Tuesday's Music-Themed Cartoon Chuckles And Photo-Shop Funnies

The fire engine guy. Words fail me. 😎

Songs I'd Forgotten Existed, Let Alone Loved (An Occasional Series): Special "Like Long Hair!" Edition

From their 1967 masterpiece, please enjoy Paul Revere and the Raiders' "In My Community" and "Why? Why? Why? (Is It So Hard)". Both written and sung by everybody's second favorite Raider Phil "Fang" Volk.

Reaon I bring this up is because Volk's 80th birthday was yesterday; he's a Facebook friend and I am delighted to report that he is still alive and well and making music.

I should add that the above pictured The Spirit of '67 is one of the great American rock albums of the second half of the '60s, and if you don't know it your life is the poorer.

Weekend Listomania: Special "And the Angels Sing" Edition

Okay, no snarky intro involving my Asian Manual Catharsis Technician Fah Lo Suee blah blah blah, so let's get directly to the subject of the business at hand. To wit:

FAVORITE OR LEAST FAVORITE POST-ELVIS POP/ROCK/FOLK/SOUL/WHATEVER SONG/RECORD BY A BAND (OR DUO) WITH ONLY TWO SINGERS HARMONIZING UP FRONT!!!

No arbitrary rules whatsoever, but to my surprise I'm not mostly talking about sibling harmony acts. Also, if you attempt to nominate anything by the Byrds or Beach Boys, i.e. groups that normally feature three or four singers -- The Association, anyone? -- I will come to your house and pummel you severely. That said, however, I haven't decided if The Beatles are eligible or not, so at your discretion. 😎

And now, without further ado, my totally Top of My Head Top Seven is:

7. Chad and Jeremy -- A Summer Song

God, that's gorgeous. Seriously -- some days I think those guys were the most underrated of the British Invasion.

6. The Everly Brothers -- Don't Run and Hide

That was written by the Hollies Clarke-Hicks-Nash triumvirate, but I actually prefer the Everlys' cover.

5. Zager and Evans -- In the Year 2525

One of my traditional candidates for Worst Record Ever Made.

4. The Indigo Girls -- Closer to Fine

You know -- because (in the immortal words of Mick Jagger) you like to have a couple of chicks in there occasionally.

3. Stealer's Wheel -- Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine

Early Gerry Rafferty, obviously. I literally wore out the grooves on my copy of that 45 when it was new.

2. Tom and Jerry -- Hey Schoolgirl

This was one of the first records I bought with my own lunch money. It was a huge hit in NYC for obvious reasons; I'm not sure exactly how it fared in the rest of the country, although I seem to recall seeing them lip-synch it on Bandstand. Whatever happened to those kids?

And the number one Two People Singin' Like Boids act of all time simply has to be...

1. The Lemon Twigs -- Look Out For Your Mind

That video is brand new, i.e. it just dropped (as today's hepsters say) this morning at 10am EST. Absolutely fantastic, and man -- these guys have a work ethic like nobody's business.

Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choices be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

Your Thursday Moment of Words Fail Me

The Mona Lisa Twins, ladies and germs -- let's really hear it for them.

Okay, my fondness for those kids is not exactly a state secret, but I'm absolutely over the moon about that one.

BTW, that's from their just released new album of 60s pop covers, which is otherwise pleasant enough but not life-changing. The above however...well, it's just freaking gorgeous, as you can plainly hear for yourselves. .

Why they aren't household words -- or at least been guests on Saturday Night Live -- is absolutely beyond me. 😎

Toppermost of the Poppermost!!!

In case you didn't know -- I didn't until last week -- but former SNL star Amy Poehler has an interview podcast, called Good Hang, where she does amusing one-on-ones with various pop culture celebs. And a recent episode had in-depth chats with both Paul McCartney and his (unexpectedly hilarious) fashion designer daughter Stella.

You can (and should) watch the whole thing over HERE, but in the meantime, this brief excerpt (in Tik Tok format, unlike the show itself) is Must-See TV. Paul discussing contemporary pop music and improvising a new smash hit on the spot. This has gone viral BTW, and I for one couldn't be happier.

Enjoy!!!

