stuff that sounded just like that, at the drop of a hat anywhere, and I'd do it for free. I mean, my god -- those layered inter-weaving jangly guitars (there's a 12-string in there, of course), that propulsive and melodic McCartney-esque bass, those killer drums (the production of which is astounding), and the out-of-this-world and hilarious lyrical conceit. And have I mentioned the beyond perfect lead vocal and harmonies? It's like the record of my dreams.
<p>
In any case, I still don't know exactly when that was made, or anything about its auteur, other than that he seems to have been active since the 70s, to little or no notice beyond the royalty checks he presumably still gets from streams of the movie. He does, however, have a Facebook page, and after today's post goes up, I plan to go over there and act like the most obnoxious fanboy imaginable.
<p>
Hey -- he deserves no less. I'll keep you posted as things develop.
steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-44783238778227848622024-03-05T09:28:00.000-05:002024-03-05T09:28:47.396-05:00The Blog By Numbers: Special "Senior Citizens Rule!" Edition<i>[In which we catch up with a bunch of brief and/or dumb stuff that I've been meaning to post for a while, but hadn't gotten around to for whatever reason.]
<p></i>
1. <b>Keith Sings Lou</b>
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5NcJvi5TYEk?si=gZvx_zWTw8YjYHwx" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
I think we can agree that this is a song he was born to cover. I'm curious, however -- can you still score a bag of H for twenty-six dollars? Asking for a friend. <p>
2. <b>I Hate This Guy</b>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OWedI_LOfCbIGsQBi1uMYa_8mDg3eR_WAeQvfx_SEuDdfnmF24thWcRSqi8bKC8XShTw41VVcRf4DubJIowgGTyFCNDwzz8jWLmxqHFa7Byx7WNBCokxQoXDo7necMEx1XXpwU_GMpd60w90yCP6hDJ6YA8tsaO979ziy2pH7fR2bzG271_iyg/s1080/428514829_958349952327487_4349734634485714261_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OWedI_LOfCbIGsQBi1uMYa_8mDg3eR_WAeQvfx_SEuDdfnmF24thWcRSqi8bKC8XShTw41VVcRf4DubJIowgGTyFCNDwzz8jWLmxqHFa7Byx7WNBCokxQoXDo7necMEx1XXpwU_GMpd60w90yCP6hDJ6YA8tsaO979ziy2pH7fR2bzG271_iyg/s400/428514829_958349952327487_4349734634485714261_n.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
This good looking sonofabitch turned 80(!) on Saturday. Words fail me.
<p>
3. <b>Why Didn't I Get the Memo About This?</b>
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rMl3e8ExTcA?si=jspDk48CEv9jOMfc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Joe Walsh(!) covers the Shirelles(!!). I had no idea this existed until our friend Sal Nunziato at Burning Wood mentioned it over the weekend. Pretty damn good, no?
<p>
4. <b>I Really Liked His Solo Work</b>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_iNKJiqTrs5gffukQq5VX5MxSiw4ZbTjgyCu09oGmzD5xNnvhapqVB53L-_69JN6J8pYJWGzH2x_8zA5sSkqm55uil5nF8xR0KkIORBy38LsfC_6hPzDAxv9nsfeK0i7cBNUgmGMl0aqr3b_gLrQGuwQRUq4aKf9meTFr7tGFcXuuP4MHT5g1w/s1080/428700037_895498822371207_8634035346019988471_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_iNKJiqTrs5gffukQq5VX5MxSiw4ZbTjgyCu09oGmzD5xNnvhapqVB53L-_69JN6J8pYJWGzH2x_8zA5sSkqm55uil5nF8xR0KkIORBy38LsfC_6hPzDAxv9nsfeK0i7cBNUgmGMl0aqr3b_gLrQGuwQRUq4aKf9meTFr7tGFcXuuP4MHT5g1w/s400/428700037_895498822371207_8634035346019988471_n.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
Harrison Ford, get it? Come to think of it, I could almost see George playing the part.
<p>
5. <b>It Seems Like Only Yesterday</b>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uYwkCtqL4mKFfGH_-XbbsJoCuUgM-jbZzT8YMPf9c5tBBSARXCbatqijXXWXI3spnO7K2M_cj6IH0ERATGJzO2L5Gpgvayj-PB-57lm_vBJ-bwGXhQWOzbXx6zvHGYjpIDC8TtafredW9z5hDv_jKDQXYpTV2kFU10a-JENz0yMa0IkrGbdjxQ/s1038/87391255_10218821856189843_5145917355196416000_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="1038" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uYwkCtqL4mKFfGH_-XbbsJoCuUgM-jbZzT8YMPf9c5tBBSARXCbatqijXXWXI3spnO7K2M_cj6IH0ERATGJzO2L5Gpgvayj-PB-57lm_vBJ-bwGXhQWOzbXx6zvHGYjpIDC8TtafredW9z5hDv_jKDQXYpTV2kFU10a-JENz0yMa0IkrGbdjxQ/s400/87391255_10218821856189843_5145917355196416000_n.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
Ah COVID, we barely knew ye.
steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-22202922221261387062024-03-04T09:21:00.003-05:002024-03-04T10:42:03.599-05:00It Came From the Outer Boros (An Occasional Series): Special "Domestic Bliss" EditionFrom just last week, please enjoy pride-of-Brooklyn pop/punk youngsters <b>Wifey</b> and their infectious and hilarious debut single "Mary Ann Leaves the Band."
<p>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=825902260/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://wifeytheband.bandcamp.com/track/mary-ann-leaves-the-band-3">Mary Ann Leaves the Band by Wifey</a></iframe>
<p>
I gotta say, I haven't heard anything quite as cool as as that since the glory days of <b>Fountains of Wayne</b> (who, you will not be surprised to learn, Wifey proudly claims as an influence). Meanwhile, in case you can't make them out amidst the glorious clatter of the jangly guitars and stuff, here are some representative lyrics...
