From 1970 or so, please enjoy legendary hippies The Grateful Dead and a live version of a song that eventually turns into their tribute to John Carpenter, the celebrated "Dark Star." Or so I'm told -- I frankly didn't have the patience to listen all the way through.
In any case, a coveted PowerPop No-Prize will be awarded the first reader who gleans the clip's relevance to the theme of tomorrow's Weekend Listomania.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
It's a Man's, Man's, Man's, Man's World
From 1957, please enjoy "Louie, Louie" auteur Richard Berry and his perhaps insensitive to a woman's needs saga "Get Out of the Car."
Seriously, the first time I heard this song -- in 1993, when the above reissue of Berry's frequently amusing journeyman r&b novelties (with the occasional first-rate Little Richard emulation thrown in for good measure) first crossed my desk -- I remember laughing initially and then thinking, uh, you know, this is getting perilously close to a line that I don't think anybody really worried about back in the day.
On the other hand, as "Holy" Greil Marcus famously pointed out in a totally different context, it is perhaps a mistake to judge the brave men and women of an earlier time by the standards of our own.
Or something.
Seriously, the first time I heard this song -- in 1993, when the above reissue of Berry's frequently amusing journeyman r&b novelties (with the occasional first-rate Little Richard emulation thrown in for good measure) first crossed my desk -- I remember laughing initially and then thinking, uh, you know, this is getting perilously close to a line that I don't think anybody really worried about back in the day.
On the other hand, as "Holy" Greil Marcus famously pointed out in a totally different context, it is perhaps a mistake to judge the brave men and women of an earlier time by the standards of our own.
Or something.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Left of the Dial (Part 2)
High-powered music biz maven Ron Fields (Christopher Guest) returns to the late night Progressive Trends show of unspeakably laid back FM-jock Mel Brewer (Bill Murray), with the news that whaling songs and the people that sang them are in the toidy.
His prediction for the next Next Big Thing? Single person star phenomenon...
"Take the J Train down to Houston Street...it will let you off in Jamaica."
His prediction for the next Next Big Thing? Single person star phenomenon...
"Take the J Train down to Houston Street...it will let you off in Jamaica."
Left of the Dial (Part 1)
From the hilarious 1976 album Goodbye Pop, unspeakably laid-back FM deejay Mel Brewer (Bill Murray) is visited by manager ("the man who discovered Cyrkle") and music business maven Ron Fields (Christopher Guest).
Ron's prediction? The Next Big Thing is...whaling songs! (And it's gonna be a "Kung Fu Christmas," but that's a separate issue).
Ron's prediction? The Next Big Thing is...whaling songs! (And it's gonna be a "Kung Fu Christmas," but that's a separate issue).
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Si! Si! Si!
This won't come as a shock to anybody, but one of the nicest perks, if that's the word, of writing here over the last two years is that people have been moved to turn me on to some very cool music I would have never have otherwise heard.
But of all the songs I've been hepped to since NYMary gave me the spare set of keys to the car, as it were, I think this is the one I treasure most (and special thanks to Kid Charlemagne, whose encylopedic knowledge of some of the more obscure byways of pop and rock is a continuing source of amazement to me).
From 1965, please enjoy Los Shakers (a/k/a The Beatles del Rio de la Plata) and their exquisite "Always You."
Los Shakers were in many ways one of the archtypal 60s rock stories -- four kids from Uruguay who saw A Hard Days Night and flipped (like everybody else their age worldwide) and subsequently formed a band. Except they actually got signed by the Beatles parent record label (EMI) and became huge pop stars in South and Latin America (they were considered gods in Argentina, apparently).
Oh, and made absolutely wonderful records that live up to the source of their initial inspirations.
Case in point: "Always You." Seriously -- this is EXACTLY what the Beatles would have sounded like circa the soundtrack to Help if they had grown up South of the Border rather than in Liverpool. In short, as gorgeous a happy/sad pop tune as you'll ever encounter, with every little instrumental and vocal detail simply beyond perfection; I absolutely turn to jelly when that chiming Harrison-esque Rickenbacker twelve-string comes in at the top of the second verse, and I don't care who knows it.
BTW, you can see Los Shakers perform the song (in lower-fi mono) in a club scene from what is apparently a Latin version of an AIP beach party flick over at YouTube HERE.
For more on these guys -- who have credibly reinvented themselves as disciples of Astor Piazzolla since a 2005 reunion tour -- check out their estimable official website.
