I think we can agree: this is the greatest trailer ever made for the greatest live rock movie ever made.
Joan Baez singing "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" backed by Phil Spector?!? Plus the Byrds, the Lovin' Spoonful, Ray Charles, Ike and Tina (at their peak), Bo Diddley (with the Duchess, his gorgeous sister), and the Ronettes?
Wow!
BTW: Don't miss the shot of Frank Zappa in the audience, grooving unironically.
Did I mention this is the greatest live rock movie ever made?
Never been on video, I might add.
Postscript: Oops, I mispoke. Actually, back in the 80s it was available on a tape called (if I recall) "That Was Rock," which was a badly edited mishmash of some of the footage from the above along with selected sections of the earlier "T.A.M.I Show," a '65 concert film produced by the same people. Chuck Berry did the pointless narration.
It's been out of print for years, however. And both films really need to be available on DVD in their original form.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Weekend Listomania (Special Video Edition)
Well, it's Friday and you know what that means. Yes, my Oriental houseboy Kato and I are off to California for a tour of the upper crust Palm Springs locations used in the steamy yet highly realistic hit summer teen melodrama miniseries Hidden Palms (Wednesday nights on the CW!!!!).
A gay old time is guaranteed for all, if you know what I mean. But as a result, posting by moi will necessarily be a bit sporadic for a day or two.
In the meantime, here's another little project for you fine folks:
Best Ever (Non-Prog) Rock Instrumental!
[arbitrary rule: Joe Satriani, who I otherwise have no problem with, is prog, so don't nominate him]
My reasonably well-considered Top Ten:
1. Rumble -- Link Wray
2. The Man From HUAC -- Laika and the Cosmonauts
3. Beck's Bolero -- Jeff Beck
4. Apricot Brandy -- Rhinosceros
5. The Carlsberg Special -- Wizzard
6. Perfidia -- The Ventures
7. Sabre Dance -- Love Sculpture with Dave Edmunds
8. Theme from Star Wars -- Big Daddy (guitar instrumental a la the Ventures)
9. Like Long Hair -- Paul Revere and the Raiders
10. Cobwebs and Strange -- The Who
Join in, won't you?
A gay old time is guaranteed for all, if you know what I mean. But as a result, posting by moi will necessarily be a bit sporadic for a day or two.
In the meantime, here's another little project for you fine folks:
Best Ever (Non-Prog) Rock Instrumental!
[arbitrary rule: Joe Satriani, who I otherwise have no problem with, is prog, so don't nominate him]
My reasonably well-considered Top Ten:
1. Rumble -- Link Wray
2. The Man From HUAC -- Laika and the Cosmonauts
3. Beck's Bolero -- Jeff Beck
4. Apricot Brandy -- Rhinosceros
5. The Carlsberg Special -- Wizzard
6. Perfidia -- The Ventures
7. Sabre Dance -- Love Sculpture with Dave Edmunds
8. Theme from Star Wars -- Big Daddy (guitar instrumental a la the Ventures)
9. Like Long Hair -- Paul Revere and the Raiders
10. Cobwebs and Strange -- The Who
Join in, won't you?
Thursday, June 28, 2007
The Big Tease
A coveted PowerPop No Prize will be awarded to any reader who can guess how this video of the Who's hilarious "Cobwebs and Strange" provides a clue to tomorrow's Weekend Listomania.
Diamonds in the Rough
This is installment 1,276,101 in the series "Wow! Is THAT on YouTube??"
Here's a clip of the legendary 60s Aussie punk/freakbeat group The Black Diamonds performing their psych gem (pun intended) I Want, Need, Love You. 60s garage simply does not get much better than this.
I was about to recommend that you to pick up a copy of the indispensable comp of Aussie garage/punk/psych Ugly Things, but sadly, it appears to be out of print at the moment. Those of you with money to burn can pick up a copy here.
Freak Out Mates!!
Here's a clip of the legendary 60s Aussie punk/freakbeat group The Black Diamonds performing their psych gem (pun intended) I Want, Need, Love You. 60s garage simply does not get much better than this.
I was about to recommend that you to pick up a copy of the indispensable comp of Aussie garage/punk/psych Ugly Things, but sadly, it appears to be out of print at the moment. Those of you with money to burn can pick up a copy here.
Freak Out Mates!!