<p>
<blockquote>It's mostly men in the marching band/
And not one girl's half as cute<p>
As Mary Ann at her music stand/
My God, that girl knew how to handle a flute<p>
<p>
Told her my name at the football game/
And once again when we played the state fair<p>
But ever since she met Johnny K/
Well her priorities have been elsewhere<p>
<p>
Mary Ann finds herself a man and then the band starts falling apart<p>
Mary Ann finds herself a man and then the band starts falling apart<p>
<p>
Now here she is, skipping practices/
The kids in woodwind are all licking their wounds<p>
I sit alone with my saxophone/
But Mr S won't let me play the blues<p>
<p>
The music school don't feel as cool/
The other girls are relieved<p>
But since you quit, we play like shit/
I'm jumping ship for the chess team<p>
Oh Mary Ann, I beg of thee/
I'm pining for you as we plod through Yankee Doodle Dandy<p>
This Becky girl can't play your parts as skillfully as you/
Her breath control is spotty, and I heard that she eats glue<p>
Sure Johnny's got a car, and his sleeve tattoos are cool/
But don't you think it's kind of weird he hangs around the high school?<p>
He's 32 years old and he still lives with his mom/
Pretty sure it's illegal for him to come to the prom<p></blockquote>
<p>
And let me just say, and for the record, that reading the above was the most fun I've had with my clothes on so far this year.
<p>
Meanwhile , these kids... <p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMA8EoYlQfPVLej-gEa9wVSbNJMNrMv0k4lqXL-LMKhm473XCcmGDfAZflfJIL-ewm4l_ISH9OhGQp6ipnpYLAdZCh7sUdytRtSjWQSbrC0MHBzXpHbsPABlUuNpWUdNqHMn8bMIuDxLnHLA4XuM7H8pnAank8zadRJzrZk6IOox_ZoAo-Y5RuUA/s1440/unnamed.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1435" data-original-width="1440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMA8EoYlQfPVLej-gEa9wVSbNJMNrMv0k4lqXL-LMKhm473XCcmGDfAZflfJIL-ewm4l_ISH9OhGQp6ipnpYLAdZCh7sUdytRtSjWQSbrC0MHBzXpHbsPABlUuNpWUdNqHMn8bMIuDxLnHLA4XuM7H8pnAank8zadRJzrZk6IOox_ZoAo-Y5RuUA/s400/unnamed.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
...describe themselves thusly (and be prepared -- this is without question the greatest band promo bio in rock history).
<p>
<blockquote>Wifey is a Brooklyn power-pop band formed by Teddy Grey and Carly Kerr, two hot dorks who prove that the theater-kid to punk-rocker pipeline is still claiming innocent victims. After working together on an R-rated Garfield musical (don’t ask), the two bonded over a mutual love of bubblegrunge, emo, and DIY, and began crafting the catchiest songs ever written. They were soon joined in marriage by Mickey Blurr on lead guitar, and Chris Canieso on drums, and the rest is history. The honeymoon phase never has to end with Wifey, thanks to their earworm hooks, enticingly questionable lyrics, and lovely harmonies that could only come from the happiest of marriages. Matrimony never looked so good.
<p>
Debut EP “Just A Tease,” (alternate title: “Future Classics”) is the first taste of their ear-candy. Mixed and mastered by Billy Mannino (oso oso, Ben Quad, saturdays at your place), “Just A Tease” features five songs that will remain lodged in your head forever, whether you like it or not. In a scene revolving around confessional songwriting and baring your soul, Wifey has the decency to be tasteless, and are deep enough to be shallow. The hole for loud, dumb pop songs is wide open and Wifey is more than happy to fill it.
<p>
With hooky tunes revolving around timeless subjects such as getting drunk, girls whose names end in Anne, and the addictive substance known only as “Candysauce,” Wifey is a power-pop band with real power. Influenced heavily by the melodic punks that came before them (Lemonheads, Green Day, Joyce Manor) and embodying the “Don’t bore us, get to the chorus” ethos, Wifey’s songs are as exciting as a sugar rush, and only slightly less hazardous to your health.</blockquote>
<p>
Hey -- they had me at "the theater-kid to punk-rocker pipeline." Absolutely priceless. Anyway, I can't wait to hear more of their stuff -- like that aforementioned EP promised for later this year? C'mon guys, get with it!!!
<p>
Bottom line: Wifey is my new favorite band, and I'll keep you posted on what's going on with them as things develop.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-60543483042546681672024-03-01T09:01:00.000-05:002024-03-01T09:01:41.437-05:00Weekend Listomania: Special "Bad Taste is Timeless" Edition<i>[I first ran a version of this one back in 2009 -- yeah, yeah, I know, that blows my mind too -- but when I stumbled across it for the first time in ages the other day, it struck me as pretty funny and worthy of revival, so here we are. As is my wont, I've added an entry and done some rewriting, just so you don't think I'm a complete slacker asshole. -- S.S.]</i>
<p>
<i><b>Post-Elvis Group, Solo Artist or Song You've Taken the Most Snark For Liking From Folks Over the Years!!!
</b></i><p>
Self-explanatory, obviously, and no arbitrary rules whatsoever, you're welcome very much. Basically, if anybody's ever looked at you with an alarmed raised eyebrow when you noted that, oh, <i>Filth</i> by <b>The Swans</b> was the record you'd most like to have played at your memorial service, then this category is for you.
<p>
And my totally top of my head Top Five is:
<p>
5. <b>The Ohio Express</b> -- <i>Yummy, Yummy, Yummy</i>
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VECljlG--gE?si=GscgB_L8AR5KEPUd" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Bubblegum crap, right? Blah blah blah. Turn in your Rock Writers of the World union card, Simels, you're embarrassing us.
<p>
Fuck that shit. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- if you turn off the goofy vocals on the left channel, and just listen to the instrumental stuff on the right, what you'll hear is as tough a rock instrumental track as anybody has ever made. I'm talking Rolling Stones or Velvet Underground tough here.