Tuesday's Music-Themed Cartoon Chuckles and Photo-Funny

Okay, I groaned at the McCartney one too. 😎😎😎

Encounters with Greatness (An Occasional Series): Special "Dueling Senior Citizens" Edition

So my BFF (and longtime bandmate) Allan Weissman is vacationing in Europe (along with his charming wife) and they were briefly (i.e. just to connect to a train to London) in Paris the other day. A town where they actually had been, longer, on a few previous occasions, one of which you will hear about in the absolutely charming and romantic song below (written and sung by Allan, of course).

That just slays me, and it is with some regret that I confess I didn't play on it. But as I said, we've been doing music together off and on since 1965, when we made our first foray into a professional recording studio with another of Al's songs and came out with this (I think pretty damn good for kids) Beau Brummels-influenced number.

That's me doing the Hammond organ and meant-to-be Vince Guaraldi-ish piano solo. BTW, have I mentioned that Al is an absolutely brilliant singer/songwriter and bassist?

In any case, I bring all this up because Al has a birthday coming up on Tuesday, which makes him one day older than me, a fact that he never fails to remind me of around this time. And I just wanted to give him a big long overdue shout-out here, which this now officially is.

Hey Al -- it's been a gas!!! Here's to many more years of it, my friend!!! 😎

PS: Here's the true story of a song we kinda co-wrote (i.e., I came up with the lame riff) and first recorded in 1967 in Allan's basement in Teaneck, NJ (aka the Paris of Tri-State Metro Area). No audio, alas, but it's pretty funny all the same so enjoy!!! 😎😎

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special "Sing Along With 'Bitch'!" Edition

Okay, I'm too lazy to write a lame joke by way of the traditional intro at the moment, so let's just get -- directly and inexorably -- to the subject of the business at hand. To wit:

...and if you were somehow trapped in a sleazy karaoke bar and you were kinda drunk and wanted to sing along with a Rolling Stones song it would be...???

Discuss.

No arbitrary rules whatsoever, so just go for it. I should add, however, that today's post was inspired by accidentally discovering an instrumental-only track of one of -- IMHO -- the coolest Stones songs ever. Which I was planning, for the longest time, on going into the studio and overdubbing with a pathetic vocal by yours truly. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed. 😎

And which song woould that have been? See below.

Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choice(s) be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

Songs I'd Forgotten Existed, Let Alone Loved (an Occasional Series): Special "Yeah, Yeah, I Know -- It's Purple and Swims in the Ocean" Edition

I dunno if you guys heard any of Trump's rally yesterday, but let's just say that a) he was significantly more incoherent than usual and b) this song, which I hadn't heard in a million years, seemed suddenly relevant. 😎

The song, BTW, is off the Grape's 1971 attempted comeback album, which I found seriously disappointing when it was new, but I gave it a cursory re-listen while getting ready to post today and it seems to be better than I realized in my callow youth. I'll do the research and get back to you. 😎😎

Hey -- I'm a Three B's Kind of Guy From Way Back

Okay, everybody's doing this over at Facebook, so I figured I had to.

And don't give me any shit about this -- it's supposed to be the records that influenced the young you the most, not a list of the All-Time Greatest Albums Ever, which is totally different.

BTW, the song above goes out for my friend Nelson Bragg, who knows why. 😎

Tuesday's Music-Themed Cartoon Chuckles and Photo-Funny

I confess, I've been that dude-watching-your-band-play guy. 😎

Cinema Notes From All Over: The Golden Age of Comedy

So I saw the new documentary on Martin Mull (on Netflix) over the weekend. It's really terrific, but it was not what I was hoping for, i.e. lotsa laffs. I mean, yeah, it's mostly that for sure, but by the end it's turned into an unexpectedly deeply moving meditation on loss and intimations of mortality.

I was a huge Mull fan before he made it big on TV with Fernwood Tonight, and several of his albums (including the live record below) were among my most-played of the early '70s. Obviously, the guy was a genius satirical songwriter.

