Words Fail Me

Sorry -- just learned we're now officially a fascist dictatorship.

Assuming I don't blow my brains out, music stuff returns on Thursday. But don't count on it.

Vote!!!

This fabulous Sha Na Na song is pretty much traditional around here on these occasions.

Have I mentioned -- vote?

Assuming we're not living in a fascist dictatorship by then, music more appropriate to the mission statement of this here blog will resume tomorrow. 😎

My Back Pages (An Occasional Series): Special "Print is Dead!" Edition

And speaking as we were last week of Warren Zevon's Exciteable Boy, here's what I had to say about it in the January 1978 issue of Stereo Review. (If you have trouble reading the below, just click on it to embiggen.)

I think that's a pisser of a review, actually, and -- unusually for me -- in retrospect I'd hardly change a word.

I should also add that I'm particularly amused by the "irony of the beholder" joke. 😎

La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special "I'm Not Gonna Even Bring Up the Hall of Fame Issue" Edition

From his 1978 masterpiece Exciteable Boy, please enjoy the late great Warren Zevon and IMHO the most beautiful song from same, the haunting "Veracruz."

The reason I mention all this is because...well, okay. I'm gonna get a little verklempt here.

The short version is that Friend of PowerPop© (and moi) Phil Cheese just gifted me the greatest birthday present I've had since I don't know when.

A double album vinyl version of the aforementioned Exciteable Boy LP from Mobile Fidelity. In a pristine, never been played package, cut from the original master, and -- dig this -- pressed at 45 rpm.(!!!!!!)

I really lack the words, but I'll just say -- and you'll have to take this on faith -- that the above version of "Veracruz" sounds absolutely pathetic by comparison with what I just listened to at home thanks to Phil.

Anyway -- bless you, dude, and I owe you big time.

Which brings us now to business. To wit:

...and your favorite (or least favorite if such a thing is possible) Zevon album track (or cover version of same by another artist) is...???

Here's my nominee, in case you were wondering. For least fave.

Wow. Not really very good. But hey -- they meant well, at least.

Alrighty then -- and your choice(s) would be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

Where Has This Record Been All My Life? (An Occasional Series): Special "Brussels Beat Rules!" Edition

From 1969 (and previously unheard by moi before last weekend) please enjoy Euro-pop obscurities Wallace Collection and their sublimely symphonic Mamas-and-Papas-ish Daydream.

Not to be confused with the Lovin' Spoonful song of the same name.

Heh.

In any case, like I said, I had never heard that until last Saturday. And why it wasn't as big a hit in the USA as it was elsewhere is beyond me. (BTW: You'll note that the melody is stolen, bigly, from Tchaikovksy and Swan Lake. Hey -- that was the kind of thing they were doing back then.)

I should add that, apparently. said record's been covered successfully on a few occasions since. In fact, the way I first encountered it was at my local Forest Hills watering hole -- the Keuka Kafe -- in an early 21st century sampled version by one of those crappy electronic acts the kids like, aka I Monster.

Which I won't link to, because I consider you all friends. 😎

Anyway, the 1969 version is still a great pop confection by any standard you care to mention, even if the group originally behind it was from Belgium.

[h/t Bekka Sakhno]

Teri Garr 1944 - 2024

Okay, like that's not the cutest thing ever?

Coming tomorrow: An astounding obscure late Sixties pop masterpiece I had no idea existed until last weekend.

Trust me -- it'll be worth the wait.

Hey, I'm So Old That I Remember When Listening to Rock 'n' Roll Really WAS an Act of Rebellion

This just slays me.

American teenagers quickly became obsessed with rock and roll, much to their parents’ alarm. But even if Mum and Dad forbade them from listening to “the Devil’s music” on the family radiogram, they quickly found ways of circumventing the ban.

In the 1950s, RentaRadio in New York rented radios to teenagers for just 35 cents an hour. You had to rent it for a minimum of three hours – more than enough time to catch Alan Freed’s late night radio show Rock ‘n’ Roll Party on WINS.

Hey, I had a transistor that I kept under my pillow for late night listening on school nights.

But I had never heard about that rental thing. Which I think is absolutely fabulous, and just so New Yawk.

Jack Jones 1938 - 2024

And speaking of whom, here he is in a truly lovely performance (on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1971) of Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind."

I must confess that I had been totally unaware of that clip before last Saturday, and seriously -- call me a sentimental old fluff if you will, but if you don't find that as surprisingly touching as I do, you really need to check your meds.

Our Gen Z readers (heh) may be unaware that Jack was the son of a very popular 30's crooner/sex symbol named Allan Jones, who is remembered today mostly for his romantic lead performances in the Marx Brothers' classics A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races. As for the younger Jones, he was pretty much my favorite Beatles-era pop singer who wasn't a rock-and-roller. He was a fixture on tv variety shows for ages, and back in the day he actually (deservedly) had at least one good hit record -- a version of the Burt Bachrach classic "Wives and Lovers," which garnered him a Grammy in 1964.

Later, of course, he sang the theme from The Love Boat, but don't worry -- I won't inflict THAT on you.

In any event, I always thought he was a very cool guy and a terrific singer, and I'm gonna use his passing as an excuse to recount one of my all time favorite show-biz stories.

So anyway, Jack was on the Sullivan show one Sunday, and during the early afternoon rehearsal (sans audience), after Jack sang his number, Ed called him over (as was his wont with performers when they were done) and ad libbed "So -- is Allan Jones still your father?"

A big laugh from the tech crew ensued (Ed was, shall we say, not known for his sense of humor) and the show's producer said "Ed -- that's hilarious. Make sure you do that when we're on air."

Jack and Ed concurred.

Cut to the actual live broadcast, in front of a genuine theater crowd, later that night.

Jack finishes his number, and Ed calls him over and the following exchange transpires.

Ed: "Hey Jack, c'mon over. That was great."

Jack: "Thank you, Ed."

Ed: [taking a beat] "So -- is your father still alive?"

I am not making that up. Man, what I wouldn't give to find a version of that on YouTube. 😎

And may I say again -- this death shit is really starting to piss me off.

La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special "Don't Deface My Vinyl, Dude!" Edition

From 1965, and their totally brilliant third American LP Animal Tracks, please enjoy the aforementioned The Animals and their hilarious and totally rocking proto-rap "The Story of Bo Diddley."

Which leads us to business. To wit:

...and your favorite obscure British Invasion album track by a solo artist or group that either had hits in America or didn't is...???

I should add that the above Animals selection, which I have always found aboslutely delightful -- particularly when lead singer Eric Burdon talks about Diddley's "GORGEOUS sister" The Duchess -- was once a topic of some disagreement from my old friend Eric C. Boardman.

[That's him in the pith helmet, stage right.]

Eric once borrowed said Animals record from me when we were living across the hall from each other at a dorm in Lake Forest College in the fall of 1965.

And he returned it to me with the ball-point-pen-written phrase "completely sucks" appended after the title of said song on the back of the album sleeve.

And yes -- we're still talking to each other after all those years, BTW.

Okay -- in any event...what would YOUR choices be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

Closed for Post-Vacation Monkey Business

Spending a day in bed. Normal stuff resumes tomorrow.