<p>
4. <b>The Beach Boys</b>
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xYc4DT18EJg?si=69NNSQf_UqPCL9tU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Not so much these days, of course, given that it's now generally conceded by all who walk upright that Brian Wilson is a genius, the Gershwin of his generation, but the Beach Boys have gone in and out of fashion so many times over the last 60(!) years that it's hard to keep track. Back in the hippie days, however -- particularly after the whole debacle of <i>Smile</i> -- the attitude in the counter-culture was that you had to be a hopelessly bourgeois square to take them seriously (in this country, at least; the Brits knew better). In any case, at that point being a Beach Boys fan was essentially the Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name, and I don't mean Mike.
<p>
3. <b>The Guess Who</b>
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yGsm8CP176k?si=-lYLKqSo8Oj1KD-i" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Seriously, back in the 70s, I can't tell you how often I would mention my fondness for these guys, only to notice that the people I was talking to were moving away, ever so slowly but firmly, from where I sat.
<p>
The clip above -- a medley called "Hi, Rockers!" -- is my favorite of several true gems from the band's masterpiece album. The transition from the hilarious beer-soaked barroom meeting of the minds that opens it into the seraphically lovely clavinet-driven "Heaven Only Moved Once" and finally the witty mutant rockabilly revenge number "Don't You Want Me" -- complete with faux Jordanaires harmony vocals -- is, frankly, a marvel to behold, and from where I sit one of the very greatest moments in 70s rock. I'm not kidding about this!!!
<p>
2. <b>Procol Harum</b>
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vtbTb9PDD_M?si=_PJ6_Rj0scnOzqH3" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
These guys, although there's still a perception out there that they were one-hit wonders (hah!), actually get a fair amount of respect now -- it's amazing how often I run into people who turn out to be closet fans. So I'm mostly including them here because the luminous NYMary, annotating a piece I'd written about the band in the early 70s for reprint in these precincts, couldn't resist taking a shot at "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (bless her heart). I think the phrase she used was "Dodgiest lyrics ever..."
<p>
Naturally enough, then, the clip above is "Repent Walpurgis," a lyric-less instrumental that remains one of my all-time fave Procol numbers. It's a live version, featuring the classic five piece original lineup with Robin Trower and Matthew Fischer (the latter four decades away from settling his authorship suit over AWSOP) at the Fillmore West on April 11, 1969. How do you say "awesomely magnificent" in Yiddish?
<p>
And the numero uno artiste(s) or song for whom my enthusiasm has gotten me shunned from time to time is obviously --
<p>
1. <b>The Four Seasons</b> -- <i>Marlena</i>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JuIYzlr3_GDxG8BnInZY6UAME5dO31F41s0R3UZT4zmFXzNnk8MeXqIITBqWIFsNclfKmI9i3J0d8xYAxcG1DvdgFJk3HQHP3s9NZSBN_o0YigXdKrVl5301FwiEX2U5yhN5O4hOP10Np71NcNTYBzdpmTcFWLCStGDbf40Pt8EoqG9utFffCA/s326/marlena%20II.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JuIYzlr3_GDxG8BnInZY6UAME5dO31F41s0R3UZT4zmFXzNnk8MeXqIITBqWIFsNclfKmI9i3J0d8xYAxcG1DvdgFJk3HQHP3s9NZSBN_o0YigXdKrVl5301FwiEX2U5yhN5O4hOP10Np71NcNTYBzdpmTcFWLCStGDbf40Pt8EoqG9utFffCA/s400/marlena%20II.JPG"/></a></div>
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VxvxcRyfrc4?si=d4UzGj4Ym50iVy56" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
The Four Seasons, despite (or perhaps because of) their metamorphosis into the inspiration for a world-wide hit Broadway/film musical phenomenon, remain somewhat less than hep in certain rock critic circles. I, of course, have said on numerous occasions (including here, if memory serves) that their great run of hits -- spanning the period between "Sherry" in 1962 through, say, "I've Got You Under My Skin" five years later -- comprise the purest pop confections in the history of the genre (the grittier class conscious romanticism of "Dawn" and "Rag Doll," and those songs' influence on Bruce Springsteen, is, of course, a subject for another day).
<p>
In any case, my advocacy of "Marlena" (which I think is their most profoundly silly accomplishment, and that's meant as a compliment) has gotten me into trouble on a couple of occasions, most notably sometime in the late 70s, when I -- along with twenty or thirty other folks, mostly writers and musicians -- was asked to make a list of our Five All-Time Favorite Songs by New York City rock colossus WNEW-FM (the station then played everybody's lists over the course of an entire day). I don't remember all five songs I picked -- one was The Who's "Glow Girl" -- but I did nominate "Marlena," and I recall that after the deejay ID'd it as one of my choices, I got at least three frantic phone calls from erstwhile friends questioning my sanity. Okay, I exaggerate just a tad, but you get the idea.
<p>
In any case, I think history has vindicated my assessment.
<p>
Incidentally, the audio clip of "Marlena" above is the original mono single mix, which I was able to find only after great personal effort and considerable financial expense. This is important because most currently available Four Seasons comps have the song in stereo, and as Pete Townshend famously said about The Who's "I Can See For Miles," the mono mix of "Marlena" makes the stereo version sound like The Carpenters.
<p>
Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choices be?
<p>
And have a great weekend, everybody!!!
steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-32202910475129562662024-02-29T08:50:00.000-05:002024-02-29T08:50:18.312-05:00Closed for Monkey Business: Special "The Supreme Court Can Blow Me" Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTHPYuQTgRJZGdqjhL1m3qTX9MInDTCorIV0nrSQ7DRjRKneEmi8VziGC5VRlXJIUr-xgfW3R8r7XzYTvSqoFPiwD-yAyFEE-LPC9eEAo8W-sOisx66GRmX2FoSpEj2Xt9Cy20qfGzg9JN9nusBNkhWitYMhymtg7Abm4KO3HQZ5Nt2Vqckxs6Q/s295/vootie.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTHPYuQTgRJZGdqjhL1m3qTX9MInDTCorIV0nrSQ7DRjRKneEmi8VziGC5VRlXJIUr-xgfW3R8r7XzYTvSqoFPiwD-yAyFEE-LPC9eEAo8W-sOisx66GRmX2FoSpEj2Xt9Cy20qfGzg9JN9nusBNkhWitYMhymtg7Abm4KO3HQZ5Nt2Vqckxs6Q/s400/vootie.png"/></a></div>
<p>
Sorry, but yesterday's news just wiped me out.