The film, of course, covers all that plus excerpts from the movie and TV work (the stuff with Fred Willard is beyond hilarious), his live club act (I saw him at the old Reno Sweeney's in Manhattan, and it was the funniest comedy show I've ever witnessed in person) as well as his totally seperate career as a painter, which was how he really identified himself, and with good reason.

But I wasn't prepared for the heaviosity; there's a scene toward the end where he and his musician/songwriter wife duet on a lovely and poignant song of hers that reduced me to a puddle of tears. Not exactly what I wanted on a Saturday night.

In any event, Who is Martin Mull? is a really impressive piece of work, and I highly recommend it.

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: "It's Quarter to Three, There's No One in the Place Except You and Me" Edition

Okay, since we're a day late (and a dollar short as well, come to think of it) let's skip the usual intro banter and get directly to the business at hand. To wit:

...and your favorite post-Elvis pop/rock/soul/folk/whatever album by a (in most folks estimation significant artist) that is way less well known/regarded than it should be is...???

Discuss.

Mine? As will come as no surprise to longtime readers it's this...

...which I am currently grooving to on a pristine vinyl reissue I snagged on-line late last summer.

In case you're not lucky enough to know it, the short version is that it's a collection of Sam's personal favorite blues, soul and gospel songs, recorded for Cooke's own label with the cream of Los Angeles session guys as his backing band, the whole thing designed to sound like the coolest live late night jam session in a smokey bar of all time, and boy does it ever. For reasons known only to the Lord, it went out of print amost immediately after it first appeared in 1963, and despite a CD reissue in the 90s, to this day it remains without question the greatest album by a major artist that most people don't know ever existed.

Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choices be?

And have a great weekend everybody!!!

Do You Remember the Great Folk Scare of the Early Sixties? Man, That Shit Almost Caught On!

Damn, this Welles kid has really got the stuff.

I've been saying it a lot lately, but one way you can tell we're living in truly disturbing times is that all of a sudden the folk music is getting good again. 😎

In any case, a new edition of the Weekend Essay Question goes up tomorrow -- sorry for the scheduling glitch.

Self-Indulgence Alert: Fifty Years of Moody Black-and-White Photography of Me!

From 1969...

...and from 2019.

In case you were wondering, the first pic is a frame cap from a pretty darn good student film shot at C.W. Post College featuring my then band God (what we were thinking?) at the height of the alleged counter-culture. The one on the bottom is from The Floor Models reunion show in this century, which officially marks the last time I will ever be glimpsed jumping up and down on stage.

You can watch the entirety of the film -- which is quite an amazing period piece, and only twenty or so minutes long -- over at YouTube HERE. The Tube also has very nice video excerpts from the Flo Mos show, but I'm too lazy to post the links. 😎

[h/t Laura Giantonio}

Songs I'd Forgotten Existed, Let Alone Loved: Special "Get Back to Me When A.I. Does Anything This Good" Edition

Okay, this song popped into my head unbidden yesterday. I have no idea why, alas, but in any case all I can add is -- wow.

I first heard this in late 2006 when it was used in a montage at the end of an episode of the short-lived (three episodes?) Ray Liotta TV crime show Smith, although I'm told it had also figured earlier on The O.C. In any case, I remember practically falling off the couch at the time and thinking it's the most bizarrely haunting thing I'd ever encountered. It's almost a whole new genre -- Android Doo-Wop, anybody?

Tuesday's Music-Themed Cartoon Chuckles

Hmm...I'm sensing a sort of recurring theme amongst today's entries. 😎

How Do You Say "These Kids are a Riot" in Yiddish"?

And speaking as we were last week(?) of bands that deserve to be big for their group moniker alone, please enjoy pride of Bergen, Norway neo-pop rock classicists Herr Nilsson, who I'm assuming without proof (or any facility in Norse patois) are named in honor of the guy who sang that song about putting the lime in the coconut (and much much else beside).

That's from a just released new album called Good Morning Rock and Roll; they've have been around since the early 'aughts, however, and I should add that apart from the amusing nom de musique, I really really also like them for their attitude.