Thursday Quick Fixes
[the latest in a continuing series of short takes on interesting or alarming new CDs that have crossed our desk recently]
BRYAN FERRY: Dylanesque
(Virgin)
Speaking as somebody who has never forgiven Bryan Ferry for a ludicrously low camp version of "A Hard Rain" (on his absurdly foppish 1973 solo debut), I came to Ferry's new album of Dylan covers with, shall we say, rather limited expectations. Well, surprise, surprise: it's pretty damn fantastic. There's barely a hint of Ferry's signature lounge-lizard suavity here; either through the ravages of age or design his vocals sound -- who'd have thunk it? -- haunted and human, and the backings -- including turns by old collaborators Chris Spedding on guitar and (on a rampage through "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" that rivals the master's "Albert Hall" version) Brian Eno on electronics -- drip atmosphere and (when appropriate) menace, in particular on a take on "All Along the Watchtower" that channels its composer channeling Jimi Hendrix. Damn near revelatory stuff and one of the absolute best things Ferry's ever done.
THE SMITHEREENS: Meet the Smithereens
(Koch)
Well, as tribute CDs go, this one at least has a certain novelty, it being not just a collections of Beatles covers but rather a recreation of the Beatles American debut LP in its entirety. The question before the court, of course, is whether it adds up to anything more substantial than what you'd hear from a good Beatles tribute band on an average night at a bar near you; speaking as a Smithereens fan from way back I'm glad to say that the answer is not much more but just enough to make it worth your time. The 'Reens, 60s revivalists non pareil that they are, have also always owed as much to the guitar crunch of AC/DC as they do to the Fabs, and as a result, there's an interestingly dark edge to their otherwise note-perfect recreations of the performances and production touches on these 12 slices of early Beatlemania. It raises some interesting possibilities, though; in fact, what I'd really like to hear now is Pat DiNizio and company blowtorching their way through the less innocent strains of "Revolver."
BRYAN FERRY: Dylanesque
(Virgin)
Speaking as somebody who has never forgiven Bryan Ferry for a ludicrously low camp version of "A Hard Rain" (on his absurdly foppish 1973 solo debut), I came to Ferry's new album of Dylan covers with, shall we say, rather limited expectations. Well, surprise, surprise: it's pretty damn fantastic. There's barely a hint of Ferry's signature lounge-lizard suavity here; either through the ravages of age or design his vocals sound -- who'd have thunk it? -- haunted and human, and the backings -- including turns by old collaborators Chris Spedding on guitar and (on a rampage through "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" that rivals the master's "Albert Hall" version) Brian Eno on electronics -- drip atmosphere and (when appropriate) menace, in particular on a take on "All Along the Watchtower" that channels its composer channeling Jimi Hendrix. Damn near revelatory stuff and one of the absolute best things Ferry's ever done.THE SMITHEREENS: Meet the Smithereens
(Koch)
Well, as tribute CDs go, this one at least has a certain novelty, it being not just a collections of Beatles covers but rather a recreation of the Beatles American debut LP in its entirety. The question before the court, of course, is whether it adds up to anything more substantial than what you'd hear from a good Beatles tribute band on an average night at a bar near you; speaking as a Smithereens fan from way back I'm glad to say that the answer is not much more but just enough to make it worth your time. The 'Reens, 60s revivalists non pareil that they are, have also always owed as much to the guitar crunch of AC/DC as they do to the Fabs, and as a result, there's an interestingly dark edge to their otherwise note-perfect recreations of the performances and production touches on these 12 slices of early Beatlemania. It raises some interesting possibilities, though; in fact, what I'd really like to hear now is Pat DiNizio and company blowtorching their way through the less innocent strains of "Revolver."
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Fluff & Falafel
Moving off of Steve's note in his last post.
Then imagine if I had written an equivalent sentence in, let's say, 1966. To wit -- "The Monkees biggest hit, I'm a Believer, has become one of this decade’s defining pop songs: a glorious blast of bubblegum exuberance."
Apparently, Bill O'Reilly, noted rock critic, has taken the torch from Steve and is lobbying for the inclusion of The Monkees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
First of all, Davy Jones wasn't the lead singer, or only a small proportion of the time.
Second, they toured with Jimi Hendrix, but he left the tour because the Monkees' adolescent fans didn't get him.
And third, "legitimate," in a post-Beatles environment, meant writing your own songs and playing your own instruments, Davy.
Fourth, O'Reilly says he didn't even like them.
I like The Monkees, I do. And since the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is basically a marketing and tourist device, I don't see why they should be kept out. But O'Reilly's chief reasoning, which seems to be record sales, should not be the deciding factor. It's not all about money.
Then imagine if I had written an equivalent sentence in, let's say, 1966. To wit -- "The Monkees biggest hit, I'm a Believer, has become one of this decade’s defining pop songs: a glorious blast of bubblegum exuberance."
Apparently, Bill O'Reilly, noted rock critic, has taken the torch from Steve and is lobbying for the inclusion of The Monkees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
First of all, Davy Jones wasn't the lead singer, or only a small proportion of the time.
Second, they toured with Jimi Hendrix, but he left the tour because the Monkees' adolescent fans didn't get him.
And third, "legitimate," in a post-Beatles environment, meant writing your own songs and playing your own instruments, Davy.