<p>
Barring the unforseen, regular posting -- a Weekend Listomania, maybe -- resumes on the morrow.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-60096258816229501762024-02-28T09:29:00.000-05:002024-02-28T09:29:24.721-05:00The Blog By Numbers: Special "There'll Always Be an England" Edition<i>[In which we catch up with a bunch of brief and/or dumb stuff that I've been meaning to post for a while, but hadn't gotten around to for whatever reason.]
<p></i>
1. <b>Les Cahiers du Wolfman Jack</b>
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lJr80trTFPo?si=JsVIguQb5q5bRRYS" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Live from London in 1973 -- it's your hosts, <b>Procol Harum</b>, plus fellow Brits <b>Humble Pie</b>, <b>Alvin Lee</b>, and the simply astounding <b>Steeleye Span</b>. BTW, if you don't watch all the way through to the end of the video to see the Span (and kvell) I really don't want to know you anymore. I should add that Procol fans will recognize the line-up performing here as the one which made <i>Grand Hotel</i>, and boy do they sound magnificent.
<p>
Also -- have I mentioned that Steeleye's divine <b>Maddy Prior</b> could have had me if she'd played her cards right?
<p>
2. <b>It Came From Queens</b>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgSYIY26rDl4a2hvoaK4ek_SbOyZfXAhOy2U6Bd0zg1ngQ1zBzi_RHFgwoxa3s_Ocx0hbXy4zgPy6tQoXGoJhhQeK-hxxiikFKNqms4MF0vWzmGR2QgBp6jvAyIR0iG2NYfwRd2aovQWd9Uo1Nq1vBM2QbjWyNvRJ5SH1i5oc4PJMJ3XfswVOfQ/s673/429893375_25131928156421435_4709762249964034792_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgSYIY26rDl4a2hvoaK4ek_SbOyZfXAhOy2U6Bd0zg1ngQ1zBzi_RHFgwoxa3s_Ocx0hbXy4zgPy6tQoXGoJhhQeK-hxxiikFKNqms4MF0vWzmGR2QgBp6jvAyIR0iG2NYfwRd2aovQWd9Uo1Nq1vBM2QbjWyNvRJ5SH1i5oc4PJMJ3XfswVOfQ/s400/429893375_25131928156421435_4709762249964034792_n.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
Queens -- get it? Okay, I'm really stretching to make this fit today's theme. So sue me.
<p>
3. <b>Who Knew Benny Hill Was Funny?</b>
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uDP9xKporMo?si=zdKuUXf24y5t9s1E" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Actually, now that I think of it, <i>Stinky Feet</i> would have made a great Stones album title.
<p>
4. <b>Noted Without Comment</b>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_l0orGejt4v9AlgD2RPvsaKLgai7F3TRJ1_nbNELrlHdBMlheHg6alWYbC0q3_2AFr6XR5eDrKj3pVCVr37C_LB5L6P-JjZsi_2ZS8S5I6TAMoqTU6rHYYIiHJjNy4cHL68TQXktrw5U7cDADVS9JcB57iJlhTpTYKvx6hX0E2YThBP8_Qt9Ag/s1324/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-22%20at%204.49.25%20PM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="1324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_l0orGejt4v9AlgD2RPvsaKLgai7F3TRJ1_nbNELrlHdBMlheHg6alWYbC0q3_2AFr6XR5eDrKj3pVCVr37C_LB5L6P-JjZsi_2ZS8S5I6TAMoqTU6rHYYIiHJjNy4cHL68TQXktrw5U7cDADVS9JcB57iJlhTpTYKvx6hX0E2YThBP8_Qt9Ag/s400/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-22%20at%204.49.25%20PM.png"/></a></div>
<p>
5. <b>Fat Bottomed Girls</b>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijP3NQozKGaYQ8009wzzplM-BB2iKuIl_JJ_36koy-iAd_Zmm3IvAB-3JEno6Ye9h-QpqtOokJN21jHVffz_9IQlIc5PlnvCaEkXXS8MJ3ZkZ8Ket9D8VgFFD8Vf-NwkDuuATxITNC53U34qWfovvpZ6ctajbYKcmN92Nigak4nHeZXVt9r6nh1g/s1080/428642679_10232867676975608_4617620460207538110_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijP3NQozKGaYQ8009wzzplM-BB2iKuIl_JJ_36koy-iAd_Zmm3IvAB-3JEno6Ye9h-QpqtOokJN21jHVffz_9IQlIc5PlnvCaEkXXS8MJ3ZkZ8Ket9D8VgFFD8Vf-NwkDuuATxITNC53U34qWfovvpZ6ctajbYKcmN92Nigak4nHeZXVt9r6nh1g/s400/428642679_10232867676975608_4617620460207538110_n.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
I gotta say, when I was looking on YouTube for a clip of <b>Queen</b> at Live-Aid, I was expecting to find something else.
steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-33273833397511906532024-02-27T09:23:00.001-05:002024-02-27T11:07:18.469-05:00Song of the Year. Okay, Song of the Year So Far, But Still......and also Video of the Year, and I'm pretty sure I can state that with no fear of later qualification.
<p>
In any event, from his his recently released album <i>Armageddon</i>, please enjoy (the previously unknown to me) <b>Marc Ribler's Story Road</b>, and their (co-written with <b>Steve Van Zandt</b>) drop dead hilarious and wonderful ode to everybody's favorite talk show host "Dick Cavett."
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o3EcxgjjO88?si=MM5osJh0vZKbaLvF" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
In all seriousness, that is so great on every level I lack the words.