From their press kit:

Much like Lennon & McCartney wrote catchy hooks out of practical necessity—lacking a tape recorder, they had to hum melodies until their next meeting—Mr. Nilsson crafts buoyant pop tunes out of sheer survival instinct.
"The songs simply have to be good," explains frontman and principal songwriter Terje Bringsvor Nilsen. "Otherwise, at least one of us loses interest, and our rehearsals devolve into alcohol-infused knitting clubs."

In any case, you can hear more of their music and find out more about them generally over HERE.

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special "And Reverend Green Be Glad to See You" Edition

Okay, I'll have some more to say about last night's Ringo Starr show here in Forest Hills, AKA The Paris of the Northeast, next week.

For now, let's just say we had a much better than expected time. Ringo was in fine form -- funny, charming, and a monster on the skins -- and the supporting folks (including a couple of Totos, the bass player of the Average White Band, and Colin Hay of Men at Work) covered themselves in glory, both in support and in their solo turns. Plus, I'd totally forgotten what a beautiful (and power pop adjacent) song "Photograph" is. In other words, a splendid time was had by all.

Which leads us, inevitably and inexorably, to the subject of today's business. To wit:

...and the pop star/musician, living or dead, you would most like to see/have seen as a member of Ringo's All-Starr Band, is...???

Discuss.

In case you're wondering, here's my nominee.

And in case you're wondering why -- well, forgetting how great a singer the guy is, I just think it would be a total gas to hear Ringo getting down to that Memphis Hi Records groove thing, which I have no doubt whatsoever that he could deliver with his customary aplomb.

Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choice(s) be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

An Early Clue to the New Direction

So -- if today's title has led you to suspect something Fab Four-related, give yourself a High Five, because you're right.

More specifically, this very evening a certain Shady Dame and I will be attending a performance by ex-Beatles pagan skins pounder Ringo Starr...

...and his latest incarnation of the All-Starr Band at historic Forest Hills stadium. Which is more or less in our proverbial back yard.

And apart from the splendid time that is guaranteed for all, said show is even more historic because the last time Ringo played there was in 1964 (specifically, August 8th of that year) with his old band.

I'll have more to say about the show tomorrow, but in the meantime a coveted PowerPop NoPrize© will be awarded to the first reader who gleans the significance of all of the above to the theme of Friday's Weekend Essay Question.

You're welcome very much. 😎

Songs I'd Forgotten Existed, Let Alone Loved (An Occasional Feature): Special "Where's Vin Scully When You Need Him?" Edition

Oish, an obscure Brooklyn Dodgers reference in today's title. Mea culpa. 😎

In any case, that's brilliant Australian pub rock/New Wave band The Sports and their utterly fab 1979 hit "Who Listens to the Radio", a song which seems newly relevant given the once unthinkable levels of drivel that now pollute our air waves here in the third decade of the 21st century; sometime soon I really gotta do a think piece on the larger issues raised by that. I would also like to add that the guitar player on the right hand side in the video has some of the coolest jumping stage moves in the history of rock-and-roll.

BTW, for some reason I thought that came out on Stiff Records originally, but a Google search suggests otherwise; if any hard core collectors/vinyl nerds out there can clear up that confusion, I'd be happy to award them a coveted PowerPop No-Prize© for their trouble.

Tuesday's Music-Themed Cartoon Chuckles and Photo-Funny

The Bermuda Triangle one is freaking brilliant, I'll tell you that for free. 😎

I Love This, and Not Just Because We've Been Living Through A Nor'Easter for the Last Three Days

Okay, this video is freaking fabulous and the song is pretty damn good too.

The big influence there is, obviously, Steely Dan, which has always been a good thing in my book, and don't give me any of that Yacht Rock shit, because I don't want to hear it. In any case, Jackson's evocation of that 70's sound has a nice (admittedly subtle) contemporary edge to it, and frankly if you profess not to enjoy the result you're just being difficult.

The album that it's on is coming out momentarily; other than that I haven't been able to find any info on the guy or the album (or Tim's history -- obviously, he's been around for a while) but I'll do the research and get back to you ASAP.

La Fin de La Semaine Bi-Lingual Essay Question: Special "Un Nom, Est-ce Si Important?" Edition

Okay, so I'm not feeling 100%, physically speaking (a couple of broken vertebrae, and don't ask). Not to mention the President of the United States is a sundowning psychotic ignoramus, which is seriously upping my stress level.