But of all the songs I've been hepped to since NYMary gave me the spare set of keys to the car, as it were, I think this is the one I treasure most (and special thanks to Kid Charlemagne, whose encylopedic knowledge of some of the more obscure byways of pop and rock is a continuing source of amazement to me).
From 1965, please enjoy Los Shakers (a/k/a The Beatles del Rio de la Plata) and their exquisite "Always You."
Los Shakers were in many ways one of the archtypal 60s rock stories -- four kids from Uruguay who saw A Hard Days Night and flipped (like everybody else their age worldwide) and subsequently formed a band. Except they actually got signed by the Beatles parent record label (EMI) and became huge pop stars in South and Latin America (they were considered gods in Argentina, apparently).
Oh, and made absolutely wonderful records that live up to the source of their initial inspirations.
Case in point: "Always You." Seriously -- this is EXACTLY what the Beatles would have sounded like circa the soundtrack to Help if they had grown up South of the Border rather than in Liverpool. In short, as gorgeous a happy/sad pop tune as you'll ever encounter, with every little instrumental and vocal detail simply beyond perfection; I absolutely turn to jelly when that chiming Harrison-esque Rickenbacker twelve-string comes in at the top of the second verse, and I don't care who knows it.
BTW, you can see Los Shakers perform the song (in lower-fi mono) in a club scene from what is apparently a Latin version of an AIP beach party flick over at YouTube HERE.
For more on these guys -- who have credibly reinvented themselves as disciples of Astor Piazzolla since a 2005 reunion tour -- check out their estimable official website.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Get Your Kicks...
Long story short: In a bizarre bit of karmic convergence, my good friend David Klein, doing business over at the remarkable Merry Swankster blog, just weighed in with the latest in his brilliant Numerology series, with a superb piece on the history (and much more) of the often covered pop/rock classic "Route 66." (Check it out HERE, including audio of the original version by Nat King Cole and a couple of other cool covers.)
And a few hours after I read it, I found myself sitting in with some old friends' bar band in the wilds of New Jersey and actually singing the thing. You have no idea how weird this is, as the last time I performed anything publically all the women's parts were played by men and the show's protagonist -- Richard III -- was still alive.
Fortunately, no video of Thursday's performance has yet surfaced on YouTube, although I think somebody was cell phoning it so who knows. All I can say, ultimately, is yipes, and echo the comment one of the waitresses made to the owner: "Why is that old Rabbi doing punk rock moves?"
Anyway, "Route 66" is a song that has loomed large in my legend, as they say, for decades now. So here's hands down my favorite performance of it -- from The Rolling Stones 1965 EP Got Live If you Want.
Actually, on most days this isn't just my fave version of the song. In fact, I'm often of the opinion that this is the Stones single most exciting live performance ever AND the most exciting live performance by a rock band period.
And isn't that back cover shot just the most evocative damned thing you've ever seen? There's no photo credit, alas, which has always bugged me; I'm betting it was taken by either David Bailey or Gered Mankowitz, but if there's a Stones completist out there who knows, please get in touch.
And a few hours after I read it, I found myself sitting in with some old friends' bar band in the wilds of New Jersey and actually singing the thing. You have no idea how weird this is, as the last time I performed anything publically all the women's parts were played by men and the show's protagonist -- Richard III -- was still alive.
Fortunately, no video of Thursday's performance has yet surfaced on YouTube, although I think somebody was cell phoning it so who knows. All I can say, ultimately, is yipes, and echo the comment one of the waitresses made to the owner: "Why is that old Rabbi doing punk rock moves?"
Anyway, "Route 66" is a song that has loomed large in my legend, as they say, for decades now. So here's hands down my favorite performance of it -- from The Rolling Stones 1965 EP Got Live If you Want.
Actually, on most days this isn't just my fave version of the song. In fact, I'm often of the opinion that this is the Stones single most exciting live performance ever AND the most exciting live performance by a rock band period.
And isn't that back cover shot just the most evocative damned thing you've ever seen? There's no photo credit, alas, which has always bugged me; I'm betting it was taken by either David Bailey or Gered Mankowitz, but if there's a Stones completist out there who knows, please get in touch.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Old Man Take A Look at Yourself...
Okay, kids, so despite my current straitened economic circumstances, I went ahead and splurged the 238 bucks over at Amazon for the ten-disc Blu-ray of Vol. 1 of the Neil Young Archives.
So of course I'm going to share with you.