<p>
On a personal level, however, I should add that I actually attended a Cavett taping back in the period most of those clips derive from. The special guest was...
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l7EwLCBxa-g?si=PPUjvOkxkYReemUh" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
...<b>Raquel Welch</b>, who was as, er, fetching as you might have heard. I think it was 1972, and I have no idea why I was there, but I seem to remember thinking that <b>Bobby Rosengarden</b> and the house band were really good, especially in their version of <b>Leonard Bernstein</b>'s <i>Candide</i> overture, which was Cavett's theme song.
<p>
I should also add that I discovered the Ribler song a few weeks ago over at our pal <b>Sal Nunziato</b>'s invaluable Burning Wood blog. So if you've already seen/heard it, mea culpa, but I just had to share. Thanks, Sal!
<p>
Oh, and I should also also add that you can snag a physical copy or stream <i>Armageddon</i> over at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Armageddon-Marc-Ribler/dp/B0CDSDS4K9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=31AI9X5MTCDAX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.YJ5uzFDTn_bGJGaYDX7vPD6JjdYzeW5n7xvTzGm7Yk9iMf8DHJb6aRj8T7UFUFzEk9naqZFvG7trcTGm6IgwbSw-HA_V_bHNBuZAvHxG_3Q.PRUbz8lirqginkzXwMGvYCFTG6F5lJJ1TgLLm1MafXg&dib_tag=se&keywords=marc+ribler+cd&qid=1708984253&s=music&sprefix=marc+ribler+%2Cpopular%2C97&sr=1-1">HERE</a>.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-40302092050670749792024-02-26T09:33:00.001-05:002024-02-26T09:35:38.985-05:00Songs I'd Forgotten Existed, Let Alone Loved: Special "Millions of Blood-Poisoning Migrants Illegally Entering Our Country From Insane Asylums" EditionFrom their way underrated eponymous 1985 debut album, please enjoy <i>héroes anónimos</i> of power pop <b>Katrina and the Waves</b> and their traitorous ode to the menacing hordes scurrying like insects across our Southern border -- "Mexico."
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bhGzhozyXcA?si=kGGF35wr6Z7_d8eb" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
I hadn't heard that song, or thought about the band, in ages, but "Walking on Sunshine" (which may be overexposed, but I still love) popped up the other day on the sound system at my local watering hole, and I suddenly flashed on "Mexico." What a great track, and doesn't Katrina sing the hell out of it? (Answer: Yes. Yes, she does.)
<p>
I should add that the song was a radio hit in Canada in 1984, which I had not previously known until yesterday.
<p>
I should also add that a) the whole thing is about as infectiously catchy as can be, and (more important) b) that former colleague of <b>Robyn Hitchcock</b> (in the <b>Soft Boys</b>) <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley_Rew">Kimberly Rew</a> is one hell of a lead guitarist,steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-60133707168712618872024-02-23T09:08:00.000-05:002024-02-23T09:08:54.558-05:00La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special "Skinny Ties Rule, Okay!" EditionFrom 1986, and liver (heh) than you'll ever be, please enjoy utterly fab gear quartet <b>The Real Impossibles </b>and their totally kick-ass meditation on what happens "Since You've Been Gone."
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GCu6s1-rRkY?si=OymKKuq0vb6PjOKz" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Long time readers will doubtless recall my enthusiasm for these guys, but if you're new here, this is the backstory as it first appeared in 2020.
<p>
<blockquote>...The Real Impossibles, fronted by <b>Marc Platt</b> [stage left in the video] were a mid-80s Los Angeles punkish power pop band, and a compilation of their stuff (entitled <i>It's About Time</i>) came out on Zero Hour Records a few months after the 2013 Zero Hour release of <i>Floor Your Love</i>. Which made us labelmates, of course. I had never heard of the band until the CD, but it knocked me out, and Marc and I struck up a long-distance friendship, with me mostly telling him "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy"!, that persists to this day.
<p>
Here's a representative track, which also happens to be the coolest <b>Neil Diamond</b> cover since the heyday of <b>The Monkees</b>.
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GvMguAiIw90?si=lMyE_k5YRK3ReiPQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
That absolutely kills me; I think comparisons to <b>The Plimsouls</b> are not implausible (which is about the highest praise I can give anything), and for my money the whole CD is just freaking great guitar driven rock-and-roll.
<p>
I should add that the good folks at Rum/Bar Records have recently reissued <i>It's About Time</i>, completely remastered and with bonus tracks, and the damn thing is better than before. If ever there was a Great Lost Album of the 80s, this is it. (Grab it at Amazon over <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Its-About-Time-Real-Impossibles/dp/B0833VRJCZ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Real+Impossibles&qid=1580660943&s=music&sr=1-1">HERE</a>.)
<p></blockquote>
Which inevitably leads us to today's business. To wit:
<p>
<i>...and the '80s New Wave pop/punk artist/band(s) that you think should have been much better known/more commercially successful than they were is/are...???
<p></i>
No arbitrary rules, but if the act you posit actually started recording in the late 70s -- like, for example, <b>The Records</b> -- we'll let it slide.
<p>
And I mention The Records because they'd be my nominee, to the surprise of no one who's ever hung out here.
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/21uwQbfxgGk?si=JHWFJbH3Kwk4EHF7" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Discuss/have fun.