So let's get directly and inexorably to our business at hand.

To wit:

...and the post-Elvis pop/rock/soul/folk/country/hip-hop solo artist or band you feel could have been hugely commercially successful based on their name alone is...???

Discuss.

No arbitrary rules whatsoever, by which I mean if you want to nominate somebody who was/is actually famous go for it.

In any event, my nominee is these guys...

...who were a kind of big deal in the NYC underground of the 80s. (By kind of a big deal, I mean that I used to see flyers for their CBGBs gigs on lampposts in my Village neighborhood all the time). In any case, I never got to see them live, but I always thought their moniker was hilarious. And I should add that after stumbling across their music online recently, I really regret having missed them back in the day -- as you can hear, their shtick was a kind of unpretentious, often amusingly rootsy racket that I would have dug the most in a small club.

Alrighty then -- who would YOUR choice(s) be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!! 😎

PS: You can find out more about these guys -- including the skinny on their upcoming (November) NYC reunion show -- over at their official website HERE.

It's Only Three Chords, But They're the RIGHT Three Chords

Okay, actually this has more than three chords, but not by much. 😎

Ladies and germs, please enjoy (from 2019) an absolutely staggeringly great live (sort of unplugged) version of Vampire Weekend's sublime "This Life."

In all seriousness, I think this is the best pop song/record of the current century so far. Everything about it makes me tingle, beginning with the jangly "Brown Eyed Girl"--Meets--Graceland acoustic/electric guitars.

And this is sheer poetry.

...darling our disease
Is the same one as the trees
Unaware that they've been living in a forest

I should add that I've been grooving on the official/studio single video of that for years...

...but I stumbled across the live version above the other day and just totally lost my shit. I mean, don't even get me started on lead singer Ezra Koenig's plaintively breathy vocals.

Your thoughts???

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I don't know how I missed this ode to my nabe -- Forest Hills, Queens (aka the Paris of the Northeast) -- but if this doesn't crack you up you need to check your meds.

Seriously, that's one of the the funniest things I've ever seen. Plus a lot of it was shot within walking distance of the digs I share with a certain Shady Dame. 😎

[h/t Oleg Sakhno]

Tuesday's Music-Themed Cartoon Chuckles and Photo-Funny

The John Cage karaoke actually made me laugh out loud. 😎

Slacker Monday

High temperatures gonna be in the low 70s/high 60s for the forseeable future here in Forest Hills (aka the Paris of the Northeast) so it seems appropriate to revisit a classic.

I can't hear that without going "wow." In fact, if truth be told, there are days when I think that's the Kinks' all-time greatest song.

You're welcome. 😎

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special "Just Like Ringin' a Bell" Edition

First of all, let's start with a video.

The short version is that I stumbled across the above the other day and figured -- nah, it's gonna suck. To my delighted surprise, it doesn't. In fact, it's enormous fun, and let's just say that it was no surprise that Link Wray is one of the coolest dudes on the planet.

Which leads us -- inexorably and inevitably -- to the subject of today's business. To wit:

...and if you were picking any other guitarist --living or dead -- to add to the roster in the vid, who would it be and why?

Discuss.

My choice? I haven't a frigging clue. I mean, Steve Cropper is already up there.

And yeah, I know -- Keith Richards. I was leaning more towards Tom Verlaine.

In any event -- so what would YOUR choices be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

Patience is a Virtue

More First World problems this morning, but fear not -- the Weekend Essay Question will be posted later this afternoon.

Hey -- would i leave you guys hangin'? It is to laugh.

It's Summertime, But No Blues!

From their about-to-be-released new EP (October), please enjoy sublime Australian pop/rockers The Summertimes and their goose-bump inducing "Save You Now."

These guys have been around since 2023, and if there's any justice they'll be household words before the year is out. As for the song itself, it's so gorgeous I listened to it like ten times before I noticed that the lyrics dealt with some ripped from recent headlines political issues, which is not usually the case for the band's genre. I can't find a website link with more info and streaming options, but I'm doing the research and I'll get back to you.