Fourth, O'Reilly says he didn't even like them.
I like The Monkees, I do. And since the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is basically a marketing and tourist device, I don't see why they should be kept out. But O'Reilly's chief reasoning, which seems to be record sales, should not be the deciding factor. It's not all about money.
Waiting Game
I play this game with my teen: "when I was your age, boys looked like this."
Or, you know, Gary Numan or Adam Ant or any of a hundred other lipsticked and blow-dried fellows from that era--there was certainly no shortage. It never fails to get the requisite "Ewwwww!" or "Mom!" Like shooting fish in a barrel.
But when she asks me what girls looked like, I don't think about the garbage-bagged souls who populated your Flock of Seagulls and Total Coelo videos. I think of The Waitresses.
On the whole, it was better to be a girl.
Or, you know, Gary Numan or Adam Ant or any of a hundred other lipsticked and blow-dried fellows from that era--there was certainly no shortage. It never fails to get the requisite "Ewwwww!" or "Mom!" Like shooting fish in a barrel.
But when she asks me what girls looked like, I don't think about the garbage-bagged souls who populated your Flock of Seagulls and Total Coelo videos. I think of The Waitresses.
On the whole, it was better to be a girl.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Tell That Boy to Shut Up
Extremely irksome NY Times pop music critic Kelefa Sanneh went out of his way to really steam my beans yesterday.
Sanneh's basic problem is that he's an overeducated lightweight who can't come to grips with the fact that most of the stuff he likes -- regardless of genre -- is soulless disposable corporate shlock that (in a sane world) should be considered, at best, as guilty pleasures. This leads him to embrace -- usually in lovesick fanboy prose unbecoming of the dignity of a major metropolitan newspaper -- what we in the crit biz refer to as the Murray the K Fallacy, also known as It's What's Happening, Baby! Which is to say that Sanneh believes if something is superficially hep, au courant and selling well that it is also by definition fabulous, emphasis on the first syllable. In other words, pop music is (and should be) nothing more than pink shoes and good looking guys and gals with great haircuts.
Fine. Lord knows there's a place for that, and lord knows I, for one, believe that, say, the Monkees made great records and deserve a slot in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
Still the review Sanneh just wrote about the new Kelly Clarkson album was really a bit much.
Money quote: "Her biggest hit, Since U Been Gone, has become one of this decade’s defining pop songs: a glorious blast of bubblegum emo."
To comprehend how truly silly that statement is, first watch the video for said decade defining song, easily the finest thing of its kind since Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield".
Then imagine if I had written an equivalent sentence in, let's say, 1966. To wit -- "The Monkees biggest hit, I'm a Believer, has become one of this decade’s defining pop songs: a glorious blast of bubblegum exuberance."
Sanneh's basic problem is that he's an overeducated lightweight who can't come to grips with the fact that most of the stuff he likes -- regardless of genre -- is soulless disposable corporate shlock that (in a sane world) should be considered, at best, as guilty pleasures. This leads him to embrace -- usually in lovesick fanboy prose unbecoming of the dignity of a major metropolitan newspaper -- what we in the crit biz refer to as the Murray the K Fallacy, also known as It's What's Happening, Baby! Which is to say that Sanneh believes if something is superficially hep, au courant and selling well that it is also by definition fabulous, emphasis on the first syllable. In other words, pop music is (and should be) nothing more than pink shoes and good looking guys and gals with great haircuts.
Fine. Lord knows there's a place for that, and lord knows I, for one, believe that, say, the Monkees made great records and deserve a slot in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
Still the review Sanneh just wrote about the new Kelly Clarkson album was really a bit much.
Money quote: "Her biggest hit, Since U Been Gone, has become one of this decade’s defining pop songs: a glorious blast of bubblegum emo."
To comprehend how truly silly that statement is, first watch the video for said decade defining song, easily the finest thing of its kind since Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield".
Then imagine if I had written an equivalent sentence in, let's say, 1966. To wit -- "The Monkees biggest hit, I'm a Believer, has become one of this decade’s defining pop songs: a glorious blast of bubblegum exuberance."
Monday, June 25, 2007
Speaking of Lily (or Guilding it, if you prefer...)
Could this be the greatest song about wanking ever???
Not to mention the greatest french horn solo ever committed to vinyl (apologies to Julius Watkins!).
Fun fact: Pictures of Lily (released on 4/22/67) was the 2nd single released on the new Track Records label which Polydor had set up for manager Kit Lambert to run. Anyone know what was the first??
Not to mention the greatest french horn solo ever committed to vinyl (apologies to Julius Watkins!).
Fun fact: Pictures of Lily (released on 4/22/67) was the 2nd single released on the new Track Records label which Polydor had set up for manager Kit Lambert to run. Anyone know what was the first??
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