<p>
And have a great weekend, everyody!!steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-36954690457705754492024-02-22T09:19:00.000-05:002024-02-22T09:19:17.695-05:00Closed for Monkey Business<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeVK1wEk98scyXUutS3JV3fGIhTqiTEqN9m6LRys7Jb0gAhrCeD_Wf0QV_rCjADyc9qBjOOMbXTVBiROiLLTn3NkL_yq0poq7shhJOkxXEXXj7ZvYHwPYk2qTgZNqIq_LtGoRQfFogm1dOPIRFNMQMaJ7gLRtMdj4fUzpqi3aRPUM7yoS3XFXuQ/s295/vootie.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeVK1wEk98scyXUutS3JV3fGIhTqiTEqN9m6LRys7Jb0gAhrCeD_Wf0QV_rCjADyc9qBjOOMbXTVBiROiLLTn3NkL_yq0poq7shhJOkxXEXXj7ZvYHwPYk2qTgZNqIq_LtGoRQfFogm1dOPIRFNMQMaJ7gLRtMdj4fUzpqi3aRPUM7yoS3XFXuQ/s400/vootie.png"/></a></div>
<p>
Taking a Slacker Thursday. Hey -- I'm a senior citizen, cut me some slack,
<p>
That said, I can assure you that tomorrow's Weekend Essay Question is gonna be worth the wait and a lotta fun. Hint: It involves, for a change, a particular genre and historical period that has some serious relevance to the theme of this here blog.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-26503803125447466202024-02-21T08:23:00.000-05:002024-02-21T08:23:44.637-05:00The Blog By Numbers: Special "This Pudding Has No Theme" Edition<i>[In which we catch up with a bunch of brief and/or dumb stuff that I've been meaning to post for a while, but hadn't gotten around to for whatever reason.] </i>
<p>
1. <b>Big Time Professional Rock-and-Roll</b>
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6JuN1Zbcu6k?si=3h34svkyLoRbNbqK" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Ronnie Wood and friends, live at some London dive two weeks ago, celebrating <b>Ben Waters</b>' birthday. I'd never heard of Waters, but he's apparently highly regarded in Brit music circles as a boogie woogie pianist <i>non pareil. </i>In any case, these folks aren't exactly over-rehearsed, but they're having fun and it's infectious.
<p>
2. <b>Compare and Contrast</b>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCOJh3blXZPtbk22qa41bTSCwbVlvZThvgAurtnAXu_yq0BUAE2hS5ok51WBqEeiFdSEFymMWxIv0QJXWXWM-flnA6AtHy2lP_Y5BDVZ77ij2uDuPVm6hU-kLimZG5J3feTYheSYsYO5ZcnQ870y9BywywGT6eDs_NcwrJLo8yZC3KdPQ_XJeIg/s1358/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-16%20at%208.49.25%20AM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCOJh3blXZPtbk22qa41bTSCwbVlvZThvgAurtnAXu_yq0BUAE2hS5ok51WBqEeiFdSEFymMWxIv0QJXWXWM-flnA6AtHy2lP_Y5BDVZ77ij2uDuPVm6hU-kLimZG5J3feTYheSYsYO5ZcnQ870y9BywywGT6eDs_NcwrJLo8yZC3KdPQ_XJeIg/s400/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-16%20at%208.49.25%20AM.png"/></a></div>
<p>
Veterinary office heartworm display or legendary <b>King Crimson</b> album cover? YOU make the call!!!
<p>
3. <b>I Had No Idea George Gershwin Ever Made a Video</b>
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oQdeTbUDCiw?si=HvCHwDCtbxP9dTCC" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Live at the Manhattan Theater in 1931, and absolutely amazing and ahead of its time. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- the greatest tragedy to befall American music in the 20th century was Gershwin's way too early death at the age of 37.
<p>
4. <b>Are Those Two Famous Rock Stars or Just Friends of My Dad?</b>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyolWEYR1j1_LZzE7PP364I-ROVARBQEJ8EFQXepu9yd3nrRYi3ygb8eaDcerJlG7TyhnH6R07BpZ7-5V_elAqB8y277NEqKqaX55Fc9DxbmU_1DyGx-lVGyBzt3XJ8ZY0Kunu9Rgooz709lMGKw9x6DQTVH4dfB32TqwjbE8DwldVtd_1f4L6zA/s399/426152161_1127390541958346_3803556957748679771_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyolWEYR1j1_LZzE7PP364I-ROVARBQEJ8EFQXepu9yd3nrRYi3ygb8eaDcerJlG7TyhnH6R07BpZ7-5V_elAqB8y277NEqKqaX55Fc9DxbmU_1DyGx-lVGyBzt3XJ8ZY0Kunu9Rgooz709lMGKw9x6DQTVH4dfB32TqwjbE8DwldVtd_1f4L6zA/s400/426152161_1127390541958346_3803556957748679771_n.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
Graham Nash plays chess with some old Jewish guy from Queens who used to sing with Paul Simon, What I wouldn't give to have the knish concession.<p>
5. <b>Noted Without Comment</b>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcHza0F-32cG2VSQ-69S5xu-Y-Zou9sLmN_U5PUwXw_lWafj_B1-dm-RB3I3Y64xNfWML8NBkOotnchW5Y9n15oOkwRd0K9ST0gklxJP3oo1wgTicj-oEh1Zrx-7FNc5CzpbixoF8d6TjOoybPmsWdXt5yEPSSY4TlD3wGW3UgICJwGpbMzgCkg/s599/427892303_777909327697947_2126693065814784397_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcHza0F-32cG2VSQ-69S5xu-Y-Zou9sLmN_U5PUwXw_lWafj_B1-dm-RB3I3Y64xNfWML8NBkOotnchW5Y9n15oOkwRd0K9ST0gklxJP3oo1wgTicj-oEh1Zrx-7FNc5CzpbixoF8d6TjOoybPmsWdXt5yEPSSY4TlD3wGW3UgICJwGpbMzgCkg/s400/427892303_777909327697947_2126693065814784397_n.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
Heh.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-35415238388695708532024-02-20T09:20:00.000-05:002024-02-20T09:20:15.637-05:00Let Us Now Praise Famous WomenFrom 1988, please enjoy the irrepressible <b>Cyndi Lauper</b> and her fabulously New Wavey shoulda-been-a-huge hit "Hole in My Heart."
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hP9b4zlO2cU?si=vSLexXz4Warb8oqR" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Which would make a fabulous segue into "Turning Japanese," doncha think?
<p>
In any case, that's from <i>Vibes</i>, the largely forgotten sci-fi/adventure/rom-com Lauper did with <b>Peter Falk</b> and <b>Jeff Goldblum</b>; I loved it when I first saw it, even if very few other people did, but I'm planning to stream it tonight to see if my younger self had taste as good as I gave myself credit for.