And may I just add, and for the record, that the above pushes just about every power pop button I have? I mean, the massed dry-but-jangly guitars alone sent me around the moon. 😎

Slacker Wednesday: Special "I Know the Feeling" Edition

First-world prblems, so I'm taking the easy way out.

Real stuff -- including a new song that will knock your proverbial Bombas off -- resumes on the morrow. 😎

Tuesday's Music-Themed Cartoon Chuckles

Whew -- finally snuck a pro-banjo one in there. 😎

A Penny For Your Thoughts?

And given the current price of diesel, that's pretty damn cheap.

But seriously, folks, I've gotten hooked of late on a news/political website called No More Mr. Nice Blog. Hosted and written by the charmingly abbreviated Steve M, who seems to be a weepy old bolshie like moi, it's consistently entertaining and thought provoking, and I recommend it highly in today's troubling times.

More to the point, Mr. M had this to say in a recent piece making sport of a conservative pundit at the NY Times who thinks the Republicans are winning the wider culture wars because there are a couple of hit western shows on teevee at the moment. M saves his larger thesis for the conclusion. To wit:

...As for music, country might be thriving because it continues to embrace satisfyingly basic pop song structures, at a time when hip-hop rarely does and there's no energy left in rock apart from eccentric acts like Geese and Angine de Poitrine, or abrasive, laryngitis-inducing metal. Noah Kahan, Taylor Swift, and Olivia Rodrigo write old-fashioned songs, and they're hugely popular (and all politically left-leaning). Maybe verse-chorus-verse songs are what Americans want, not social conservatism

And you know what -- I think he's onto something there. In any case, you can read the whole piece over at the link above.

Insert today's title here. 😎

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special "You're Twangin' That Sitar Pretty Good, Mahatma!" Edition

[An earlier version of the below originally ran here in 2009, a time so distant in the past that my testicles hadn't yet descended. I've added the essay question section of it and done some rewriting on the rest in yet another vain attempt to convince you guys I'm not the slacker you all know I am. -- S.S.]

From 1970, please enjoy bubblegum legends The Ohio Express and their infernally addictive (and more substantial than the genre usually gets) "Sausalito."

Written by -- wait for it -- Graham Gouldman. Yes, him.

Anyway, the interesting (I know, I know -- you'll be the judge of that) thing is that the guys in the clip were NOT the guys who played and sang the record. The clip guys, who admittedly have the then contemporary rock star look down pretty good, were a Mansfield, Ohio band called Sir Timothy & The Royals, who were renamed The Ohio Express and hired by the Kasenetz/Katz bubblegum factory to represent, as the kids say.

So who played on the record? Well, given Gouldman's fingerprints on the thing, you might guess it was his future band 10cc, and you'd be right; "Sausalito" is, in fact, the work of the same pop geniuses behind records like "Rubber Bullets" and "I'm Not in Love." Gouldman and company spent a year basically toiling as Brill Building hacks for Kasenetz and Katz; they had their own recording studio which they were trying to turn into a viable commercial enterprise at the time, and grinding out bubblegum tracks for K&K paid the bills. For more on the whole history of the Ohio Express, you should probably go over here.

And all of which leads us, inexorably and inevitably, to the larger subject of the business at hand. To wit:

...and the post-Elvis pop/rock/soul/folk/country song you would most like to cover or have covered either live or in the digital domain as a solo artist or band member is...???

Discuss.

No arbitrary rules, except that if you actually are or have been a musician it can't be something you have already covered at some point in what passed for your career.

Obviously, my first choice would be the song above, but since I love you all more than food, I'll pass along my runner-up.

Unfortunately, that came out in 1997, which is to say two years after I hung up my bass guitar and retired from performing. But man -- what I wouldn't have given.

Alrighty, then -- what would YOUR choices be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

In the Not Too Distant Future...

In theaters last night, with an encore performance Sunday September 13th. Consult your local listings.

I gotta say, I've always thought that song was brilliant, by which I mean coulda/shoulda been a hit single, and the above is both the most recent and the best of the several versions of it over the years.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I once actually got to meet/interview the guys -- Mike, Bill and Kevin -- in 1996, when they were doing a book tour in support of their then just-released MST3K Amazing Collossal Episode Guide. An hour which remains one of the greatest thrills of my adult life.

