Slacker Tuesday

Lots of stuff -- mostly good -- happening at Casa Simels, including perhaps a new pussycat in the family -- and I'm exhausted. Regular musical posting, including a brand new Weekend Listomamia, resumes on the morrow, you bastids.

Records I'd Forgotten Existed, Let Alone Loved: An Occasional Feature (Special "Skinny Tie Rock" Edition)

From 1980, please enjoy mistakenly-dismissed-as one-hit-wonders [you know, that song with the phone number and the girl's name in the title] L.A. New Wave rockers Tommy Tutone and their MTV fave "Angel Say No."

Apart from just being a great single with a great groove, this song was a huge influence on me musically. The short version is I learned how to play bass by rocking out to it on an old Pioneer two track cassette deck you could overdub on. (Come to think of it, I got a lot of mileage out of that gizmo; I also recall working out the bass part to "Dance With Me" by Orleans the same way.)

In any event, if you put a gun to my head, I could probably still play this song from memory, so -- hey Tommy Tutone, wherever you are, thanks for the music lessons.

Records I'd Forgotten Existed, Let Alone Loved: An Occasional Feature (Special "From the Land Down Under" Edition)

From his first solo album, in 1974, please enjoy The Easybeats' lead singer Stevie Wright and his definitively rocking hit single "Hard Road."

That was produced and written, unsurprisingly, by Harry Vanda and George Young, also of The Easybeats, and who happened to be the cousins(?) and board twirlers behind AC/DC. Rod Stewart had a minor hit with it in the same year, but it doesn't hold a candle to the above.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Flying Saucers Rock 'n' Roll!!

Fron 2004, live in concert in Mexico, please enjoy Enanitos Verdes and their drop dead gorgeous "Tu Carcel."

The band's name translates loosely as Little Green Men, and they hail from Argentina. They're a very big deal in Latin America, although they're pretty much unknown in the States, which is a shame, as you can hear. (Assuming that the internet is reliable, the song's title translates to "Your Jail.")

I should add that the first time I heard these guys was a couple days ago at my new part-time watering hole, a Forest Hills Mexican joint called Mas Tortilla (try their grilled corn on the cob.) They mostly play tradtional Latin pop over the sound system, although they occasionally blast Rock en español , a genre I'm finding more interesting than I had expected. (As attentive readers will recall, I first paid attention to it after hearing this fabulous Police-ish rocker).

Have I mentioned I love my neighborhood?

Back Tomorrow...

...with another example of Rock en español, and one of the most gorgeous mid-tempo ballads I've ever heard. Trust me -- you'll dig it the most.

Records I'd Forgotten Existed, Let Alone Loved: An Occasional Feature (Special "Girl Group Songs Remade by Guys" Edition)

From 1983, please enjoy -- from their sadly overlooked reunion album What Goes Around -- the magisterial Hollies and their superb cover of The Supremes' "Stop in the Name of Love."

Apart from being utterly gorgeous, that track is particularly notable for the return of the band's original -- and damn near John Entwistle level good -- bassist Eric Haydock. I had always wondered why he left the band in the first place, but Wiki informs me it had something to do with problems with the band's management. Too bad -- Bernie Calvert, who replaced him for over a decade and a lot of hits, was apparently a nice enough dude and a competent musician, but he couldn't hold a candle to Haydock, who was the first guy in England to play (superbly) a Fender five-string bass.

Independence Day 2022

Enjoy the holiday, everybody.

The Incomparable Eddie© : 20?? -- 2022

The Incomparable Eddie is Having Old Age Related Health Problems

Our priority for the next few days is keeping an eye on him.

Regular posting will resume when it resumes, and we'd appreciate it if you'd light a metaphorical candle for our beloved feline pal.

Closed for Monkey Business

Regular posting about obscure songs I love but had forgotten resumes tomorrow.