<p>
Reason I bring both song and film up, however, is that a certain Shady Dame and I just watched the Netflix documentary on the making of <i>We Are the World</i>, in which Lauper features quite prominently, and I fell in love with her all over again. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, but why Lauper didn't have Madonna's career is a question that has plagued me all these years.
<p>
As for the WATW flick, which Lauper more or less steals, I highly recommend it; it's far more interesting and entertaining than I'd anticipated, and seeing all those 80s pop celebs in one room together being all nervous, insecure and star struck (unlike the older veterans amongst them) is kind of a hoot. It's also fascinating about the logistics and technical challenges involved in the production of the titular song, and I must confess that with the passage of time I've become far less critical of said song on an esthetic level; back in the day, it struck me as insufferably self-congratulatory, but today -- not so much. It kinda works.
<p>
I should add that <b>Paul Simon</b> is credited with a joke during the session that had me rolling off my couch in hysterics, I'm not gonna give it away, so there's one more reason to stream the movie yourself.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-1551617243728634622024-02-19T09:32:00.000-05:002024-02-19T09:32:32.577-05:00I For One Welcome Our New A.I. Overlords<b>Billy Joel</b>'s excellent new song, as performed by various computer-generated younger iterations of himself?
<p>
Sure -- why not?
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UOf6CMbHPuA?si=RXuu9O6dlGKBAf6x" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Look, strictly as a technical achievement, that video is freaking flawlessly brilliant, and as a fan, I'm glad to be reminded of those halcyon innocent days when Joel did not look so eerily reminiscent of the late evil <b>Roy Cohn.</b>
<p>
That said -- does anybody else also find this thing kind of terrifyingly creepy? I mean, if they can do that, can a convincing adnroid replicant of the young <b>Donald Trump</b> be far behind?
<p>
Asking for a friend.
steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-63421898353478228792024-02-16T08:01:00.000-05:002024-02-16T08:01:18.261-05:00La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special "It Was Sixty Years Ago Last Week" EditionAh yes. On Friday last in 1964, those four adorable mop tops from Liverpool first arrived on these shores and changed everything on earth forever blah blah blah/won't you boomers fucking give it a rest already/blah blah blah.
<p>
In any case, in honor of that whatever the hell it was, let's get immediately to business. To wit:
<p>
<i><b>...and your favorite (or least favorite) cover of a Beatles song is...?</b></i>
<p>
No arbitrary rules here, obviously, However, if you wanna broaden the question slightly to include covers of stuff by the individual Fabs in their solo careers, go for it.
<p>
In case, here are my top two, and one of each. I'll leave it for you to guess which is my most or least fave. Sneaky hint: I'm NOT fond of the one with <b>B.J. Wilson</b> on drums.
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WKnruGYmmS0?si=jZB62zTndyLZSUpT" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Heh.
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eXV4WyQMHFM?si=DUjVvV7kMpA5lr32" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
And heh again.
<p>
Discuss/have fun.
<p>
And have a great weekend, everybody!!!
steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-4106272204908338522024-02-15T09:38:00.000-05:002024-02-15T09:38:25.984-05:00Your Thursday Moment of Anti-ClimaxI can't believe somebody guessed it.
<p>
Specifically, reader <b>John K</b>, the now proud recipient of a coveted PowerPop No-Prize©.
<p>
In any event, here's the answer in question, i.e. to "what is my favorite <b>Paul Revere and the Raiders</b> song?" -- the delightful <b>Phil "Fang" Volk</b> written and sung slice of proto-hippie idealism that is "In My Community."
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g_P-x868Qp4?si=REGuABpEW6rInFj_" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
I should add that said song is, obviously, from the Raiders <i>Spirit of '67</i> album, which is for my money as good as any 12-incher done that year by any American band, and I include <b>Moby Grape</b> in that assessment, so you know I'm not kidding around.
<p>
I should also add that reader J.K.'s award was dispatched to him via <b>Owl Express™</b>, the mail service supervised by the great <b>Flaco</b> (seen below checking out somebody's apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side recently).
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgf9_znPbNZe3D-0R2T_mGX6E-wsfjppao29a5HkonQcx3ZcRK8m-R737XFagtUz_uniQ9aWLSospa6dnFlwOi-NHjR3UTZbkkqeHkvipN4zjTI81TBHtlX5TfQnQM8baTP5Dz6SFHlMEI1hYigCbIQ3L1UvBgMwGjvLd8hRotmEaRVhZNA_-vGg/s1080/426537651_10227911456224163_4617165655539470388_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgf9_znPbNZe3D-0R2T_mGX6E-wsfjppao29a5HkonQcx3ZcRK8m-R737XFagtUz_uniQ9aWLSospa6dnFlwOi-NHjR3UTZbkkqeHkvipN4zjTI81TBHtlX5TfQnQM8baTP5Dz6SFHlMEI1hYigCbIQ3L1UvBgMwGjvLd8hRotmEaRVhZNA_-vGg/s400/426537651_10227911456224163_4617165655539470388_n.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