Seriously -- I was just a huge fan, and as far as I was concerned, it was like getting to be in a room hanging out with the Beatles or something. 😎

How Do You Say "Wretched Excess" in Yiddish?

Okay, as you may have heard yesterday over at our pal Sal's invaluable BURNING WOOD BLOG (or elsewhere on the Intertubes), but there's a brand new six disc (CD and Blu-ray) box set of The Who's 1975 album The Who By Numbers just out. I haven't heard it yet, nor am I likely to anytime soon; frankly, a) it's a little pricey, and b) I'm still trying to digest the recent 7CD complete Lovin' Spoonful anthology on Cherry Red I got as an early birthday present the other week. Plus, at this point in life, my attention span is pretty much shot to shit, and I'm reminded of a friend's comment when I asked if he'd seen Christopher Nolan's recent and much-raved about film version of The Odyssey. "Are you kidding?" he replied. "Jeebus, it's like four hours long."

Yeah, yeah, both he and I were kidding about the above to some degree, and in fact, I've loved most of TWBN since forever, although to be equally honest I haven't listened to it since probably sometime in the last century. Still, upon reading Sal's thoughts on the album, I got curious as to what I had said about it when it was new. So here, exactly as it appeared in the January 1976 issue of The Magazine Formerly Known as Stereo Review, is my critique. If you have difficulty reading, you should be able to click on it to enlarge.

I'm not sure I still completely agree with all the judgements expressed in the piece, but I think I got most of it basically right. In any case, please enjoy if possible, and cut me some slacque, Jacques -- I was a kid at the time. 😎

Your thoughts?

Your Tuesday Music-Themed Cartoon Chuckles

Of course, you do have to be at least over 50 to get that last one. 😎

It's Labor Day!!!

From 1982, please enjoy the irrepressible Gary U.S. Bonds and his ironically upbeat ode to unemployment "Out of Work."

Attentive readers will recall that the above is something of a holiday tradition around these parts of late, primarily due to the fact that its predecessor in that regard, The Strawbs' "Part of the Union," turns out to be considered something of a Tory anthem in its home country (I'm still a little puzzled by that, actually). In any event, I've always loved the Bonds record, and it remains, to this day, pretty much my favorite of all the songs Bruce Springsteen gave away to other artists.

In any event, enjoy your holiday barbecues, and my apologies for the weekend screw-up in the comments section; I have no idea what caused the problem, but apparently it's been resolved.

Your Fin de La Semaine Moment of Reflected Glory

More specifically, the promo video for Uncovered, the latest album from longtime occasional bandmate and Friend of PowerPop© (and moi) Ronnie D'Addario.

Apart from Ronnie's usual batch of to die for new 60s-inspired pop confections, ss you can see from the track listings, there are a lot of really brilliantly chosen cover songs on the album -- here's a venerable folkie classic that Ronnie assures us is pretty much his favorite of the bunch.

Attentive readers will of course recall Ronnie both as the father of The Lemon Twigs and as a frequent contributor to some of The Floor Models recordings in the current century; if you're familiar with the music his kids make, you'll grok that talent is inheritable, and that in this case the proverbial apples don't fall very far from the tree.

In any case, Ronnie's been releasing stuff as good as the above on his own CDs since the 80s (or maybe the '90s, but I'll check) and I couldn't be happier that he's finally getting the kind of critical recognition that he has long deserved. I don't have the CD purchase/streaming link for the new one yet, but I left him a message about same (it was his birthday this past Wednesday) and I'll put the link up as soon as Ronnie recovers from his celebratory hangover (I keed, I keed!!!). I should also add that one of the most admirable things about him is that he differs from most contemporary musical icons in that he has a genuine work ethic reminiscent of the 60s musicians -- Beatles, Byrds, Beach Boys -- who inspired him. Here's what I had to say about his last album (which he did with The Twigs, who work pretty hard themselves, come to think of it) and which dropped (as today's yutes say) all the way back in the misty dim historical recesses of late November last year.