From 1971, please enjoy Neil's previously unreleased tale of rock star anomie, "Southern California Brings Me Down."
I think we can all agree, Neil never distilled Topanga Canyon angst quite so brilliantly, although lord knows he's tried on numerous occasions.
So of course I'm going to share with you.
From 1971, please enjoy Neil's previously unreleased tale of rock star anomie, "Southern California Brings Me Down."
I need someone to live with me
To keep my bed warm and keep my shorts clean
I need a maid to give for free
And sew patches on my jeans
I dreamed I found my cowgirl housewife
I was driving in my pickup through L.A.
I gotta love you while I can, babe
Before I become an old man
Southern California brings me down
Southern California brings me down
Southern California brings me down
I need some place to go
O North Ontario
It's safer than Alabama
It's safer than O-Ohio O-Ohio O
Gonna go home now where I can grow old
With the cowgirl of my dreams
Gonna stayed stoned now
Stare out my basement window and scream
Aa-aaa
I think we can all agree, Neil never distilled Topanga Canyon angst quite so brilliantly, although lord knows he's tried on numerous occasions.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Saturday Glam Blogging...
Here's Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel with their 1974 single Judy Teen, which reached #5 on the UK charts in 1974. This song scores high on the precious and twee scale of glam circa the mid-1970s, but I have always had a special place in my heart for this band. Enjoy and buon weekend!
Friday, June 26, 2009
RIP Sky Saxon
I think we would be remiss here at PowerPop to fail to acknowledge the passing of fellow astral traveler Sky Saxon yesterday. Personally, my introduction to the work of the Seeds came from Lenny Kaye's groundbreaking compilation of 60's punk/psych Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era: 1965-1968 which included the band's best known tune Pushin' Too Hard. I found my copy of Nuggets in a cutout bin when I was 18 and as a punk rocker in 1978 it literally blew my mind. Not only because of all the great music contained within the grooves of those two records, but also because it showed me that the punk/outsider ethos of rock and roll is truly universal and transcends all generations. Anyway, here's the Seeds' appearance in 1968's Psych Out which included the performances of Jack Nicholson, Susan Strasberg, Bruce Dern and Dean Stockwell.
BTW, you can't have flower power without the Seeds! Happy weekend!
Psych Out!
BTW, you can't have flower power without the Seeds! Happy weekend!
Psych Out!
Weekend Listomania: Special I Knew 'Em When Video Edition)
Well, it's Friday and you know what that means. Yes, my Oriental groinal manipulation technician diet consultant Fah Lo Suee and I are off to the great state of South Carolina for some remedial nude hiking with Governor Mark Sandford (R-Down Argentine Way). Mark's bringing the Flit, but I'm worried that the bugs will be out of control anyway.
So posting by moi will be sporadic for a few days.
But in the meantime, here's another little fun project for you folks:
Best Major, i.e. Arena-Worthy, Rock/Pop Act You Were Lucky Enough to See in a Small Room!!!
No arbitrary rules here, as I'm going to be flexible about what constitutes a small room. A club like the departed Bottom Line in NYC sat about 400, which to me should be the outside figure, but B.B. King's, which is the contemporary equivalent, seats about 700. Anyway, I'll leave it to you guys to be honest about this. And hopefully, your examples will be from a time when whoever you nominate was on the way up, rather than down.
Oh, and incidentally, if you're puzzled about the clue downstairs, I saw Dolly Parton at the aforementioned Bottom Line sometime in the late 70s. Not really an arena act, I suppose, but you get the point.
Also, I have the unsettling feeling I may have done this topic (or one awfully similar) before, but cut me some slack. As you'll see from the list below, I'm obviously extremely old.
And my totally top of my head Top Seven is:
7. Patti Smith
At Max's Kansas City, which sat 150 people tops, performing the just released Easter album in its entirety. At one point, Patti kicked over the drinks on the table where my girlfriend and I were sitting; said girlfriend was totally freaked and made me take her home, and thus I missed the live version of "Because the Night." Irksome, as you can imagine, but I've forgiven both of them since.
6. The Cars
The aforementioned Bottom Line again, circa the first album. They were quite good in a steely sort of way, although I thought they were surprisingly deficient in the charisma department. Also, the late Ben Orr really shouldn't have been wearing leather pants.
5. The Police
At the aforementioned Bottom Line as well. They had been booked there before "Roxanne" hit, so it was your basic contractual obligation gig. Place was packed, obviously; I watched from the bar and had a very good time.