Oh, and coming tomorrow -- a Weekend Essay question with an at best tangential relationship to any of the above, so I'm not gonna make you guess. You'll enjoy it, though -- trust me.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-8993833791250404652024-02-14T09:23:00.000-05:002024-02-14T09:23:02.250-05:00The Blog By Numbers: Special Post Over-Hyped Non-Blizzard Edition<i>[In which we catch up with a bunch of brief and/or dumb stuff that I've been meaning to post for a while, but hadn't gotten around to for whatever reason.] </i><p>
1. <b>It's the Only Way to Travel!!!</b><p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ok2Xu13M1Cw?si=UrnSyKk619AYNi4w" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>In case you're wondering, that's my old friend <b>David Achelis</b> and his band <b>8Ace</b> doing a home-recorded version of my second all-time favorite <b>Paul Revere and the Raiders</b> song. Pretty darn fabulous, if I'm any judge of horseflesh. Also: A coveted PowerPop No-Prize© will be awarded the first reader who guesses my number 1 fave Raiders song. Hint: It's not one of the hits.<p>
2. <b>Jann Wenner May Be Gone, But His Assholery Lives On!<p></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PYiJHPAnKYc8V-WXXMdFBcFjO0ZY_sR4jdlkb2x74ofL9WKzT-zBi9Wr-e-ed91NwUknu8t_eaNXYHfz-jIxEeG2Aoqud84JaEQEZS-5NXTKZAww-XeIeffxROzTvzqscVNvC1wcC8Oo79weLTUZme0m61SrKrTVjUfhGz4Rh5R1lHDRt_11sg/s1080/426620575_955731499346906_5467429951956406434_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PYiJHPAnKYc8V-WXXMdFBcFjO0ZY_sR4jdlkb2x74ofL9WKzT-zBi9Wr-e-ed91NwUknu8t_eaNXYHfz-jIxEeG2Aoqud84JaEQEZS-5NXTKZAww-XeIeffxROzTvzqscVNvC1wcC8Oo79weLTUZme0m61SrKrTVjUfhGz4Rh5R1lHDRt_11sg/s400/426620575_955731499346906_5467429951956406434_n.jpg"/></a></div> <p>
You'll note that celebrated rocker <b>Sade</b> (or Sadie, as we call her around Casa Simels) gets a nod this year, but <b>Warren Zevon, Procol Harum </b>and <b>The Monkees</b> are still decidely Non-U -- as Nancy Mitford used to say down at the pub -- in RHOF circles.<p>
3. <b>I'll Take "the British Invasion" for One Hundred, Alex!</b>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfptAvNiXT01BcBu0d0RwR5WuJ5rwmemNEVIjGPG6Rt3VU0hzZBYswA30HOJQs-qhoFOQPtnbPLedVYcTeHapAb5rGVUm6zXBiF55pB6yKv3Zt9-0O0dqMR7JjyAwdNQtqsyqDKERzqlxfoR5G5BjoxWmbztiKzhhgAV8H-okvewa4oi_q_GTTQ/s2048/427770457_10168850418210556_2385432455641106918_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfptAvNiXT01BcBu0d0RwR5WuJ5rwmemNEVIjGPG6Rt3VU0hzZBYswA30HOJQs-qhoFOQPtnbPLedVYcTeHapAb5rGVUm6zXBiF55pB6yKv3Zt9-0O0dqMR7JjyAwdNQtqsyqDKERzqlxfoR5G5BjoxWmbztiKzhhgAV8H-okvewa4oi_q_GTTQ/s400/427770457_10168850418210556_2385432455641106918_n.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
An actual screen cap from last Monday's <i>Jeopardy</i>. Damn, I'm gonna have to start watching that show again. <p>
4. <b>Rock en Español is Here to Stay!!!<p></b>
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ihE74nG8ioc?si=gV2uopJt_SvdZDNu" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Heard that one for the first time at my fabulous Forest Hills watering hole <a href="https://www.keukakafe.com/">the Keuka Kafe</a> yesterday (thanks, <a href="https://powerpop.blogspot.com/2024/01/an-early-clue-to-new-direction-special.html">Itzel!</a>). <b>Juanes</b> was previously unknown to me, and when that video popped up on my Shazam, I immediately figured there must have been a large Spanish speaking contingent of the Seattle Grunge community of the early 90s. But nooooo -- turns out the kid was born and raised in Colombia, is a big <b>Metallica</b> fan, and the song itself dates from 2004. Cool stuff, in any case. BTW, the song's title translates as "See You Again."
<p>
5. <b>Songs I Only Wish Had Been Played on MTV</b>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGALQZAYp1ENRPKrbrFYZHwGP4kPmqDRamizRxO4JYlsvGpCWUduJO8UxUgRkKxVOKvCEZE7cSjDgZ5CNiiC1f0ymHXwzhbP5JEiinibn9zrorxfOyO8IILGe_Uryl0N2hf95wHO_3VAiK2eE6Od-PYu6nan5KouOXB1lDJLahVdRYisqUU7SHQ/s828/424988117_923827019663588_4622740042530810172_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="828" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGALQZAYp1ENRPKrbrFYZHwGP4kPmqDRamizRxO4JYlsvGpCWUduJO8UxUgRkKxVOKvCEZE7cSjDgZ5CNiiC1f0ymHXwzhbP5JEiinibn9zrorxfOyO8IILGe_Uryl0N2hf95wHO_3VAiK2eE6Od-PYu6nan5KouOXB1lDJLahVdRYisqUU7SHQ/s400/424988117_923827019663588_4622740042530810172_n.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
Heh.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-13786505045526971192024-02-13T10:05:00.000-05:002024-02-13T10:05:30.325-05:00Closed for Winter Wonderland Monkey Business<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVz7U2CnvKa7Qo8K4ziXr96Yw1EFMxAWCiz7o5MGtnTNmSNbRNBGdt8Xuo2J2jojz0Dr_YjF5fZ1uU2d1I8YmpBPWauAdl3-ydCf1mH8hfqYJQIj5ccKIAur93PYqQVEAAiTB1jXL-OnTF-9Le5Sr4twDoqCdm27IxkgeytX-rvGUPHfZ574riw/s295/vootie.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVz7U2CnvKa7Qo8K4ziXr96Yw1EFMxAWCiz7o5MGtnTNmSNbRNBGdt8Xuo2J2jojz0Dr_YjF5fZ1uU2d1I8YmpBPWauAdl3-ydCf1mH8hfqYJQIj5ccKIAur93PYqQVEAAiTB1jXL-OnTF-9Le5Sr4twDoqCdm27IxkgeytX-rvGUPHfZ574riw/s400/vootie.png"/></a></div>
<p>
The Weather Guy is threatening eight inches of snow. I'm taking it easy, just in case.
<p>
Regular droll posting resumes on Wednesday, assuming Casa Simels is still above the precip line.steve simelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.com1