You should get that one too, it goes without saying. 😎

Meanwhile, have a great holiday weekend everybody!!!

Closed for Monkey Business

Computer trouble AND some serious back stuff from that injury five weeks ago. Here's a hint: Don't get old, kids.

Regular -- and extremely groovy -- music posting involving a long-time Friend of PowerPop© resumes on the morrow.

The Present-Day Avant-Pop Weirdo Refuses to Die

Okay, now here's something you don't hear as often as you used to.

By which I mean a quirky, unbelievably well produced, conceivably even commercially-radio ready pop-rock confection that clocks in, remarkably, at under two minutes.

That's LA duo Scaled Alps and "Celestial Sighs," the second track from their just released new album Let the Alpine Play. I haven't really completely digested it (the song) yet, but in its own surprisingly accessible way, it strikes me at the moment as kinda the most genuinely contemporary-sounding thing I've heard (and more confoundingly actually liked) in what seems like ages.

You can find out more about these guys -- and order the above and the rest of their earlier output -- at this convenient link OVER HERE.

Tuesday's Music-Themed Cartoon Chuckles

The Lennon one made me laugh out loud. 😎

Dollymania (Part the Infinity)

Not sure what I feel about this one (which I don't think I had ever heard previously), but let's just say that whatever "it" is, Dolly possessed it.

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special "Letter From Liverpool" Edition

From some time in the 'teens, please enjoy pride of Massachusetts The Ticks and their, shall we say, interesting cover of The Beatles' "Because."

The Ticks, I should point out, are an all-gal band from the Cape Cod Area; one of them is also a cashier at a Trader Joe's in Hyannis, which is where my long time friend/Weasles bandmate Allan Weissman recently discovered them. I'm not 100% sure what I think of their rendition -- the synth keyboards strike me as a little schmaltzy and the vocals occasionally veer into pixie-ish -- but overall it's certainly attractive and I think on balance does justice to the song.

Which leads us, inexorably and inevitably, to the subject of today's business. To wit:

...and your favorite (or least favorite) cover of a song by the Fab Four -- either by the group itself or by an individual band member solo -- is...???

Discuss.

No arbitrary rules whatsover, and I can't wait to hear what you go for.

And in case you're wondering, these are my favorites in the Favorite category.

Simply gorgeous in both cases. And I'd tell you my candidate in the Least Favorite category, but I'd feel like too much of a party pooper. 😎

Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choices be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

Songs I'd Forgotten Existed, Let Alone Loved (An Occasional Series): Special "That's DESERT Rose, Not Acuff" Edition

From their utterly brilliant eponymous debut album (in 1987), please enjoy The Desert Rose Band (featuring hero of my youth Chris Hillman) and their to-die-for country rock confection "One Step Forward."

Hillman has made so much good music in so many different band contexts -- beginning, obviously, with The Byrds in 1965 -- that it's almost supernatural. That said, the abovementioned Desert Rose LP is a particular fave, and it was nice to discover that it hasn't dated a whit since I heard it last (some time in the '90s. if memory serves).

I should add that I had the opportunity to interview Hillman back in 2020, on the occasion of the publication of his terrific autobiography Time Between, and he couldn't have been more gracious, charming and funny.

Hey -- that has not always been the case when I've encountered longtime musical idols. 😎

Dolly Parton 1946 - 2026 (A Mensch)

That's an ad she took out in the music trade press (from 2022), and in case you were wondering, she was inducted into the Hall that year despite her demurrers. Words fail me over how cool that is anyway, of course.

I should add that I was lucky enough to see Dolly at a small NYC club in 1977 (just before she crossed over to pop and become a movie star). Utterly amazing.

Also, my then girlfriend -- who was relatively short -- actually acquired one of Dolly's stage outfits from that period (one of those one piece bell-bottom jumpsuits with the mirrors running down the side of both legs) at a charity auction. I'm not exactly sure how that worked, but the short version is that it fit her like the proverbial glove.

Except for you know where, obviously. 😎

Tuesday's Music-Themed Cartoon Chuckles

In defense of an old friend and musical colleague, I can't actually verify the accuracy of that last one. 😎