4. Dire Straits
Bottom Line, same deal; "Sultans of Swing" was Top Ten at the time. Knopfler was awesome, the more so for being totally nonchalant.
3. Bachman Turner Overdrive
Max's Kansas City, touring the first album, circa 1973. They played with tiny little Fender amps and I thought they were hilarious.
2. Cheap Trick
The Bottom Line, again, around Heaven Tonight in 1978. I went with a fanatical punk/New Wave fan who was disappointed they sounded so much like a metal band. Heh.
And the numero uno show featuring incipient superstars I ever saw at a hole in the wall dive, it's not even a contest as you'll see, obviously was --
1. The Wailers/Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band
Max's Kansas City again, early 1973 (the clip is from '72, but you'll get the idea). The Wailers (with both Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, for crissakes) were making their New York debut; Springsteen was pretty much an unknown. Both bands were utterly amazing, but most of the crowd left after the reggae, and so I saw Bruce for the first time in the company of fifty or sixty hardcore fans from the Jersey Shore. Bruce asked for requests, I shouted "Route 66," and they actually did it.
Awrighty then, who would your choices be?
[Shameless Blogwhore: My parallel Cinema Listomania -- theme: best revised re-released film, classic or otherwise -- is now up over at Box Office. As always, if you could possibly go over there and leave a trenchant comment, I'd be your best friend.]
So posting by moi will be sporadic for a few days.
But in the meantime, here's another little fun project for you folks:
Best Major, i.e. Arena-Worthy, Rock/Pop Act You Were Lucky Enough to See in a Small Room!!!
No arbitrary rules here, as I'm going to be flexible about what constitutes a small room. A club like the departed Bottom Line in NYC sat about 400, which to me should be the outside figure, but B.B. King's, which is the contemporary equivalent, seats about 700. Anyway, I'll leave it to you guys to be honest about this. And hopefully, your examples will be from a time when whoever you nominate was on the way up, rather than down.
Oh, and incidentally, if you're puzzled about the clue downstairs, I saw Dolly Parton at the aforementioned Bottom Line sometime in the late 70s. Not really an arena act, I suppose, but you get the point.
Also, I have the unsettling feeling I may have done this topic (or one awfully similar) before, but cut me some slack. As you'll see from the list below, I'm obviously extremely old.
And my totally top of my head Top Seven is:
7. Patti Smith
At Max's Kansas City, which sat 150 people tops, performing the just released Easter album in its entirety. At one point, Patti kicked over the drinks on the table where my girlfriend and I were sitting; said girlfriend was totally freaked and made me take her home, and thus I missed the live version of "Because the Night." Irksome, as you can imagine, but I've forgiven both of them since.
6. The Cars
The aforementioned Bottom Line again, circa the first album. They were quite good in a steely sort of way, although I thought they were surprisingly deficient in the charisma department. Also, the late Ben Orr really shouldn't have been wearing leather pants.
5. The Police
At the aforementioned Bottom Line as well. They had been booked there before "Roxanne" hit, so it was your basic contractual obligation gig. Place was packed, obviously; I watched from the bar and had a very good time.
4. Dire Straits
Bottom Line, same deal; "Sultans of Swing" was Top Ten at the time. Knopfler was awesome, the more so for being totally nonchalant.
3. Bachman Turner Overdrive
Max's Kansas City, touring the first album, circa 1973. They played with tiny little Fender amps and I thought they were hilarious.
2. Cheap Trick
The Bottom Line, again, around Heaven Tonight in 1978. I went with a fanatical punk/New Wave fan who was disappointed they sounded so much like a metal band. Heh.
And the numero uno show featuring incipient superstars I ever saw at a hole in the wall dive, it's not even a contest as you'll see, obviously was --
1. The Wailers/Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band
Max's Kansas City again, early 1973 (the clip is from '72, but you'll get the idea). The Wailers (with both Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, for crissakes) were making their New York debut; Springsteen was pretty much an unknown. Both bands were utterly amazing, but most of the crowd left after the reggae, and so I saw Bruce for the first time in the company of fifty or sixty hardcore fans from the Jersey Shore. Bruce asked for requests, I shouted "Route 66," and they actually did it.
Awrighty then, who would your choices be?
[Shameless Blogwhore: My parallel Cinema Listomania -- theme: best revised re-released film, classic or otherwise -- is now up over at Box Office. As always, if you could possibly go over there and leave a trenchant comment, I'd be your best friend.]
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